Bible Study With Jairus

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 11 The Jerusalem Church Is Controlled by A Religious Spirit and God’s Work Turns to The Gentiles in Antioch

Bible Study with Jairus - Acts 11

 

The Jerusalem Church Is Controlled by A Religious Spirit and God’s Work Turns to The Gentiles in Antioch

 

A religious spirit is an evil, demonic force that tries to “replace a genuine relationship with God with works and traditions.”[i] In Acts 11, a religious spirit was gradually gaining more influence in the church in Jerusalem. To conquer this spirit, God sovereignly allowed persecution to scatter the believers in Jerusalem. The scattered believers began spreading the gospel to the Jews who lived among the Gentiles, and later to the Gentiles themselves, giving birth to the Gentile church in Antioch. Sometimes, the only way to break free from legalism is to leave the location where the religious spirit has gained a stronghold.

 

In Acts 11, The members of the circumcision party, who were bound by the religious spirit, argued with Peter in Jerusalem (verses 1-18); it seemed that they were concerned that the scattered believers were preaching the gospel to the Gentiles (verse 22). Some disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching the gospel to the Greeks as well as to the Jews (verse 20). In response, the Jerusalem church sent Barnabas, also from Cyprus, to see how the church in Antioch was doing (verse 20). When he arrived, Barnabas saw evidence of God’s grace in the church in Antioch (verse 23), and he led many more people to faith in Christ (verse 24). Then Barnabas, likely inspired by the Holy Spirit, went to Tarsus to find Saul and brought him to the church in Antioch. Saul was called by God to be an apostle to the Gentiles, so he stayed there for a year. Throughout this passage, we see the religious spirit being defeated, only to resurface in another place regarding another issue.

 

 

The Religious Spirit Turns Principles into Rules

 

One thing that religious spirits often do is to turn the founder’s teachings into law, refusing to accept new guidance from the Holy Spirit. This suppresses the new work of the Holy Spirit and the freedom of believers. For example, while Brother Witness Lee was alive, he was very opposed to the spirit of religion. He vigorously promoted innovative group exercises to attempt to break the power of the religious spirit in the Local Church, which he founded. However, by the time I was saved in The Local Church, Brother Witness Lee had been in heaven for several years. In his absence, a religious spirit was invading The Local Church.

 

The Methodist pastors in my seminary classes said that current-day Methodists did the same thing. They turned John Wesley’s teachings into dogma and distort his original words. For example, some Methodist churches are opposed to the filling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, even though John Wesley himself attached great importance to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the same way, the members of the Jerusalem church clung to Moses’ teachings about circumcision and used this teaching to restrict others and require them to comply. The Jews in Jerusalem turned Moses' teachings on circumcision into religious rules, just like many denominations rigidly follow their founders’ guidelines.

 

The Religious Spirit Raises Concerns about Cornelius

 

The religious spirit is pervasive in the church, especially among second- and third-generation Christians. The first generation of believers often has enough authority to resist the religious spirit. For example, Peter, who was a first-generation Christian, tried his best to resist the religious spirit. In today’s devotional, we will learn about Peter’s bravery in resisting the religious spirit.

 

Let’s read the account in the first three verses: “Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, ‘You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.’” In the previous chapter (Acts 10), Peter followed divine guidance, went to visit Cornelius, and preached the gospel to the Gentiles. When they believed, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them and they were baptized with water. But in Acts 11, the circumcision party members did not care that these Gentiles had been eternally saved, nor that they were baptized with water, nor that God poured out manifestations of his Spirit such as tongues (verse 10:46). The only thing they cared about was that their rules were being broken. They accused Peter of eating with uncircumcised Gentiles, which their law did not approve of. The spirit of religion can distort people’s thinking to such an extent that they no longer care about other people’s well-being or God’s will, but only about their own dogma. The only thing they care about is whether you follow their doctrine and rules. They do not care about you as a person.

 

The circumcised party did not care how much it cost Peter to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to preach to the Gentiles. They did not applaud the courage he showed or comfort him because of the pressure he was under. They did not care about the souls that were saved, and they were not concerned about God’s guidance for a new era. They only cared about one thing: whether or not you were circumcised. In today’s world, the issue they were concerned about seems irrelevant and silly. Why would someone get worked up about that? But today, the religious spirit chooses things that are just as irrelevant and makes them into huge issues in the church. People fight about whether or not to speak in tongues, whether or not to use rock music in worship, whether or not women can preach, and other topics.

 

In response to their concerns, Peter told the story of how the Holy Spirit had guided him through visions to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. After he finished speaking, he said, “‘If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?’ When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (verses 17-18). Peter successfully resisted and restrained the religious spirit. It seemed like everything would be fine from then on. But the religious spirit is sneaky, and it never stays silent for long.

 

 

The Power of the Religious Spirit in Jerusalem

The religious spirit was very powerful in Jerusalem. The religious spirit in Jerusalem had crucified Christ and Stephen, and the Holy Spirit did not have much freedom in this city.

 

On the surface, the Jews appeared to be protecting religious teachings through their strict adherence to the Mosaic law. But in essence, they were cooperating with Satan to prevent God’s message of grace from spreading—especially the message given through Paul.

 

When Barnabas invited Saul (Paul) to minister in Antioch, Paul began his public ministry. After a long period of private training in the wilderness, God finally brought Saul (Paul) to center stage at the church in Antioch. Though Paul had likely not yet written the book of Galatians at the time, he had probably received its content from the Holy Spirit while in the wilderness. He was ready to share the truths of Galatians 5:6: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” This was the message that the religious spirit did not want to spread.

 

The religious leaders in Jerusalem strongly resisted this message of grace. After Paul was saved, Jesus clearly told him that his testimony for the Lord would not be accepted by the residents of Jerusalem. Because of this, God sent Paul far away to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21). It was not that God was unwilling to work in Jerusalem, but that He knew how strong the religious spirit was in that city. The religious spirit in Jerusalem not only crucified the Lord but would also refuse the testimony Paul would give.

 

The religious spirit likes to tie people to a specific building, sect, or religious system, or to a specific set of religious rituals, procedures, or established culture. God’s Spirit often wants to set aside these human patterns and procedures so people can be free to follow where He leads. But instead, believers become fixated on these structures and can’t accept breaking them. For example, many churches in the United States have committees that vote on church proceedings rather than giving the Holy Spirit free reign. Perhaps the inventor of the church committee model wanted to enhance cooperation between believers; however, over time, this tradition became a rigid rule that hindered the movement of the Holy Spirit.

 

Satan’s influence was widespread in Jerusalem. He tried to use the religious spirit in Jerusalem to restrict the influence of the disciples in Jerusalem and to stop God’s work among the Gentiles. Thankfully, the power of the Holy Spirit is unstoppable. Even though people resist his work, He continues to flow through those who obey His guidance.

 

However, sometimes people have to leave the physical location in order to break free from the power of legalism. God sovereignly allowed persecution to arise in Jerusalem so the disciples would scatter and leave Jerusalem. Freed from the control of Jerusalem legalism, they could follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

After they left Jerusalem because of persecution, some disciples continued to teach only the Jews. Perhaps they were still holding onto Jesus’ teaching about not entering the homes of the Gentiles. They went all the way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the gospel only to the Jews. But some other men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and spoke to the Hellenists as well (19-20). When the Gentiles believed their message and the Holy Spirit fell on them, the Holy Spirit confirmed that he approved of preaching to the Gentiles. Verse 21 goes on to say, “And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.”

 

As soon as the believers got out from under the power of the religious spirit in Jerusalem, they broke the tradition of preaching only to the Jews. Perhaps they thought, “No matter what, we need to preach to the Gentiles. Out here, the rules and regulations of the religious spirit will not be accepted. The Gentiles need to know the gospel, and we can no longer deal with so many restrictions.” It takes tremendous courage to break through and tear down the restrictions of religious spirits, and sometimes it requires a physical change of location.

 

Similarly, Brother Witness Lee strongly recommended small group meetings in homes because they were less easily influenced by the religious spirit and more open to the Holy Spirit. Within the church halls, people feel restricted by dogma, rules, and procedures. People feel constrained by the church's laws and unwritten rules. But in homes, believers are free to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Once they left the church halls, they could follow God’s leading with freedom.

 

The Religious Spirit Raises Concerns about Antioch

 

Even though the believers were free from the religious spirit in Jerusalem and were preaching to the Gentiles, the religious spirit did not give up. Verse 22 goes on to say, “The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.” This is very interesting. Why was it a problem that they were preaching the gospel to the Gentiles? When Peter explained the circumstances of Cornelius’s salvation, everyone fell silent and acknowledged that God had given grace to the Gentiles. So why were they suddenly concerned about it again?

 

This story shows that the religious spirit had not been defeated by Peter’s testimony, but only temporarily silenced. It continued looking for other opportunities to restrict the work of the Holy Spirit, who was spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. After the Jerusalem believers heard Peter’s testimony and accepted the fact that God wanted to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the circumcision faction must have gained the upper hand once again.

 

Barnabas was sent to investigate, perhaps because he was from nearby Cyprus and was familiar with the culture. Or perhaps Barnabas was an acceptable go-between for both parties. Who were the two parties? First, the Jerusalem believers who advocated for circumcision; and second, those who supported preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, including Peter. Perhaps Barnabas was someone that both parties could accept.

 

God used Barnabas to bring Saul (Paul) to Antioch to serve the Gentile church. Barnabas helped Paul step onto center stage and begin his public work. God’s Holy Spirit was at work through each of his apostles.

 

This is not the last time we hear from the religious spirit. Much later, even Barnabas would be trapped by legalism. In Galatians 2, we learn that Peter frequently ate with Gentiles before certain brothers arrived from James. But when they arrived, Peter no longer ate with the Gentiles, and even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. This time, Paul had to stand up to Peter. Clearly, the religious spirit had become more and more powerful, even trapping Peter and Barnabas.

 

 

The Religious Spirit Resists the Prophets

 

I believe that the religious spirit also restricts the flow of prophecy. At the end of Acts 11, we learn that Agabus and several other prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch to prophesy that there would be a great famine over all the world. I believe it is no accident that the prophets came to Antioch to deliver these words of prophecy. The religious spirit had pervaded the church in Jerusalem. When religious spirits gain strength, the movement of the Holy Spirit is restricted. When the movement of the Holy Spirit is restricted, there are usually fewer prophetic words. And even when there are prophetic words, people often don’t have ears to hear them. I believe that the Jerusalem believers were unable or unwilling to accept the prophetic warnings due to the power of the religious spirit.

 

If the Jerusalem believers had accepted the warnings, why would the prophets have needed to come from Jerusalem to Antioch? I believe the Christians in Antioch were open to the Holy Spirit, and they accepted the words of these prophets and actively prepared for the famine by storing food that could later be sent to the believers in Judea. Through the arrival of the prophets, the Holy Spirit laid the groundwork for Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to provide for the brothers.

 

Agabus and the other prophets who came to Antioch were following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When there is movement of the Holy Spirit, there is also movement of the prophetic gifts. Prophets are a group of people who are very sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit, so the prophets coming to Antioch may have been them following the movement of the flow of the Holy Spirit.

 

In some churches, the movement of the Holy Spirit is restricted. While I attended The Local Church, I had no idea that the gift of prophecy was still active today. Only when I attended some Charismatic gatherings did I see the power of the Holy Spirit through prophetic gifts and words. I saw the power of the Holy Spirit, and my eyes were open. If we rarely see such prophecies taking place in our churches, it shows that the influence of the Holy Spirit is not very strong in the church.

 

The gospel flourished in the church in Antioch, and Saul and Barnabas worked together to get God's work in the Gentile churches off to a good start. They were open to prophetic words and took action. They not only took care of their own church family but also actively provided for the church in Jerusalem. Although the religious spirit in the Jerusalem church attempted to persecute the Antioch church, they lovingly cared for the Jerusalem church. The church in Antioch sets a wonderful example for us to follow.

 

 

 

[i] https://www.curtlandry.com/what-is-a-religious-spirit/

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 15 The Sea of ​​Glass is a Picture of the Church being Sanctified through Trial, Approaching the Throne of God, and Advancing God’s Work of Judgment.

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 15

 

The Sea of ​​Glass is a Picture of the Church being Sanctified through Trial, Approaching the Throne of God, and Advancing God’s Work of Judgment.

 

The Sea of Glass in Revelation 15 is a fascinating image that has captivated Christians and hymn-writers. But what does this image mean? Why do the conquering saints stand beside the sea, praising God, right before the seven plagues begin? That is what we will explore in this devotional.

 

The sea of glass is in front of the throne of God, and it is surrounded by saints praising God. This is a powerful representation of the mature body of Christ approaching God’s throne in prayer and praise. Our praise can advance the royal work of God, including judgment on the world and evil spirits.

 

The sea of glass reminds us that Jesus Christ is with his people as they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, just as he was with Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace. The three friends chose to be burned in the furnace rather than worship Nebuchadnezzar’s great image, but Jesus was with them in the midst of the consuming fire.

 

The sea of ​​glass signifies the sanctifying fire. Only pure gold that has passed through the fire can approach God’s throne. Suffering and martyrdom is like a fire, but God’s presence is with us in our suffering. Only those who have endured the refining fire can be sanctified and stand on the sea of ​​glass before the throne of God, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. They are singing a song of victory. Their victory and praise are the important driving forces behind God’s judgment on the world and evil spirits.

 

What is the Sea of Glass and Who is Standing Beside it?

 

Who are the people standing beside the sea of glass praising God? Verse 2 says, “And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands.” These people have conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name. I don’t believe all people who enter heaven will stand before the sea of glass, but only the overcomers, including the martyred saints who refused to worship the beast as mentioned in Chapter 14.

 

As mentioned previously, when the beast appears and begins to demand that people worship him and accept the mark of the beast, people face a critical choice. The first option is to surrender and worship the beast and receive his mark. The Bible states that all those who receive the mark of the beast will suffer eternal punishment (14:11). After that, the Bible does not mention people repenting and accepting Jesus Christ anymore. Consequently, it is plausible to assume that the beast’s appearance marks the last opportunity for people to choose salvation. Making the wrong choice will lead to eternal destruction. This moment may be the last harvest. Those who prefer martyrdom over worshiping the beast will enter eternal life. They may be God’s final harvest. Their entry into heaven begins a series of God’s final judgments.

 

It is crucial to remember that God desires all whom He has chosen to have eternal life and enter His heavenly home. He intends the church, as His bride, to mature and grow into Christ, the Head.

 

The symbolism of the sea of glass is very meaningful. It stands near the throne of God. Spiritually speaking, these victorious martyrs were standing on the sea of glass, signifying their presence before the throne of God and their role of advancing the work and judgment of God’s reign.

 

In chapter 6, we saw the martyrs calling out to God from under the altar, pleading for vengeance and justice. God told them to wait for a little while longer until the number of their fellow servants, who were to be killed as they themselves had been, was complete (6:9-11). Now, in chapter 15, those who were martyred for not worshiping the beast have completed that number. Therefore, God’s final judgment can now take place.

 

We know that the tabernacle was divided into three parts: the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The altar was set up in the outer court, and the ark, symbolizing the throne of God, was set up in the Holy of Holies. We can see the progression of God’s people, closer and closer to his throne:

• In chapter 6, the saints were praying from under the altar, which is in the outer court.
• In chapter 11, “Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail" (11:19)
• In chapter 15, the sanctuary is opened. “After this I looked, and the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened” (15:5).

 

This illustrates the movement from the outer court to the Holy Place then the Holy of Holies. These three steps represent the three different stages of Christian growth and maturity: individual faith, joining the church body (the bride of Christ), and finally reaching spiritual maturity.

 

Hebrews 4:16 instructs us, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” “The throne of grace” is God’s throne, which we have access to because of the blood of Jesus Christ and His role as our heavenly High Priest and Advocate. In Old Testament times, the throne was symbolized by the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Mercy Seat where God met and spoke with Moses in glory (Numbers 7:89). In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, and the veil dividing the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. His crucifixion typifies the redemption completed by Jesus Christ, allowing us to pass through the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies and approach the throne of God with confidence. We know that the Old Testament tabernacle mirrors the heavenly one, so we conclude that the heavenly tabernacle also includes an outer court, a Holy Place, and a Holy of Holies. Therefore, when this chapter records that John sees "the sanctuary of the tent of witness in heaven was opened," he is painting the same picture of approaching God’s throne with confidence through Jesus’ completed work of redemption.

 

Though Christ’s work is complete, the Holy Spirit continues to bring his work to completion in our individual lives. The destiny of the church is to mature and grow into Christ, the Head, and to join him on the throne of God (Ephesians 4:15, Revelation 3:21). We are the body of Christ, who sits on the throne, and we will sit with Him on the throne and appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).

 

The image of the crowd standing on the sea of glass not only indicates that they were the last to be saved, but also represents the maturity that has allowed these people to approach the throne of God. In only a few chapters, God’s work will be completed and the Bride of Christ will be mature enough to approach God’s throne. Otherwise, how could the bride be “prepared for her husband” as described in chapter 19?

 

Between chapters 15 and 19, God executes judgment on various evil spirits, beasts, and Babylon. The mature bride, portrayed in chapter 19, will fight alongside the bridegroom. They will be victorious in battle against the beast (that is, the Antichrist), the false prophet, and their armies. The beast and the false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire. In chapter 20, after binding Satan for a thousand years, Christ defeats Satan once and for all. Satan, death, and Hades are thrown into the Lake of Frie. Chapters 21-22 describe the new heaven and new earth, as well as the New Jerusalem. At this point, God's divine work will be complete.

 

If we understand these spiritual illustrations, we will realize that the events in Revelation represent the spiritual growth of the church. Although we should certainly pay attention to the activities in heaven, including the work of evil spirits, the situation of the church, and the judgment of God, we should not forget the main theme: God is orchestrating all things to bring the church to maturity as his bride. When the bride is mature and ready, the groom will come to marry her. The new heaven, new earth, and New Jerusalem will be created.

 

In 2004, shortly after becoming a believer, I attended a conference. At the time, I was uncertain about the truth of Jesus’ second coming. Yet, the Lord spoke to me during this conference. He appeared to me and assured me that his return would happen after he had built his body, the bride, and the New Jerusalem. This spiritual experience left a deep impression on me and helped me understand how important the church’s maturity is to God!

 

Jesus’ Presence in the Fiery Furnace

 

Romans 8 reminds us that God works all things together for good for those who love him (8:28). The phrase “all things” includes the good and the bad, including Satan, evil spirits, beasts, false prophets, and evil people. All these things will work together to accomplish God’s will—including evil king Nebuchadnezzar. Let’s see how God accomplished good things through a difficult situation in the Old Testament.

 

God revealed to Jeremiah that He had put all countries into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah 27:6). As a result, King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel, taking the Israelites captive to Babylon. He erected a towering image, decreeing that failure to worship it would result in death. Daniel's three friends refused to worship the image or serve the false god of King Nebuchadnezzar. Full of faith in God’s redemption, they stated that even if God allowed them to die, they still would not choose idolatry (Daniel 3:27-18). This story reminds us of the New Testament believers who would rather die than worship the beast. As a result, Nebuchadnezzar cast the three friends into a fiery furnace, which was so hot that it killed the men who threw them into the furnace. However, the Son of Man stood with the three men and protected them from the fire. They were saved, and the fire did not touch them. The presence of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, enabled them to overcome the burning fire and the persecution of Satan and the enemy.

 

In the same way, those who refused the image of the beast can stand beside the sea of glass—not through their strength alone but through the presence of Jesus. The sea of glass is also a sea of fire, representing God’s judgment and holiness. Hebrews 12:29 says, “Our God is a consuming fire.” If a believer has passed through the fire of God's holiness and been refined as pure gold, he can stand on the sea of glass, like Daniel's three friends. Those who overcame the image of the beast are the churches, or “congregation,” as mentioned in Hebrews 2:12: “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” The believers who overcame the image of the beast praised God beside the sea of glass, singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. When the church praises God, Jesus Christ leads them in praise to God the Father. This profound verse highlights Jesus’ presence, as the Head of the church, whenever the church praises God the Father.

 

God allows trials—including the fiery furnace of King Nebuchadnezzar, the persecution of the beast, and our current-day trials—to accomplish his wonderful will. We must learn from Daniel’s three friends, as well as the martyrs in Revelation who preferred death over idolatry. Like them, we can learn to pay any price rather than deny the testimony of God and Jesus Christ. I believe Revelation 19:10 expresses the essence of the book of Revelation: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

 

The furnace of affliction can help accomplish God's will for us. It is part of the “all things” that work together for good. When God achieves his goal to bring his bride to maturity, all evil will be destroyed in the lake of fire. Just like scaffolding is only here for a time and later removed, God allows suffering to refine us for a time while he is building his church. But later, it will be destroyed. Satan, the beast, the false prophet, Hades, and death, will be torn down like scaffolding and burned up. Only the new heaven, new earth, New Jerusalem will remain.

 

The symbolism of the sea of glass portrays this truth. Just as the Lord Jesus walked on the sea, and Daniel's three friends stood in the furnace unharmed, the believers who triumph over the beast will stand on the sea of glass, full of holy fire, because they have been refined into pure gold.

 

God’s Temple is Almost Finished and Will Be Filled with His Glory

 

Throughout the Bible, we read accounts of God’s glory filling the temple. In Exodus 40, after Moses finished the construction of the tabernacle, he was unable to enter the tabernacle because of the glory of God. "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). Similarly, after Solomon finished the construction of the temple, the priests could not stand to minister, because the glory of the Lord filled the temple (2 Chronicles 5:14). Revelation 15:8 says, “The sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary…" Is it just a coincidence that God’s glory filled the temple three times in God’s word? No. All of these temples—the tabernacle, the temple in the Old Testament, the heavenly temple, and the church as God's dwelling place (and our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit, see 1 Corinthians 6:19), all serve as vessels of God's glory.

 

The vision in Revelation 15 shows God’s glory coming down and filling the temple, which demonstrates that God’s vessel is prepared. I do not deny the existence of the heavenly temple, but I also recognize that we believers are God’s temple. Peter reinforces the same truth: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood…" (1 Peter 2:5). Revelation 21:2 emphasizes that the holy city, New Jerusalem, is the Bride of Christ. The voice from the throne says, "The dwelling place of God is with man" (21:3). John also mentions, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb"(21:22). This is so fascinating. We are the city (New Jerusalem), and God and the Lamb are the temple. The glory of God fills the temple, which means the glory of God fills us and is demonstrated through us. This is a future reality, but it is also a present-day reality. May we all be filled with the glory of God.

 

We Must Open God’s Temple through Prayers and Praise

 

As mentioned previously, the saints’ prayers and praise influence God’s work. The saints’ prayers can advance the work of judgment that God executes from his throne. The believers’ praises from the sea of ​​glass are powerful weapons to promote God’s work and open the temple. Hebrews 13:15 urges, “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.” Our praises, especially the praises we offer amidst difficult circumstances, have transformative power.

 

Our suffering may not seem to make sense, like the moveable type on early printing presses, which appears in reverse. Only in eternity will we see how our sufferings created a beautiful poem. Trials and suffering give birth to sincere praise. As the overcomers finally see God’s good intentions and how he used their suffering for good, they cannot help but praise God on the sea of glass.

Bible Study With Jairus - Revelation 16-2

Bible Study with Jairus

Revelation 16, part 2

Seven Bowls of the Wrath of God

 

The judgment in the book of Revelation begins with the judgment of the church, then proceeds to the judgment of the world and the judgment of evil spirits. God's judgment begins with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17), which is why the book begins with the seven letters to the churches. These letters to the churches not only contain words of encouragement, but also pronounce judgment on the churches. Judgment leads to repentance, and repentance leads to forgiveness. However, refusal to repent results in more severe judgment. This is a fundamental principle: judgment should lead to repentance and increased holiness and maturity.

 

The judgment of the church and its resulting growth leads to the next stage of judgment: judgment of the world. The seven seals and seven trumpets represent God’s judgment of the world, including the judgment of believers. This judgment helps believers detach from the world and offers unbelievers the chance to be saved. As the judgment intensifies with the bowl judgments, God begins his judgment of evil spirits. Our destiny as believers is to judge angels and evil spirits (1 Corinthians 6:3), and only a mature church can judge angels and evil spirits.

 

The bowl judgments not only serve to execute vengeance on angels and evil spirits, but also to demonstrate the maturity of the church's spiritual life. When understanding the Book of Revelation, many focus on the timing of the miraculous events, but this is not the central theme. The focus of Revelation is the maturity of the church. The Bible says that believers are called to bear witness to Jesus and testify together about Him. "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Revelation 19:10). Rather than just focusing on God's judgment or the astonishing details of a particular vision, we should focus on the extent to which the church and the body of Christ are growing spiritually. The church, as the Bride of Christ, is continually sanctifying itself. When the church sanctifies itself, the world is judged. You can see the truth of this in your individual life. When you reject an invitation to engage in sinful or worldly activities because of your Christian values, you are actually passing judgment on the friends who invited you. They may feel convicted and repent because of your judgment. If they follow the Holy Spirit’s call, they may grow in sanctification. However, if they refuse to repent, they may resent you and continue on the path of sin.

 

While this is an example from the life of an individual believer, the principle holds true for the collective destiny of humanity portrayed in the Book of Revelation. In the Book of Revelation, the church continually sanctifies itself, while the sinful and unrepentant persist in impurity. Ultimately, the righteous enter eternal life and the presence of God, while the unrepentant face judgment in the lake of fire. The central theme of Revelation is the increasing maturity of the church. When the church matures, she is ready to become Christ’s bride and celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb. Only then will the New Jerusalem, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, come down from heaven. If we ignore the theme of the maturing bride of Christ, the entire Book of Revelation is pointless. When reading Revelation, we should focus less on the disasters and beasts and more on our own personal growth and maturity.

The Significance of the Seven Bowls from the Perspective of the Spiritual Growth of the Body of Christ

 

In our last devotional, we learned that the body of Christ must mature to a point where it can move from the outer court to the Holy Place and eventually the Holy of Holies, so the "sanctuary of the tent of witness" can be opened (Revelation 15:5). After the completion of His redemptive work on the cross, Jesus, the High Priest, tore the veil in the earthly temple from top to bottom. When he opened the veil that separated the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, this symbolized that we have access to God through the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross. We can now boldly enter the Holy of Holies through the precious blood of Jesus (Hebrews 4:16).

 

However, just because Jesus opened the way to God does not mean that everyone has entered the Holy of Holies. To enter the Holy of Holies, we must first accept the redemption of Jesus Christ. Secondly, we must live in holiness, for without holiness no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14). God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

 

After the heavenly sanctuary was opened, the seven angels who would administer the seven plagues came out of the temple (Revelation 15:6). They were dressed in clean, bright linen (like a bride), with golden sashes around their chests (like the Lord wore). One of the four living creatures handed the seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God to the seven angels (Revelation 15:7).

 

The four living creatures are either angels or some other type of created being that live near God's throne. Revelation 4:6 says, "Around the throne, on each side of the throne, are four living creatures." The book of Ezekiel also describes the four living creatures (Ezekiel 1:5-25) that Ezekiel saw in his vision of God (Ezekiel 1:1). Evidently, the four living creatures serve God around His throne, which is located inside the heavenly Holy of Holies. In Revelation 4, John saw a vision of God's throne and the four living creatures. In that vision, John saw that the One seated on the throne held a scroll that no one could open (Revelation 5:1-4). John wept because no one was found worthy to open the scroll, but the elders told him that the Lamb of God could open the scroll. Only Jesus Christ could open God's scroll.

 

And only the bride of Jesus Christ, the mature Church, could unveil God's final judgment on angels and evil spirits. Paul told the Corinthian believers that our destiny was to judge angels. Revelation 5 discusses the "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" (Revelation 5:8). While the victory of Jesus Christ is the ultimate source of power for the events in Revelation, the prayers of the saints play a significant role in the unfolding of the judgments on the church, the world, and evil spirits. These events come from God’s authority and reign, but the prayers of the saints facilitate and expedite the progress of God’s work. When reading Revelation, it is essential to understand not only God’s authoritative work from the throne, but also the power of the prayers of Jesus’ witnesses.

 

The Glory of God and Its Relationship To Deliverance Ministry

 

In 2015, I attended a special meeting seeking the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life. During that gathering, I personally experienced the filling of the Holy Spirit. Along with two other brothers, I was praying that when the Holy Spirit was poured upon me, I would not be able to stand. When we experienced the Holy Spirit’s power, we staggered backward and fell on the chairs behind us. The filling of the Holy Spirit and God's glory, whether in individual experiences or in tents, temples, and heavenly places, typically leads to the same result – people being unable to stand as they enter the presence of God (15:8). In this particular meeting, before the two brothers and I were filled with the Holy Spirit, we prayed for an African American sister. I witnessed the Holy Spirit being continuously poured out upon her, and she began coughing as an evil spirit was being cast out. Then, the Holy Spirit continued to fill her until she could no longer stand. She collapsed on the ground. Wow! This was the first time I had witnessed firsthand a person being delivered from an evil spirit and simultaneously being filled with the Holy Spirit!

 

The image described at the end of Revelation 15 is similar to what I witnessed with this sister. It involves casting out demons from a person and inviting the Holy Spirit to fill them. The difference is that what I saw in this sister was a small-scale deliverance ministry, while in Revelation 15 and 16, we read of a large-scale, cosmic deliverance ministry. All evil spirits and demons will be cast out of their hiding places in people, animals, and other created beings and things. This is because when God's bride matures, the glory of God's sons will be revealed. At that time, all created things will be liberated from the bondage of corruption and enjoy the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). In this verse, Paul says that not only humanity has been corrupted by Satan's betrayal and Adam's sin; all created beings have been corrupted. They are all waiting for God’s sons to be revealed in glory. When believers become the bride of the Lord, after the wedding feast is over and the bride is sitting on the throne with the Lord, all things will be released from corruption.

 

The seven disasters of the seven bowls recorded in Revelation 16 represent a cosmic-scale deliverance ministry. This is closely connected to the end of Revelation 15, where God's glory fills the temple. Only God's glory can expose and cast out demons. The seven bowls achieve this objective by judging and exposing the evil spirits that have dominated and corrupted all things. After this final cleansing, God's glory will fill the heavens and the earth; the old heavens and earth will pass away, and the new heavens and earth will come.

 

The Evil Spirits Are Cast Out in the Seven Bowl Judgments

 

When God sent the ten plagues upon Egypt, he not only judged the Egyptians and the natural elements like the Nile River, but also the evil spirits behind them. Similarly, the seven bowl judgments will not only judge certain elements of the natural world but also the evil spirits lurking behind these elements. Understanding this principle helps us comprehend why God pours out His seven bowls of wrath. These evil spirits have corrupted all things, killing countless people. They are covered in the blood of saints, and many created beings have been harmed at their hands. Let's examine each of the seven bowls and the evil spirits they are designed to judge.

 

The first angel pours out the first bowl judgment on the earth to judge the ground which is contaminated by Satan and evil spirits. The earth is filled with human beings, so the judgment affects them as well. When the first bowl is poured out, “harmful and painful sores came upon the people who bore the mark of the beast and worshiped its image” (16:2). Although this judgment is directed at the earth, the people on the earth are affected as well, especially those who worship the beast. Are there evil spirits on the earth? Definitely. Evil spirits live on Earth as well as in the bottomless pit below. It is likely that the people on earth, especially those who worship the beast, are indwelt by evil spirits.

 

As I mentioned before, after the harvest in Revelation 14 and the victory on the sea of glass in Revelation 15, there is no record of anyone repenting. Instead, Revelation 15 says that the people did not repent, even when they were scorched with intense heat or had to bite their tongues for pain. Instead of repenting, they blasphemed God of heaven (16:9-10). Perhaps there are no righteous people left on earth because those who did not worship the beast were already martyred as described in chapters 14 and 15. Perhaps the survivors were all worshipers of the beast.

 

At this point, God no longer had mercy on the earth but executed severe judgment. God told Abraham that if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, He would not destroy the city for their sake. In Matthew 24, Jesus tells us, "And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short" (Matthew 24:22). Revelation 7 describes four angels with the authority to harm the earth and sea, but another angel stops them, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads" (Revelation 7:3). These servants are the 144,000, who are mostly the same group of people mentioned in Revelation 15. A process is involved as God seals them, calls them, and takes them to heaven. The angel’s intervention shows that God was shortening the days they would have to suffer. God's servants were saved, and God’s mercy towards the earth has been replaced by severe judgment.

 

The second bowl is poured into the sea, turning it into blood like that of a corpse, and every living creature in the sea dies (16:3). There may be many evil spirits in the sea. The Old Testament mentions the sea monster Rahab (Job 9:13), a dragon standing on the shore of the sea (Revelation 12:18), and a beast rising out of the sea (13:1). Daniel also saw in a vision of four great beasts coming up from the sea (Daniel 7:2). Jesus allowed a legion of demons to enter a herd of pigs, which then drowned in the sea (Matthew 8:32). Moreover, in the parable of Jesus, unclean spirits fail to seek rest in waterless places (Matthew 12:43). These accounts clearly indicate that many evil spirits dwell in the sea and water.

 

The third bowl is poured into the rivers and springs of water, and the water turns into blood. This judgment is perhaps similar to the second bowl judgment. After this judgment, the angel in charge of the waters declares that God's judgment is just because they have shed the blood of the saints and prophets (16:4-5). Since there are no people in the water, it is plausible to conclude that God's judgment on the water is a judgment against evil spirits.

 

In that moment, a voice comes from the altar saying, "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments" (16:7). This echoes the words of the conquerors beside the sea of glass, and satisfies the plea of the saints under the altar mentioned in the fifth seal in Revelation 15.

 

The fourth bowl is poured upon the sun, which scorches people with intense fire. This is a judgment on the sun and also on people. I do not know if there are evil spirits in the sun, but people still refuse to repent; instead, they blaspheme God.

 

The fifth bowl is poured on the throne of the beast, definitely a judgment on the evil spirits because the beast is an evil spirit. This bowl also judges unrepentant people. They refuse to repent, even as they gnaw their tongues because of the painful sores.

 

The sixth bowl is poured on the great river Euphrates, and its waters dry up to prepare the way for the kings from the east. I believe this is still a judgment on evil spirits because three unclean spirits come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophets to deceive the kings of the earth, gathering them for the great battle on the day of God Almighty (14). Jesus says he is coming like a thief (vs. 15). Jesus can now return because the bride is mature and ready to get married. The bride, who is also the Lord’s army, will defeat all evil spirits and kings on the earth on that great day. This judgment helps lure the enemies into a strategic position.

 

The seventh bowl is poured into the air, and a voice comes from the throne, saying, "It is done!" (16:17). What is done? When Jesus was crucified, He said, "It is finished" because He accomplished God's plan of redemption. But what is finished here? It is God’s plan that is completed, which is to say that all things work together, God's sons enter into His glory, and the bride of Christ matures.

 

At that time, a great earthquake will occur, greater than any that has happened before. God also judges Babylon for being a harlot, a counterfeit of the bride, and the spouse of Satan. Therefore, in God's final judgment, He starts with Babylon, then the beast and the false prophets, and finishes with Satan. This is like cutting down a tree, starting with branches and leaves, then the trunk, and finishing with the roots. We will delve into this insight further in the study of Revelation 18.

Bible Study With Jairus Acts 10 (Part 2) The Story of Peter and Cornelius: A Faith Leader and a Political Leader Collaborate to Bring the Gospel to the World

Bible Study With Jairus

Acts 10 (Part 2)

The Story of Peter and Cornelius:

A Faith Leader and a Political Leader Collaborate to Bring the Gospel to the World

 

Should Christians be involved in politics? And how does that question relate to the story of Cornelius and Peter? That is what we will learn in this devotional.

 

I have been taught in church for many years that Christians should not get involved in politics. However, more and more American Christians have begun to realize the dangers of not participating in politics. They’ve seen how ungodly people are seizing power, Christian and conservative groups are being persecuted, and America is in danger of losing its religious freedom. All this has led many American Christians, including Chinese Christians in the United States, to actively participate in politics and strive to change the society.

 

What does the Bible say about politics? Many Christians have begun to realize that the Bible never teaches believers to avoid politics. As king, David surely participated in politics. As we will see, the resistance to political involvement may stem from a misunderstanding of the teaching of submission to authority mentioned by Paul in Romans 13.

 

There’s no doubt that participating in politics will be controversial, but the price of not participating in politics is also high. If the church avoids politics, Satan will use the spirit of religion and evil political forces to persecute the church. For example, he used the religious forces of Judaism in Jerusalem, combined with the evil political forces of Herod, to kill James and capture Peter in Acts 12.

 

However, God can also use the cooperation of godly church leaders and godly political leaders to combat the schemes of Satan. In Acts 10, we see how Peter, a representative of true faith, and Cornelius, a godly Gentile political leader, worked together to expand the reach of the gospel from the small circle of Jerusalem to a vast number of Gentiles. Their collaboration had extremely far-reaching significance and removed the limitations that the religious spirit was attempting to place on the gospel.

 

If godly faith and upright politics do not work together, the religious spirit (false beliefs) will combine with evil politics, causing great harm to society and limiting the influence of the truth. We must reflect on God’s teaching in Genesis 1:26, in which God commands us humans to rule the earth. The church represents God’s authority in the world, and political avoidance may not necessarily be in line with biblical teachings. Christians should be salt and light in the world. Though we should not jump into political battles purely for our own benefit, we should learn from Peter's example and influence politicians to spread the gospel and the kingdom of God.

 

What Does the Bible Say About Christians in Politics?

 

Let’s examine the origins of the belief that Christians should not participate in politics. First, Christians point to the fact that we must pursue a spiritual kingdom, not a worldly kingdom. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, the disciples hoped that He would free the earthly kingdom of Israel from the oppression of the Romans, but the Lord told them, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (John 18:36) It was not God’s will for the disciples to fight Christ’s captor, because he had to be crucified to fulfill God’s plan of redemption. But this does not mean that we should avoid our responsibilities in the world. Elsewhere, Jesus taught us to be salt and light and to influence the entire world. He also taught us to make disciples of all nations. Naturally, this includes winning politicians to Christ through participation in politics. Our partial and one-sided understanding of some of the teachings of the Bible has led us to a faulty theology, which in turn led us to pursue a heavenly kingdom to the exclusion of positively impacting the world.

 

Second, some wrong theological ideas promoted in the United States in the 1970s taught that Jesus could come back at any time, so there was no need for children to go to college or to actively participate in society or politics. At the time, books about Jesus’ return were very popular, and many Christians dressed in white and waited on the mountains for the Lord to rapture them. But nothing happened. Now, it is 2024, and the Lord has still not returned. These erroneous teachings create obsessions with the Lord’s return while leading Christians to neglect their participation in everyday society. Because of these fallacious teachings, American Christians have gradually lost their influence in the realm of education. Since the 1950s, American public schools have gradually stopped allowing the teaching of the Bible and prayer. Little by little, children have been influenced by leftist ideas, resulting in generations of children who have been brainwashed by the far left. In addition to this, homosexuality has become rampant and has even begun to affect children in primary schools. Christians in the United States are gradually awakening to this phenomenon. They realize they have lost influence in schools, school boards, media, entertainment, and politics at the local and national levels. Some Christians are even facing small amounts of persecution. Not only are anti-God voices filling schools, media, and entertainment, but many Christians are being persecuted for praying and adhering to biblical values. As a result, many Christians have begun to reflect on their role in politics. They have not only returned to their faith, but also reconsidered the teaching that political involvement is wrong. As a result, many Christians have started influencing society by actively participating in politics and being salt and light in the spheres of media and entertainment.

 

Third, a one-sided understanding of Paul’s teaching on submitting to authority in Romans 13 has caused Christians to be too passive. Total submission to those in power is very popular among Chinese Christians. Because of the severity of persecution, they did not dare say no to evil politics, so they used Romans 13 to cover up their cowardice. However, this teaching is not in line with God’s teachings. Of course, Paul did teach that we as Christians should submit to government authorities because they were ordained by God to administer justice. However, the Bible also says many times (often through the mouth of Peter) that we should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29). In the past, I was deeply influenced by the idea of total submission, but God showed me through dreams and visions that Christians should participate in China’s political movements to uphold social justice and promote the spread of the gospel.

 

Cornelius Needed Visions to Help Him Recognize and Accept Peter's Message

 

God not only guides Christians, but he also guides people who do not know Him to guide them toward salvation. Acts 10 describes how Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian cohort, was a god-fearing man who prayed often. As a result, God gave him a vision and asked him to go to Peter to preach to them the gospel.

 

The same thing happened to me. Looking back, I can see that God was subtly guiding me, even when I did not yet know him. In recent times, I have heard many testimonies of Muslims in the Middle East who converted to Christ after God gave them dreams and visions. In the dream, Jesus appeared to them and asked them to read a certain passage in the Bible, leading to their salvation. This shows that God can come in person to directly preach the gospel to people. So why did God choose to send an angel of God to ask Cornelius to invite Peter to preach the gospel to him? Because God wanted Cornelius and Peter to collaborate, as we mentioned at the beginning of this lesson. Even though God or an angel could have preached the gospel to Cornelius directly and saved him and his family, God wanted the righteous political forces represented by Cornelius to join hands with the godly religious forces represented by Peter so that God’s gospel could extend beyond the small religious circles in Jerusalem to the entire Gentile world. This shows the magnificence of God’s great plan.

 

God revealed to me that the “Chinese Whistleblower Movement” that started in 2017 was from Him. The purpose was to provide a platform for Christians to preach the gospel. In turn, when the gospel is preached, it will change the hearts of the Chinese people and provide a solid foundation for democracy to take root in China. I will share more of these revelations in my upcoming content. For now, I will share that when I followed God's guidance to join this movement and publicly stated what I believed to be God's plan, I received a lot of opposition from the Buddhist and atheist members and founders of this group. They could not accept the idea of Christianity taking the lead in their movement. I quickly realized that these politicians needed God’s supernatural revelation through dreams and visions so they could humble themselves and recognize the importance of the gospel. After they resisted my attempt to join them, I saw God gradually begin to guide them through circumstances so they could learn the lesson of humility and learn to recognize God's will. I pray that like Cornelius, they can understand God’s will and humbly accept the guidance of God’s gospel.

 

Peter Needed Visions To Break Through His Narrow Religious Ideas

 

Likewise, Peter needed a vision from God to overcome his rigid religious ideology. First, God needed to break down the idea that Jews and Gentiles could not have contact. In the Old Testament, God restricted contact and intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles, mainly to protect the Israelites from worshiping idols as the Gentiles did. He wanted to preserve the purity of the Jewish line through whom Christ would come. After Jesus Christ accomplished redemption on the cross, the Jews no longer needed these dietary and social restrictions. Jesus made all things and people clean again. But as a Jew, Peter continued to follow the Old Testament way of thinking. Therefore, when God gave him a vision of different types of unclean animals and asked him to “kill and eat,” he said that he had never eaten anything common or unclean. But God said, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” The same vision was given to him three times in a row.

 

Visions and dreams convey God’s message through pictorial language. The various animals represented the Gentiles. They were originally unclean, but God had now cleansed them. God was telling Peter to boldly throw off the shackles of religion and preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

 

When the Lord Jesus was on earth, he did indeed teach his disciples to preach the gospel only to the Jews. However, after his crucifixion and resurrection, the Lord Jesus taught his disciples to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Times had changed, and so had God’s guidance. The redemption accomplished by the Lord Jesus on the cross changed everything.

 

Paul spoke extensively on this topic. He said that Jews and Gentiles were originally separated, but because Jesus destroyed this hostility on the cross, Jews and Gentiles have now been reconciled. We are now members of one body (Ephesians 2:11-17 ). "For through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). Though these truths were later revealed through Paul, Peter did not have access to this revelation at the time he met Cornelius. That is why God had to reveal this truth to him through visions.

 

The Jewish people were God’s greenhouse, where his redemption was planted and nurtured. However, the purpose of a greenhouse is to eventually transplant the seedlings into larger vegetable gardens. Although God’s plan of redemption came through the Jews, God does not want to limit the gospel to one small people group. But because the Jews were unwilling to give up their sense of superiority, they rejected God's will and did not allow the gospel to be preached to the Gentiles. This was due to human jealousy and narrow-mindedness.

 

After Jesus Christ was resurrected, he told his disciples to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But the minds of the Jewish Christians were restricted by the laws of the Old Testament and they were unable to embrace God's guidance for the new era. As a result, they limited the gospel to Jerusalem. Even Peter originally embraced this narrow-minded ideology.  

 

In addition, the religious forces of Judaism and the evil political forces represented by Herod were working together to confine the gospel of God to Jerusalem and keep it within the sheepfold of Judaism. Therefore, God urgently needed to enlighten Peter through visions so that he could break away from these narrow religious concepts and bring the gospel to the Gentiles. As Peter and Cornelius started working together, the gospel of God began to advance, and the Holy Spirit’s power reached the Gentiles. It was the beginning of a new era in Christian history.

 

The Collaboration of Faith Leaders and Political Leaders Continues Today

 

The examples recorded in the Bible not only reveal God’s guidance for that era, but also reveal a divine principle for later generations. The story of Peter and Cornelius’s collaboration is not only for the people of that time. The same story has also been replicated repeatedly throughout the ages.

 

For example, American Christians are working with political forces to influence the society of America. For many years, American Christians have prayed for the United States, repenting of the sin of massacring Indians, selling slaves, and killing babies. They have prayed for God’s care, healing, and forgiveness for America. As a result, faith has returned and many Christians have been revived. These same Christians actively participate in politics and support candidates who promote Christian values in order to restore America's conservative values. The people in these movements are not perfect, and many have shallow beliefs, but they represent a force of church revival. I believe this collaboration between people of faith and people of power will bring about the return of American Christian values. The recent election of Congressman Mike Johnson, a devout Christian, as Speaker of the House is a positive result of the convergence of conservative beliefs and political justice in the United States.

 

This is not only happening in the United States, but God has also revealed to me that it will soon happen in China. Previously, I had only planned to serve God in Christian circles and had never thought of participating in any political movement. I not only believed that Christians should not be involved in politics, but I was also afraid. I knew that Christians would have to pay a high price to participate in politics, especially in the face of evil political oppression. Although I am in the United States and do not have to pay a huge price personally, I am still worried that it will cause trouble to my family. But God revealed to me through a series of dreams that His will for me was to participate in the political democratic movement He initiated. As the gospel is preached to those who participate in the democratic movement, it will help the country of China come to know God. God revealed to me that I will play an important role and hold an important position in this movement in the future.

 

One night, I had a strange dream. I was riding a bicycle down the street as a group of democrats on bicycles chased me. The more they chased me, the faster I rode. This action depicts my fear very well. But these democrats finally caught up with me and said to me, “Thank you for your books and gospel messages. You helped our democratic movement to win.” This is just one of the dreams I have had. God has revealed to me through many other dreams that the preaching of the gospel by us Christians will help many Chinese political figures learn to know Christ. As these leaders begin to pursue justice and faith, they will bring great change to China. May God's will be done.

 

Bible Study With Jairus - Genesis 49 (Part 2)

Bible Study with Jairus - Genesis 49 -2

 

From Sinners to Pearly Gates: The Stories of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi

 

We often say that the Old Testament is a picture, and the New Testament is the spiritual reality that the picture points to. For example, the crossing of the Red Sea by the Israelites is a beautiful picture that foreshadows the believer’s journey from the kingdom of darkness to God’s kingdom of light. Similarly, the experiences of the twelve sons of Israel are beautiful pictures that point to the spiritual reality in the New Testament.

 

As we will see, Reuben's immorality deprived him of God's blessing and his privileges as the firstborn son. Similarly, Simeon and Levi lost the blessing of being Christ’s ancestors because of their brutality and murder. Judah almost forfeited the same blessing because of his sin. However, despite their sin, their names are listed on the pearly gates of the New Jerusalem in heaven. These stories foreshadow a spiritual reality: God can transform sinners into saints through his grace and mercy!

 

First, we need to look at the sins of these sons of Jacob. In the New Testament, Paul lists many types of sin and provides a detailed commentary on the human condition. Paul said, "God gave them up to dishonorable passions" (Romans: 1:26), and men were "filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.... ” (Romans 1:29). As the saying goes, "The work of sinners is to sin, and that is all they do.” Even though sinners are sinful in every way, this is not the ultimate outcome God desires for us. Though the book of Romans begins with sin (Romans 1-3), it also talks about "justification through faith" (Romans 4-5), "union with Christ" (Romans 6), "the struggles of the flesh" (Romans 7), "victory in Christ" (Romans 8), "God's election of the Jews" (Romans 9-11), "experiencing the renewal of the mind,” “surrendering the body as a living sacrifice" (Romans 12), "submitting to one another" (Romans 13) in the church and "loving one another" (Romans 14), and "preaching the gospel and bearing witness to the Gentiles" (Romans 15-16). In other words, Paul's book of Romans reveals that although we begin as sinners, it is not our ultimate identity. Those who trust in Christ will become members of the Church of God, which will eventually be built into the New Jerusalem. We will not remain sinners forever; this is not God's will for us. God's will for us is to transform us from sinners into sons of God! This is what the story of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi foreshadows. They began as sinners and ended up as gates in the walls of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12). The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the twelve gates. Each gate is a pearl (Revelation 21:21). Pearls speak of transformation through pain. Only after an oyster is wounded does it secrete a pearly fluid to produce pearls. Its pearly fluid covers the piece of foreign material or sand that was irritating the oyster’s tender body. In the same way, we were like a piece of sand that wounded Christ. But when Christ was wounded on the cross, He produced resurrection life and turned us into pearls one by one!

 

 

Jacob's Prophecy to Simeon and Levi

Jacob’s prophecies about his sons are only one piece of the progressive revelation of God. Moses’s prophecies about the twelve tribes reveal even more about God’s plans for the tribes (Deuteronomy 33). Other later records in the Old Testament reveal even more. The New Testament, especially the book of Revelation, describes the ultimate outcome of the twelve tribes of Israel. We will discuss more about Moses’s prophecies later on. Here, we will focus on Jacob's prophecies.

 

Jacob's prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi says, "Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and in their willfulness they hamstrung oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel" (Genesis 49:3-7). Simeon and Levi were the brothers of Dinah, who was the only daughter in Jacob's family. Genesis 34 tells us that Dinah was defiled by a man in a neighboring tribe named Shechem. Simeon and Levi tricked the clan of Shechem into getting circumcised, then killed all the males while they were weak and in pain. They also took away all their children, women, and belongings.

 

The entire incident was part of a satanic attack. Satan wanted to use Shechem against the sons of Israel so he could disqualify two more sons from carrying on the genealogy of Christ. Dinah was also a victim of this satanic attack. Satan also wanted to infuriate Shechem’s entire family so they would attack Jacob’s entire family and wipe out every potential ancestor of Christ. When Dinah was first violated, Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You’ve brought trouble on me, making me a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. I am but a few men—they’ll gather against me and strike me—then I’ll be destroyed, my household and I” (Genesis 34:30).

 

Jacob was sobered by this incident. The Bible does not record Jacob's reaction to Dinah’s violation, but we can easily imagine Jacob's grief. His heart was hurt, but he had no idea what Simeon and Levi were planning. If he had known in advance that Simeon and Levi were going to slaughter Shechem's family, he would have stopped it. Jacob knew that his people were few and they had to preserve their strength so that Israel could prosper and thrive and eventually fulfill God's will. We should note that Simeon and Levi did these things without Jacob's knowledge and permission; they did it on their own. This is why Jacob said, "Let my soul come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company.”

 

But Simeon and Levi said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" When we are attacked and misunderstood by others, we must decide whether to respond in the flesh or in the spirit. When we do things in the flesh, we often do not follow the feelings of our spirit nor the leading of the Holy Spirit in our spirit; this is a spiritual experience New Testament Christians can relate to. One pastor testified that a sister came to him and said, "You only became a pastor for the money.” He was so angry that he fought back and attacked the sister. Similar situations continued to happen to the pastor, so he prayed about it. The Holy Spirit told him that these critical words were the discipline of the Holy Spirit. These situations would keep happening until the pastor learned to deal with criticism with a meek and humble spirit. As a result, the pastor humbled himself and surrendered to learning the lesson of meekness. Only then was he freed from God's discipline.

 

When others hurt us with curses and discrimination, we can choose to respond in the flesh, or we can choose to respond with the spirit. I personally have had many such experiences. When I react in the flesh, not only do I ignore the feeling in my spirit, but I also ignore the counsel of my wife and those close to me. In fact, I don’t let my close family and friends know what I intend to do. I only want to go my own way! If we would communicate with our trusted friends before reacting to a situation, we could avoid many of these fleshly reactions and the negative results they bring. And of course, we should let the Lord know and listen to His leading in our spirit! But Levi and Simeon did not do this, so Jacob prophesied that they would be scattered among the people of Israel. Their descendants would be disbursed among their fellow Israelites so that their evil tendencies would be balanced out and restrained by the rest of the tribes.

 

Reuben's Twist of Fate

Reuben sinned, but he did one thing well. When his brothers hurt Joseph, he was the only one who opposed it. His brothers followed Reuben’s plan to throw Joseph into a pit instead of killing him. Later, Judah came up with the idea to sell Joseph and not kill him. The brothers listened to Judah. In doing so, Judah may have saved Joseph by accident (Genesis 37:27).

 

Eventually, Reuben lost his birthright and authority, and this tribe even faced the danger of going extinct. Moses said of him, “Let Reuben live, and not die, but let his men be few" (Deuteronomy 33:6). How many years this situation lasted, we do not know. But we do know that the prophetess Deborah praised the tribe of Reuben in the book of Judges: "For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart" (Judges 5:15) and "For the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart" (Judges 5:16). At that time, God had handed Israel over to Jabin, King of Canaan, because of Israel’s rampant idolatry. However, God raised up the prophetess Deborah and the prophet Barak to defeat Jabin’s army commander, Sisera. At that time, some people in Reuben’s family began to have “great thoughts and searchings of heart,” which may have won God’s favor.

 

This story shows that no matter how late our repentance is, we can please the Lord when we search for the Lord with all our hearts. If we repent, God will not only forgive us but also use us greatly. I never dreamed that I would become a Christian, let alone serve the Lord. Yet if we search for God with all our hearts, he can change our destiny. One day when I was in high school, I suddenly felt that I was going to do something big in my life, so I made up my mind to study hard and get into the university. I kept pursuing this goal, but I did not know what big thing I would do in my life. Even after believing in the Lord, I didn't understand God's plans for my future—until the last day of 2017, when the Lord gave me a vision of heaven. That day, He told me His plan for me was for me to participate in the coming revival in China and help bring countless souls to heaven. Among these people, there will be countless people like Reuben. After they repent and believe in the Lord, they will finally be transformed into living stones in the New Jerusalem.

 

Simeon's Twist of Fate

Simeon was the one who took the lead in killing Shechem's family. He may have also been the one who took the lead in the plan to kill Joseph. When Joseph was prime minister of Egypt, Simeon was the one Joseph imprisoned while the rest of his brothers went back to Canaan to get Benjamin and bring him back to Egypt (Genesis 42:24). This may indicate that Simeon was the chief culprit who took the lead in harming Joseph. Jacob prophesied that Simeon would be scattered among his brethren. This prophecy was fulfilled when Simeon later dwelt among the tribes of Judah (Joshua 19:1). Moses does not mention Simeon in his prophecy in Deuteronomy 33.

 

How was Simeon saved when Joseph imprisoned him? Simeon was saved through Benjamin’s arrival. Simeon was released when Judah and his brothers brought Benjamin to Egypt. This is a typological picture. Benjamin is a type of Christ and of the New Jerusalem. When the New Jerusalem is built, Simeon will also be saved and become a pearly gate.

 

Even today, many of us can learn from Simeon’s story. Even if we have not killed someone physically, we have killed or hurt someone emotionally. When we hate someone, we often have sinful, murderous thoughts. Jesus said that hatred is the same as murder. We know for sure that we took part in the murder of one person—Jesus Christ. Even the robber who was crucified with the Lord went to Paradise on the same day as Jesus Christ because of his repentance and redemption by Jesus Christ.

 

Levi's Twist of Fate

I personally believe that Simeon may have been the main culprit in the massacre of Shechem’s family and that Levi was just along for the ride. But we also know that Levi had a very cruel temper. Jacob prophesied that the Levites would also be scattered among the Israelites. Later, the Levites received God’s blessings because the Levites refused to worship the golden calf. The Levites obeyed Moses' order to kill those who worshiped idols, so God chose this tribe to become his priests. Moses said in Deuteronomy 33, "And of Levi he said, ‘Give to Levi your Thummim, and your Urim to your godly one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you quarreled at the waters of Meribah; who said of his father and mother, “I regard them not” he disowned his brothers and ignored his children For they observed your word and kept your covenant. They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar. Bless, O Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; crush the loins of his adversaries, of those who hate him, that they rise not again’" (33:8-11).

 

This verse is very clear. The Levites were willing to kill their idolatrous parents, brothers, and even their children in order to keep God’s word. Their ferocious temperament turned into zealous and absolute loyalty to God, so they were blessed by God. Nonetheless, as Jacob prophesied, they were scattered among the Israelites.

 

The Greatness of God's Salvation

I believe that Reuben, Simeon, and Levi all had the opportunity to become ancestors of Jesus Christ. They all lost this privilege because of their moral failure. Yet Jesus Christ is the Lord and the Redeemer who gives us redemption when we fail. Through Him, we can receive God's blessings again in Jesus Christ. We may lose some earthly blessings, but we will gain heavenly blessings in Jesus Christ.

 

The twelve sons of Israel show the continual advancement of God’s work, one wave after another. Judah sinned like his brothers, but he became the ancestor of Christ with the help of Tamar. Through Christ, their descendent, all nations were blessed. Even Reuben, Simeon, and Levi were redeemed through Jesus. Each of the twelve sons of Israel was a sinner, but in the end, they were all transformed into pearly gates. They each have a special calling and gift from God. As sinners, they each sinned. Yet as God’s chosen people, they each received an aspect of God’s grace and a part to play in the advancement of  God’s work.

 

We can each see ourselves in the story of Reuben. Like Reuben, we were all born in sin. We are born with an adulterous nature. This cruel nature has dwelt in us since the time of Adam’s sin. Just like Adam's firstborn son Cain killed Abel, we have murderous tendencies like Simeon and Levi. But our repentance leads to salvation. In Psalm 51, David confessed that he was not only born in sin but that he had also murdered Uriah and committed adultery with Bathsheba. When David repented of his immorality and murder, his broken spirit and contrite heart became a pleasing sacrifice to God. “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:16-17). In the same way, Reuben, Simeon, and Levi were saved when they repented, and Levi was put in charge of the sacrifices and priesthood. These acceptable sacrifices were the result of God’s salvation described in Psalm 51.

Bible Study With Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part 9)

Bible Study with Jairus

2 Peter 1 (Part 9)

Brotherly Love: Breaking Away from Self

and Entering the Eternal Kingdom of Christ

 

One of the biggest problems in the church is self. Many Christians have had a degree of success in living out the fruit of the Spirit and the virtues of Christ. But overcoming self is a different story. Overcoming selfishness is a very difficult spiritual task, yet it is an indispensable step to reaching maturity in our spiritual lives. Only when we break away from   self can we begin to show brotherly love. Only then can we live out the highest spiritual virtue of Christians, divine love (Agape).

 

How can we be free from self? How is this possible? Is this asking for too much? No. This is God’s destiny for us. Jesus said, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Likewise, we as Christians must move beyond personal godliness to unity with one another in order to attain the highest form of godliness. We, the body of Christ, must together become the complete fullness of God. As the Bible says, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell in unity!” (Psalm 133:1) What our Heavenly Father wants most is for His children to love one another, yet we as the church fall far short of our Heavenly Father’s expectations.

 

The Lord Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). If Christians in America loved one another perfectly, all unbelievers in America would be eager to come to Christ. If Christians all over the world loved one another perfectly, all Muslims, Buddhists, and others who don’t know Christ would recognize us as His disciples. It is a pity that we do not live out the life of love that Jesus commanded. If our church could achieve unity, it could grow to the full stature of Christ, the head.

 

But unity cannot be achieved without love. Paul spoke of attaining “to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). He also said, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ephesians 4:15-16). God’s will is for the body of Christ to grow and be built up in love.

 

The original word for "love" here is Agape, which is divine love. It is God's will that we be built up in divine love, so we can be set free from individualism and the self and be joined together as the body of Christ. When we love one another as brothers, we allow divine love to be manifested in us.

 

Excessive Individualism Is a Big Problem For Western Christians

 

As a Chinese believer who moved to the West, I have seen the difference between Eastern collectivism and Western individualism. The denomination I was saved in originated in China and spread to the West. The Local Church Movement founded by Watchman Nee is the only Christian denomination that originated in China and spread to the West and other parts of the world. Although The Local Church is a very small denomination, there are hundreds of churches in the West, and there are also many churches in Asia, Europe, Africa, and other places. Unlike most Chinese churches whose members are mainly Chinese, these churches have attracted not only Chinese people but also many local people. The Local Church places great emphasis on the Body of Christ and multi-ethnic church members, as well as attracting Chinese Christians. I was saved in a Local Church in the United States, and I observed that there were many Americans and many Chinese in these churches. Therefore, Chinese Christians who come from a relatively strong collectivistic tradition and American Christians who come from a relatively strong individualistic tradition have many conflicts in church culture and views.

 

Some elements of Eastern authoritarianism sometimes permeate the church life of the Local Churches. Western Christians focus on equality and personal freedom and find this type of authoritarianism unthinkable. An American brother once told me that Chinese culture has penetrated the Local Churches. Much of the church culture is not Christian culture, but Chinese culture. This brother said that this prevents Christians from experiencing Christ. On the other hand, a Chinese brother told me after participating in a training that some of the young Americans participating in the training were completely selfish and did not consider others at all. Moreover, the Americans felt that this was a natural and right thing to do. He said this because Chinese people prefer collectivism and like to help one another, but he found that Westerners are more impersonal than Easterners and tend to focus on personal independence and following rules. As people from authoritarian Eastern countries, we must learn the values of freedom, democracy, and respect from individuals from the West. Eastern countries have been learning these values from the West for hundreds of years, and they need to continue to do so. However, the West can also learn from the East.

 

In this article, I am not refuting the respect for individual value that comes from the Bible’s revelation of human value. Instead, I am talking about the extreme individualism that many Westerners practice. In urbanized societies, it is difficult to find close social relationships between communities and neighbors, such as those that exist in rural areas of the West or in third-world countries. People have become so accustomed to an individualistic lifestyle that they don’t even know who their neighbors are. Sometimes when a neighbor dies, they don’t even know. People in the West greatly value their privacy. The expansion of individualism is not only greater in the United States than it is in third-world countries, but it is also greater than it was in the USA a few decades ago. Will these rampant individualistic tendencies invade the church and affect Christians’ ability to build each other up in love? Most definitely.

 

The Bottleneck That Western Christianity Is Currently Facing

 

The Bible reveals that God created man in His image. This gives humans inherent value, and this value has become a cornerstone of personal development in Western Christian civilization. The United States’ respect for the value of human life has created a society based on freedom and democracy. The USA has become a beacon to the world. But why is the United States gradually degenerating? There are many reasons for this. First, many of God's children worship idols and make the same mistakes that Israel and other Christian nations have made throughout the ages. Second, this truth about individual value has been taken to an extreme. American Christians have focused on the value of the individual to the exclusion of the value of the community. They have forgotten the importance of building up the church. This has led to extreme individualism. Therefore, although there were a vast number of individual Christians in the USA, the church as a community was not strong enough to withstand the attacks of the enemy. The Lord Jesus said, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The Lord Jesus said that only a well-built church can overcome the gates of hell.

 

The East values collectivism and family values. These values are especially strong in China. Unfortunately, over the past few centuries, this emphasis on the value of a collective identity has been taken advantage of by dictators. It has become a means of controlling the society, to the point that China even fell to the extremes of communism. However, I believe that these Eastern cultures that focus on collectivism are from God. The East is going through a big reformation and is about to be released from the authoritarian system. Through the preaching of the gospel, many Eastern people will be freed from slavery. Through the gospel, they can be transformed from darkness into light. Through the understanding of the Bible's respect for individual value, they can rediscover their individual value. But God wants them to retain their collective culture that focuses on building the community. They need to not only recognize their individual value, but also the value of the Body of Christ. This is one of the reasons why God wants to raise up the Eastern Church in this era. God has revealed to me many times that China will experience a great revival, after which the Chinese Church will have a great influence on the West.

 

How can the Chinese church profoundly influence the Western church if much of the richness of Christianity lies in the European tradition? When I was in seminary in the United States, I discovered that the English-speaking world had preserved many of the books of the Christian tradition from thousands of years ago. But in the Chinese-speaking world, the amount of Christian literature was still very limited. However, God can still use the Chinese to impact the West. I believe God will use the Chinese to combine respect for individual people with an emphasis on a collective church identity. This will create a new model that not only emphasizes the salvation and spiritual progress of individual Christians but also builds up the body of Christ. Many American Christian leaders say that although there have been many great revivals in American history and many people have been saved, the work of bringing these disciples to maturity has not been successful. As a result, these revivals have not had a profound impact on American society as a whole. I agree with this statement. But I think this lack of influence can be traced to another source as well. Although there are many Christians and many churches in the United States, there has not been an emphasis on building up the collective Body of Christ. Therefore the church cannot withstand the winds and the floods. Just as the Lord Jesus said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).

 

The Collective Building of The Church Comes From The Spiritual Growth Of Individual Believers

 

What does Peter mean by “adding brotherly affection to godliness”? He means that Christians must break away from personal spirituality and build each other up in the Body of Christ. These are two sides of the same coin. If Christians only focus on personal spiritual growth, without loving one another and building up the Body of Christ, they will not be able to meet God’s expectations and requirements for the church. By the same token, if Christians only pursue unity and building of the church but neglect the individual spiritual life of each believer, it will be difficult to build the church. Therefore, both aspects need to be developed.

 

The first aspect is the pursuit of godliness. Many Christians are lacking in this area. They live in the world and fail to pursue godliness in their personal lives. Godliness is like the leaves of an oak tree. The leaves supply oxygen and other nutrients to the tree through photosynthesis. They also manifest the life of the tree. When a tree dies, all its leaves fall. Conversely, it is difficult for a tree to survive without its leaves during the growing season. If all the leaves of a tree are removed, the tree's survival will also be affected. When we live out godliness in our personal lives, we will be like a beautiful tree full of leaves. We will show that we are spiritually alive.

 

The second aspect is collective godliness. In the Body of Christ, the highest form of godliness is love. Our love for one another is like a blossoming tree. The tree’s flowers are a precursor to bearing fruit. In the same way, the last virtue mentioned is love. It is the fruit that the tree has been working toward throughout its growth cycles.

 

The Goal: Entering the Eternal Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ

 

Peter sums up the picture of mutual supply by saying, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). In other words, Peter knows that if we continually add virtue to the seeds of faith, knowledge to virtue, temperance to knowledge, patience to temperance, godliness to patience, brotherly love to godliness, and divine love (Agape) to brotherly love, we will be conformed to the image of Christ. He goes on to say, “For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins” (1:9). Isn’t this an apt description of many Christians today? Many Christians lack these qualities. As a result, they do not live out the full reality of the Christian life. They are like spiritual babies. Peter continued to encourage his readers by saying, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1:10-11).

 

Only then did Peter talk about his experience of seeing the transfigured Lord Jesus on the Holy Mountain. He said, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’, we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (1:16-18). At the beginning of the study of 2 Peter, I talked about my belief that the entire letter of Peter is Peter’s extended reflection on his experience of the Transfiguration. Here again, Peter demonstrates that he is describing spiritual growth in light of his experience on the Holy Mountain.

 

Conclusion:

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus transcended the limitations of time and flesh and fully manifested the kingdom of Christ contained within Him. Since we are in Christ and Christ is in us, the kingdom of Christ has taken root in our hearts through faith. But it needs to grow like a tree. In order for this tree to grow, we need to continually supply the virtues of Christ to the seeds of faith. We must add knowledge of Christ to virtue, and then supply temperance to knowledge, and patience to temperance, godliness to patience, brotherly love to godliness, and love to brotherly love. In this way, you can grow your spiritual life step by step and build up the spiritual temple. This spiritual temple is the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the New Jerusalem we hope for. In this eternal kingdom, there will be no more tears, no sorrow, no competition, and no jealousy—only brotherly love between brothers and divine love that flows between us. This is the reality of the Kingdom of Christ and the Transfiguration. I hope that the body of Christ matures as soon as possible so that we can enter the Eternal Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

Bible Study With Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part 8)

Bible Study with Jairus—2 Peter 1-8

 

Supplement Patience with Godliness: Living Out Christ’s Virtues

 

Every Christian is destined to live out the virtues of Christ. The Bible teaches us, "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:29). Since we are children of God, we must look and act like children of God. But if it’s difficult to even act like well-behaved human beings, how can we act like children of God? That’s why we need Jesus Christ, the firstborn Son of God, as our example. More importantly, He is our substitute and our very life. He lived the perfect life and he now lives his life through us.

 

A Chinese Christian once told me that very few Chinese churches talk about growing in the Christian life and living Christ out. When an African American sister thanked me for introducing Witness Lee's teachings and books on "living in Christ," she told me that she had heard of Watchman Nee, but not Witness Lee. She had been saved and attended a charismatic church in Baltimore for decades, but no one taught her about "living out her Christianity.”

 

I believe this phenomenon is not unique to these two believers. Many churches and pastors focus on the importance of evangelizing and saving souls. But they do not teach enough about growing in Christ. Although some churches may teach about living out Christ in our lives, my observation tells me that many Christians are superficial in their spiritual lives. Even though I have met many Christians in the United States, I rarely hear any of them talking about "living out their Christianity." I was fortunate enough to be saved in the Local Church Movement, where I received a lot of teaching and practical help with "living in Christ.” Although I still have a long way to go in learning to “live out my Christianity,” I have realized that this teaching and practical help can help solve common problems in Christians’ lives.

 

For example, the divorce rate among Christians in the United States is very high. Although there are many different reasons that a family may experience this misfortune, one common reason for divorce is a lack of patience. The husband and wife do not have enough patience with each other. Many couples choose to separate rather than learn to live out Christ’s life in the midst of their marriage struggles. I'm not saying that couples must stay married despite adultery or domestic violence. But I am saying that couples who are struggling with fleshly responses should not choose the easy way out. Instead, they should choose spiritual growth and maturity as they “live out Christ” in their marriage. In this message, we will share how to live out our Christianity through patience or steadfastness.

 

The Big Leap from Patience to Godliness

 

Watchman Nee once said, “You must allow God to give you time to suffer beyond measure; then your capacity will be enlarged.” It may be easy to accept small suffering, but we don’t have the capacity for greater suffering. For instance, we could accept the loss of five dollars, but could never endure the loss of five thousand dollars. We could forgive someone two or three times, but the fifth time would make us tremble with anger. We must allow God to take us through the slow process of maturing, like a slowly ripening fruit.

 

When we see a ripe papaya or mango, we can tell it is ripe by feeling, smelling, and tasting it. Unripe fruit tastes sour and bitter and is tough and hard, but ripe fruit tastes sweet and fragrant. When we find a ripe piece of fruit, we enjoy it. But we often don’t think of the slow process of ripening that it went through to get to this point.

 

When we see a mature believer, we are often impressed by their godliness. For example, Madame Guyon was a mature Christian. She was a teacher of the elderly and a friend to children. However, what we do not see is the slow and incremental process of maturing. Day by day, year after year, the individual went through a process of “ripening.” Often the path toward maturity is paved with suffering and the discipline of the Holy Spirit. [1]

 

Commercial fruit producers have learned to artificially ripen fruit, but there is no such thing as artificial ripening in the spiritual life. If you have the Spirit, you will naturally mature without artificial cultivation. If you do not have the Spirit, there is no way to truly mature. Lilies bloom and birds grow feathers quite spontaneously. There is no need for them to cultivate these features. In the same way, we must allow our spiritual lives to mature naturally.

 

Artificial spiritual cultivation can produce a self-righteous, rules-following “saint” (according to the world's concept), but it cannot produce a real Christian. The cross is enough for our sanctification. We cannot bear fruit through our own effort. Striving only delays our spiritual growth; it cannot speed it up. Instead of striving on our own, we must accept God’s means for maturity: the discipline of the Holy Spirit. If we do not cooperate with the discipline of the Holy Spirit, we will lose a chance to increase our spiritual capacity. This will only prolong the time required to reach maturity. We may even have to repeat the lessons we missed.

 

Watchman Nee said, "A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened.” This is why it is so important to accept suffering as the path to maturity. One of the most effective tools for maturity is marriage. It is a long-lasting lesson in getting along with others, and it often involves hardship. It is not easy to live out our Christianity while suffering in the marriage relationship. Often, instead of allowing God to increase our capacity and maturity through suffering, we let our hearts become hardened. Although we may not choose divorce or separation, we put up a wall and harden our hearts. Outwardly, we may act patient, but we don’t allow our faith to grow or allow God to perfect us through suffering.

 

The author of Hebrews writes, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). Then he encourages believers who have gone through suffering to seek healing and peace (12-13). He says, "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (14). "Peace with everyone" means steadfastness or patience. But we can't stop there. We must also "strive for holiness" so we can grow spiritually. If we want our spiritual lives to grow so we are conformed to the image of Christ, we must make good use of suffering. Although suffering is painful, it is also the means to maturity. When we allow suffering to grow and mature us, we will bear the fruit of righteousness one day. Even Jesus Christ allowed suffering to mature him. The writer of Hebrews says, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek" (Hebrews 5:8-10). We cannot become the source of others' salvation, like Jesus could, but we can allow God to use our difficulties to bring others to Him. As our patience leads to godliness, and we learn to live out the virtues of Christ through suffering, our lives will demonstrate the love of Christ so that others can be saved. Brother Witness Lee tells the story of a Chinese man who had a skin disease. The only person who was willing to give him a skin graft was a Western missionary lady. The man was so touched by her sacrifice that he put his trust in Christ. As this Western missionary lived out Christ’s virtues in times of suffering, another individual came to Christ.

 

Godliness Will Only be Achieved through Prayer

 

Not only is there a relationship between suffering and godliness, as we have seen in the book of Hebrews, but there is also a relationship between suffering and prayer. James, the natural brother of Jesus, discusses true godliness, prayer, and suffering. James notes that those who are suffering must be patient, because patience leads to godliness and maturity. He says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (1:2-4). Then he continues, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.” He then defines true godliness (or true religion): "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (James 1:27). This is a well-known verse that is often quoted by Christian ministries. Organizations that help the underprivileged often use this verse to encourage people to donate. However, James is saying that suffering produces patience, and patience produces godliness. Only then will we have a heart for widows and orphans.

 

James speaks of patience again near the end of his book: "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord” (James 5:7-10). In verse 13, he says, "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise." James goes on to say if someone needs physical healing, they should call for the elders to pray over them and anoint them with oil. The prayer of faith will heal the sick. These verses give practical advice for three specific situations. People who are cheerful should sing songs; people who are sick should be anointed with oil. And what should we do when we are suffering? We should pray. Prayer is the most important prescription for suffering. Only through prayer can we experience spiritual growth in times of pain and hardship.

 

In my own life, I have spent a lot of time praying during times of suffering. Through these prayers, I have experienced the presence and grace of God. As a result, these times of suffering became a blessing. They helped me break free from areas where my flesh was hindering the Holy Spirit’s work. I also experienced a great filling of the Holy Spirit.

 

Suffering alone does not make people mature. It can either increase our capacity or harden our hearts. But if we seek God’s empowerment and help through prayer, the Holy Spirit can bring a breakthrough. He can help us be filled with the life of Christ so our lives are a fuller expression of God’s character. Our own attempts at patience can never reflect Christ’s life. But when we add prayer to our patience, our spiritual lives are elevated so we can live out the life of Christ.

 

Suffering Produces Endurance and Endurance Produces Character

 

Paul calls, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). I have often pondered and prayed over these verses. Although I can act patient outwardly, I often struggle to live out of true love. I was very confused by this, but Romans 5 helps bring clarity.

 

First, the passage teaches us that while we were still God’s enemies, Jesus Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8). This is what God’s love means. God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. However, we may not be able to access the power of His love. For example, your house’s electrical wiring may be perfectly functional. But if you trip the breaker, you still cannot access its power. In the same way, God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, but if something is blocking His love, it cannot flow through our hearts. Without the flow of God’s love, our faith is also hindered, since "faith works through love" (Galatians 5:6). We know that faith is essential to the spiritual life, and the operation of faith requires love, and this love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

 

Once we accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts and allow Jesus Christ to regenerate us, our spiritual “seed” contains both faith and love. But if the shell of the seed is too hard, it will not germinate. The most difficult seed I've ever planted is the Sichuan pepper tree, which has a shell as hard as a rock. I bought a Sichuan pepper bush on the Internet, and it produced seeds. I was hoping to grow some new saplings with them. I scattered the seeds on the ground, but none of them came up. Why? Because the seed coat was tough, as hard as a stone. I decided to watch some videos on how to germinate Sichuan pepper seeds, and I learned that it was necessary to pry open the seeds with a brick or a pliers, then soak them in water to soften the shell. The life of the pepper tree is contained in the seed, but the tough seed shell hinders its germination and growth.

 

In the same way, the works of the flesh can hinder our spiritual growth. God uses suffering and the discipline of the Holy Spirit to break the shell of our flesh so that the life and power of the seed can be released. No one wants to go through suffering, but it is necessary to break the walls around our hearts. As Watchman Nee says, suffering does not necessarily destroy us. It can also make us stronger. It's our choice. If we choose not to cooperate with God, we may become hardened. But if we cooperate with the suffering he allows, we release the power of His Spirit as He softens our hardened hearts. This process of softening takes a long time and requires much patience. Patience is a process that allows God's divine life to permeate us so that Christ's divine power and human virtues can be released in our lives.

 

Suffering produces patience, and this process is not easy. But as our maturity increases, we will become more faithful to God. After we grow in our endurance, we will develop character as Christ's divine power and human virtues are manifested in us. The more we grow in character, the more we grow in hope as we trust in Christ's resurrected life and our ultimate redemption. This hope keeps us from shame because we know that we will one day be like Christ in all his glory (Colossians 3:4).

 

This is why Watchman Nee tells us that patience is Christ. Not only is patience a quality of Christ’s character and a human virtue, but patience is also a process through which the character and life of Christ are manifested in us. Patience produces character, and patience produces godliness, for godliness is the character of Jesus Christ manifested in us. So we see that Paul’s teaching is consistent with Peter's teaching.

 

Conclusion

Patience is the mutual tolerance and connection between members of the Body of Christ, and godliness is the love that we have for one another. If the body of Christ is compared to a tree, then patience is like the branches and godliness is like the innumerable leaves of the tree. As we will see in future lessons, brotherly love is like a flower that blooms, and God's love (Agape) is the fruit that it bears.

 

In our personal lives, patience is not only tolerance for others but also the effect of suffering. When we choose to obey God while suffering, we allow the life of Christ to break through our hard hearts, setting free the power of Christ’s life in our lives. The process is not easy, but as we grow in patience and godliness, we will undergo the transformation that many Christians so desperately need.

 

[1] The editor edited this for reviewer to better understand this and the original quote is, Time is needed for life to mature. Other than having a big head, young people cannot really be matured. Maturity is a matter of the enlargement of capacity. You must allow God to give you time to suffer beyond measure; then your capacity will be enlarged. Some could suffer the loss of five dollars, but could never suffer the loss of five thousand dollars. Some could forgive others two or three times, but the fifth time would make their hands tremble. One discovers by eating whether a fruit is raw or ripe. Raw fruit tastes sour and bitter and is tough and hard. Only ripe fruit tastes sweet and fragrant. Madame Guyon had the flavor of ripeness. She was a teacher to the elderly and a friend to children. The Christian life grows in a natural way. It is not a matter of being artificially ripened like the ripening of a banana with mild heat. The Son of Man came eating and drinking. With some people, their eating and drinking exposes their true condition. Life does not come as a result of spiritual cultivation. If you have the Spirit, there is no need of cultivation; if you [144] do not have the Spirit, there is no way to cultivate. Lilies blossom and birds grow feathers quite spontaneously. There is no need for them to cultivate these features. Cultivation can only produce a “saint” according to the world’s concept; it cannot produce a real Christian. It is sufficient to have the seal of the cross on the negative side. There is no need to strive to bear fruit. Striving only delays the growth of life; it cannot speed it up. It is important for us to receive God’s arrangement in the circumstances. This arrangement is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. To escape God’s arrangement just one time is to lose an opportunity to have our capacity enlarged. This will prolong the time required for life to mature in us and will even require us to make up this lesson in order to reach maturity. A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened. For this reason, when believers are passing through suffering, they must pay attention and they must realize that maturity in life is the sum total of receiving the discipline of the Holy Spirit. People may see a person who has matured in life, but they cannot see the accumulated discipline of the Holy Spirit which that person has received secretly day by day throughout the years.

Watchman Nee--A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, Witness Lee,  https://bibleread.online/all-books-by-Watchman-Nee-and-Witness-Lee/book-watchman-neea-seer-of-the-divine-revelation-in-the-present-age-Witness-Lee-read-online/19/.

Bible Study With Jairus - Acts 12 Part 2

Bible Study with Jairus

Acts 12 (Part 2)

Why Did God Save Peter and Let Worms Kill Herod?

 

During my recent reading of Acts 12, I received new inspiration about why Herod wanted to arrest Peter, why God wanted to save Peter, and why God allowed worms to eat Herod. The Holy Spirit showed me that Herod was a tool of Satan, trying to hinder Peter’s efforts to spread Christ’s gospel to the Gentiles, and trying to cut off the flow of the Holy Spirit so that the Gospel could not be spread among the Gentiles. This story is almost the last time Peter is mentioned in the book of Acts. The last mention of Peter in Acts is his testimony at the Jerusalem council. At that time, as Paul and Barnabas were preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, some men came down from Judea and taught the believers that unless they were circumcised according to the custom of Moses, they could not be saved (Acts 15:1). As a result, there was a disagreement among the believers. Finally, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and the elders and discuss this matter. During this meeting, Peter testified, confirming that God had chosen the Gentiles. This shows that Satan was also using a legalistic spirit in Jerusalem to attempt to hinder the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles. This is the last mention of Peter in Acts.

 

In other words, Herod, as a tool of Satan, wanted to not kill only Peter, but also to extinguish the flow of the Holy Spirit that brought the gospel to the Gentiles which Peter represented. Peter ran the last leg of his race and successfully handed the baton to Paul. From then on, Paul became the primary leader of God’s work among the Gentiles in the new era.

 

Peter walked in God's will and thus experienced God's protection. We must know God’s will and live in God’s will in order to experience God's protection. Peter was delivered by God, and in the end fulfilled his responsibility of spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. His role in the new era was to support Paul, who had not yet been fully accepted by the believers, and to help prove that it was God's will for the gospel to be spread to the Gentiles. Peter’s testimony laid the foundation for Paul to step to the forefront and become the representative of God’s new generation of apostles. Therefore, after chapter 15, Peter was not mentioned again in Acts.

 

Read The Spiritual Warfare Behind the Words

 

The Bible reveals the goodness of God, the value of man, and the tricks of Satan. When we read the Bible, we must understand these three things, and even more so when we read the Acts of the Apostles. We must realize that the essence of the Acts of the Apostles is the Acts of the Holy Spirit. In this book, we see human activity in the foreground. But behind each of them is the presence and empowerment of either God or Satan. Man either stands on God’s side and walks in God's will or stands on Satan’s side and becomes a tool in Satan's hands. There are no other options. Therefore, when we read about people’s actions in the Bible, we must perceive the invisible battle between God and Satan. This will help us better understand the actions and behaviors of these individuals.

 

At the beginning of Acts 12, we read that Herod persecuted several people in the church and killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. Why did God choose to save Peter, while allowing James to be martyred? James’ race was over. He testified for Christ through his death and entered into his heavenly ministry. It was not his job to continue the work of the Holy Spirit on earth. That was Peter’s job, and Peter was soon to hand the baton to Paul.

 

The first part of Acts records the work of the first generation of apostles led by Peter; the latter part of Acts records the work of the second generation of apostles led by Paul. Peter represents the acts of the apostles during and shortly after Christ’s earthly ministry; Paul represents the acts of the apostles sustained by Christ’s heavenly ministry. These two very important segments of Acts are distinct, yet connected. The work of God and the flow of the Holy Spirit were passed from one era to the next through men like Peter and Paul. So behind Herod’s desire to kill Peter was Satan’s desire to break the continuity of God’s work. Satan was trying to cut off the flow of the Holy Spirit between Peter’s ministry to the Jews and Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Though he was primarily an apostle to the Jews, Peter did preach to some Gentiles according to the will of God. But the work that Peter began was about to be passed on to Paul to finish. He was going to successfully hand over the baton to Paul. Satan wanted to use Herod to kill Peter to prevent Peter from successfully passing the baton to Paul. It was as if Peter was approaching Paul in a relay race, preparing to hand off the baton, when Satan sent a sniper to shoot Peter. Satan wanted to hinder the flow of the Holy Spirit and prevent the gospel from spreading from the Jews to the Gentiles.

 

The first thing Satan did was to use the religious power of Judaism to persecute the church. Judaism and legalism were extremely strong in Jerusalem. The Jews rejected Christ and were pleased when Herod persecuted several people in the church and killed James. This is why the Bible says of Herod, “When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread” (12:3). Satan used Judaism, legalism, and evil political forces to persecute believers.

 

Not only did Jews persecute Christians, but many legalistic, Judaism-focused Christians also opposed the grace of Christ. These believers were trying to force Gentile Christians to be circumcised, telling them it was the only way they could be saved. Perhaps there were also Jewish Christians who were opposed to preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, since Jesus had taught his disciples to preach only to Israelites, not Gentiles (Matthew 10:5). At first, in the previous era, Jesus sent his word only to the Jews. But he later included the Gentiles as well. Jesus’ command for the new age was to spread the gospel in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

 

Satan often uses people's fixed concepts and religious bigotry to hinder God's work. Jerusalem had degenerated into a cesspool of fixed ideas and religious bigotry which was hindering believers from preaching the gospel of God to the Gentiles. God allowed persecution so that the disciples would break out of their territorial religious concepts based in Jerusalem and preach the gospel to the Gentiles. To escape persecution, the disciples scattered to different places and spread the gospel more widely. Persecution helped the believers break out of their fixed religious mindsets and preach the gospel in Gentile lands such as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Instead of staying in a tight-knit circle of believers in Jerusalem, they would now bring the gospel to the big stage of the Gentile world.

 

But the forces of legalistic Judaism not only wanted to control Jerusalem but also extend their control to the Gentile believers. Legalistic Jewish believers came down from Judea to teach the Gentile believers that they must be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15). Paul and Barnabas opposed this teaching, but because Paul had not yet risen to a position of authority in the church, the dispute was eventually taken to the apostles in Jerusalem. During the meeting in Jerusalem, Peter played an active role in defending the Gentile believers. He testified that it was indeed God's will for the gospel to be spread to the Gentiles. James also spoke up in agreement, saying that God had chosen the Gentiles.

 

There was a reason that Satan targeted Peter. If Peter had been killed by Herod, there would have been no one to back up Paul and Barnabus and defend the Gentile believers. Furthermore, if Peter had caved to legalism (as he did in the book of Galatians, when he and Barnabas stopped eating with the Gentiles because of the strong influence of the legalistic believers who came to Galatia), James might not have been convinced to support salvation through faith. In this case, the religious Jews in Judaism might even have had Paul and Barnabas arrested. Satan wanted to use the Jewish religious forces to prevent Paul from becoming a representative of the apostles of God's new age and the foreman of God's construction. But God saved Peter’s life so he could support Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles, so that Paul could successfully take up the mantle as the leader of the second generation of apostles.

 

Herod’s Death Broke the Power of Jewish Religious Leaders and Evil Political Leaders

 

Satan not only used Jewish religious forces to attempt to destroy Peter’s influence, but he also tried to use evil political forces like Herod to unite with the Jewish religious forces. Herod had killed James and persecuted several other believers, and Herod saw that what he did “pleased the Jews.” He wanted to please the Jews for the sake of his rule, so he went on to arrest Peter (verse 3). Peter understood that the Jewish religious powers were collaborating with Herod. After the angel rescued him from prison, Peter said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (Acts 12:11). Peter specifically mentions that God saved him not only from Herod, but also from “all that the Jewish people were expecting.” The Jewish people clearly supported the persecution of Christians. When the evil forces of empty religion and politics are combined, they will bring greater harm to the church.

 

The Bible says that after arresting Peter, Herod waited until after the Passover to bring him out to the people (12:4). If Peter had been handed over to the people, Peter might have been killed, and Satan likely would not have stopped with Peter’s death. He might have continued to use the evil religious power of the Jews combined with the evil political power of Herod to continue to persecute, arrest, and even kill people in the church. The next victim might have been Paul. Satan's plans were not limited to killing Peter; he also may have attempted to kill Paul and Barnabas. This would have completely defeated God's plan to spread the gospel from Judea to the Gentiles through the apostles. Satan is very insidious! God had to intervene, so He sent worms to kill Herod, thereby defeating Satan's plot.

 

God struck Herod down in order to break the powerful collaboration between the evil forces of religion and the evil forces of politics. If God had not intervened, the evil forces of religion and politics would have united to kill Peter and thwart God's plan to spread the gospel from the Jews to the Gentiles through Peter.

 

Many evildoers throughout the ages were not treated like Herod, who was directly judged by God. God is merciful and often gives people the opportunity to repent. But if a person is like Herod and is being used by Satan to try to hinder God’s work and will, he will be severely judged by God. Herod was eaten by worms and died.

 

Herod's death by worms was not the first time God had attempted to break the collaboration between evil political forces and evil religious forces. After Peter was saved by an angel, “Herod searched for him and did not find him.” He then “examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there” (verse 19). The angel’s rescue ruined Herod’s efforts to unite with the evil religious forces in Jerusalem. He had failed, so he left Judea and went down to Caesarea to live. This event set the foundation for Herod losing his life. God did not allow Herod to join forces with the evil religious forces. He would not allow Herod to continue to be a tool of Satan, preventing Peter from fulfilling God's will.

           

God’s Word Is Spreading

 

God’s will is for His word to spread to more and more people. He wanted the disciples not only to preach Jesus Christ as the Savior among the Jews, but also among the Gentiles. Therefore, after Herod was struck with worms and died, the Bible immediately goes on to say, “But the word of God increased and multiplied” (verse 24). This verse confirms that Herod’s death was God’s will. When people walk in God's will, the Holy Spirit will confirm that they are on the right path. So when God’s word spreads to more people, God confirms that his will is being done.

           

God’s will today is the same: to spread his word to more people. This never changes. We cannot hinder God's will. The safest and most protected place is in the center of God’s will. We must know God’s will and live in God’s will.

 

Paul and Barnabas Leave Jerusalem

At this time, after Paul and Barnabas finished providing financial relief to the believers in the church in Jerusalem, they left and returned to Gentile areas to continue to preach the gospel. This event is recorded at the end of chapter 11. Paul and Barnabas are hardly mentioned in this chapter, but the last verse mentions that they left Jerusalem and took John, who was called Mark, with them (verse 25). This is definitely not an accident, but a clever arrangement by the Holy Spirit.

 

Spiritual Pride

How did the Jews, who were God’s people to whom he revealed the entire Old Testament, become a tool of Satan to hinder the spread of the gospel? Why did the Jewish people support persecution and encourage the murder of Christ’s apostles? Why could a political figure like Herod become a tool in the hands of Satan to hinder the work of God? One of the reasons is none other than human pride. The pride of the Jews made them want to control the interpretation of the Bible and God; Herod's pride made him compare himself to God. Just as Satan fell because of pride, when we are proud we open the door to Satan and become his tools.

 

Conclusion

In this chapter, we see that God and Satan are engaged in a spiritual war over the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to the Gentiles. Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and others are the tools used by God to accomplish God’s will. Herod, the people of Judea, and the Jewish religion became tools in the hands of Satan to attempt to persecute the servants of God and hinder or extinguish the spread of the gospel. When God killed Herod, he broke Satan's attempt to combine evil political forces with Jewish religious forces. This not only saved the lives of Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and others, but also allowed the Holy Spirit to reach the Gentiles.

 

Bible Study with Jairus- 2 Peter 1 (Part 7)

Bible Study with Jairus- 2 Peter 1 (Part 7)

Adding Patience to Temperance: Loving God and Your Neighbor

 

As I mentioned in our last lesson, a life of patience is needed when dealing with others. We need to be patient with each other before we can develop into the mature Body of Christ. But in order to cultivate patience with one another (the branches), we need to strengthen the trunk (temperance). Before we can pursue unity within the body of Christ, we need to strengthen the trunk of temperance. Only then will we produce leaves (godliness), flowers (brotherly love), and fruit (agape love). Many efforts to unify the body of Christ have failed because the trunk (temperance) is still undeveloped.

 

Although the body of Christ as a whole is still at the initial stage of developing the trunk, we as individual Christians or individual churches may be ready to progress to the next stage of spiritual growth: developing the branches. We as believers are the individual branches of the same vine. This is what Peter is referring to when he speaks of "adding patience to temperance.” Temperance refers to our vertical relationship with God. Through temperance, we gain the strength we need to grow in our relationship with God above. Spiritual disciplines help us develop a personal relationship with the Lord, allowing the power of the life of Christ to develop within us. To add temperance to our knowledge is to love God. When we stop loving the world and abandon the lusts of the flesh, we share in God’s nature. This is the essence of temperance.

 

Knowledge without temperance does not help us grow. If we know facts about God and the principles of his word, yet we do not love God or have an intimate connection with him, we cannot progress further in our spiritual life. But when we add temperance to our knowledge, we develop the trunk of our spiritual tree. And if we love God, we will love others. The Apostle John said, "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him, there is no cause for stumbling" (1 John 2:9-10). The Lord Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

 

When we develop love for God through temperance, we will automatically love our neighbors as ourselves and be patient with others. Loving others with patience is like developing the branches of the tree. Many Christians cannot tolerate Christians of other denominations, and they also fail to love sinners. This is because they have not developed temperance or love for God.

 

When we constantly add temperance to our knowledge, we will not only leave behind our worldly “truth,” but we will also be set free by God’s truth. Then we will love God even more and abandon the world even more. Then we will naturally progress to the next stage of spiritual growth: building one another up with mutual patience in the body of Christ. Temperance is necessary for a vertical relationship with God, and patience is necessary for a horizontal relationship with other believers.

 

Patience Is Christ

 

When I left the Local Church Movement to study in other churches, I attended a Charismatic Church Conference. A pastor said that he once fasted and prayed for forty days, hoping to become more holy, but he still didn't attain the holiness he hoped for. Later, a preacher told him that holiness is a person, that is, Christ. It is not enough to just fast and pray. We must allow the person of Christ to live his life through us. What this preacher said was very helpful to him, so the pastor gave special thanks to him during this conference.

 

This reminds me of another story. One day, Watchman Nee, the founder of The Local Church Movement, was rocking in a rocking chair. He asked a question of Witness Lee, who was interning with him. "What is patience?" asked Watchman Nee. Witness Lee tried to answer his question many times, but Watchman Nee said all his answers were wrong. Finally, Watchman Nee said, "Patience is Christ." In other words, patience is a person, as the pastor learned in the first story above. If you live in Christ, live out Christ’s life in your words and actions, and allow Christ to replace your old man and live through you, you will be able to live out patience. Otherwise, no matter how much you try to have patience, you will not be able to generate patience through your own effort. This story is very thought-provoking.

 

Adding patience to temperance is not just about being able to love others because of our fellowship with God. This is certainly true. But even more, it is a picture of Christ living his life through us. Jesus loved God, so He was willing to sacrifice himself to save the people God loved. Of course, Jesus also loved people, and He was willing to give his life for the lost sheep.

 

Not only can we say that patience is Christ, but temperance is also Christ. An intemperate person cannot truly love God. Whether a person is intemperate in eating too much, in consuming worldly entertainment, in failing to read their Bible and pray, or in some other way, that person is showing they love the flesh and the world more than they love God. The Apostle John said, "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:16-17). As we exercise temperance and patience in our lives, we live out the virtues of Christ. In other words, Christ’s life is manifested in our lives.

 

From Knowledge to Temperance to Patience: Developing Love For God and People within the Framework of the Law and the Prophets

 

The Old Testament Israelites followed laws and principles which revealed basic facts about God. As they learned and obeyed these laws, they would have life. However, the New Testament Pharisees went to an extreme in obeying the law. They overdeveloped their knowledge of the law and underdeveloped their love for God and man. They even felt that if they had given a tithe to God, they no longer needed to obey His command to honor their parents. Jesus criticized the Pharisees severely for this, saying that they had put the cart before the horse. Jesus said, " ‘…he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God" (Matthew 15:6). There was even a Pharisee, a teacher of the law, who tested Jesus and asked him, “Which commandment of the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:35) Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (37-38). This is the definition of temperance. It is very difficult to love a person, event, or thing with all our hearts, and it is also very difficult to love God with all our hearts. That is why we need temperance.

 

Then Jesus said, "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets" (39-40). What Jesus meant was that after loving God, you should love others. You should love your neighbor as yourself. These two commands form the basis for all the principles and teachings in the Old Testament. As I have mentioned in previous lessons, the law reveals God’s nature, as does the ministry of the apostles. They help us understand God’s nature and principles by teaching God’s words (including the laws of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament). The ministry of the prophets helps people recognize God’s leading and guidance so they can demonstrate love for God and people in every unique circumstance. So all the teachings of the law and the prophets are based on these two commands: loving God and loving your neighbor.

 

The Apostle Paul explained that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). Paul deeply understood the teachings of Jesus about the Great Commandments. Paul knew that these two commands—“love God and love people”—sum up the law and the prophets. These two commands communicate the essence of the teachings of the apostles (laws) and prophets. Love for God and people is fully expressed in Jesus, which is why He is the cornerstone. Jesus not only connects us with God, but also connects the Jews with the Gentiles, “and [reconciles] us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:17-19). “…Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (2:21).

 

These verses teach the same truth that Peter teaches about building the spiritual temple. We are a spiritual temple where the Holy Spirit lives. As living stones, we must grow and be built up so we can become a spiritual temple. The finished temple is beautiful like the New Jerusalem, with the throne of God and the Lamb in the highest position, surrounded by streets of pure gold and the river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God. We as believers are the New Jerusalem, a tabernacle in which God dwells. But God is also a tabernacle, and as we abide in the Trinity, we become a spiritual temple connected with the Trinity and with all saints. We, the branches, must abide in Christ, the Vine. The Father is the vinedresser. As we become one with Christ, we are also one with other members of His body.

 

In order to grow into a mature temple in the Lord, or to grow into a mature vine, we must develop temperance and patience. Temperance connects us to the trunk as we grow closer to God, while patience connects us to our fellow branches as we grow closer to other believers. These two are connected. That’s why Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”(John 13:35). Love is the natural expression of our spiritual life.

 

Before my mother came to Christ, she was deeply impressed by the love that Christians had for one another. In her village, there were some people who believed in Jesus. Unlike the rest of the farmers, the Christian farmers helped each other with their wheat harvest. My mother, who was a Buddhist, noticed that the Christians loved one another, and this left a deep impression on her. The Christian farmers were so filled with love that my mother recognized them as disciples of Jesus.

 

Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself Is Harder Than “Loving God”

 

In the church, we often see Christian brothers and sisters who love the Lord but have difficulties in their family lives. Perhaps the wife loves the Lord very much, reads the Bible, prays every day, and attends many church meetings, but her husband is spiritually indifferent. In fact, he notices that she seems to care more about God than she does about her family. “You go to church every day,” he says to her, “but you never spend time with us.”

 

Later, through the Lord’s conviction, the wife realizes she needs to spend more time at home with her husband and family. When the husband feels his wife’s love, his attitude toward spiritual things begins to change. His cold heart begins to soften.

 

This story shows that a Christian can be very devoted to God and still come across as unloving to the people around them. Why is this? Because it is more difficult to “love your neighbor as yourself” than it is to “love God.” It requires more maturity to communicate and cooperate with the people around us than to hide in a monastery or cave seeking intimacy with God. It also requires more patience.

 

I have seen some single people who love the Lord very much and have dedicated their lives to God, but I feel that their spiritual lives lack maturity. When I see the spiritual struggles they are going through, I often think that these weaknesses could have been dealt with if they had a spouse to correct them. Marriage is often God's tool to deal with us spiritually.

 

God uses relationships in our lives to train us in patience and holiness. During my spiritual journey, I have experienced many stages of growth. I believed in the Lord in 2002, then experienced a spiritual revival in 2004. I was crazily in love with the Lord. After that, I grew closer to God through reading the Bible, praying, and other spiritual disciplines. Jesus appeared to me many times during that period. Yet despite my intimacy with God, I still was not good at loving people. I was often unable to love the people around me, let alone my enemies. I felt distressed and powerless. I later realized that God allowed these relationship struggles in order to train me to truly love others.

 

If we want to love our neighbor as ourselves, we need to grow in patience. It seems easy for us to “love God” because God is great and can tolerate many of our shortcomings. But humans are limited, and many people are often not as tolerant as God is to us. So human relationships expose our quirks, weaknesses, and personality flaws more quickly. It is easy to “love God alone,” but it is more difficult to love God and others.

 

How Do We Add Patience to Temperance?

When we are with our spiritual mentors or discipleship leaders, we can just be recipients and accept what they give us spiritually. But when we are shepherding younger believers or less mature members, it is not that simple. We need to be constantly rooted in the Lord and connected to the vine so we can receive His abundant supply of mercy and love. Only then can we supply God’s love to these members. He can give us the patience to deal with the complex situations that arrive.

 

For example, in the church, our goal is to grow to maturity. However, it is often easier to do things ourselves than to teach others how to do them. It takes way more time to teach someone a skill than to do it ourselves. Therefore, many pastors or spiritually responsible people often take care of everything themselves. Younger believers do not have the opportunity to practice. And when the pastor retires, many believers are still spiritual babies. Instead, we need to slow down, teach others, and have patience with them as they learn and grow. We need God’s grace and provision as we help others grow in maturity.

 

It is difficult to grow in maturity, but it is even more difficult to help someone else grow in maturity. Those of us who are parents or have helped young Christians grow spiritually know this dilemma. Just like children, new Christians often make mistakes as they serve God. We need to be tolerant of their mistakes and be patient as we help them grow and mature.

 

When I was first saved, my church taught us that in order to be fruitful people, we needed to try to convert one person every year. But I found that I often went years without bringing even one person to Christ. I often prayed about this, seeking the Lord's help and guidance. When we serve the Lord, we often fail to see results, so we become discouraged. But Paul said, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Many people do good deeds, but because they don’t see results at first, they slowly lose faith. It takes time for our spiritual life to grow and for our service to become effective. Sometimes it takes a long time, so we must also learn to be patient.

 

In my personal ministry, patience is important. I studied for many years to prepare to serve the Lord, and the Lord promised that my ministry would lead many people into the kingdom and help them grow spiritually. However, I find that I often run into obstacles when trying to promote my ministry, and few people listen to my sermons. This doesn’t mean that God’s promises to me are false. It only means that I need to learn patience in this process. The process of experiencing patience is also the process of experiencing Christ. In this process, Christ is not only revealed in our lives, but our character is also strengthened. Only through longsuffering can the farmer obtain the yield he hopes for.

 

In order to be a fruitful person, we need to be rooted in the Lord. When we are rooted in Christ, we will develop lush branches and leaves, and we will naturally bear fruit. In addition to the patience we need in our dealings with others, we also need patience as we grow in the Lord. Just like trees do not bear fruit in the first year, it takes years for us to mature spiritually enough to bear fruit.

 

Bible Study With Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part 6)

Bible Study with Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part 6)

The Power of Temperance and the Importance of Focus

 

In past lessons, we have learned how to nurture the seed of faith so that we can grow in our spiritual lives. First, we must water the seed of faith with virtue. This helps us grow a taproot that roots us deeply in our foundation, Christ Himself. Next, we must supply the seed with the knowledge of every saving truth of Jesus Christ. Every time we recognize a truth, we must apply that truth in our lives. The reality and nutrition contained in these truths can then be released and become our life supply. In this way, one truth at a time, we absorb the nutrition we need for our spiritual growth, just like the fibrous roots absorb one mineral at a time from the soil. These truths help sustain our spiritual growth while the taproot is not yet firmly established in the soil.

 

As our roots grow strong, and our branches multiply, we must learn the lesson of temperance. Temperance is very important for the growth of a tree. A Chinese saying emphasizes the importance of pruning: "Small trees will not grow if they are not pruned.” Unpruned saplings will send out dozens of shoots from the roots, and they will develop into shrubs instead of trees. But if these extra branches are pruned early, a thick central trunk will develop, and the sapling can grow into a towering tree. This is why Peter speaks of the need to add temperance (self-control) to your knowledge (2 Peter 1:6). While it is true that Christians should acquire plenty of knowledge about the Bible and spiritual truths, it is also true that too much knowledge can get out of hand, just like an unpruned sapling. Rather than focusing on the central truth of God’s word (God’s love and grace incarnated in Jesus Christ), some Christians focus on dozens of individual principles to the point of legalism. Their lives are like unpruned shrubs. They grow hundreds of branches (rules, principles), but there is no central focus and they do not grow into a towering tree. Why? Because they lack temperance. They may have a lot of biblical knowledge, but they use it to condemn others, just like the Pharisees.

 

The Pharisees had a lot of knowledge about the Bible and spirituality, but they did not grow into towering spiritual trees. Instead, they lived as stunted shrubs. Many modern-day Christians are living like Pharisees. Their knowledge of the Bible and spiritual truths are no longer serving as an essential life supply. Instead, their knowledge has become a hindrance to their spiritual growth. 1 Corinthians 8:1 ESV says, “‘Knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up.” Just like an unpruned sapling that produces dozens of branches and plenty of visible growth without any real growth in height, knowledge puffs us up without any actual growth.

 

Furthermore, pruning takes place in the area of our gifts. God wants us to realize God’s central call on our lives and the unique gifts He has given us. When we do, we can prune away the excess activities in our lives that don’t relate to our calling. If we don’t focus on our gifts, we will live an unfocused life, our energy and ability will be limited, and our calling and gifts from God will be stunted. We waste time and delay our spiritual growth. We must prune excess branches and allow the trunk to grow in order to realize the infinite potential of our life and our gifts. Some Christians desperately need temperance and disciplined spiritual exercises to promote further growth in their spiritual life.

 

Why Do We Need to Add Temperance to our Knowledge?

 

Temperance builds on knowledge. Knowledge of God’s truth is very important for the early growth of our spiritual lives. Hudson Taylor’s salvation story illustrates this point. Since his father was a pastor, Hudson Taylor had heard God’s word since he was five years old. He had heard many bits of truth about Christ, or tiny bits of knowledge that provided nutrition to his growing understanding of Christ. But these truths had not “clicked” or turned into a personal revelation as the Holy Spirit enlightened his heart and mind. His mother and sister had been praying for him for some time, but he still hadn’t fully repented.

 

One day, Hudson saw a leaflet in his study with the words, "The finished work of Christ.” These words caught his attention and made him feel sad. The leaflet in his study was just one more small piece of knowledge, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this "knowledge" became a personal "revelation,” which released God’s truth in his heart and brought him to salvation. He later learned that his mother had been praying for him at the very moment he had been enlightened, and that the Holy Spirit had revealed to her that her prayers had been answered. When Hudson Taylor told his mother about his repentance, his mother said, "I know, my boy. I have been rejoicing for a fortnight in the glad tidings you have to tell me.”

 

Later, Hudson Taylor saw a vision that countless Chinese people were going to hell. He knew that God was calling him to go to China to preach the gospel, so he moved to a poor area in East London to train himself with self-discipline and temperance. For a long time, he ate only bread and water to prepare himself for the hardships he would face in China. After preparing himself for many years, he finally arrived in China, established the China Inland Mission, and brought a tremendous breakthrough for the spread of the gospel in China. His story is a good example of spiritual growth. His roots grew deep in Christ (virtue) as he constantly learned nuggets of truth (knowledge) and then disciplined himself for the mission field (temperance). Without knowledge, there can be no real growth. Without temperance, we will encounter setbacks in our spiritual progress. But with all these ingredients in place, Hudson Taylor grew into a spiritual giant.

 

Hudson Taylor encountered many difficulties in China, and his temperance was critical to his success. China was a very difficult place to live at the time. No one would give Hudson a place to live, so he had to live in the Chinese idol temple that served as a shelter for homeless people. Even in the shelter, Hudson Taylor could hardly sleep at night because other homeless people would steal his clothes and belongings. He had to stay alert at all times and got very little sleep. If he had not spent time in East London, getting accustomed to living in difficult circumstances, he would not have been able to fulfill God's call to spread the gospel in China.

 

God’s Holy Spirit showers his anointing and his calling on our lives, like showers of refreshing rain. But our character must be strong and leak-free in order to receive it. If we lack temperance and other virtues, the water of God’s anointing and calling will leak out. Taylor was born into a wealthy family, but he understood that God's call was for him to preach the gospel in poor China, so he began to exercise his character with temperance. He learned to endure hardship so he would not miss the opportunity to fulfill God’s calling.

 

Temperance Is One of The Important Fruits of The Holy Spirit

 

Paul said, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). Both Paul and Peter knew that temperance is one of the fruits of the Spirit. When the Holy Spirit produces Christ’s virtues in our lives, the result is the fruit of the Spirit. Just like the king's eunuchs anointed Esther's body with various ointments, the Holy Spirit instills in us the virtues of Christ. Just like the ointments produced a fragrant scent, the virtue of Christ produces a spiritual fragrance as we live them out in our everyday lives. When we truly understand these words of Paul (“knowledge”), the Holy Spirit enlightens us with revelation so we can grow in virtue. This virtue and knowledge supply us with abundant spiritual resources so we can grow.

 

Although I had read this passage in Galatians many times, God recently gave me a new revelation. I noticed a phrase that I hadn't paid attention to before: "Against such there is no law.” This phrase helped me see the light. When I produce the fruit of the Spirit, there is no law against it. But when I do not, there are many laws against me. For instance, when we fail to live with temperance (one of the fruits of the Spirit), the Holy Spirit often uses circumstances to "prune" us. We are chastened by many natural “laws.” For example, if we eat too much and lack temperance, our bodies will become obese, which will lead to various diseases. This is the natural law of God's creation.

 

If we had lived with temperance, we would not have needed this pruning. When we control our food intake, and even fast and pray, our bodies will be healed. There will no longer be any law against us.

 

Other laws may come against us as well if we do not produce the fruit of the Spirit. These include human regulations, social customs, and even church traditions which keep us in check. God often uses these "laws" to discipline us, but we often fail to see the hand of God at work in these circumstances.

 

Christian Intemperance Is Common

In addition to being intemperate with food intake, many Christians are intemperate with entertainment. Watching TV is not a sin, but it is not wise to become addicted to movies and TV, which are filled with sinful and worldly content. When we frequently consume this content, we will eventually become polluted by filth and worldliness, and our spiritual life will be damaged.

 

Many Christians in the United States have been learning biblical truths since childhood. They have acquired a vast amount of biblical knowledge So why can't these Christians go deeper spiritually and have a greater impact on society? Because they are lacking temperance. Christians need to stop indulging in sinful and worldly entertainment and start reading the Bible, praying, and practicing godliness. Many Christians know they ought to practice these spiritual disciplines, but do not follow through with consistency. Why? Because they lack temperance and willpower. In other words, the biggest spiritual problem among American Christians is the lack of spiritual discipline and temperance.

 

In ancient China, there was a military genius named Sun Tzu who wrote a book called The Art of War. His book claimed to contain all the secrets of military prowess, but the emperor was unsure whether his tactics really worked. So he asked Sun Tzu to try to train his concubines as a test run. The emperor promised to meet any conditions Sun Tzu needed during his training.

 

Sun Tzu began to train the women, but it was very difficult to work with them. When he asked them to perform a drill, the concubines laughed and talked and refused to obey the rules. It was impossible to train them. The emperor began to doubt the validity of Sun Tzu’s methods and abilities. As a result, Sun Tzu decided to behead the two concubines who were most disrespectful. They happened to be the emperor's two favorite concubines. Despite the emperor’s protests, the two women were publicly beheaded for everyone to see. Immediately, the other concubines became very disciplined, and they obeyed Sun Tzu and did all he asked them to do. In a short time, Sun Tzu created a very effective army of concubines. Sun Tzu proved to the emperor that he was not only a military theorist but also a practical fighter. This true story shows the value of discipline.

 

Many American Christians would object by saying that only Easterners are disciplined like this. This is incorrect. Hudson Taylor was from the West, but he was also very temperate. Many Western Christian missionaries have been very self-disciplined. However, modern-day Americans have been living a very comfortable life for a long time. Just like the emperor’s concubines, they have never received harsh training, so they have no temperance.

 

The reason Hudson Taylor developed self-discipline was because he had a vision. He realized that tens of thousands of Chinese people were going to hell every day. This vision prompted him to move to the East End of London, stop relying on the support of his wealthy parents, and voluntarily choose to suffer hardship in order to train himself. The Bible says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint.” Western Christians have been at ease from their youth, and they have never suffered much hardship, so they have not developed self-discipline. Jeremiah the prophet said the same thing of Moab: "Moab has been at ease from his youth, and has settled on his dregs; he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, nor has he gone into exile; so his taste remains in him, and his scent is not changed” (Jeremiah 48:11). When wine is brewed, the dregs are often filtered out by pouring the wine from vessel to vessel. However, Moab had been at ease for a long time, so the dregs had not been removed.

 

American Christians need temperance to prune their knowledge. What Western Christians lack is not the knowledge of the Bible, but the spiritual discipline to apply this knowledge to their lives. I believe God will create an environment in which American Christians can learn temperance. These circumstances may include enemy attacks, social turmoil, or economic collapse. Before the pandemic, I had a strange dream about an angel reaching down from heaven and stirring the sea with a huge stick. Many storms and waves arose, many houses were submerged, and people ran for their lives. In the same dream, I swam desperately and reached the shore. God had been telling me that a great revival was coming, and when the pandemic began, I knew the prelude to this great revival had begun.

 

I had the same dream after the pandemic. I believe that suffering will come to many people to help them learn obedience and self-control. Many Christians will be forced to grow spiritually. Just like God wanted to discipline Moab by pouring out the wine and removing the dregs, I believe God will discipline America in the same way. God still loves America, and America will eventually be saved. But that doesn't mean it won't experience suffering and discipline. Many Americans are not psychologically or practically prepared for this discipline. But he who has ears to hear should heed such warnings.

 

Similarly, I believe that God will allow storms to come to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other places where there has been peace for a long time. In these places, idolatry is rampant. He will send turmoil, wars, and storms in many parts of the world. God wants to shake everything that can be shaken, so that people can enter the unshakable kingdom of God. The shaking in the world today is the prelude to the great revival.

 

The Importance of Temperance

Temperance prunes the tree of our spiritual life so we can grow straight and tall and not become an undisciplined and unfocused shrub. Without God's pruning through affliction, we would indulge ourselves and fail to grow. Our roots would not grow deep in the soil and our trunk would not grow straight and tall. Our spiritual backbone would not develop. In a forest, a tree that does not develop a central trunk cannot grow tall enough to get sunshine. It might die as a result. If we add temperance to our knowledge, we can metabolize our knowledge about the Bible. Through spiritual discipline, our knowledge becomes a life force that helps the trunk of the tree grow tall and strong.

 

Adding Patience to Temperance

In our next lesson, we will learn why we should add patience to our temperance. We will briefly preview this topic here. A life of patience is needed when dealing with others. If temperance is the trunk, then patience is the branches. We are members of the Body of Christ, just like the branches of the vine live in the vine. We need to accept and be patient with each other in love before we can develop into the mature Body of Christ. But before that, we have to develop our trunk.

 

Many Christian groups have tried to pursue the unity of the Body of Christ, and unity between denominations, but they have not succeeded. Why? Because they are still in the stage of developing the trunk. Only when the trunk is truly developed will God bring all denominations together. Only then will the spiritual tree proceed to the next step of growth: producing leaves (godliness), flowers (brotherly love), and fruit (agape love). This metaphor not only applies to the body of Christ as a whole but also to our individual Christian lives. We must add temperance to knowledge so that our knowledge about Christ is lived out as the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.