Love of the Triune Godhead (GL80)

  'Appreciating God's Love'

 

Triune Godhead Revealed

I John 5:7  For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.

    God revealed Himself in the Triune Godhead (Trinity) as the Father, the Son (Word) and the Holy Spirit, for us to see the unity and harmony from the perfect divine love within the Godhead.

    Whoever comprehends and practises God's perfect love, he too will be able to find the unity and harmony within his own family and also in the family of God.

John 17:22   And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

Father's Greatest Blessing

    From the OT, we have a fair knowledge of His attributes of love, mercy, provision, delivery, salvation, teaching, protection, healing, comfort and care.

    A good, holy and faithful Father whose unfailing love and great patience blesses His children by teaching and helping them to reject and overcome sin, walk in righteousness, live in holiness and partake of Jesus' sufferings until they achieve perfection.

Acts 3:26   "To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities."

Father's Chastisement

Heb 12:6,11  For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives... Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

    Out of His great love, our Father God chastises His children to transform the wayward to those bearing peaceable fruit of righteousness.

    Unfortunately, disobedient and faithless Christians using worldly wisdom have created spoilt brats.

Father's Protection

    From the OT, many cannot understand God, who seemed cruel and unreasonable for wiping out many nations, till we see Jesus protecting His people from being destroyed by deceptions, idolatry and abominable practices of the wolves and the wicked.

    For Jesus cursed the depraved and covetous Jewish leaders who were wolves in sheepskin and hypocrites for they were the devil's agents out to destroy the faith of His people and lead them to damnation.

Note remove all wolves from your chat groups and churches.

Mat 23:13-14  "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in."

 

Jesus as the Son

Phi 2:5,8  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus... And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

    As Son, Jesus obeyed the Father even the horrific death on the cross.

    Similar, as God's children, we must obey Him by keeping His commandments.

Jesus as the Husband

Eph 5:23-26  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,

    Jesus loved His church by willingly accepting all the pains, sufferings and death meant for us because of our sins. We, being His bride, must love Him by keeping His words.

Holy Spirit as the Helper

John 16:13-14  "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

    God sent the Spirit of truth to teach and guide us into all truth so that we are free from all worldly fears and bondages, and helps us to overcome the deceptions and temptations of the evil one.

Indwelling of the Triune Godhead

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

    The Triune God loves to dwell within us to temporarily fellowship with us before finally accepting us as His son or the bride of the Lamb in eternity.

True Disciple - Fervent love for one another

John 13:34-35  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

    To be a disciple of Jesus, we must love one another as He had loved us. We have been commissioned by our Lord Jesus to make disciples of all nations by teaching them to observe all His commandments.

Mat 28:19-20  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Lamb on the Cross (GL79)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

Final Week of Jesus

Jesus Poured Out His Blood

John 19:33-34  But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

    The most wicked people in the bible - Jezebel, wife of King Ahab, who killed many of God's prophets and Judas Iscariot who betrayed our Lord Jesus both shed blood after their death.

    Our Lord too shed blood after His death, so that His precious blood can cleanse all sins including the worst sins and iniquities.

Note at the bronze altar, a sacrificial animal was offered for the redemption of sins.

Jesus Poured Out Water

John 4:10  Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."

    In the OT, before the priest could enter the Holy Place, he must first wash himself with water from the bronze laver and then put on the holy priest garment. Our Lord promised us that He will give us His living water when we ask it from Him

    On the cross, our Lord not only shed blood for the remission of our sins (at the bronze altar) but also the promised living water for the cleansing of our bodies (at the bronze laver) to prepare us to be holy so that we can enter into His presence (Holy Place).

Cleansing by His Pure Water

Heb 10:22  let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

    The pure water poured out on the cross was to prepare us to be holy by cleansing our hearts from evil consciences and our bodies from lusts.

     During the last supper, our Lord told His disciples, who had given up everything to follow Him, that they were clean because they had kept His words.

Note priests must wash themselves with water from the  bronze laver before entering the Holy Place.

John 15:3  " You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you."

Saints or Holy Christians

John 8:31-32,36  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

    When a Christian keeps His words, he will know the truth which will set him free from wickedness, worldliness and evil conscience. Being holy, he can now enter the Holy Place.

I Pet 1:13-15  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

Obedience to Perfection

Heb 5:8-9  though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,

    Because of the complete obedience of Jesus to endure suffering until death, He became the perfect sacrifice with eternal redemption.

    Christians do not need to offer any more animal sacrifice for their sins, but only need to confess and repent of their sins  for forgiveness.

Heb 9:12  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

Boldness into Most Holy Place

Hebrews 10:19-22  Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

    After being saved by the perfect sacrifice at the bronze altar, and the cleansing by His word at the bronze laver, we can then put on the holy priesthood garment to enter the Holy Place.

     God will allow sufferings to sanctify us to perfection so that as the bride of the Lamb we can enter into His presence inside the most Holy Place .

Heb 2:10  For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Death of Jesus (GL78)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

 

Final Week of Jesus

Hung on the Cross

Deu 28:15  "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

   In the Old Covenant, whoever did not obey the laws and commandments of God, a curse would be upon him, until he had repented by offering the sacrificial lamb for the redemption of their sins.

   When the Old Covenant ended, God left the temple of God, thus making the temple of God, priesthood and all religious sacrifices and ceremonies obsolete. Since the animal sacrifices for their sins were no longer acceptable then the associated curses would continuously be upon them.

     Out of the great love of Jesus, He offered Himself to be cursed by dying on the cross to redeem the Jews from the curse of the law and the Gentiles under the curse of wickedness and idolatry.

    Thank God that both Jews and Gentiles who humble themselves to believe Jesus and accept the gospel of grace will be completely free from curses.

Gal 3:13  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

Death of the Testator

Heb 9:16-17  For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

    Our Lord Jesus (Testator) was sent by God to bring in the New Covenant to obsolete the Old Covenant. His teachings were the conditions of the New Covenant but in order for the New Covenant of the blood of Jesus to become effective, He had to die to seal the covenant.

    On our part, when we believe Jesus as the Messiah and accept the gospel of grace, then we have signed the New covenant. Immediately, our Lord Jesus will give us the Holy Spirit as the seal of redemption and we are born again and become His children.

Tasted Death for Christians

Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

    Since Jesus had to die to obsolete the Old Covenant of the law and bring in the New Covenant of Grace, He chose the slowest and most horrific and painful death by being hung on the cross to take upon Himself all our pains caused by our sins, rebellions and curses.

    Because of His sacrificial love, all born again Christians will not suffer any pain when they are tortured, crucified, burned on the stack and killed during martyrdom.

Free From Fear of Death

Heb 2:14-15  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

   Men fear death because they are not sure of the horrific and painful taste of death and also their future with the possibly of eternal suffering in the fire of Hades.

   After the resurrection of Jesus, He gave His godly disciples the Spirit of truth. With the truth in them, they knew that they would not taste death and that they will be enjoying their eternal bliss with the Lord in the kingdom of God.

Painless Death for His Saints

John 8:52  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'

   Of all the various types of martyrdom, our Lord chose crucifixion, the most horrific and painful death on our behalf to take away all our pains so that we will not feel any pain at death.

    Stephen saw the Lord coming in heaven before the first stone touched his body so He did not taste death nor feel any pain before his death.

Mat 16:27-28  "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."

The Blood of Jesus (GL77)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

 

Final Week of Jesus

Sweated Blood at Gethsemane

Luke 22:44  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

    Men in the olden days had to work hard till they sweated in their faces to be able to eat from the ground. Today, the poor are fearful of their inability to provide the next meal for the families, and even the rich are fearful that their wealth may disappear with rebellions and wars, especially World War 3.

    God knew of men's fear in facing the uncertainty of the future, so out of His great love for His children, He Himself, volunteered to suffer the excruciating pain on their behalf.

    He called on the angel to strengthen His physical body not to give way. He suffered far beyond the endurance of the human body until His tiny blood vessels ruptured to become blooded sweats falling onto the ground.

    With this curse broken, Christians can now commit their future into the Father's hands. We can rest assured of food and provision for He is our Father and Provider.

Gen 3:19  "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

Chastised for our Infirmities

Luke 23:13-16  Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him "

    Our Lord knew that it was prophesied that it was only by His stripes that the people can be healed of their hurts, pains and sicknesses.

     Pontius Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of the crime which the Jewish priesthood out of jealousy, had falsely accused Him

   So God instilled into Pontius Pilate to chastise Him so that when the Jews saw Him suffering such excruciating pain, out of compassion, they might spare His life.

    We thank God for Jesus who suffered on our behalf so that He heals us by taking all our pains, worries, sorrows and sicknesses when we humble ourselves before Him.

Isa 53:3-5  He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.

Blood from Crown of Thorns

Mark 15:17-19  And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.

    Why did Jesus allowed the Roman soldiers to torture Him with the crown of thorn?

    Before His dead, again He blessed men by offering Himself to suffering the extreme pains caused of the thorns and thistles in life.

    In life, we will always meet wicked and evil people who will either obstruct or hurt us in our pursuits. Many will steal our contracts by crooked means and there are those who revile us with lies and falsehood.

    Jesus shed blood caused by the thorns of crown and thistles to break the curse so that Christians today can forgive even their enemies, cheats and competitors.

    Nothing can hurt us now, for His pains caused by the thorns and thistles has healed and comforted us.

Gen 3:18  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field.

The Last Sermon (GL76)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

Final Week of Jesus

The New Commandment

Mat 5:43-44  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,"

    In the Old Covenant, the Jews were to love their neighbours but hate their neighbours. In the New Covenant, our Lord will give us a new heart so that Christians can love not only their neighbours but also their enemies.

    In this New Covenant, God also expects Christians to bless all those who curse them; help, care and do good to those who hate you; and pray for all those that spitefully use you and also persecute you.  

    Without our transformation by the Holy Spirit into new hearts, none of us will be able to keep His new commandments. Our Lord Jesus loved and died for all His enemies, who persecuted, whipped, chastised and crucified Him, as an example of how Christians should love their enemies.

John 13:34-35  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

God's Friends Know His Will

John 15:14-15  "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

    Brethren, out of His great love for men, God gives us this opportunity to draw closer to Him. He promised us that if we keep His commandments we will no longer be His servants but His friends.

    Once we are His friends, He will made known to us the knowledge, plan and will of God.

Abraham was a Friend of God

Jam 2:23  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God.

    Similarly, when God called Abraham His friend for he believed God and obeyed His commands, He revealed to Abraham His imminent judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sins and abominable practices.

Gen 18:17-18  And the Lord said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"

New Spirit of Truth

John 14:15-17  "If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

   The Lord knows that the failure of men is mainly in these three areas - the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.

    So He promised to give the Spirit of truth (New Spirit) to every Christian who keeps His commandments so that they will be free from worldliness.

Truth Will Set Us Free

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

   So when the Word was made flesh, our Lord was full of grace and truth, so that all those who abide in His word will know the truth. This truth will set everyone free from worldly bondages.

John 8:31-32  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The Last Supper (GL75)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

Final Week of Jesus

Jesus Celebrated Passover

Mark 14:13-14  And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, 'The Teacher says, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?" '

      On the eve of Passover, our Lord Jesus being a devout Jew kept the Passover and ate the Passover lamb with His disciples. Since the Jewish day starts from evening (6pm) till the next evening, then the eve of Passover is beginning of the Day of Passover.

    Later, on the same day of Passover, our Lord Jesus was crucified. He died at about 3 pm on the same day before the evening of the next day sets in.

Note - our Lord celebrated Passover on the eve or the beginning of the day of Passover. Before the end of the day of Passover, He offered Himself to died on the cross to become the perfect sacrificial Passover Lamb for the redemption of all men.

Mark 14:16-17  So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover. In the evening He came with the twelve.

New Covenant of His Blood

Mark 14:22-24  And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many."

    Out of the grace of God, while Jesus was eating the Passover meal with His disciples, He instituted the Holy Communion to constantly remind and encourage them of His great love, care and concern for men.

    He reminded them that the Word was made flesh, and whenever they partake of the bread (Word), they must always abide in His words so that they will be empowered to be like Him.

    He also reminded them that whenever they partake of the cup, His blood poured out for them have cleansed them of all their sins of old. Being made righteous, they must be holy just as God is holy by staying away from sinning.

    However, if they sin, God is gracious, righteous and faithful and will forgive them if they confess their sins. God has also given to every born Christian the Holy Spirit of redemption to convict him of sin.

Jesus Washed Disciples' Feet

John 13:3-5  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded.

    When our baby has covered himself with his foul excreta, immediately we will joyfully cleanse him knowing that he will be more comfortable when cleansed. This is our love for the baby built within every parent.

    But if your aged parent fouls himself, will you cleanse him? Well, if we appreciate their love, care and concern, every filial child will joyfully cleanse his parents, but if without this filial love he will resent doing it.

    Our Lord Jesus, the Saviour and great Healer - their Lord and Master humbled Himself to cleansed the feet of His disciples as an example for us to wash one another's feet.

   If we can wash one another's feet, then we truly have the love for one another, just like the love we have for our own little children.

Note  brethren, let's not live like the earthly kings but as the King of kings in humility, love and the operations of His mighty power.

John 13:14-15  "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

Jesus Final Warnings (GL74)

   'Appreciating God's Love'

Final Week of Jesus

Warning of Jewish Leaders

Mat 23:13-14  "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. (please read Mat 23)

    Just before His arrest, our Lord Jesus addressed the depraved Jewish leaders as hypocrites and even snakes and vipers..He revealed their hypocrisies and sins with the hope that they would realized their mistakes and repent of their sins and iniquities.

    He told them that the wickedness, hypocrisies, persecuting and murdering of God's servants since Abel were all found in the present generation of Jewish leadership.

    He also warned them that they could no longer worship Yahweh the Triune Godhead, until they believed and blessed the Word (Jesus) who came in the name of the Lord Yeshua.

Note God's Name is Yeshua (or Jesus in English)

Mat 23:36, 39  "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation... for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!' "

Endtime Prophecies & Signs

Matthew 24:3-5  Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many."

   Our Lord Jesus taught His disciples end time signs so that they would not be deceived by unscrupulous and covetous Christian leaders. He warned them against heresies and distorted doctrines of false christs.

    He pointed to the book of Daniel, where World War 3 will be so extensive and deadly just like the end of the world, the removal of the Al Aqsa mosque  and the rebuilding of the temple of God by the Antichrist.

    He also taught His disciples that He will put Christians through tribulations and the great tribulations for their refinement before He will come to collect the bride of the Lamb at Rapture.

Mat 24:29-31  "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Judgment of Christians

Mat 24:45-47  "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods."

    The Word was made flesh so that when men are saved they can be transformed to be like Him. By His grace, every Christian is given a new heart of love and mercy and the Holy Spirit to empower him to keep and teach His words, crucify his flesh and perform signs and wonders.

    When a Christian obey His words, he will be highly rewarded to rule over many as a king serving the King of kings.

    However, if a Christian does not bear good fruit, then He will be cut down and thrown into the fire (Mat 7:19). He may not have been saved in the first place or that he had lost his salvation caused by abominable practices or heresies.

Mat 24:48-51  "But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

(Please read Mat 25 as well)

Jesus in Jerusalem (GL73)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

 

Final Week of Jesus

Glorious Entry into Jerusalem

Mat 21:9-11  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! *'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'* Hosanna in the highest!"

    During His glorious entry into Jerusalem while riding on a donkey, the multitudes proclaimed Him as the Messiah who came in the Name of the Lord.

Rock Split to Praise Jesus

Luke 19:39-40  And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." But He answered and said to them, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out."

     The Pharisees were jealous and called out to Jesus to stop the multitudes from praising and honouring Him. He told them that if the multitudes kept silent, the stones would cry out to praise Him.

    Jesus showed His greatest love for men when He offered Himself to die on the cross for the remission of men's sin.

     All His disciples should be praising and thanking God for His great love and their salvation, but instead, they were mourning of His death.

     Since no one praised God for Jesus, the rocks (stones) split causing an earthquake to fulfill this prophecy,

Mat 27:50-51  And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split,

Jesus Cleansed the Temple

Mat 21:12-13  Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

   Though the sacrificial animals sold in the temple ground were for the convenience of the worshippers yet our Lord drove out the traders from doing business in the house of God.

    Jesus knew that when man sees the opportunity of making money and lots of money, out of greed they will forget sincerity and fairness.

    These temple traders were using the temple compound to exploit the devout Jews coming back from foreign land to worship God. Our Lord called these traders thieves for they sold the animal and birds at exhorbitant prices.

    Churches should not allow their members to conduct business in their compound nor be involved in business. Pastors and full time workers must not go back to the world nor be involved in business for they must stay holy because they serve a holy God.

    Let the businessmen brethren make their money in their pursuits, give to His church the Body of Christ, mission, poor and needy, so that God can bless them more.

I Pet 1:13-16  Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Jewish Leaders Admonished

Mat 21:24-27  But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

    Our Lord used all situations to try and help the Jewish leaders to believe and obey the Mosaic law, which they were entrusted to teach.

    He knew that once the Jewish leaders realized their hypocrisy, wickedness and sins and repent of them, the whole Israel will be saved.

    He asked them concerning the baptism of John the Baptist, but out of pride they denied that John the Baptist was a prophet.

    Sinners such as harlots and tax collectors believed John and repented of their sins but these Jewish leaders refused to believe nor repent.

Mat 21:32  "For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

Complete Fulfillments by Jesus (GL72)

  'Appreciating God's Love'

Obsoleting Old Covenant

Heb 8:13  In that He says, "A new covenant ," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

    The moment the Jews rejected Jesus as the Word made flesh by crucifying Him, they had rejected Yahweh the Triune Godhead of their forefathers. They would then worship a new false Yahweh of their own creation.

Note Jews are now worshipping this new false Yahweh, who is without Jesus as the Word in the Trinity.

    So God obsoleted the old covenant and removed the temple of God to prevent the Jews from offering their sacrifices and offerings for their Sabbaths and feasts to this new false Yahweh.

    Out of His great love for the Jews, our Lord Jesus came not to destroy the law and the Prophets but to fulfill them so that the Jews can benefit from the New Covenant of grace.

Mat 5:17  "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."

Fulfilling the Mosaic Law?

1. God (Yahweh) - the Triune God

Mat 28:19  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,"

    The Jews rejected Jesus as the Word thereby forsaking Yahweh - the Triune Godhead, but Christians believe Jesus was the Word made flesh. Christians worship the true Triune Godhead by baptizing new converts in the name of the Father, the Son (Word) and the Holy Spirit, so that Christians (both former Jews and Gentiles) are now children of God - the Triune Godhead.

I John 3:1a  Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

 

2. Temple of God

   At the death of Jesus, the Triune Godhead left the temple of God by tearing the veil into two, because the Jews would start to worship the new false Yahweh.

    God then gave every born again Christian the Holy Spirit of redemption to make his physical body the temple of God.

    When a Christian keeps His words, the Triune Godhead will dwell in his physical body - this great love of God is beyond our comprehension.

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

3. Everlasting Ordinances

Exo 12:14  'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.'

    In the Old Covenant there were many sacrifices, feasts and Sabbaths with everlasting ordinances. If the Old Covenant was obsoleted without the New Covenant, then the Jews will not be able to keep those everlasting ordinances.

     Our eternal Lord Jesus Himself fulfilled this everlasting ordinances in the law so that every Jew converted to Christianity has also fulfilled all these ordinances in Christ Jesus.

 

4. Fulfillments of Jesus

    Jesus Christ the eternal God made Himself to be the perfect offering or substitution to fulfill even the everlasting ordinances.

1. Born in an animal shed and wrapped with swaddling cloths

    He was the perfect animal sacrifice.

2. Placed in the Manger

    He was the perfect vegetation offering including cereals, oil, frankincense and myrrh.

3. A Devout Jew

    He was sinless as He kept the law and the Prophets

4. Fulfilled the Feasts

   He fulfilled all the Sabbaths and Feasts

5. Higher Commandments

    He replaced the Old commandments with a higher order - to love one's enemies instead of hating them.

Mat 5:43-44  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,"

Brethren, Judaism was obsoleted by our Lord two thousand years ago for the Yahweh the Jews worship today is not the Yahweh of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, so please do not be partakers of their abominations.

Gal 5:4  You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

The Triune Godhead (GL71)

  Appreciating God's Love'

Trinity - the Triune Godhead

1 John 5:7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three (Trinity) are one. (KJV)

   God is one. He reveals Himself to men as 3 persons in the Triune Godhead - the Father, the Word (Son) and the Holy Spirit (Helper) so that we can learn from Him how to be a loving father, an obedient son and a helper or comforter to others.

Matthew 3:16-17  When He had been baptized, Jesus (Son) came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice (of the Father) came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Trinity in Creation

Gen 1:2-3  The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

    In the OT, we can see the Triune Godhead working together in Genesis as the Spirit of God, the Father (God) and the spoken Word of God.

John 1:1-3  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Triune Godhead created Man

Gen 1:26  Then God said, "Let Us (Trinity) make man in Our (Trinity) image, according to Our (Trinity) likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

Noahic Covenant

Gen 8:20; 9:3-4  "Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.

    After the deluge, the Triune God made the covenant with Noah to use only clean animals to sacrifice to Him. However, men can eat all meat (both clean and unclean) as food.    

Note  Since all men are the descendants of Noah, today, we can still find pagans worshipping 3 idols or images as their Triune god.

Righteousness by Faith

Gen 15:6  And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

   In this Noahic covenant, Abraham believed the God of Noah (the Triune Godhead or Trinity) and He accounted to him righteous.

   Then, He told Abraham to offer clean animals as sacrifices to Him.

Gen 15:9  So He said to him, "Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

Exo 3:6a   Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father— the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"

   After Abraham was found faithful and accounted righteous, the Triune God of Noah (Yahweh) made a Covenant with him that his descendants will inherit the Promised land.

    The God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and the Jews was the same Triune Godhead (Yahweh) - comprising the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit.

    Yahweh (YHWH) is the Hebrew word for God or the Triune Godhead in the OT.

    The Triune God (Yahweh) also revealed Himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

The Antichrist and the Satanic False Yahweh

1 John 4:2-3  By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

     The Priesthood and the Jews having killed and rejected Jesus as the Word made flesh are now the antichrists. They are now blind and the Yahweh they worship is the false and Satanic Yahweh (without the Word).

    Christians must not participate in any of the Satanic religious Jewish feasts, celebrations or  functions, otherwise they may lose their salvation.

Romans 11:7, 25  What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded... For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Fulfilling the Feasts (GL70)

    'Appreciating God's Love'

A) Jesus the Perfect Offerings

Luke 2:7  And she (Mary) brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

    Jesus, born in an animal shed and wrapped in the swaddling cloths was the perfect (animal) offering and sacrifice. Since He was laid in a manger, God made Him to be the perfect cereal and vegetation offering also required for the religious ceremony in the temple of God.

Three Jewish Feasts

     Deu 16:16  "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.

1. Feast of Unleavened Bread

a) The Passover

Lev 23:5  On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord's Passover.

    Our Lord Jesus was crucified on the day of Passover as the Passover Lamb of God, thereby fulfilling the Passover.

John 1:29  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

b) Feast of Unleavened Bread

Lev 23:6  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the *Feast of Unleavened Bread* to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.

    Our Lord Jesus was the Word made flesh the pure Bread of Life (unleavened bread), thereby fulfilling the Feast of the unleavened bread.

John 6:48  I am the bread of life."

2. Fulfilled Feast of Weeks

a) A Sheaf of 1st firstfruits

Lev 23:10  "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest.

     A sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest was waved by the priest before the Lord - this was fulfilled by our Lord being the first firstfruit (resurrected) from the ground.

1 Cor 15:20  But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

b) Feast of Weeks

Lev 23:15-16  And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.

     The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost (50 days) resulted to 3,000 Jews being harvested (converted to Christianity) fulfilled the Feast of Weeks of harvest.

3. Feast of Tabernacles

a) Blowing of Trumpets

Lev 23:24, 27, 34  "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

   The angels heralded the birth of the Lord with the sounding of the trumpets thereby fulfilling this event.

b) Day of Atonement

Lev 23:27a  "Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you.."

    After the baptism of Jesus by John, He and His disciples preached repentance to bring the Jews back to the Lord. Repented Jews were baptized thereby fulfilling this event.

c) Feast of Tabernacles

Lev 23:34  "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord."

    God dwelled in the Tabernacle amongst men in the Promised Land. Jews were to dwell in tabernacles (tents) during this Feast. After our Lord's resurrection, He gave the Holy Spirit to dwell in the physical bodies (tents) of His disciples thereby fulfilling this Feast of Tabernacles.

John 20:22  And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

Jewish Feasts Obsoleted

    At Jesus' death, God tore the veil into two signifying that He had left the temple of God thereby obsoleting the Old Covenant and the Jewish Feasts. In 70AD, the complete destruction of the Temple reconfirming the end of the Mosaic law of the Old Covenant or Judaism.

Warning - Christian cannot observe any Jewish Feast otherwise they will lose the grace of God in Christ Jesus.