Lecture on Genesis(7)
Scripture
Genesis 1:1
[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
This is the 7th Lecture on Genesis.
We looked into some of the names that refer to God.
I explained that, when the bible uses the name, "God," it means that God the Trinity worked together.
And, "the Spirit of God" may focus either on the outward form of God, or on the heart of God.
And then, we studied the names of God the Father.
They were "the Spirit of God," "the Spirit of Wisdom," and "the Spirit of Judgment," and "the Spirit of Burning."
Now, let's take a look at other names.
1 Peter 4:14 says, "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."
Now "the Spirit of glory" here is more than just the appearance of a name.
"The Spirit of glory" refers to the heart of God who is worthy to receive glory.
Here, it is saying that "the Spirit of glory" is "the Spirit of God."
Since "God" refers to God the Trinity, "the Spirit of glory" is the same heart of all Three of God the Trinity.
It is because God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all worthy to receive glory.
However, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God the Trinity, always gave all the glory to God the Father.
While on this earth, our Jesus gave all the glory only to God the Father.
When Jesus manifested signs and wonders, people gave all the glory to God the Father.
For example, Matthew 15:31 says, "So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel."
In addition, Jesus prayed to God in John 17:4, "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do."
And Jesus said in John 12:28, ""Father, glorify Your name " Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.""
And Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
Therefore, please make sure that, even though "the Spirit of God is the heart of all Three, God the Trinity, it is especially the heart of God the Father in particular.
When we do something that can allow us to give glory to God the Father, God the Father comes upon us as "the Spirit of God."
And He receives the glory we give to Him.
Once God the Father receives glory like this, He causes those who give glory to Him to receive glory as well.
And thus, Jesus said in John 13:32, "if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately."
By the way, 1 Peter 4:14 says, "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."
Why does "the Spirit of God" rest on you when you are reviled for the name of Christ?
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, it means you are at least on rock of faith in the 3rd level of faith.
It is the level where your faith doesn't budge at all in any kind of trial or hardship that you receive just because you believe the Lord.
How pleased will God the Father be when He finds such children?
The enemy devil and Satan may wrongfully persecute the children of God through the hands of evil people.
Just how much will God be proud of His children who keep their faith, and rejoice and give thanks?
God can take great pride before the enemy devil and Satan through those children who became the children of true faith through the human cultivation.
This fact itself becomes glory to God.
And God the Father gives glory to His children who give glory to God this way.
Not only on this earth, but also in Heaven, God rewards His children greatly.
That's why Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12, " Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
In addition, 1 Peter 4:16 says, "but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name."
Therefore, if you suffer for the sake of the name of the Lord for any reason not of your own, I urge you to rejoice and give thanks from the depth of your heart.
The reason is because it is God giving you a chance to give glory to God the Father.
However, the opportunity to give glory to God is not only given to you when you suffer for the sake of the name of the Lord, but it is all the time.
Just as written in 1 Corinthians 10:31, you should 'do all to the glory of God whether you eat or drink or whatever you do.'
May the Spirit of Glory be with you all the time as you give glory to God the Father in all situations, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Now, among the divided entities of God the Father let's delve into "the Seven Spirits".
"The Seven Spirits" appear 4 times in the Book of Revelation alone.
Revelation 5:6 says, "And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth."
Simply speaking, the Seven Spirits are the heart of God the Father that measure specific attributes in 7 fields.
There are many attributes in the heart of God the Father.
The Seven Spirits measure seven specific attributes in the hearts of people in view of the 7 fields.
Therefore, the seven spirits are not 7 different spirits; they are the Spirit of God the Father that measures the 7 fields.
According to the measure by the seven fields, God decides whether or not He will give an answer to your prayer.
Let's take a closer look.
The Seven Spirits that is the divided entity of God the Father, searches and supervises the hearts of His children around the world.
And then the Spirits measure the 7 fields, which are faith, prayer, joy, thankfulness, keeping the commandments, faithfulness, and love.
Measuring just these 7 fields makes it possible to evaluate the faith of an individual.
If the measure of the 7 fields of someone passes the standard that God the Father has set, God responds with an answer to prayer.
Since God the Father can divide His spirit without limit, He can precisely measure the heart of all the believers.
The Seven Spirits convey the results of the measure to the heart of God the Father.
Since the seven spirits are originally a part of God the Father's heart, what the seven spirits feel can also be felt by God the Father.
And, according to the measure by the seven sprits, God gives an answer to prayer.
Well, Christians in the stage of infancy may say, "Then, it will be difficult for me to pass what the seven spirits measure."
On the contrary, however, it may be easier for 'baby' Christians to pass.
Listen to me carefully to know why.
When the Seven Spirits measure each individual, they don't apply the same standard to everyone.
Different standards are applied according to the measure of faith of an individual.
For example, when parents bring up their children, they deal with their children differently according to their ages.
If the child is an infant, they treat the baby according to the age.
No matter how much the baby cries, the parents don't scold the baby. They are tolerant of everything.
If the baby wets his diaper, they take it for granted; they clean and change the baby's diaper and take care of the baby.
Even though they cannot communicate with the baby, they tend to the needs of the baby.
However, what if the baby grows up to be a child of five years old, but still behaves like an infant?
Their hearts will be broken.
Moreover, if the child still behaves like an infant even at the age of 10, their hearts will be more broken.
If the child is young, when the child behaves in accordance with his age, the parents can be comfortable with it.
If he is well-behaved, better than expected for his age, the parents will be delighted by such a child.
And no matter what the child asks and needs, the parents can accept it and respond to his desires.
The same can be applied to the fellowship between our God and us as His children in the faith.
God the Father measures the hearts of those who are in the 1st level of faith according to their level of faith.
And it is the same with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th levels of faith.
Therefore, if a man in the 3rd level of faith lives a life which is that of the 1st level of faith, no matter how long he prays, there will be no answer.
However, what will happen if he lives a life of the 4th level of faith?
God the Father will be very pleased and give answers to whatever he prays for.
This is the reason new believers can receive answers relatively well.
The standard that those in 1st or 2nd level of faith should pass is the lowest when the seven spirits measure.
When a new believer is full of the first love and filled with the Holy Spirit, he may show the actions and deeds of faith characteristic of those in the 3rd or 4th levels of faith.
He attends all kinds of services and prays well.
He is delighted when he meets with brothers in faith.
When church members visit him, he tries to welcome them with the manners and etiquette he observes in the visiting members.
He is in the 1st or 2nd level of faith, but the level of fullness of the Holy Spirit surpasses that of the 3rd level of faith.
In this case, whenever he prays, he receives answers.
He receives answers in much the same way those in the 4th level of faith receive answers.
And so, he testifies that he receives answers to his prayer all the time.
The problem is that, even though his faith should keep on growing in this fullness, when he encounters a trial or an affliction, he loses some of his grace.
To the extent of the years of faith a person's faith, joy, thankfulness, keeping the commandments, faithfulness, and love should also grow.
Only then can you pass the standard when the seven spirits measure.
The reason God the Father has set the standard of giving answer to prayers according to the measure of the seven spirits is not because He doesn't want to give answer to His children.
God the Father who is love itself always wishes to give many answers and blessings.
However, He cannot violate Justice, and so, He set the standard according to the level of faith, and makes the seven spirits measure it precisely.
Now, I'm going to explain the 7 fields that the seven spirits measure.
Check yourself whether you can pass the measure of the seven spirit according to your current level of faith.
In this year of 2009, many of you have received answers and blessings.
From the beginning of this year, I delivered messages regarding the basic conditions to receive blessings, and you have been given the grace to solve the fundamental problems that have hindered you from receiving blessings.
Is here anyone who will say, "Up until this time, I still haven't received any blessings yet."
Through this message about the Seven Spirits, please check your faith.
If you fulfill what you lack, you will surely receive answers and bless.
I hope that all of you, without missing any of you, will give glory to God with the fruit of blessing at the time of harvest.
The same applies not only to individual blessing, but also to church-wide answers.
There are big prayer topics in this church that should receive answer in the 2nd half of this year.
The "Crystal Forum Israel Festival" and "Canaan Sanctuary" are just two.
These church wide prayer topics cannot receive answers by my faith alone.
The average of the faith of all of you should pass the measure the Seven Spirits.
Therefore, I will explain the seven fields the seven spirits measure in detail.
I hope that you will significantly upgrade your part of the average of faith at this time.
When the average of the grade of one class goes up, the teacher of the class is pleased and he may provide a treat the students.
In the same way, if you increase the averages of your faiths in one heart, God the Father will be greatly pleased with you.
Once God the Father is pleased with you, you will not have any problem.
Even though you may have a problem that cannot be solved by man's ability, when God intervenes, it can be solved easily.
Therefore, all you have to do is please God the Father.
I urge all of you to make an effort until the Seven Spirits say all of you have passed the test of measurement.
Dear brothers and sisters.
The first attribute that the Seven Spirits measure is 'faith'.
The Bible clearly says, "It shall be done according to your faith (Matthew 9:29)."
Now, do you receive answers as you pray while confessing that you believe?
If you confessed and prayed because you have true and spiritual faith that you can truly believe in your heart, then what you pray for would come true.
However, if there is no answer even though you prayed confessing that you believe, what may be the reason?
It is because your confession was not made in the faith of believing from the depth of your heart; in other words, it was not a confession of true spiritual faith.
At best it was the faith as knowledge which is fleshly faith not spiritual faith.
Even if you confess with your lips what you know in your head, it is not true confession of faith.
Then, what is the spiritual faith?
Spiritual faith is the faith of being able to believe in your heart without any doubt. It is believing, even though evidence cannot be seen and it's not in accordance with your thought or knowledge.
It is the faith of the belief that something can be created out of nothing.
But it is not the faith that just anyone can have, and it's not just when they want to have it.
God gives you the spiritual faith to the same extent that you get rid of the evil in you by means of sanctification.
The confession of those who get rid of evil and become sanctified is a confession in truth.
If your heart does not condemn you when you check yourself against the word of God, you will have confidence before God. (1 John 3:21)
Then you will receive whatever you ask of God, and you are so confident that God will surely give what you ask.
It is because God gives the spiritual faith to you from above to the extent you live by the word of God.
You continually see, hear, and experience the signs and wonders that take place in this church.
You know that God can do what people think impossible, and you think you believe that.
However, when you encounter a problem, it is revealed whether your confession was true faith or faith as knowledge.
For example, you are stricken with a disease.
It is the disease that can be easily healed of if you go to hospital.
However, if you are not properly treated, the disease will become worse and you will eventually die.
In this case, can you confess God the Almighty will surely heal you, and completely depend on God alone?
Some of you may make the confession with lips, but have doubt and worries in your hearts.
You may think, "What if God doesn't heal me, and the disease becomes worse?"
Having this kind of thought and worry itself proves that you haven't yet possessed the true faith.
Those who have the true spiritual faith have firm faith that God will surely heal them, and thus they have no worries or anxieties.
Even if they got sick because they committed sin, they believe that, if they repent, God will forgive them and the disease will leave them.
When they completely repent and break the wall of sin, they become sure of healing in their heart.
It is the spiritual faith that God the Father gives from above.
Likewise, even if a wall of sin is broken, the spiritual faith that they will receive answer is given.
If they have always lived in the light, how confident will they be before God?
When they ask of God for anything, God the Father will say, "Alright, here it is," and give the answer.
1 John 3:21-22 says, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."
I urge you to have this kind of strong fellowship with God the Father.
By the way, to have this kind of faith, as I told you earlier, you must keep the commandments of God.
You should do what God the Father tells you to do, and you should not do what He tells you not to do.
When you cast off what God tells you to cast off, and keeps what God tells you to keep, your heart cannot condemn you, and thus you can become confident before God.
God the Father is best pleased with you when you do the truth.
And He gives answers and blessing to His children with whom He is pleased.
Therefore, spiritual faith must be accompanied by works (or acts of faith).
These are the works of living by the word of God.
James 2:22 says, "You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected."
And James 2:26 says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."
If you don't live by the word of God, you cannot have the spiritual faith.
Moreover, if you commit sin, no matter how many times you confess that you believe, the spiritual faith that helps you receive answer can never be given to you.
Only when you repent of your sin and live in the light can the spiritual faith be given from above.
Dear brothers and sisters.
What is the reason the seven spirits measure faith first?
As mentioned earlier, it is because God measures other fields according to the level of faith.
When God measures the level of faith, He knows what level of faith he is.
And it sets the standard for this person.
Then, the standard of other fields – joy, prayer, thankfulness, keeping the commandments, faithfulness, and love – can also be set according to the level of faith.
The standards are lowest for the one in the 1st level of faith.
The higher the level of faith, the higher the standard is going to be.
What if God set the same standard for all?
Those who are in the 1st level of faith will give up receiving answer because it is too difficult.
On the other hand, those whose faith is mature would feel it easy to receive answers.
They may not try harder to go into the deep levels of the spirit.
God the Father knows all these things.
And so, it is out of His love that He has set the different standards to receive answers according to the levels of faith.
Of course, in the same level of faith, the deeds of faith should be different depending on the gravity of the prayer requests.
To receive answers to the bigger prayer requests, you should show bigger deeds of faith.
You should prayer more, and you should give more thanks and become more faithful.
If you say, "Since my faith is in this level, this much should be enough," and if you settle for a measure, you cannot receive answer and blessings t that are bigger and greater.
You should show the deeds of faith that surpass your level of faith.
If you receive answers according to these stipulations, your faith has the opportunity to grow up.
Therefore, I urge you not to stop the works of faith until you reach the complete and perfect level of faith.