Bible Study With Jairus

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.

Bible Study With Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part 5)

Bible Study with Jairus-2 Peter 1 part 5

Supplement Virtue with Knowledge: Nourishing our Life of Faith

 

As we learned in a past lesson, Christ’s virtue is the water that nourishes the seed of our faith so the “tree” of spiritual life can take root in Christ. Today, we will extend that metaphor even further by thinking about a tree’s root system. A tree has a large, central taproot and many branching, fibrous roots. These fibrous roots absorb nutrients, water, and various elements that a tree needs to grow. These nutrients not only help the tree grow taller but also help the taproot grow deeper. Furthermore, the fibrous roots play an important role in supplementing the growth of the leaves and branches when the taproot is not strong enough.

 

Some time ago, I purchased some evergreen Thuja Green Giant seedlings and transplanted them from five-gallon pots into the ground. To help them grow as quickly as possible, I put some fertilizer around the roots. But I didn't realize these fertilizers would burn the roots. Soon, I noticed that many branches and leaves were turning yellow and withering. I realized I had made a mistake and that over-fertilizing was destroying the fibrous roots. Since these young saplings did not yet have a deep taproot, they relied primarily on the fibrous roots to supply their leaves with nutrients. However, when I gave the same amount of fertilizer to older trees that had already taken root, I encountered no problems since they were already deeply rooted in the soil. I quickly learned from my mistake. I now know that overfertilization can kill a tree if it has not yet taken root in the soil.

 

In the same way that fertilizer can burn the roots of a new sapling, excessive rules can burn the spiritual growth of an immature Christian. When young Christians are overly restricted by rules in the church when they are young, they may turn away from their faith and from their parents when they grow up. Why? Because their parents did not carefully cultivate and protect the “fibrous roots” of their faith. Instead of burning them with excessive rules that are not deeply supported by a personal knowledge of Christ, parents should help these young Christians absorb the knowledge of Christ through their “fibrous roots.” As they begin to take root and rely on the continuous supply of Christ’s love, the “leaves and branches” of their Christian life will begin to grow. Their “taproot” will become deeply rooted in Christ. Only then will they begin to live out the principles of the Christian life without stumbling.

 

This is what Peter means when he says, "supplement virtue with knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5). When we “water” the “seed of faith” with Christ’s virtue, the Christian life will begin to take root. As we root ourselves incrementally in Christ, we gain one piece of knowledge after another, and this knowledge comes to life in our hearts. Just like the fibrous roots provide water gradually to the plant, we must absorb the truth about Jesus and his salvation bit by bit. In this way, we will eventually achieve our goal of being rooted in Christ.

 

Practically speaking, how do we do this? Many Christians only have grand visions for success, but they don't know how to achieve their goals step by step, so they fall short. This is the great dilemma faced by many American Christian parents today. We need a great strategic goal and the tactical means to accomplish it.

 

The Role of the Taproot

 

Most trees have both a taproot and fibrous roots. The taproot helps the tree withstand the wind and rain by being deeply rooted in the soil. While the taproot provides long-term stability, it also takes a long time to grow. Meanwhile, the countless small fibrous roots provide the nutrients and water the tree needs in order to grow upwards toward the light and downwards into the soil.

 

Near my house, workers were planting a new forest. When the workers planted the saplings, they inserted wooden stakes beside them to stabilize the young trees and prevent them from falling over. However, some stakes eventually broke. Since no one took care of them, some of the saplings fell over. Gradually, other trees grew taller and blocked the sunlight. As a result, these young saplings died.

 

The role of the taproot is not only to help saplings absorb nutrients but also to help them grow vertically. This is a beautiful picture of the Christian life. When we are not rooted in Christ, we will be tempted by the things of the earth and lose our ability to receive provision from above.

 

How can we root ourselves deeply in Christ? It will take a long time to develop a deep taproot. This is why it’s so important to continuously develop our fibrous roots as well. One insight at a time, we can learn about God and salvation. Through Bible reading, prayer, and spiritual disciplines, our spirits can be nourished continually, the branches and leaves of our spiritual life can continue to grow, and our taproot can take root in the virtue of Christ.

 

Two years after I put my faith in Jesus for salvation, I heard Jesus speaking to me at a conference, asking me to dedicate myself to Him. This spiritual experience changed my life, and I developed a crazy love for the Lord. I started the habit of reading the Bible and praying every day, and never let anything interrupt it. My wife saw me reading the Bible every day, but didn’t see any changes in my life. She saw me leading a Bible study, but I didn’t know how to speak for the Lord or receive his illumination.

 

One time, she said to me, "You are like a monk chanting Scriptures with only the mouth but no heart." What she meant was that my spiritual practices were doing no good.

 

“I am establishing a habit,” I responded. “Although this habit may not change my life immediately, I know it will change my life and my character if I continue to persevere. If I create a habit, I will benefit from reading the Bible.”

 

Even though the leaves and branches of my spiritual “tree” did not start growing right away when I began reading my Bible and praying every day, the fibrous roots were constantly absorbing the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Slowly, this knowledge began bringing me insight and revelation through prayer. This spiritual understanding helped me draw on the virtue of Christ so that my taproot would continue to take root in Christ. Once my taproot was firmly rooted in Christ, and as the fibrous roots continued to supply daily insights to my spirit, the branches and leaves of my life began to flourish.

 

A few years after I began leading a weekly Bible study, the Holy Spirit began to use me. He would give me inspiration while reading and sharing God’s word. My wife was astonished and curious about what was happening to me. My wife started to see changes in my life and noticed that I was receiving inspiration from my devotions. But these outward changes took place years after I began secretly rooting myself in the Lord.

 

In this chapter, Peter tells us to make every effort to supplement our faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge. Diligence is one of the best qualities of a Christian, and it is also one of the spiritual qualities that American Christians lack the most. Many American Christians are spiritually idle.

 

In China, there is a type of bamboo that grows only one inch per year in the first five years. But once it reaches its sixth year, it can grow a few feet every day! In no time, it becomes a towering stand of bamboo. How can it grow so quickly all of a sudden? Because during the first five years, its roots grew dozens of feet per year. In the same way, we as Christians need to root ourselves deeply in the life of God. We need to diligently root ourselves in Christ’s virtue. We need to develop the knowledge of Christ’s salvation, applying his salvation to our hearts through prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit. In this way, we will begin to grow and bear fruit as our fibrous roots connect to the foundation of Christ’s virtue.

 

The Spleen Nourishes the Body

 

Years ago, I had frequent diarrhea and fatigue. I had diarrhea immediately after drinking ice water or eating watermelon. Since restaurants in the USA rarely give people lukewarm water, I went through a lot of embarrassing and awkward situations.

 

When I went to the doctor, their tests were inconclusive. So I went to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the kidney is the foundation of a person’s level of health inherited from their parents. Meanwhile, the spleen is the foundation of the level of health you can acquire by healthy eating and supplements. I was born weak because of a congenital kidney deficiency or qi deficiency. The spleen was failing to strengthen the kidney or qi through nutrient absorption. I also had symptoms of spleen deficiency, which in turn worsened my kidney deficiency. The spleen deficiency was causing the diarrhea, and the kidney deficiency was causing the fatigue. The traditional Chinese doctor told me that some Chinese medicine would invigorate the spleen, thus reducing the symptoms of diarrhea and fatigue.

 

I began to take traditional Chinese medicine and my body improved a lot. My spleen deficiency improved, and I no longer had diarrhea. When my spleen was deficient, I couldn’t absorb the nutrients from food. As a result, the nutrients could not be delivered to my kidney, which was why I constantly felt tired. When I took traditional Chinese medicine to treat the spleen deficiency, the nutrients from the food I ate could be supplied to my kidney, and I no longer felt tired. There are many mysteries in God's creation of the human body, and God revealed them to ancient Chinese doctors. I am very grateful to God for healing my body through Chinese medicine.

 

This example reminds me of the example of the taproot. The kidney is the innate root received from parents. Just like the power of God is contained in the seed, life is contained in the kidney. We know that the kidney is related to reproduction, so this does make sense. If our spleen is deficient, it will affect our growth. When the spleen works properly, our food is absorbed into our body and supplied to the kidney so we continue to gain the power of life. The digestion and absorption of our food is a complex process. Of course, we need teeth to chew, a stomach to digest, and intestines to absorb, and these are all essential. But only Chinese medicine points out that the function of the spleen is to refine the digested food into life energy and supply it to the kidney. This is rarely mentioned in Western medicine, and it is difficult for Americans to understand. The work of the spleen is similar to the work of the fibrous roots, continuously supplying nutrients to the tree.

 

We can also illustrate this concept with cars. In order to drive, a car needs gasoline. The combustion of gasoline is a complicated process. The gasoline is ignited and begins to burn. Through a complex process, it is turned into the power that runs the car. This process reminds me of the role of the spleen in the human body. The mouth, teeth, stomach, and intestines break down food so that it can be "burned" and energy (qi) can be created. The spleen then turns the qi into the driving force of life. The spleen and kidney interact with one another just like the taproot and fibrous root do.

 

Many Christians have the symptoms of spiritual "spleen deficiency.” They have a lot of knowledge about the Bible and Jesus Christ, but their knowledge has not been broken down by the spiritual mouth, teeth, stomach, and intestines, and it has not been processed by the spleen to provide power to the spiritual life. They lack the necessary dynamics that provide the conditions that ultimately lead to a flourishing life that is deeply rooted in God. It takes a complex process for food to become energy, and it also requires a complicated process for us to turn spiritual manna (God’s word) into a life force. Many people ignore this complicated process, and without these previous steps, they cannot experience the vitality of God's word.

 

Bible Reading, Prayer, and the Holy Spirit Help us Absorb God’s Life

 

We have talked about the process of turning food into energy and gasoline into power and our knowledge of God’s word to go through a similar process. We must first absorb God’s word into our minds. Then through prayer and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, we must turn the words on a page (logos) into living words (rhema). This process is inseparable from constant Bible reading and prayer. It may take a while before we see results, as it did for me. That’s why we must persevere with “effort” and “diligence,” as Peter said. No farmer plants a seed and immediately reaps fruit from it. He must water, fertilize, weed, and wait patiently in faith before he can finally reap the fruit of life.

 

There is a Chinese idiom, “pulling seedlings to encourage growth,” which refers to a farmer who pulls up his seedlings to see if they are growing. Of course, this causes them to die. Instead of worrying, we must persevere and wait for our spiritual growth. It takes a long time for life to mature. Many Christians lack the long-suffering necessary to see a noticeable change. They give up on their efforts prematurely.

 

Many Christians cannot metabolize nutrients into energy, because they don’t even have the nutrients in the first place. They don’t have much knowledge about God and Jesus Christ because they are not familiar with the Bible. They can’t change the gasoline into power because there is no gasoline in the tank!

 

Other Christians have a lot of biblical knowledge but lack a life of prayer, like a car with a full gas tank but no ignition to start the process. In order to move forward, Christians must read the Bible (refuel the car), and they must also pray (turn the ignition). Only when these two steps are carried out at the same time will power be produced.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit cannot illuminate God’s word if we do not know God’s word. If we do not know and store God's word, the Holy Spirit will have nowhere to enlighten us. At the same time, if we read God’s word but do not pray for the Holy Spirit to illuminate us, the Scripture will remain words on a page. Neither produces true spiritual “kinetic energy” to help us move forward.

 

Conclusion

We must diligently persevere in reading God’s word and praying so we can absorb God’s life and store it in our hearts. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit’s illumination, we can ignite the truth we have learned so God’s word can provide us with spiritual sustenance. In this way, each truth about Christ will begin to nourish us. As the roots supply us with nutrients, the leaves and branches will begin to grow. Our taproot will sink more deeply into Christ’s virtue so we can grow strong and tall, avoid earthly temptation, and drink in the sunshine and rain. This is what Peter means when he says, “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge.”

 

In the next lesson, we will discuss the meaning of supplementing our faith with "knowledge with self-control.” We will learn to eliminate false teachings and character defects from our lives so we can continue to grow spiritually.

 

Bible Study With Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part 4)

Bible Study with Jairus-2 Peter 1-4

Supplement Faith with Virtue: Diligence is an Important Virtue

 

Let's continue to explore how 2 Peter 1 explains the steps of spiritual growth. As we have studied before, our faith can be compared to a seed. As Peter discusses at the beginning of the chapter, we already possess God’s power, just like a seed already possesses all the potential to grow from an acorn into a full-grown oak tree. The seed of faith already contains all the power of the glory of God, as well as all the excellence of Christ (or virtue of Christ—these two words were used interchangeably). Yet even though we already have God’s power, we need to develop this power through faith. We are called to take hold of the glory and excellence of Christ. Because he has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, as well as great and precious promises, we can progressively break free from the corruption that is in the lustful world and eventually become partakers in God's nature.

 

We have also mentioned that the Bible not only reveals God’s character but also his guidance. The former reminds us of the apostles’ ministry, since the apostles explained God’s character as revealed in his word, while the latter reminds us of the prophets’ ministry, since the prophets help us understand the guidance of the Holy Spirit in different situations.

 

Peter teaches the importance of diligence. The Apostle Paul compares Christian workers to farmers, soldiers, and athletes, three careers that require diligence. Peter acknowledges the same thing. Paul writes that a soldier should not get entangled in civilian pursuits; an athlete must compete according to the rules; and a farmer should work hard (2 Timothy 2:4-6). In the same way, Christians must devote themselves to God’s pursuits, unencumbered by civilian pursuits; they must compete according to the rules; and they must be hardworking like a farmer. In the same way, Peter recognizes that believers must be diligent in order to grow in the divine life. Second Peter 1:5 begins with the words, “Make every effort.” This indicates diligence. We are to be diligent to supplement faith with virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love (1:5-7). In this way, we avoid being "ineffective and unfruitful" (1:8).

 

In addition, Peter says, "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent" not to fall, so you can enter the eternal kingdom of the Lord Christ (1:10-11). Our goal is the glory of the "eternal kingdom of the Lord Christ,” and we must continuously grow in virtue, knowledge, and other character qualities that are mentioned in progressive stages. If the eternal kingdom of Christ is that towering oak tree, then virtue, knowledge, love, and the other qualities would be the root, trunk, branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit of the oak tree. Each stage of development requires God's glory and virtue to be “richly provided” to us (1:11) so we can achieve the glory of God (revealed in the Transfiguration). To obtain these supplies and grow spiritually in every stage of life, we need diligence and hard work.

 

Faith is important, but so is diligence. God speaks against laziness in Proverbs 10:4: "A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich" (Proverbs 10:4). The same truth applies to the spiritual life. The problem of many American Christians is spiritual laziness. A spiritually lazy person cannot make progress in life. In this message, we will explore the importance of diligence and how to obtain an abundant supply of God’s glory at each stage of life. If the spiritual life can be compared to a growing tree, it makes sense that Christian workers need to work hard to make the tree keep growing. Like a farmer, the Christian must work hard to tend the tree and make sure it has what it needs to grow.

 

Faith is the Root

Some time ago, the grass in some parts of my lawn was washed away by rain. I sprinkled some grass seed on the law, assuming that the grass was hardy and would grow on its own. What I didn't realize was that it would take weeks for grass seeds to germinate. Since I didn't have time to water the grass seed every day, none of it grew. The same often happens when I try to grow Chinese vegetables. Gourds have seeds with thick hulls and take a long time to germinate. Often, they don’t germinate at all.

 

One day, I watched a video that demonstrates how to germinate gourd seeds. You should nick the hulls with nail clippers and soak them overnight. Then they will germinate quickly. I tried this method, and it worked. But after germination, my job wasn’t finished. I needed to provide good soil, fertilizer, and constant watering so that the gourd would take root. This is true not only for vegetables, but for any plant. For a seed to grow into a tree, it needs the right conditions in order to germinate and the right supply of sunlight, soil, and water in order to take root.

 

What about the seed of faith? The same truth applies. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks of seeds that were sown in suboptimal conditions, such as hard-packed soil, rocky soil, or weedy soil (Matthew 13:4-7). These are difficult places for seeds to germinate. The Lord Jesus specifically talks about the seeds that fall on the shallow rocky ground: "Where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away” (Matthew 13:5-6). In the same way, Peter knows that we Christians should be like hardworking farmers so we can take good care of the spiritual “tree.” He understands that the conditions must be right for the spiritual “seed” to take root.

 

This is what Peter teaches in 2 Peter 1:5: "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue..." What is virtue? Peter tells us clearly in 2 Peter 1:3. Virtue is the virtue of Jesus, revealed in his humanity. And the glory of Jesus Christ mentioned in verse 3 refers to His divinity. Jesus Christ is both God and man.

 

The seed of faith is an incorruptible seed, as Peter clearly states. He says in 1 Peter 1:23, "You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God." Just like grass seeds and gourd seeds could never germinate without the life force contained in the seeds, our spiritual lives could never germinate without the power of God. The seed of faith contains God’s power for regeneration, but in order for this seed to take root, it requires a constant supply of virtue. Without soil, water, fertilizer, and other external conditions, this potential for life could never be released.

 

Believers already have the seeds of the divine life in them, so why has their spiritual life not taken root and grown into a big, fruit-bearing tree? Because they lacked these optimal external conditions. In order for the divine life to grow inside us, we need the virtue of Jesus, the Son of Man. We must supply the seed of faith with an ample supply of the virtues of Christ. This is necessary for our faith to take root. We must constantly apply Christ’s finished work to our life. His character is our example to learn from. We need to be rooted in Christ throughout our entire life journey.

 

For example, one virtue that Christ demonstrates is obedience through suffering. Though Jesus was and is the Son of God, he still learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8). Obedience is an important part of virtue, and it is a quality that we must possess if we want to be used by God. God emphasizes this when he talks to King Saul. When King Saul disobeyed God’s command, Samuel told him, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king" (1 Samuel 15:22-23). Samuel had told King Saul to wait for him before offering the sacrifice, but when Samuel came late, Saul offered the sacrifice without him. God had a serious rebuke for him. Yet many Christians disobey God in similar ways today. Disobedience and rebellion hinder many believers’ growth.

 

If we continually disobey God, we may become less sensitive to His Spirit’s promptings. For example, when a Jesus-follower watches an obscene video that the Holy Spirit has asked him not to watch, he does not obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. As time goes by, his conscience becomes less and less sensitive, and the Holy Spirit eventually lets him do as he wishes. Many Christians disobey God in small matters, and eventually, these small sins develop into major spiritual problems.

 

Obedience is a very important spiritual lesson, but it can be hard to learn. Just as the Israelites learned the lessons of faith and obedience in the wilderness, so must Christians today. Often the lesson of obedience is harder than the lesson of faith. Teenagers often struggle with disobedience and rebellion, and many adult Christians act just like teenagers. I mentioned this while speaking to a group of Christian teenagers in the United States. Though there are many Christians in the United States, they are often immature. Compared to other countries that have fewer Christians, American Christians have underdeveloped spiritual lives. The biggest problem they face is rebellion. Many other under-evangelized countries are full of people who do not know God’s law or believe in God (as Paul mentions in Romans 2). But the problem with American Christians is that they do know God’s law and are even acquainted with God Himself; yet they don’t obey Him (see Romans 2). In a country like China, which has yet to be evangelized, it is necessary to spread the gospel so that more Chinese people come to know God. Meanwhile, if you tell an American about Jesus Christ, he may say that he has known about Jesus since he was five years old. He may know more about the Bible than you do! Yet the large population of Christians in the United States is making very little positive impact on society. Why? Mainly because of their disobedience. Therefore, American Christians urgently need to develop the character quality of obedience so that they can take root in Christ and allow the great tree of the kingdom to grow more luxuriously in their lives.

 

I was born into an idol-worshiping family in China. Our family worshiped false gods, which is a serious sin. However, according to Samuel’s rebuke in 1 Samuel 15, American Christians who know God and the Bible yet disregard God’s teaching and guidance, are doing the equivalent of worshiping idols. Many American Christians don't seem to think about this serious sin. They don’t believe idolatry exists in the United States. But disobedience to God is, in fact, a form of idolatry. There is a lot of idolatry in the lives of American Christians. When we remain unaware or unconcerned about such serious spiritual problems, God’s discipline will catch us by surprise. God may hand us over to our enemies, just like he handed the Israelites over to their enemies when they fell into idolatry. Why are American Christians being handed over to their enemies? Why are they helpless in front of repeated attacks from the Left? I believe the root of this problem is idolatry, stemming from disobedience to God.

 

Some American Christians have awakened to this fact and are actively participating in politics, hoping to change the political status quo and impact the rampant leftism in the United States. This is certainly a very important endeavor, and I believe it will bring positive outcomes. But we should not forget that the root of this spiritual problem is the individual Christian’s disobedience to God’s word. The root is idolatry. Many American Christians are not rooted deep enough in Christ. Thus, when trials come, they dry up and become fruitless. This is just one example of disobedience that helps us understand Peter’s warning. We must provide the seed of faith with an ample supply of virtue and obedience so we can take root in the life of Christ and grow into a flourishing spiritual tree.

 

Diligence Supplements the Virtue of Christ

 

I once saw a photo of a tree growing by a cliff. Since there was no place for it to take root, it kept extending its roots downward until they reached the soil at the bottom of the valley. There was a long section of tree roots suspended in the air. Many trees, especially pine trees, possess a tenacious vitality and can take root on rocks. Similarly, grass and some small shrubs can actually grow in the cracks in the middle of highways, which demonstrates their tenacious vitality. It's amazing how diligent these plants are in seeking soil, nutrients, sunlight, and rain. However, the colloquialism “couch potato” indicates the exact opposite of diligence. This term refers to lounging on the couch, watching TV and doing nothing. Many Christians are spiritual “couch potatoes.” They may have a Bible, but it just sits on a shelf collecting dust. It has been years since these Christians were saved, yet they have never read the Bible from cover to cover. They also fail to pray. They don’t have a habit of communicating with Christ. They live their entire life in the realm of the mind and rarely enter the realm of the spirit. As a result, they cannot draw on the power, life and virtue of Christ or become rooted in God.

 

The power of God has given us all that pertains to life and godliness, through our full knowledge of the glory and virtue of Christ, (that is, His divinity and humanity). Through the glory and virtue of Jesus Christ, He has given us great and precious promises, so that we may escape the corruption that is in the lustful world. Through these promises, we may become partakers of the divine nature. These are the words of 2 Peter 1:3-4, and we have heard these truths many times.

 

The power of God is contained in the seed of faith, but this seed needs proper external conditions in order to germinate. It needs water, sunlight, and proper care. Without these conditions, the seed cannot germinate or will die shortly after germination. After the seeds begin to grow, they need to grow and take root. Only after taking root can they grow into a big tree, which represents the kingdom of God. That's why Paul teaches, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7). Once we accept Christ, we must continue to follow the teachings of the apostles in order to be strengthened in our faith. In this way, we will be rooted and built up in Christ. We must live like Jesus did and acquire his virtue.

 

Peter understands the same truth: "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" (1 Peter 2:4-6). Peter acknowledges that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. He unifies Jews and Gentiles and lays the foundation for our faith (Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, Isaiah 28:16). We are living stones that are built on this “spiritual rock” and grow into a living temple (1 Corinthians 10:4). Peter’s metaphor of a spiritual temple mirrors the metaphor of a growing plant. We must take root in Christ, the foundation, so we can grow into a spiritual temple.

 

Conclusion

Next time, we will discuss how to "supplement virtue with knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5), and what it means for Christians to grow spiritually. The word “virtue” refers to all the excellence of Christ's humanity, and the word “knowledge” refers to knowing about Jesus Christ through God's revelation. We must recognize and apply these truths so we can be rooted in the virtue of Christ.

Bible Study With Jairus - 2 Peter 1 (Part3)

Bible Study with Jairus- 2 Peter 1 (Part 3)

God’s Glory and Virtue Come from the Divinity and Humanity of Christ

 

 

As we have seen in the last few studies, 2 Peter 1 is Peter’s reflection on his experience of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain. Peter shares his experiences in hopes that readers will be encouraged, challenged, matured, and perfected in their spiritual lives, just like he was through the original experience. In John 21, the Lord Jesus had charged Peter three times to tend His sheep. So he shares his experiences in order to nurture other believers.

 

During the transfiguration, Peter was shocked to see Jesus transcend time and manifest his eternal glory. Through this experience, Peter realized that believers share the same destiny: to manifest the kingdom and glory of God on earth. To achieve this goal, believers must grow spiritually. Just like the potential for a towering oak tree lies within the acorn, the potential for God’s power and glory lies within the seed of our faith. But going from a seed to a big tree requires a growth process. During this process, believers need to constantly know God’s disposition and constantly accept God’s guidance. The work of the apostles is to help us know God’s disposition through His word. The role of the prophets is to provide guidance for specific situations, showing us how to break free from the sinful desires of the world so we can focus on God’s character and disposition. In this way, we will be continually transformed into the image of Jesus, so we can attain the glorious purpose of partaking in God’s divine nature. This is the main theme of 2 Peter 1:3-4 and the rest of the chapter.

 

Today, we will focus only on 2 Peter 1:3-4, which describes the seed of faith in our hearts. God’s life and glory are present in our spirits, like seeds, but we need to let those seeds develop and grow in order to reach our glorious purpose. Jesus Christ also contained God’s full glory, but it was hidden in his heart like a seed. But the moment He was transfigured on the mountain, the glory of Jesus, God incarnate, was fully revealed. This is our destiny as well as His. Currently, our life is “hidden in Christ.” But when Jesus appears in glory, “we will also appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:4). Peter's mission is to help believers enter this divine glory. The Epistles of Peter, especially the three short chapters of 2 Peter, teach us how to grow spiritually so we can enter God’s glory.

 

The Parable of the Seed and the Salmon

 

As we have learned in a past lesson, a seed contains powerful potential for life and growth. When 2 Peter 1:3 talks about "the power of God,” it is referencing both the power of God and the power of God’s life. This power is like a seed. This spiritual seed contains not only the power of God’s life, but also the “genetic material” that produces God's glory, which includes "glory"; "virtue,” "all things that pertain to life and godliness,” "precious and very great promises,” and "the divine nature" mentioned in 2 Peter 1:3-4. In other words, God's glory, virtue, life, godliness, promises, and divine nature are contained in the seed of faith that God has given us. But whether or not that seed can grow depends on many external factors. Just like a seed needs sunlight, water, soil, fertilizer, and other factors, we need to nurture the seed of faith God has given us. The same concept is illustrated by salmon going upstream to spawn. They have the instinct to go upstream, but they must overcome many obstacles to do so. Similarly, although we have God’s “divine power” in the seed of our faith, we still need God’s guidance and help in every situation so we can overcome the obstacles in our path and obtain the blessing of abundant life.

 

By nature, salmon return to the headwaters of the river to spawn every year. They go upstream until they find the source of the river. This instinct was present when God created the salmon. However, because artificial dams have been set up, the salmons’ ability to go upriver to spawn has been obstructed. To solve this problem, ecologists have introduced several initiatives to change water levels so that salmon can go back upstream to spawn. This parable can help us understand the spiritual life. A salmon’s ability to swim upstream is like the believer’s ability to be “in the world but not of the world.” God has given us the ability to "escape from the corruption of sinful desire in the world" (2 Peter 1:4) and to be salt and light as a good testimony to the world. But just as the dam keeps the salmon from going upstream, the sin and pollution of the world often hinder our ability to "partake of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Therefore, just as ecologists use modern technology to help adjust the water level in the reservoirs so that salmon can break free from the obstruction of the dam and go back upstream, the Holy Spirit guides believers in each specific situation, helping them draw on God’s power and salvation so they are encouraged and comforted by God’s divine power, glory, virtue, and promises. He gives them "all things that pertain to life and godliness" so that the power of God's life can come into play in their situation. God's promises come from God's character and the redemption accomplished in Jesus Christ, but we need the help of the Holy Spirit to live out these promises in our lives.

 

As I have emphasized on several occasions, there is a difference between “God’s disposition” and “God’s guidance.” Some Bible passages contain a revelation of God’s disposition while others contain God’s guidance for specific situations. Although there is some overlap between the two, there are also distinctions. God’s disposition (God’s character) never changes, but God’s guidance can vary for different people in different places at different times.

 

In the same way, the office of apostle and of prophet overlap but have distinct differences. Apostles help believers understand God's disposition, while prophets help believers follow God's guidance. Some apostles are also prophets, holding both offices at the same time. These people should help believers know God’s character and also help them understand and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in specific situations.

 

A survey showed that 70% of American Christians were addicted to pornographic videos. We know that God does not want us to partake in this kind of filth, but we also know that it is very difficult to break free from addictions such as alcohol, drugs, and porn. Many Christians who are addicted to pornographic videos have tried to overcome this addiction on their own. They make up their minds not to watch them anymore. They have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. What can they do?

 

Christians have the divine power of God to help them overcome their weaknesses and lives as children of light. If a Christian finds himself in a similar situation, he can rely on the Holy Spirit or His human under-shepherds to help him access and experience God’s “divine power” so he can overcome the sins he could not overcome on his own. These are battles we can only fight through faith.

 

Salvation and sanctification are obtained by faith, not through the effort and struggle of the flesh. Even Paul said he could not overcome the evil of the flesh on his own (Romans 7). Instead, he found that "the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ set him free" (Romans 8). United to the saving grace of Jesus Christ by faith, he was enabled to set his "mind on the spirit, which is life and peace, but to set the mind on the flesh is death" (Romans 8:6). Even Paul could not overcome through physical struggle, let alone us!

 

Similarly, we need God’s power to forgive. Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive his brother, and the Lord said "seventy times seven" times (Matthew 18:21-22). In his gospel, Luke records the disciples’ response: When Jesus said, “If he sins against you seven times in the day and turns to you seven times saying, ‘I repent’ you must forgive him,” the apostles replied, “Increase our faith!’" (Luke 17:4-5). I personally believe that the word "apostle" here refers to the disciples, including Peter and the other apostles who were praying for more faith to forgive. Peter realized that Jesus commanded him to forgive his brother, but he couldn't do it on his own. He understood that forgiveness, salvation, and victory do not depend on human efforts and struggles, but on faith. Jesus Christ has provided salvation for all, and we obtain it through faith. So Peter and the other disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith.

 

Believers need to be taught how to grow in their faith. God's divine power is released in our lives when we are united with God through faith. If you are willing to break free from your bondage to pornography or other vices, I have a prayer that will help you break free from these. Pray along with me:

 

“Lord, your word says, 'He who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him' (1 Corinthians 6:17). I know that I am joined to you in one spirit. When I look at pornography, you are watching with me because you are one spirit with me. I invite you to come and watch it with me now. If you do not want to, please remove my desire.”

 

If you pray like this, The Holy Spirit will remove your desires, because the Holy Spirit does not like to watch pornography. This prayer may seem disrespectful, but I can assure you it is not. In fact, it is disrespectful not to pray like this. When you continue setting your mind on the flesh and don’t invite God in, you are defiling God’s presence in you and quenching the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). However, when you pray like this, you are inviting the holy God to remove your filth, because the precious blood of Jesus is stronger than your filth. All you need to do is invite God in, unite with Him in faith, and He will surely take away your sins. If you pray like this every day, you can overcome all addictions and weaknesses! Believe me, I speak from my own victorious experience.

 

Many American believers have never been taught these faith exercises, so they sin and struggle with the flesh. Desiring to do right cannot help us succeed. It is our union with God through faith that gives us victory. This is the “divine power” of God spoken of by Peter.

 

Peter learned this lesson personally when Jesus taught him about forgiveness. Peter may have thought it was impossible to forgive people who offended him, such as James and John. But Jesus commanded him to always forgive. He had to recognize it was not through his own effort, but through faith united to the promised word of God. This is why Peter and the other apostles prayed to God to increase their faith.

 

Who says that Paul was the only one who knew about the principles of justification and sanctification through faith? Peter also had a high level of spiritual experience and maturity, and he knew that faith was the only way he could claim God’s divine power to forgive his brothers who offended him. He also knew that the power of God contained in the seed of our faith cannot be released except by faith.

 

That’s why he begins the first chapter of 2 Peter by talking about faith, as we mentioned in the first article on 2 Peter 1. Let's emphasize it again here. 2 Peter 1:1 says, "Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ." Every Israelite who entered the Promised Land received their own piece of land. Their pieces of land were different sizes, but they were each equally precious because they were part of God’s Promised Land. Similarly, although we each have different gifts and a different measure of faith, the nature of this faith is equally precious. This faith is the foundation of everything. It is the seed given to us by God, and it contains the "divine power" of God (2 Peter 1:3).

 

 

Glory and Virtue Are Supplied by the Divinity and Humanity of Christ

 

God’s "divine power" is contained in the seed of faith and released by the exercise of faith. How do we exercise our faith to release God’s power? We need to know God’s disposition and God’s promises. The "glory" of Jesus Christ is His divine nature expressed in all the powerful characteristics of his oneness with God. God has destined us to share in God’s glory, or divine nature, which was manifested during the Transfiguration. The "virtue" of Jesus Christ refers to his human qualities and virtues. God wants us to share in these virtues and abilities that God has prepared for us to help us overcome trials. For example, when we are unable to obey, we need to know that Jesus Christ, "although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered" (Hebrews 5:8). Since Jesus Christ lives in our hearts, His obedience can become our obedience. Because Jesus Christ is both God and man, we can partake of His divine life while also appropriating His human virtues to help us when we are weak. The Bible says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 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" (Hebrews 4:15-16).

 

With this understanding, let us look once more at 2 Peter 1:3: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." We are invited to enter his glory (divine nature) and virtue (human virtues). Through His glory and virtue, we have truly been given “all things that pertain unto life and godliness." Once we believe in the Lord, we are “a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). God’s power and virtue allow us to live like the new creation we are!

 

If Christians are a new creation in Christ, why can they be so addicted to sin that they cannot overcome it? Is he no longer a new creation? No, it is not that he’s no longer a new creation, but that he has not realized he is a new creation, and has not allowed the Holy Spirit to apply God's truth to his heart. He does not realize that Christ’s divine power and human virtues have given him all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:17 are still true in this person’s life; however, he does not know the truth of what Paul and Peter said. He does not understand these spiritual truths and is not united to these realities by faith. Instead, he lives in a state of deception. He mistakenly thinks that he still belongs to the old creation, unable to overcome these weaknesses. So he succumbs to the pressure of the flesh and Satan once again. He forgets what Paul said: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). James also said, "Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

 

How blessed we are to have access to Christ’s glory and virtue! Yet how foolishly we often live! We try to find comfort in pornography, hoping to relieve the inner pressure we feel from the difficulties of life and the pain of broken relationships. But we don’t realize that we are drinking poison to quench our thirst. It will not help at all. Instead, we should realize that God has provided everything we need through Christ. He has saved us through his blood. But we need to access this salvation through faith and persistence. Unfortunately, faith seems to be difficult and out of reach for many people, while sinful indulgence seems to be within easy reach. What a painful struggle!

 

Escaping the Corruption That Is in The World Through Sinful Desires

 

How can we escape from the pain and struggle mentioned above? We need to know the promises of God, through which we can partake of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4 says, "By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” This means that through his divine power and human virtues, Christ has given us countless promises—too many to mention. One such promise is that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). The word "salvation" here is SOZO in Greek, which includes eternal salvation from hell, healing of the body, and release from Satan’s bondage. It includes the salvation of the human spirit, soul, and body.

 

God has given us many other precious promises as well. God promises that a day is coming when our bodies will be redeemed (Romans 8:23). God promises, "Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth" (Revelation 3:10). God's says, "By his stripes you were healed" (1 Peter 2:24). God's promises are too many to list.

 

Paul said, "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Peter deeply understood the same truth. In 2 Peter, Peter shared God has called us through glory and virtue, he has granted us all things we needed through his divine power, and he has given us great promises through his glory and virtue. These promises are yes to us in Christ, and they are also amen to God. At any moment, God is willing to make good on His promises to us in Christ. He is always available to help us through the redemption accomplished by Christ. As long as we ask and act in faith, God is ready to help us escape all the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desires and make us partakers of the divine nature.

 

God has prepared everything that we need. All it takes on our part is faith as small as a grain of mustard seed. God values our faith, initiative, and choices—even if they are very small and weak. When we choose to believe God's promises and set our minds on the Spirit, God gives us life. But when we choose to set our minds on the flesh, we experience death. It's all about our hearts and the choices we make! We are beings of free will. God never forces us to trust him. If we choose to believe God's promises, we will receive God's salvation and constant growth and sanctification in our lives! It all depends on the choices we make!

 

Conclusion

 

From 2 Peter 1:3-4, we can see that Peter’s spiritual maturity and understanding were just as advanced as Paul's. In our next episode, we will look at 2 Peter 1:5, which will help believers make the right choice so they can exercise their faith and make it stronger and stronger. Peter teaches us step by step how to know God’s disposition and follow God’s guidance so we can incrementally escape from the corruption in the world and partake in God’s divine nature.

 

We will compare God’s glory to the throne of God in Revelation 22:1. To reach it, we must partake in God’s divine nature (walk on the streets of gold) and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit (which reminds us of the water of the river, the tree of life on both sides of the river, and it’s twelve kinds of fruits Revelation 22:2). Like the streets of gold, the divine nature defines our boundaries, and this is the only way to the New Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit guides us like the river of life, providing the water of life and the fruits of the tree of life (the virtues of Jesus Christ) to provide us with continuous supply and support. This enables us to swim upstream like a salmon and reach The Throne of God and of The Lamb on top of the New Jerusalem. The glory John saw in the Book of Revelation mirrors the glory that Peter saw when Jesus was transfigured. Our goal (God’s glory) is hidden within the seed of faith, and as we grow in our knowledge of God’s disposition and guidance, we can grow into full-grown trees and reach our goal. We can access the throne of God and of the Lamb. Remember, we are already seated with Him on the Throne in Christ (Revelation 3:21, Ephesians 2:6, John 12:26)! This is also God's promise!

 

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

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

The Difference Between God's Disposition and God's Guidance

 

In part one of our study of 2 Peter 1, I emphasized that the church needs the gifts of the apostles and prophets. The gifts of the apostles help believers understand God’s disposition and laws, while the gifts of prophets help believers understand God’s guidance. God's disposition and God's guidance are two different things, though they sometimes overlap. I hope this message will help us understand the difference between the two.

 

Before we dive into the difference between God’s disposition and God’s guidance, let’s look at an example that shows the importance of the apostles and prophets. A few years ago, I planted a specific variety of tomato that grows indefinitely as long as the weather is suitable. It will continue producing tomatoes as long as the climate is conducive. When I first started growing this type of tomato, I thought I could just turn it loose to grow. I didn’t know it needed pruning, so I let it grow wild. It grew a lot of branches and very little fruit. A lot of nutrients were wasted in growing leaves.

Later, I realized the importance of staking the tomato plants so they did not fall over, as well as pruning them in order to ventilate the bushes and protect them from disease.

This illustration shows the role of the apostles and prophets. We as Christians possess God’s divine nature within us (2 Peter 1:3). God’s power is infinite, and it gives us an infinite possibility for growth if we allow God to change us. God’s power can bring us into the fullness of infinite life.

Yet few Christians have entered the fullness of God’s infinite life. Just like the tomato has infinite potential but still needs pruning, Christians need the help of the apostles and prophets in order to grow. We need the support of the apostles to know God’s disposition and laws. And we need the help of the prophets to know God’s guidance.

Both the apostles and the prophets were commissioned by Jesus Christ, and they reflect the unity of the Trinity. Let’s look at Genesis 1:26 and Revelation 22:1 to help us understand these concepts. Then we will return to 2 Peter 1:3-4 and explore how God’s disposition and God’s guidance work together in the roles of the apostles and prophets, leading the church toward God’s glory. Peter's spiritual experience was deep and rich and his epistles deserve careful study.

 

 

What is the Difference Between God's Disposition and God's Guidance?

God’s biblical revelation is composed of two main types of revelation: revelation of God’s disposition and revelation of God’s guidance. God’s disposition refers to his unchanging nature. By nature, God is immutable and eternal (Malachi 3:6). He is always characterized by love, light, holiness, and righteousness.

God’s guidance refers to God’s changing guidance. God is also “new every morning” and expresses himself in new ways. God’s guidance can change depending on the situation, and the way he manifests himself can also change.

These two realities shed light on the entire Bible. Some parts of Scripture focus on revealing God’s unchanging laws and disposition, while others do not. It’s crucial to understand the difference. Some parts of the Bible reveal God’s unchanging disposition; for instance, God has always been holy and will always be holy. Other parts of the Bible reveal God’s situational guidance.

I believe that Paul’s injunction against women in leadership may have been one of these cases. When the Apostle Paul forbade women from preaching, I don’t believe he was revealing God’s unchanging prejudice against women. In other instances in the Bible, God gave special protection to women. In the Book of Numbers, God allowed the daughters of Zelophehad to inherit land alongside the men, even though women did not typically inherit land. God created a new law just for them that stipulated that land could be inherited by women if there were no male heirs. Because of this, I believe Paul’s prohibition against women preachers was God’s specific guidance to the Corinthian church. (To learn more, see the study of the Book of Numbers and the Book of Corinthians.)

However, many people do not understand the difference between God’s disposition and God’s guidance. They often treat God’s time-specific words of guidance as absolute for all times. This leads to many problems. Rigid Christians persecute and condemn their fellow believers who are simply following God’s new, time-specific guidance. How easy it is to label fellow Christians as heretics or even kill them—simply for following God’s new guidance. How often religious authorities have condemned others for their so-called violation of God’s unchanging disposition, rather than understanding God’s changing guidance!

How do we distinguish between God’s disposition and God’s guidance? If your actions compromise God’s glory, love, light, holiness, and righteousness, then this is a violation of God’s disposition. For example, whether you live in Tokyo or Washington DC, it is wrong to murder. Killing people violates the disposition of God. However, if your action simply offends the tradition of a local body of believers but doesn’t compromise God’s glory, then this is a matter of God’s guidance.

Often, believers must boldly choose to break through the limitations of tradition and religion in order to follow God’s guidance. Often, they will pay a heavy price for this. In so doing, they follow not only God’s guidance, but they also obey God’s disposition and laws.

The God we worship is the only true God. This statement expresses God’s unchanging disposition and principles. But the exact way we worship him varies from church to church, and this is an issue of God’s guidance. The Catholic Church has formal liturgy, the Protestant Church focuses on preaching, the Pentecostal Church emphasizes worship, and the Orthodox Church stands while worshiping. Some churches use pianos or organs, while others use guitars. Everyone has different forms. This is not a matter of principle, but a matter of how God leads each believer.

 

Genesis 1:26: Image and Likeness Respectively Refer to God's Disposition and God's Guidance

The difference in God's disposition and likeness is very clearly shown in Genesis 1:26, which says, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” What do the words “image” and “likeness” mean? Does this mean that humans look like God? Does God have two legs and two arms? Possibly. When God appears to prophets, they often see a form “like the Son of Man.” God also appeared in human form when he talked to Abraham. Though it’s possible the image of God refers to the physical form of God, I believe it’s more likely that mankind reflects the inner characteristics of God’s glory. Jesus Christ "is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature" (Hebrews 1:3). The image of God revealed in Jesus was not that he looked like the Father in human appearance, but that he manifested the glory of God and the disposition of God: love, light, holiness, and righteousness. This is the meaning of the image of God.

 

Jesus said that whoever had seen Him had seen the Father (John 14:9). Many people today are confused by this statement, just like Philip was. We want to see God’s visual and external appearance. But Jesus is more interested in manifesting God’s inner qualities of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. These are the qualities that Jesus displayed. He exuded the radiance of the glory of God the Father, the imprint of the divine nature. He was and is the manifestation of the Father.

 

This is not to say that the Father does not have an external form. I believe He does. Isaiah and other prophets have described the external appearance of the Heavenly Father, and I have longed to see it. But the Father’s outward appearance is not the key characteristic of the image of God. The key attributes of God are his internal characteristics of love, light, holiness, and righteousness.

 

Even though God is unchanging in his key attributes (“God’s image”), his outward appearance can change (“God’s likeness”). His manifestation in the material world can vary. For example, God appeared to Abraham in the form of a man, and he also compared himself to a great eagle (Ezekiel 17:7). When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, they often didn't recognize him, indicating he looked different than usual. In the same way, when Jesus appears to me in visions, he does so in a variety of ways. I have heard that Jesus appears to the Japanese in one way, and to the American Indians in another way.

Why does Jesus change his appearance? I believe Jesus manifests himself in different ways because he is trying to communicate a different message to each person. For instance, when he lifted my spirit to Japan and showed me His nail marks, his purpose was to tell me about His love for the Japanese people. When he lifted my spirit to China and placed his hands on me, he wanted to give me a new mission to preach the gospel in China. He also appeared to me in a blinding light, which showed me that his great light would lead the idolatrous Chinese people out of Egypt. Another time, Jesus sat across the table like a friend. This was the most intimate meeting I had with the Lord. His only goal was to comfort and encourage me, as well as show me around heaven. Another time, Jesus showed me two rivers, indicating that several aspects were about to converge. He appeared in different ways in order to address unique situations and needs that required unique help and guidance from God.

God’s “image” (internal character qualities) does not change, but his “likeness” does (Genesis 1:26). In the same way, His guidance is different for every person and every situation, because our needs are different every time.

In order to better understand the difference between God’s image (God’s disposition) and God’s likeness (God’s guidance), let’s look at Revelation 22:1.

 

Revelation 22:1: The Street of Gold and The Water of The River of Life Speak of God's Disposition and God's Guidance Respectively

 

Revelation 22:1 says, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:21 has revealed that “the streets of the city are pure gold.” This street of gold represents the unchanging disposition of God. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God" (2 Corinthians 13:4) are eternal, but guidance and “fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:14) can and does change.

 

To show humankind God’s nature and disposition, Moses gave the Old Testament Law. This law taught the Israelites not to violate God’s disposition; that is, they were not allowed to murder, lie, commit adultery, covet, or dishonor their parents. These sins, including murder, dishonesty, adultery, greed, and disrespect to parents, are not in line with God’s disposition and violate God’s laws.

 

But God’s guidance is different. In the Old Testament, the Israelites were required to keep the Sabbath, but in the New Testament, it was not required. In the same way, Moses allowed the Israelite men to divorce their wives because of their hard hearts. But in the New Testament, Jesus forbade divorce because it was never God’s original design (Matthew 19:7-12). God’s unchanging disposition detested divorce because His original intention was “what God has joined let not man separate.” However, because of human weakness and real-life difficulties (adultery, domestic violence), God allowed divorce under certain circumstances. The latter is a matter of divine guidance.

 

The laws of the Old Testament reflect God’s bottom line. Crossing this line is not pleasing to God, and it is not good for humans, either. The law alerts us of our sin, just like the rumble strip alerts us that we have crossed the yellow line on an American highway. If you cross this boundary, you will be in danger. But there are certain situations in which it is reasonable to drive over the yellow line or even drive on the rumble strip—for example, if the lanes have been altered in a construction zone.

In addition, traffic laws tell cars to stop at a red light and go forward on a green light. But if another car runs a red light, you should not mechanically obey the green light and go forward. Otherwise, you will have a traffic accident. In the same way, the law is a boundary or a "guardian" that keeps us in line (Galatians 3:25). However, after the "faith" in Christ arrived (Galatians 3:25), we were united with Christ and “justified by faith" (Galatians 3:24). Israelites who refused to accept Christ because they were focused on obeying the law are like cars who drive through a green light, even though they will get hit. They are like sheep who refuse to leave the sheepfold and follow Christ into green pastures (John 10).

The purpose of the law was to keep Israelites from crossing God’s boundaries until Christ could arrive on the scene. When God’s time came, Jesus was born from the descendants of Israel as a descendant of Abraham who would bring blessings to the Gentiles, that they might receive the promised Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:14). At this point, the law of the Old Testament was fulfilled as the indwelling “law of the Spirit of life,” which set people free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). The Lord Jesus also said many times that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-18). This is what it means.

 

Let's return to Revelation 22:1. The verse states that the water of life was running down the middle of the road. Have you ever seen something like this on Earth? No. How can a river flow in the middle of a street? I believe this verse is a beautiful picture that speaks of God’s unchanging nature and changing guidance. The streets of gold remind us of the unchanging disposition, nature, principles, and boundaries of God. The water speaks of the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which will always stay within the boundaries of God’s essence. When an individual claims that the Holy Spirit led them to divorce their wife and marry another woman, this is often wrong. The Holy Spirit will not lead you to do things that are not in line with God's unchanging character.

Just like our blood stays within the boundaries of the blood vessels. If you are bleeding, you need help. When we leave the boundaries of God’s character and law, we need help. The Holy Spirit may temporarily tolerate our weaknesses, but he will eventually guide us back to repentance.

 

The New Jerusalem descended on a mountain, and the throne of God and the Lamb was at the top of this mountain. If the New Jerusalem covers the entire surface of the mountain, the streets of this city may spiral around the mountain. Thus, the river may also spiral around the mountain. This represents the spiraling, ever-changing guidance of the Holy Spirit. God's guidance and his likeness are ever-changing and always new. God's eternal nature, grace, love, and disposition are eternal, stable, and unchanging, like the golden streets of the New Jerusalem. But the flow of the Holy Spirit is ever-changing, like the water on those streets.

We worship the unchanging uniqueness of God, but we express our worship in unique, diverse ways. Many people don’t understand this distinction. They rigidly assume that one particular way of worship is God’s only way. They perceive God’s guidance for a specific situation to be the only right way. Thus, any deviation from this rule is seen as heretical. They refuse to recognize God’s new work. They stick to the law, not knowing that God can change. This rigidity leads to the prevalence of legalism.

 

On the other hand, some people do not know about God’s unchanging disposition and the unchanging principles revealed by God’s words, so they are tossed about by the wind and confused by the waves of heresy (Ephesians 4:14).

 

There are many examples of this in the church today. For example, is it against God's character for women to be pastors? If God’s principles were opposed to women in leadership, Deborah and Esther would not be prominently featured in the Old Testament, nor would God have distributed the land to Zelophehad’s daughters. I believe it’s a matter of God’s guidance. God can guide us differently in different situations. The leadership at Saddleback Church believes that women can be pastors because they believe a woman's role in the body of Christ should be respected and encouraged. The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) opposes women in leadership because they want to resist the continued invasion of liberalism into the church. Each of them believes they are right; perhaps they have been led differently by God. As a result, they parted ways. Perhaps this was the best and easiest way to deal with this situation. It is not necessarily true that one party is absolutely right, and the other is absolutely wrong. God is bigger than the entire controversy, and he guides each church differently. Everyone must stick to God's guidance for their church and bear their own unique testimony for God. If the people of the Southern Baptist Church think that denominations with female pastors are generally more inclined to liberalism and homosexuality, then they should not have female pastors. Yet those who like female pastors should be free to elect female pastors.

 

In general, I don't think God disapproves of churches having female pastors. Many Pentecostal Churches have female pastors, and the sky has not fallen. This is a question of God’s leading, not his character. While China was being evangelized, the earliest revivals began in rural churches. Many women and elderly people were saved, but few believers were men. As a result, many women became missionaries, preaching the gospel in villages and alleyways. They brought revival to China. If they had believed God’s unchanging principles prohibited women from being pastors and leaders, as the SBC does, then China's revival would have been greatly compromised. Because many Chinese men had gone to the cities to work, and the government did not surveil and control rural women and the elderly with the same level of diligence, the Holy Spirit used rural women to begin a great revival.

 

On one occasion, I attended a female-led gathering in my hometown in rural China. When the leading sister knelt down to pray the Lord’s Prayer, I was moved to tears. I was so moved by her innocence. These ladies rode bicycles through villages and alleyways to preach the gospel. Because there were not many men in the church, they naturally became the leaders of the church. I was touched by their absolute commitment to God.

 

I think we should gather 1,000 Chinese rural sisters who are church leaders and have them share their testimonies with the brothers in charge of the Southern Baptist Church in the United States. After they have heard 1,000 such stories, perhaps their hard hearts will finally open and they will no longer object to women being pastors.

Anything that compromises God’s glory is against God’s disposition and principles. But a woman becoming a pastor does not necessarily compromise God's glory. If a woman becomes a pastor as an act of rebellion, this is against God's disposition. Of course, we know that the SBC and the entire US conservative movement were raised by God when Western liberal theology was in vogue. Perhaps God guided them to forbid women from being pastors because of the current situation of the United States. Because American society was opposing God and liberalism and homosexuality were prevalent, they realized that churches that promoted female pastors also allowed homosexuals to serve as priests. Perhaps God guided the SBC to take that stance based on a unique cultural situation, but they should not assume this principle prohibits all women everywhere from serving as pastors. I’m guessing that this would not be pleasing to God.

 

2 Peter 1:3-4: God's Disposition and God's Guidance Work Together to Lead Us into Glory

 

As I said before, the river of the water of life remains within the boundaries of the streets of gold, just blood remains within the boundaries of the veins and arteries. A tree grows inside the boundaries of the bark, and it also grows incrementally from a sprout to a tree with roots, branches, a trunk, leaves, and fruit. In the same way, God’s nature (His glory), sets a growth goal for us, and God’s guidance (the Holy Spirit), will help us every step of the way (2 Peter 1:3-4). Only then can we reach the end goal: God's glory. It is a process.

 

The Old and New Testament writings help us better understand God’s principles by revealing God’s disposition. At the same time, the guidance of the Holy Spirit helps us apply God’s principles to every situation so that we can constantly realize the purpose of God's glory and escape from the temptation of sin. God wants to set us free from “the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire" (2 Peter 1:4), and he wants us to “become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). God’s disposition sets glorious goals for us through the “precious and very great promises have been given to us” (2 Peter 1:4). Then God guidance walks with us, helping us bear our weaknesses, so we can receive the full fulfillment of God's promises to us. The prophetic office also walks with people, revealing God’s guidance for their individual circumstances.

 

Second Peter 1:3-4 paints the same picture as Revelation 22:1. We are perpetually climbing higher and higher on Mount Zion, toward the throne of God and the Lamb. We climb higher on the spiraling road of gold that leads upward to the throne of God. Down the road runs the river of life of the Holy Spirit. Peter shared his experience of Jesus’ transfiguration, because he saw how radiant the glorified Christ was, and he also understood that the way to God’s glory was the way of the cross. He shared his spiritual experiences so that believers could gradually mature and become like him. In the next lesson, we will continue to examine how 2 Peter 1:3-4 describes Peter’s thoughts about Jesus’ transfiguration.

 

Bible Study with Jairus—2 Peter 1-1 The Epistles of Peter Are His Reflection on the Lord’s Transfiguration

Bible Study with Jairus—2 Peter 1-1

The Epistles of Peter Are His Reflection on the Lord’s Transfiguration

 

Peter was the first apostle chosen by the Lord, and he was also one of Jesus’ inner circle of followers. Peter, James, and John were the only ones who were allowed to see Jesus’ transfiguration and to be near him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Peter’s spiritual journey was full of dramatic change as Jesus taught him and dealt with his weaknesses. Peter wrote two epistles that record these spiritual experiences, but many believers do not seem to have a firm grasp on Peter’s life. Believers study Paul’s writings and experiences, yet seem to neglect Peter’s. As I have studied Peter’s epistles with fellow brothers and sisters, I received some inspiration which I hope to share here. These inspirations are not original to me, but they are important for a deeper understanding of the Bible.

 

George Campbell Morgan, known as the "Prince of Expositors,” commented that the epistles of Peter are an extended reflection on his experience of the Transfiguration.[1] Do you agree with this statement? I thought the same thing while reading the Scripture, even before reading Morgan’s statement. I couldn’t agree with him more. I hope to be able to explain in detail why both of Peter's letters are his reflections on Jesus' transfiguration.

 

Peter had many deep spiritual experiences which he wrote about in his epistles. But many people ignore or fail to understand Peter's spiritual experiences as expressed in his two epistles. I hope that by explaining his epistles, I can help more readers understand God’s work in Peter’s life. I hope that our study of Peter’s experiences will help us grow in faith and capacity like Peter did, so we can grow into Christ, who is the Head.

 

The Significance of the Transfiguration

 

What is the significance of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus? The divine glory of Jesus Christ had been restricted by His physical body, but He temporarily transcended the limitations of the flesh and fully expressed His eternal glory. Let’s use an example to illustrate this idea. An acorn contains the future glory of a towering oak tree. But all that glory is hidden while it is a seed. In the same way, Jesus’ glory was hidden within his earthly body. In addition, we as Christians have the seed of God's life in our hearts, and we have the potential to grow into a glorious tree. Colossians 3 says, "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:3-4). Peter, John, and James were given a taste of Christ’s glory at the transfiguration. But when Christ returns, we will see the full manifestation of His glory. Today, our lives are hidden with Christ in God. But one day, we will appear with Him in glory. At that time, His full glory—and ours—will be revealed. This is the full expression of the kingdom. Jesus’ Transfiguration on the mountain is a shadow of the coming kingdom, as we Christians are also a shadow of the future kingdom. The purpose of our lives is to allow the life of Christ to continue to expand and grow within us, like an acorn growing into a towering tree, so we can bring the full expression of Christ’s kingdom to the earth. This is God’s ultimate will, as well as Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:23, “which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

 

The words "seed,” "growth,” and "full-grown tree" sum up the three stages of expressing the reality of God’s kingdom here on earth. "Seed" is the starting point, "growth" is the process, and "big tree" is the final goal. Going through these three stages takes time. But in the Transfiguration, Jesus transcended time and allowed Peter, James, and John to skip the "growth" stage and preview the glory of the "full-grown tree.” When he saw it, Peter was completely overwhelmed, even dazzled. When he went down the mountain with James and John, he was met with the harsh reality that he would still need to go through the growing process. He faced the fact that he and the other disciples were not even able to cast out the demon at the foot of the mountain. After Jesus cast out the demon, he rebuked the disciples for their lack of faith. Jesus was able to cast them out, however, because he already experienced the reality of the kingdom of God. Jesus said, "But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you" (Matthew 12:28). In the kingdom of God, there is no place for evil spirits and demons, so wherever the kingdom of God is, demons are not allowed to exist. But the disciples were not filled with the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of God. In other words, they could not drive out this demon because they still allowed space for enemies and evil spirits.

 

After seeing the glory of the kingdom, and then experiencing the harsh reality that he could not cast out the demon, Peter must have thought about the process of growing from a "seed" to a "full-grown tree.” Peter’s epistles describe his newfound understanding that believers must go through a growth process so that the “seed” of the life of the kingdom of Christ can grow into a towering "tree.” Peter's Epistles are a handbook for the disciples he shepherds so they can better understand and experience this growth process. Then the reality of the kingdom will be manifested in them and in the world.

 

2 Peter 1 Starts with a Seed

 

The kingdom of God and our faith in God’s kingdom are often referred to in the Bible as a "seed.” The Lord Jesus used this metaphor many times. For example, Jesus says, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how" (Mark 4:26-27). The coming of the kingdom of God begins with the word of God or the seed of the Gospel. When people hear the Word, their hearts are like different types of soil. If the seed falls on good soil, it will yield 30, 60, or even 100 times as much grain as was sown. But if it lands on bad soil that is thorny or compacted, the seed cannot grow well or will be eaten by birds (Matthew 13:3-8). The Lord Jesus also compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed (Mark 4:30-31). In other words, Peter is very familiar with the idea that God’s word is like a seed, and he also knows that the Lord Jesus often used seed as a metaphor for the kingdom of God.

 

In this passage, Peter also uses seed as a metaphor for the word of God. He states, "You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God" (1 Peter 1:23). We'll come back to 1 Peter later since we're dealing with 2 Peter here. 2 Peter also begins with seed. But the seed he mentions here does not refer to the "word of God" but to "faith" (2 Peter 1:1).

 

Let's see what Peter says in the first sentence of 2 Peter: "Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Note that I bolded the words "faith of equal standing.” Those of us who are familiar with the stories of the Old Testament know that after the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they each obtained a piece of land to cultivate. Here Peter is using a metaphor to say that the inheritance of faith that God has given us is like the beautiful land of Canaan. Just like the Israelites obtained a piece of land after entering the Promised Land, we can obtain a portion of faith to cultivate. In other words, our faith is our seed, and it will grow gradually into something just as beautiful as the Promised Land. Paul said something similar. He mentioned the “riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:18). Just as the land of Canaan was God's inheritance to the Old Testament Israelites, we as New Testament believers, receive a spiritual inheritance through faith in Christ. We are born again through the Word of God, which is compared to a seed. Jesus Christ, through whom we were born again, is also called an indestructible seed. And our inheritance is the seed.

This seed of faith, by which we are reconciled to God, is only the first step. The next step is to continue to grow in our spiritual lives so that the kingdom of God is fully manifested in us. "More than that … we have now received reconciliation" (Romans 5:10-11). These are the words of Paul, and Peter teaches the same thing. Like Paul, Peter deeply understood that our regeneration by the Word of God, the incorruptible seed of God, was only the first step. When he glimpsed the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the mountain, he saw his ultimate goal. But when he descended the mountain and was unable to cast out the evil spirit, he realized he would need to take many incremental steps to reach that goal. He did not yet possess the glory of Jesus Christ, nor could he cast out demons—yet the glory of Jesus Christ was his promised hope. To get there, he would need to be conformed to the death and resurrection of Christ and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Only then would he reach the mountaintop and become the powerful leader of the book of Acts, who could heal the lame, raise the dead, and lead three thousand to salvation. Before he could become mature, Peter had to experience countless spiritual lessons, including:

• Denying the Lord three times
• Being restored by Jesus as he asked him three times, “Do you love me?” (John 21)
• Experiencing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, recorded in the beginning of Acts.

Jesus Christ is the only perfect person in the Bible, but there are many people who have undergone great transformations, including Jacob in the Old Testament and Peter in the New Testament. Peter’s transformation is not only recorded in the Gospels but also reflected in 1 and 2 Peter. We hope that in the future we will have the opportunity to revisit all of Peter's experiences in the Gospels to see how he was transformed. However, today we are only focusing on Peter's reflections on his life in 2 Peter.

The Power of God Reserved in the Seed

As a vegetable gardener, I understand the importance of high-quality seeds. I usually buy organic seeds and then choose the plumpest seeds to plant. Because I chose good seeds, I am confident they will germinate. Why? Because in the mystery of life, God has placed the power of reproduction in the seed. If I plant the right seed, it will produce new life. Peter understands this concept well. After he speaks of the "seed of faith" in the first chapter of 2 Peter, he continues, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). Note that I have bolded "grace and peace" and "multiply" in this sentence. Just like the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5, “grace and peace” are the fruits that grow from the seed of faith. The word "multiply" shows that Peter is confident God’s seeds will multiply and germinate.

Peter then begins to speak about the power of God contained in the seed. We need to take a good look at 2 Peter 1:3-4. These two verses contain so much truth about the profound mysteries of the kingdom of God. Let's preview these two verses and then break them down in detail.

2 Peter 1: 3 says, "His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” This verse refers to the power of God hidden in the seed God gives us. As we’ve mentioned, an acorn contains the genetic material to create an entire oak tree. Just like the seed contains the power of life, God has given us "divine power" contained in the seed of His Word. God's "glory" is the full-grown tree, and His "excellence" is the "seed.” Glory is the glory of the kingdom of God, which is the full-grown tree—our hope for the future. Excellence is the genetic material or embryo which manifests the excellence of God contained in Jesus Christ. The excellence of God expressed in Jesus Christ provides us with spiritual life and power in every way. This seed contains power and potential for growth. Glory and Excellence both call us to go through the process of growth.

When Peter refers to "all things that pertain to life and godliness,” he echoes Paul’s words in Ephesians 1: "… the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places " (Ephesians 1:3). This spiritual blessing has two aspects. On the one hand, these blessings have already been accomplished in the spiritual realm. On the other hand, we need to go through the process of growth to access it. All the genetic material for the oak tree is already present in the acorn. But it takes many years for the acorn to grow into a towering oak tree. In the same way, we have already been given everything that pertains to life and godliness. We have been given all spiritual gifts the moment we were saved. They are present in our spirit like the embryo within the seed. What a mysterious truth! The seed takes so much time to develop and mature. This is a continually unfolding mystery. Colossians 3:3-4 says that when Jesus Christ appears in glory, we will also appear with Him in glory.

2 Peter 1:4 says, "By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” These "precious and very great promises" point to the “full-grown tree.” Our goal is to grow into a full-grown tree. This reality is not only a "precious and very great promise”; it is also a present reality. Right now, we can "become partakers of the divine nature.” The destiny of the church is to become a type of Jesus Christ, full of the divine nature. This "precious and very great promise" may also include the final manifestation of glory in heaven, as well as the different stages in between.

Verse 4 has profound meaning. It mentions two gifts given to apostles and prophets, which work together to lay the foundation of the church. Why do I say that? I will explain this concept in more detail in this article and upcoming articles.

What is the ministry of an apostle? To teach the church about God’s character. The word “glory” refers to the ministry of the apostles, because apostles help believers to learn about God’s character and partake in the glory of God.

What is the ministry of the prophets? To provide timely guidance to people so that they can understand God’s goals for their lives and walk on the right path. The word “excellence” refers to the prophets’ ministry. Spiritual excellence is like a signpost, providing onlookers with ability and direction. Because Jesus Christ is the firstborn Son, we are also sons of God, and we must be conformed to the image of the Firstborn Son. The ministry of prophets is also implied in the words "precious and very great promises." God’s guidance to us through the prophets is often manifested as promises. Of course, “excellence” also implies the ministry of apostles because many Biblical promises were written by the hands of the apostles. The teachings of the apostles help us understand the character and laws of God, while the promises of the prophets give us direction.

When we follow the teachings of the apostles and prophets, we will gradually understand God’s character and guidance. As a result, we will be gradually set free from the corruption of the lustful world. By continuously partaking in these promises, we will become partakers of the divine nature. In other words, as we partake in the divine nature, we grow closer and closer to our goal of reaching the full height of Christ’s stature (Ephesians 4:13), just like an oak seedling growing closer and closer to its goal of being a great oak tree. The life of the oak tree is contained in the acorn, and the life of God is contained in believers.

How can Christians grow spiritually? Through the apostles’ ministry, Christ’s followers can recognize their identity in Christ so His nature can grow freely in their spirits.

How can Christians follow God's guidance without going in the wrong direction? Through the prophets’ ministry, believers can learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Prophets continuously encourage believers with God’s promises so they do not grow weary. Although God’s word through the apostles reveals many principles that help us understand God’s character, we all know that we often get discouraged and weak. That’s why we need the prophets to encourage us when we grow weary and feel down. Prophets help believers reach the finish line and enter into the fullness of God’s life.

All these ideas are implied in Peter's epistles, although Peter does not explicitly say that we are "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone," like Paul does (Ephesians 2:20). This does not mean Peter does not have the same spiritual insight as Paul. Perhaps Peter just could not express these concepts as clearly as Paul, who was more well-learned.

Unfortunately, many people underestimate Peter’s spiritual insight. Peter says that in Paul’s letters, “there are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16). However, Peter does not say he does not understand Paul's words. There is no proof that Peter’s spiritual experience was lower caliber than Paul’s.

Peter knows very well that the church is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, so the apostles’ ministry is very needed to help the saints learn about God’s character and partake in the glory of God. The apostles help us learn about God’s character, as shown in Christ’s virtues. The virtues of God in Christ are our signposts. When we first believe in Christ, one person may be particularly attracted to a certain virtue of Jesus Christ, such as his love. Another may be attracted to Jesus’ patience. The first is attracted to Jesus’ love because he lacks love; the second lacks patience. A third person may be attracted first by one virtue, and later by another. These virtues attract us, transform us, strengthen us, and eventually conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. God’s guidance for everyone is different, and the different virtues of Jesus Christ are the signposts that guide us on the path to the image of Christ.

Conclusion

Peter is well aware of the need for believers to "grow” from an "acorn" into an "oak tree.” During this growth process, believers will encounter many challenges. The seed of faith may be snatched away by birds, trampled on the road, or choked by weeds. Only those seeds that fall in well-watered, good soil will grow into towering trees that touch the sky. This growth journey is described in The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Christians encounter many trials and tribulations as they journey toward heaven.

As we journey, we need the help of the apostles and prophets. The apostles help believers understand God's laws, like Moses did (Psalm 103:7). To know God's law is to know His character. As Paul says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Peter writes about the same truth: "And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:19-21). The Bible contains laws that reveal God’s character, promises, and guidance. The character, promises, and guidance of God overlap in some way, yet are distinctive. The ministries of the apostles and prophets also overlap. Many believers are gifted as both apostles and prophets, such as Moses and Paul. Moses certainly acted as both an apostle and a prophet. Although the Bible doesn't mention Paul as a prophet, he certainly prophesied. The reason we make the distinction between apostles and prophets is to help us understand the different ministries related to these two gifts. Before we move on to Peter's spiritual experience as revealed in 2 Peter, we'll take a moment to talk about the character and guidance of God and the corresponding ministries of apostles and prophets.

 

 

[1] See https://www.jgospel.net/c/2/26845/283/3986/%E6%91%A9%E6%A0%B9%E8%A7%A3%E7%BB%8F%E4%B8%9B%E4%B9%A6-%E9%A9%AC%E5%A4%AA%E7%A6%8F%E9%9F%B3-(%E7%99%BB%E5%B1%B1%E5%8F%98%E5%83%8F).aspx “This passage records the story of the Transfiguration of our Lord. We should pay special attention to the place of transfiguration in the ministry of our Lord as King. The most important question for us now is, what significance did the king's transfiguration have to the three disciples who were allowed to witness it? It is natural to then ask, what significance did this have for the other disciples who heard this? It would not be too much to say that the glory of the Mount of Transfiguration is all collected in the two epistles written by Peter. As he wrote, he heard the voice and saw the glory on the ‘holy mountain.’ Although he did not understand the significance of this at the time, in the years that followed, he gradually understood its value. When he looked back from the mysterious cross and resurrection to the Mount of Transfiguration, he called it ‘the Holy Mountain.’ The two levels of impressions he received on the mountain constitute the content of 1 Peter. He describes these two impressions as the coming and power of Jesus Christ, or more accurately, the presence and power of Jesus Christ.” (Original texts are in Chinese and the translation is mine.)

Bible Study With Jairus - Genesis 49 (Part 1) - Jacob’s Prophecies about His Twelve Sons

Bible Study with Jairus – Genesis 49 (part 1)

Jacob’s Prophecies about His Twelve Sons

 

At first glance, Jacob's prophecies about his twelve sons seem very mysterious (Genesis 49). They bring up many unanswered questions.

 

First, how does Jacob know the future of his twelve sons? Jacob’s grandfather Abraham was described as a prophet, but the Bible never calls Jacob a prophet. Yet both Isaac and Jacob can predict the future and give prophetic blessings to their sons. Their ability to prophesy is based on their intimate fellowship with God, just like Abraham’s was. Although Jacob does not have the title of prophet, his actions prove he is one.

 

Second, how should we understand Jacob’s prophecies about his twelve sons? The Holy Spirit has given me a series of inspirations that help me understand Jacob’s prophecies. I believe that God works persistently, like ocean waves, to accomplish his will. Like ocean waves that continually hit the rocky shoreline, over and over, until they erode the rock or knock them into the sea, God continues to work in repetitive waves. When humans resist him, like solid stone, God continues to work until his will is accomplished.

 

God’s purpose was to continue the lineage of Christ through Jacob's twelve sons. When Jacob’s firstborn Reuben failed, God began to work through Simeon and Levi. When Simeon and Levi failed, God worked through Judah. And even though Judah also failed, the lineage of Christ continued through the cunning plans of Judah’s daughter-in-law. Satan's work was to destroy people one by one, first Reuben, then Simeon, then Levi and Judah. Satan’s plan was to stop God from producing the genealogy of Christ by destroying God’s people. But God's work never stopped. When one person failed or resisted God, God turned to the next person. Like the ocean waves, God continued to work on people, and Christ’s genealogy continued through Judah and Tamar. Tamar was the only one who was willing to be used by God to produce the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

 

In the same way, in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit continues to work in waves, turning sinners into sons of God, preparing us for the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem. Although Jacob's prophecies about the twelve sons speak about their future, their outcome reflects the different stages of the Holy Spirit's work in the church, culminating in the New Jerusalem.

 

The Progress of God’s Revelation

 

God’s revelation in the Bible is progressive. He continues to reveal more and more of his plan, and one revelation builds on another. In the beginning, God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would be as many as the stars in heaven and the sand on the seashore, his descendants would possess the gates of the enemy, and all the nations of the earth would be blessed by the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 22:17–18). We do not know whether God told him the identity of this descendent who would bless all the nations of the earth. However, we know that Paul later received a revelation that names this descendent: "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16). Paul also says, "So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spiritthrough faith" (Galatians 3:14). In other words, Jesus Christ blesses not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. Through Him, we all can receive the Holy Spirit and be born again as children of God. Such revelation is progressive.

 

I believe that Abraham received considerable revelation and knew God's will. In Hebrews, it says, "By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God" (11:9-10). Jacob received the same promise from Abraham. In a dream, the Lord said to Jacob, “‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed’" (Genesis 28:13–14).

 

From reading the words of Paul, we know that the descendant who would bless the nations would be Christ. But the Bible does not say from which tribe Christ would be born. Even when the Gentile prophet Balaam prophesied, "A star shall come out of Jacob" (Numbers 24:17), he did not mention from which tribe Christ would come. It is not until the Book of Micah later in the Old Testament that God revealed, "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days" (Micah 5:2). This verse specifies the tribe and location where Christ would be born. This prophecy later helped the astrologers follow Christ’s star to Jerusalem at His birth. Jacob's prophecy about Judah in Genesis 49 may point to Jesus Christ. The verse reads, “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be”" (KJV, 49:10). "Shiloh" means "the one who brings peace" and this term is often interpreted as pointing to Christ. But when Jacob gave this prophecy, he may not have understood what it was referring to. Perhaps Jacob understood this vision, but his sons, especially the firstborn Reuben, did not.

 

My personal belief is that God did not have a precise plan for which tribe Jesus would come from. Although God promised Abraham and Jacob that Christ would come from their descendants, God may not have ordained the exact tribe Jesus would come from. Reuben was the firstborn son, and I believe God gave him the opportunity to carry on Christ’s lineage. But he failed, and he lost his birthright and the blessing of being the Messiah’s ancestor. In destroying Reuben, Satan must have thought that the line of the Messiah would be destroyed as well.

 

However, God's work cannot be stopped. Reuben failed, and both Simeon and Levi failed by falling into Satan’s temptation. Finally, Judah failed as well. But Tamar fulfilled God’s will. Satan's destructions came in waves, but God's work also came in waves, and God’s will was ultimately accomplished. If we, as individuals, are willing to actively cooperate with God's work, we will become like Tamar, Christ’s life will be manifested in our lives. But if we obey our enemy instead of  God, we will be like Reuben. He not only lost God's blessings, but also hindered God's work.

 

Let me repeat this again. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi all had the opportunity to be used by God to produce the genealogy of Jesus Christ. But their failure made them lose this blessing. Judah also sinned and fell into lust, and he would have lost this blessing too if it were not for Tamar. Her perseverance and faith changed everything.

 

The Failure of Reuben

 

What is the reason for Reuben’s failure? First, he did not receive God’s revelation. He did not see the vision that Jacob saw. Just as a child growing up in a pastor's family does not automatically receive the same calling as his parents or experience the same spiritual experience as they do, Reuben did not hear the voice of God as Jacob did. Jacob had learned to know God and understand his will through many hardships and many revelations along the way. He had learned not to take his birthright lightly like his brother Esau did. But Reuben was different. He did not long for God like Jacob did. If we long for God, He will reveal His will to us. Jesus says, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." (John 14:21). God did not show himself to Reuben because Reuben did not love God nor long for Him.

 

God did care about Reuben; he never said he hated him like he hated Esau (Malachi 1:2–3). Jacob blessed Reuben with words of respect: "Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power" (Genesis 49:3). He obviously expected that Reuben would be honored. Yet he also said of Reuben, "Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence, because you went up to your father's bed; then you defiled it—he went up to my couch" (49:4). The lust of the flesh caused Reuben to sin and lose the blessings of God and his father. But the root of the problem was that Reuben had no desire for God.

 

The Deeper Reason for Reuben’s Failure

 

In Genesis 35, we learn that Reuben slept with his father's concubine, Bilhah, when Jacob was grieving the death of his favorite wife, Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel dearly, and Jacob must have been deeply sad at this time. In the midst of such emotion, Reuben slept with Rachel's handmaid Bilhah and threw Jacob into even deeper depression. Why would Reuben do such a terrible thing? In addition to being “unstable as water”, there may have been a more profound reason: Reuben’s animosity toward Rachel and even toward his father. As the eldest son, Reuben must have noticed the way his father treated his mother Leah, as well as the rivalry between Leah and Rachel. When Rachel was unable to bear children, she gave Jacob her handmaid as a concubine. The handmaid gave birth to Dan, whose name means "to do justice," and Rachel said, "God has judged me, and has also heard my voice and given me a son." (30:6). When Bilhah gave birth to a second son, Naphtali, Rachel said, “‘With mighty wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister and have prevailed.’ So she called his name Naphtali" (30:8). "Naphtali" means "my wrestling."

 

Later, the Bible records a story that further illuminates Reuben’s attitude toward Rachel. Reuben went out to the field to look for mandrakes, a fertility drug. Rachel wanted some, but Leah refused to give her any. Finally, Rachel agreed to let Jacob sleep with Leah in exchange for some mandrakes. Perhaps Jacob had not slept with Leah for a long time. Leah was neglected, and her sons may have been, as well. This may have negatively impacted Reuben. I personally speculate that Reuben’s lust and hatred were used by Satan to deceive him, in order to prevent the continuation of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

 

Reuben’s failure should teach us a profound lesson. We must never harbor hatred toward anyone. We must forgive people as Christ commanded so that we will not be used by Satan to hinder God's work. If we do, we will miss out on God's blessing to us. Reuben was a spiritually blind man. He saw no visions, he did not love God, and he did not receive spiritual manifestations. As a result, he did not become the ancestor of Christ.

 

Reuben did not sleep with his own mother's handmaid, Zilpah, but with Rachel's handmaid, Bilhah. Zilpah may have seemed like family to Reuben because she was Leah's handmaid. Bilhah may also have been neglected by Jacob, because he loved only Rachel. The emotions caused by this neglect and jealousy may have been used by Satan to lure them into sin, so they would miss out on the blessing of the birthright. They were disqualified from carrying on the genealogy of Christ. What an ignorant person Reuben was! What a blessing he missed out on!

 

All Sinners Are Like Reuben

 

Jacob's prophecies about the twelve sons represent not only the twelve waves of God's work in the Old Testament but also the twelve waves of God's work in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, God’s work was to choose Israel from among the nations, make them a kingdom of priests as a witness to all nations; and create the lineage of Jesus Christ, who would be a blessing to all nations.

 

We are all sinners like Reuben until we are saved. One preacher has said that if you could go back in time and identify every ancestor in your genealogy, it probably wouldn't take many generations to find someone who committed adultery. God has revealed to me through a series of dreams that I am a descendant of Jews who came to China in ancient times. In one of these dreams, God said to me through my deceased grandmother that among her ancestors, there was a Jewish woman who committed adultery with a Chinese man and gave birth to one of our ancestors. I was born of sexual immorality, and we are all born of sexual immorality, as David says in the Psalms, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). Some hypothesize that David's mother may have been a concubine of his father Jesse, or that his mother was a prostitute. They speculate this because David, as the youngest brother, was not favored by his older brothers. If they had been born of the same father and mother, the older brothers likely would have adored their youngest brother. We don't know for sure. But we do know that David's great-grandmother Rahab was indeed a prostitute who became the ancestor of Jesus Christ by choosing to follow God. Tamar also did unethical things and deceived her father-in-law Judah. But when Judah found out about it, he said that Tamar was more righteous than he was because he had refused to follow God’s command to give his youngest son to Tamar as a husband so that she might have descendants (Genesis 38:26). In short, we are all sinners, but our greatest sin is forsaking God. Tamar longed to be in the lineage of the Messiah, so her firstborn son was blessed by God to become the ancestor of Christ.

 

It is no accident that Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah all failed. This was the result of Satan’s attacks as he battled with God over mankind’s future. Satan wanted to prevent the birth of Jesus Christ, but God wanted to bring Jesus Christ into the world through Jacob's descendants to be a blessing to all nations. The ultimate cause of sin and failure is not only lust and hatred, but ignorance of God's will. If we see this, we will begin to understand the true meaning of Jacob’s prophecies about his twelve sons. In other words, many people who were in Christ’s lineage still sinned in some way. Rahab sinned, Tamar sinned, and David sinned. Yet they all became the ancestors of Christ. What was the difference? Why were they included in Christ’s ancestry? Because they repented, loved God, longed for God, and knew God's will. A person who does not know God's will rejects God’s blessings, which leads them to commit the greatest sin: betraying and forsaking God. If we don’t know God’s will and He is not showing himself to us, it is because we do not love Him nor desire His appearance.

 

From Sinners to Salvation to Being Built into the New Jerusalem

 

As the firstborn, Reuben was a sinner who had lost God's blessing. Benjamin, as the youngest son, received the following blessing: "The beloved of the Lord dwells in safety. The High God surrounds him all day long, and dwells between his shoulders" (Deuteronomy 33:12). Although this is Moses' prophecy about Benjamin, it reveals that Benjamin’s future would be blessed by God. Jerusalem and God’s temple are both located in the territory of Benjamin. Jerusalem later became the city of the great kings, the city of the temple, and the place where God was present. Benjamin foreshadowed the victory of Jesus Christ, who was the ultimate Temple where God would dwell among men. The name Benjamin means, "son of the right hand," and this reminds us that we who believe in Him will be built together into a holy temple. We will be stones in the New Jerusalem as we participate in the victorious experience of Jesus Christ's resurrection.

 

The blessings given to the middle ten sons also represent the different stages of renewal and transformation on the way to being built into a dwelling place of God. In another study, we will examine each one of these prophecies in detail and discover the profound spiritual meaning they contain.

God’s Call for me to Fight for the Independence of China

God’s Call for me to Fight for the Independence of China

 

Each year on July 4, Americans celebrate their independence from the tyranny of the British Monarchy. On July 4, 2023, I was co-hosting a show named “Fringe” on the Himalaya Global Alliance Farm’s GETTR account. The Himalaya Global Alliance is a temporary structure to manage the branches (also called Farms) of the New Federal State of China, which was co-founded by Chinese billionaire Miles Guo and American right-wing leader Steven K. Bannon on June 4, 2020. On the show, I shared the story of Peter Muhlenberg, a pastor who became a soldier to fight for the independence of America. When I first heard his story, I was studying for my Doctor of Ministry degree at the United Theological Seminary (UTS) and had no plans to join any political movement. But through this story, told by Dutch Sheets on his “Give Him Fifteen” program, God called me to stand up to fight for the independence of China. I want to help free China from the tyranny of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Though it is not a foreign tyranny, it is surely the worst tyranny in human history. Peter Muhlenberg’s famous line was inspired by Ecclesiastes 3: “There is a time to preach and a time to fight. Now is the time to fight.” This quote gave me great encouragement. Previously, I had only been planning to preach. But now God was calling me to fight against social injustice and tyranny and free the Chinese people from modern slavery. The gospel will play an essential role in the success of this venture. I was called by God to not only join the political movement (The Chinese Whistleblowing Movement) but also to preach using the media platform it created. Like the Israelites in Nehemiah’s day who were rebuilding Jerusalem, I was holding a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. In this article, I will share how I was encouraged by the story of Peter Muhlenberg.

 

Hearing Peter Muhlenberg’s story on “Give Him Fifteen”

If you read my post published on the Elijah List website, you know that I heard Dutch Sheets preach in January 2016 at the Elijah List Conference. Since then, I have been regularly following him on his podcast “Give Him Fifteen.”  One day, Dutch shared a story about Peter Muhlenberg which I had never heard before.

 

At the time of America’s War of Independence, about one-third of Americans were loyal to the British Monarchy. One-third were indifferent and still another one-third were passionate about independence. As a pastor of an Anglican church, Peter’s church may have contained the same demographics. It may not have been politically correct for him to join the Continental Army and fight against the British. However, he overcame all those obstacles and followed the path he had chosen. One day, he walked up to the pulpit wearing a military uniform under his pastor’s robe. He then shared this sermon based on the following passage.

 

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to throw away; a time to tear, a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak; a time to love, a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

 

Peter Muhlenberg then explained, “There is a time to preach and a time to fight.” He believed God’s divine calling and providence were directing him and his fellow parishioners to fight for American independence. He believed God was doing something new and America would become a nation on the hill and a light to the nations. Then he suddenly threw off his priestly robes, revealing his military uniform hidden underneath.

 

Peter had received an invitation from George Washington to start an infantry and join the fight. He was calling his fellow church members to join him. This heroic act is portrayed in a painting that is displayed in a museum in Washington DC. His statue is also displayed in his hometown of Woodstock, Virginia.

 

I had never heard this story before, but it was the right time for me to hear it. I was completing my seminary training and was planning to start my life as a minister. I had no plans of joining any political movement. However, God began to speak to me via prophetic dreams, telling me that the Chinese Whistleblowing Movement led by Miles Guo was of Him. The goal of this movement is to create a Chinese democratic country. The movement’s online presence also offers Christians a platform to preach the gospel to millions of Chinese people online. As the gospel changes the hearts of the Chinese people, democracy will take root in China.

 

Miles Guo is a controversial person, so some Chinese people avoid associating with him. I also felt hesitant to join ranks with him. I knew that many Chinese Christians had already joined this movement and that I could help them bring great changes to China. But I could still not overcome my fear of standing up against CCP. The main reason was that I still had family members in China and I was afraid that I might not be able to go back to see them again. However, God’s prophetic revelations showed me that I would need to work with him, and I began to overcome my prejudice toward him.

 

As I heard Dutch telling the story of Peter Muhlenberg, I was touched by the high price the American patriots paid to obtain the freedom we enjoy today. I felt God calling me to pay the price to free the Chinese people from the tyranny of the CCP. As I did, I began to earnestly pray. “What shall I do while I am facing the pressure?” I asked. “I love my mom and I really want to go back to see her one day. But she is aging, and I may not see her again if I cannot go back to China until the CCP is abolished.” Eventually, I felt God was asking me, “What if you have to become a martyr? Are you willing?” My answer was yes. I knew I could not deny the Lord, even if I had to be martyred. His next question was, “Isn’t this price much easier than being a martyr?” I could not deny this, and I finally overcame my fear. This was a much smaller price to pay, and I was willing to pay it.

 

Comparing and Contrasting the Story of Peter Muhlenberg with Ancient China

The story of Peter Muhlenberg reminded me of a story of an ancient Chinese scribe who threw away his pen (Chinese brush) to join the military and fight for more territories in China. His name was Ban Chao. He was a scribe in the Han Dynasty (78 AD) and was a very famous man in China. He was not satisfied to be just a scribe; he was willing to fight for the great honor of his country. He carried out great exploits as he conquered the small kingdoms in the Northwest region of China and made them subordinates of the Han Dynasty of China. When I was young, he was my role model.

 

However, this kind of heroic nationalism does not line up with the modern notion of the sovereignty of small states. It was a form of imperialism. The story of Peter Muhlenberg was not about imperialism, but about creating a country that would be a city on a hill to promote the Kingdom of God. Imperialism flows in the blood of the Chinese people, and many long to rekindle it. Even after China was humiliated and conquered by Japanese and Western imperialism, many still long to conquer more territories. The evil Chinese Communist Party promised to reincarnate this spirit of imperialism. With this promise, they were able to take power. Even today, they still promote this dream, promising to restore China to the imperialistic glory of the Han dynasty or Tang dynasty. These were the periods when China received the greatest glory and respect from surrounding nations. The CCP’s imperialistic intention is clearly seen in China’s One Belt One Road initiative. To fulfill her dream, China must defeat the most powerful country in the world: America.

 

China realized that America was difficult to defeat militarily, so they devised a plan called “Unrestricted Warfare.” Through this plan, they intended to infiltrate America with their “Three F plan.” The Three Fs were: “ferment weakness, ferment chaos, ferment destruction” in America. This plan was unknown to the common people until Miles Guo blew the whistle. The CCP planned to support the drug cartels in Mexico, helping them send Fentanyl to the US in order to weaken American families and ferment weakness. This was an act of revenge for the British import of opium to China in the 1900s, which brought disaster and humiliation through two opium wars. You may say, “America was not part of that sin!” But the CCP does not differentiate between America and Britain, since they consider Westerners and White people as one and the same.

 

The CCP has also implemented a “BGY” plan to infiltrate American elites. “BGY” stands for “Blue, Gold, Yellow” which respectively represent “cyber-attack,” “bribery” and “sexual kidnapping.” American elites were gathered into the CCP’s database through computer hacking and then invited to China to do business. There, they were offered bribes. Some were bribed with sex, which was videotaped. The CCP then took them hostage. Many American elites fell into the trap. This “BGY” plan is a top secret of the CCP, but Miles Guo made this known to the public for the first time.

 

 

America Will Be Independent Again

In the Fringe program I mentioned at the beginning of this article, my co-host chose the topic of independence. If you are honest with yourself, you will admit that America is not a free and independent nation, even now. The media is controlled by globalists and the government is overreaching its power and taking control of the American people. Citizens are censored on social media and canceled if they dare to stand up for what is right. The judicial system and government agencies such as the FBI and IRS are weaponized to suppress the opposite parties and American citizens. You hear horrible reports on these topics every day.

 

The fundamental problem in the US is the degradation of her faith and her rebellion against God. As a result, God has handed her over to her enemies. This reflects an unchanging principle in the Old Testament about how God deals with nations who are in sin. In the Old Testament, whenever Israel fell into idol worship, God would hand her over to her enemies. If she repented and called for God’s help, God would deliver her from the hands of her enemies and even punish her enemies. We can relate this Bible principle to our current affairs. This is exactly what is happening right now. God has handed us over to our enemies, whether domestic or foreign. The CCP is obviously the biggest foreign enemy.

 

I believe America will one day be set free from the infiltration and unrestricted warfare of the CCP. I believe the solution is the same for us as it was for Israel. We need to repent and call for God’s help. Then God will deliver us from the hands of our enemies and will punish them as well. I call this strategy “killing two birds with one stone.”

 

God has given me many revelations about China’s great revival and China’s future as a democratic country. God will awaken America and bring a massive awakening to China as well. God will use the CCP to chastise America for a season. When America repents, God will punish the CCP and overthrow its regime. Then a massive revival will come to China. For more information and revelations on this topic, please check out the other prophetic revelations I wrote earlier.

 

“We Will Sign a Thousand-Year Peace Treaty with the West”

 

Miles Guo famously said, “The New Federal State of China will sign a thousand-year peace treaty with the West.” The new China will never wage a war against the West—unlike the CCP, whose plan is to “extinguish the White.” This is another top secret of the CCP which was revealed by Miles Guo. The CCP’s evil plan is to use all colored people and their hatred toward White people to extinguish all White people. The CCP actively promotes hatred toward “White Supremacy” and memories of White oppression. They also use other Marxist ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory, to stir up hatred from colored people toward Whites. The CCP gave specific instructions to their internet spies to “utilize the case of George Perry Floyd to take the most advantage of this case to ferment conflicts in the US.” This intel was revealed by the Chinese Whistleblowers Movement through insiders in the CCP. It was verified by leaked Chinese official documents. In addition, it is easy to see the CCP’s strategy to invade America’s southern borders. Some American people are cooperating with these strategies. They are not necessarily receiving instructions from the CCP, but they—like the CCP—are receiving orders from Satan himself.

 

God has a great plan for America and China. These two countries will work together in the next few centuries to lead many nations in the West and the East to Christ. They will help bring many tribes and nations to the Gospel. Then God’s kingdom will advance on earth. I believe the next battle will be in the Middle East. Through many prophetic dreams and visions, God showed me that the great Chinese revival would spread to North Korea, Japan, the Middle East, and even Israel. But I believe God first must change the political climate in America and China to provide the right environment for the Gospel and revival to burst forth. The upheavals that we see in the physical realms are the outward signs of Satan’s resistance to the great revival that is about to come to China, America, and the whole world. God’s plan is to revive America in order to advance His gospel work in all Western nations. On the other hand, China’s great transformation will advance God’s kingdom in Japan, North Korea, and the Middle East. Satan’s plan is to destroy America and turn China into a great weapon of destruction to bring harm to the world. But God will intervene and turn China into a Christian nation instead. China will have a great future! Just like the pandemic began in China and had a negative impact on the world, the Chinese revival will begin in China and have a great impact on all nations. The former is from Satan, but the latter is from God. God always prevails. I saw in a prophetic dream that the Chinese revival would arrive like a tsunami. I can’t help but get excited about this!

 

Conclusion

To summarize, God has called me again to join the fight for Chinese independence and become part of the movement to bring the New Federal State of China to fruition. In my ignorance and prejudice, I had not been planning to join any political movement. But God hijacked my plans through several prophetic revelations about Miles Guo, the Chinese Whistleblowers Movement, and China’s Great Revival. I was shown that many Chinese CCP members would receive the gospel and that China would go through a peaceful, bloodless transition to the New Federal State of China. When I was struggling with fear, God strengthened me through the story of Peter Muhlenberg. I want to thank Dutch Sheets for telling this story. I also want to thank all the American patriots who paid the highest price to gain the freedom we enjoy today. It is our turn to sacrifice for the great cause of regaining America’s independence and freeing Chinese people from slavery! Just as the co-founder of the New Federal State of China Steve K. Bannon famously said, “Until the Laobaixing (Chinese people) is free, the world is not free!”

 

Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 12 The Body of Christ Matures

 Bible Study with Jairus - Revelation 12

The Body of Christ Matures

 

Revelation 12 depicts a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, being crowned with twelve stars (12:1). This represents the body of Christ, the mature bride. This woman is the wife of the Lamb and represents the New Jerusalem (21:9-10).

 

When the Bible depicts God in anthropomorphic terms, it mentions that heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool (Isaiah 66:1). This is a description of God's greatness and His magnificent stature. In Revelation 12, the body of Christ (the bride) has grown into “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 ESV) and is mature enough to open heaven, enter God’s heavenly temple, usher in the exaltation of the heavenly ark, and bring about the judgment of God (Revelation 11:19). In chapter 12, the body of Christ (represented by the woman) gives birth to a male child (overcoming believers) who will further judge Satan and evil spirits on behalf of the church. Chapter 12 thus becomes an important turning point in the book of Revelation.

 

This chapter is important for several reasons. First, Satan is so angry that he tries to devour the boy and persecute the rest of the woman's children, which ushers in the apocalypse of the last three and a half years of Revelation. Second, as the bride continues to mature, the labor pains of the rebirth of the universe continue to intensify, birthing the first fruits (the male child). This means the creation and construction of God's new universe (new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem) will soon be complete, and Satan's ultimate failure will soon come to pass. Just as the Israelites exterminated and judged the Amorites after their sinfulness reached its full measure, the church will judge Satan on God’s behalf once his sins reach their full measure. Just as the body of Christ grows into Christ who is the Head, Satan and his followers will grow into their full measure of sin.

 

The great red dragon mentioned in this chapter is the ancient serpent who constantly drinks the blood of the saints. Riding the red dragon is the great prostitute, also known as Babylon the Great, who is also drunk on the blood of the saints and of Jesus' witnesses. Babylon the great is the mother of prostitutes and earth’s abominations (17:5-6), while the mother of the saints is the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26), and this new Jerusalem is the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). Satan is the father of sinners (John 8:44), and God is our heavenly Father. The union between sinners and evil spirits, who take Satan as their life, produces Babylon the Great, who becomes the mother of earth’s abominations. On the other hand, the union between God and men who take the life of Christ produces the body of Christ and the bride, who becomes the spiritual mother of all new creation.

 

After a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, the pupa no longer exists and the cocoon loses its value. In the same way, the whole creation awaits the manifestation of God's sons (Romans 8:19) so it can be freed from its bondage to corruption and obtain the glorious freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:20). Once these birth pains are over (Matthew 24:8) and a new creation is born, the old creation shall pass away. This new creation consists of:

• Christ being the head and the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15)
• Christ's church being the bride and His body, the fullness of him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1:23)
• All things reaching freedom and unity with Christ who is the Head.
• God being all in all. "When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28). “… one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6).

 

The Iniquity of the Amorites Mirrors Satan’s Iniquity

 

The story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and conquering the Canaanites in the Promised Land can help us understand the Book of Revelation. God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would live in slavery in Egypt for 400 years (Genesis 15). Why? Even though God had promised to give Abraham the land of Canaan, there were a few reasons why they could not yet occupy it. First, God explicitly told Abraham that “the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:16). God was giving the Amorites an opportunity to repent. Second, God was giving the Israelites the opportunity to multiply in Egypt so that they could grow in strength, maturity, productivity, and rest. When Simeon and Levi killed the people of Shechem, Jacob said that they were outnumbered and that they would be exterminated by the Canaanites. It seems they were not yet strong enough to destroy the Canaanites. When Abraham’s family moved to Egypt, there were only seventy Israelites. But in Egypt, they grew in number and in strength. By the time they left Egypt, the population of Israelites has grown to three million.

 

Although God gave the Amorites opportunities to repent, God knew that Satan would not repent, even when given time. Yet God still allowed Satan’s iniquity to reach its full measure before he was punished. For Satan, the evil spirits, and the sinners who follow them, a time will come when their iniquities reach full measure.

 

Satan is full of sin and bloodshed. The Lord Jesus says that Satan is a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44) and that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Satan's hands are stained with the blood of saints and mankind. The same goes for the evil spirits and sinners who follow Him. At the end of Revelation 14, angels harvest grapes with sickles and throw them into the great winepress of God's wrath, and blood actually flows from the winepress, as high as the horses’ bridles for 300 kilometers (Revelation 14:19-20). This indicates how many they have killed. Babylon the Great is also filled with the blood of the saints (Revelation 17:6). These passages prove Satan’s wickedness.

 

Just as God uses the Israelites to judge the seven tribes of Canaan, God will use us to judge evil spirits. Strictly speaking, we are not the judge. God is the judge, and we just carry out the judgment. In order to carry out God's judgment, we must be mature enough, just as the Israelites had to grow in strength before they could carry out God's judgment on the Canaanites. Christ’s body must mature in order to ultimately carry out God's judgment on Satan and the evil spirits.

 

But is today’s church mature enough to carry out the final judgment on Satan and evil spirits? Can we even cast out the demons that live among believers? Or are we like the seven sons of the Jewish priest Sceva? When they tried to cast out demons, the demons said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" (Acts 19:15) The demons then attacked and wounded the sons of Sceva. Many modern-day churches cannot drive out demons because they are possessed by them. Many people in the world are possessed by demons, yet the church is powerless to help.

 

In the Bible, Jesus’ disciples tried to cast out a mute spirit, but they couldn’t. When they asked Jesus why it was so difficult, he said that this type of demon could not be cast out except through fasting and prayer. Only mature believers can cast out evil spirits. If the church today can't even cast out demons, how can we be mature enough to judge Satan and evil spirits? The church’s judgment on Satan and the evil spirits will be a large-scale exorcism. This means the church must increase in spiritual authority as we grow into Christ who is the Head. Only then will we be able to carry out God’s judgment.

 

We must learn from the Israelites' experience in Egypt and the wilderness. This will not only help us grow and multiply, but also help us learn the lessons of faith. Like Israel in Egypt, we must grow and multiply through suffering as we become firmly rooted in Christ. Like Israel in the wilderness, we must receive spiritual provision (manna) and draw near to the presence of God (the Ark of the Covenant). Just like the Israelites needed to break free from Egyptian influences and stop yearning for chives, garlic, green onions, cucumbers and watermelons, and fish, we must break free from past influences. In addition, we need to learn the lessons of faith. The first generation of Israelites was destroyed in the wilderness for their disbelief and disobedience, but the second generation entered the land of Canaan under Joshua’s leadership and defeated the enemy. In the same way, the church today must overcome sin (foreshadowed by Egypt), and the world (foreshadowed by the wilderness), so it can enter the triumph of the spiritual life (foreshadowed by the conquest of the land of Canaan). As it goes through this three-step process, it will mature enough to judge Satan, angels, and demons.

 

Satan often tries to incite us to do things we are not yet prepared for. Satan will provoke us to come fight him when it is not yet time. This was the case with Moses. God did call Moses to be the leader of the Israelites and to save them from slavery. But he fell for Satan’s tricks and took action before it was God’s time. He acted prematurely and killed an Egyptian in his flesh. Because of this, Moses was forced to flee to the wilderness, where he herded sheep for 40 years. It was while shepherding in the wilderness that he encountered the burning bush, which was the manifestation of God’s presence. God’s presence took root in his life.

 

We must learn from Israel’s 400 years in Egypt and Moses’ 40 years in the desert. During these times of exile, we must take the opportunity to root ourselves deeply in Christ, draw from his strength and nourishment, grow into the temple of the Lord, and grow into Christ who is the Head. The church must mature in grace, power, life, and authority so it can finally carry out God’s judgment on Satan.

 

In summary, we are waiting for the Lord to come back. But Jesus is also waiting for our lives to mature so he can return.

 

A Woman Clothed with the Sun, With the Moon Under Her Feet, and on Her Head a Crown of Twelve Stars

 

Who is this woman? Some say it is Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus. Some say that it is the bride of Christ (Revelation 19) and the wife of the Lamb (Revelation 21). First, let us examine the idea that the woman is Mary and the male child she gives birth to is Christ. This explanation seems to make sense. The passage seems to portray what was happening in the spiritual world when Jesus Christ was born. But there are some flaws with this explanation. After the boy is born, he is caught up to the throne of God (12:5). But the woman flees to the wilderness, where she is fed for 1,260 days, or three and a half years. The concept of three and a half years is a prophetic period of time mentioned throughout Revelation and Daniel.

• Revelation 13 mentions that the first beast is allowed to do whatever he pleases for forty-two months (13:5), or three and a half years.
• Revelation 11 says the outside court would be trampled by Gentiles for 42 months (11:2).
• The two witnesses prophesy for 1260 days, which is three and a half years.
• Daniel mentions seventy sevens: “Know therefore and understand thatfrom the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again…" (Daniel 9:25)
• "And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shallbe cut off…" (9:26)
• Daniel speaks of the Antichrist and says, "And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering." (9:27).

In other words, these passages all mention three and a half years, which are the first half of the last seven years prophesied by Daniel, while the three mentioned earlier are the latter half. So the three and a half years that this woman is in the wilderness must refer to the end times. If this woman refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the wilderness she flees to refers to Egypt, then why does it reference the three and a half years, which are part of the last seven years during the end times of human history? Besides, if the boy is Christ, how can we explain that the woman flees into the wilderness after the boy is caught up to the throne of God (Revelation 12:4)? Although the dragon's attempt to devour the child can be interpreted as Satan seeking to kill the infant Christ, Joseph and Mary didn’t flee to Egypt after Jesus ascended to God’s throne after his resurrection. They fled when he was an infant.

 

The Bible talks about three stages of Satan’s rebellion. First, he and one-third of his rebellious followers were driven out of heaven by God. They went from the third heaven to the second heaven. Second, Lord Jesus speaks of Satan falling like lightning (Luke 10:18). Again, the Scripture says that Satan’s “tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth…" (12:4). It also says that " the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it" (12:4). "Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus…" (12:17). If the woman is Mary, then the dragon should be fighting with James and Jacob, the brothers of the Lord Jesus. But that is not the case. The rest of the woman's children are those who keep God's commandments and the testimony of Jesus. This indicates that the male child also keeps God's commandments and testimony of Jesus, which means he is not Jesus himself. Perhaps the boy represents the overcomers, martyrs, or raptured saints. In any case, they are the first fruits of overcomers.

 

Our Mother, the Heavenly Jerusalem

 

In any case, I believe the woman in the passage is not Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, but a spiritual mother who gives birth to many children. Paul makes it clear that our mother is the heavenly Jerusalem (Galatians 4:26). Paul compares the heavenly Jerusalem to Abraham’s wife Sarah and believers to Isaac. But he compares the earthly Jerusalem to Hagar, who "is in slavery with her children" (Galatians 4:25). Paul compares these two women to the Old and New Testaments. Hagar represents the Old Testament and the law that enslaves humankind. We as believers must go through the process of maturing. The law was a guardian for underage children (Galatians 3:24) who were guarded by the law because the gospel of faith had not yet come (Galatians 4:25). When God’s people were children, they were not yet free. Paul says, "The heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything" (Galatians 4:1). But God sent Christ to "… send the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father! So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:6–7). God wants the church to mature into the glorious freedom of Jesus Christ, so that the glory of God's sons may be revealed. Then the entire creation will be set free (Romans 8:21). It is a process of being born again, growing up, and maturing.

Romans 8:16-17 says, "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” The Bible uses four Greek words for God’s “children” that depict different levels of spiritual maturity.

• The first one is "Nepios,” which depicts an infant. The infant child of a king cannot take the throne immediately; he must first grow up to maturity.
• The second word is "paidion," which means a young child or a toddler. Toddlers also need to grow up.
• The third one is “teknon,” which is used in Romans 8:17 for “children”. It means “teenager or a young adult.”
• The last one is “huios,” which is the word “sons” in Romans 8:14. This verse says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

These four Greek words show the growth curve of children of God from infants (Nepios) to toddlers (paidion) to young adults (teknon) to fully mature sons (huios). God desires the body of Christ to grow to its full maturity so all creation can be liberated from its bondage. This is exactly what is happening in Revelation 12.

 

Revelation 12 is the turning point in the book of Revelation. Before long, God will do away with the old creation and welcome a new heaven and a new earth. I don’t believe this passage is talking about Christ being born, but about God’s sons being glorified. The birth, death, and resurrection of Christ are complete, but His body, the church, is still going through the process of maturing. Their birth, suffering, and rebirth mirror Christ’s suffering and usher in the rebirth of the universe that Jesus refers to in Matthew 24. And the bride of Christ, the heavenly Jerusalem, will be the mother of the new creation.