The Revelation of the Church Life by Ron Brubacher

Title of this volume: The Revelation of the Church Life 1st edition - December, 2012 Translated with permission of Editora Árvore da Vida Published by Editora Árvore da Vida in Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, French, Italian and German. All rights reserved by Jasper Life Publications Inc. 725 Viscount Road London, ON, Canada N6J 4G9 Phone: (519) 472-0350 http://jasperlife.com ISSN 1920-8510 Printed in Canada

Other versions of scripture are indicated as follows: ASV American Standard Version lit. Literal translation

ENJOY! Individually 1. Meet with the Lord early in the morning. 2. As soon as you rise, before doing anything else, take a breath of life, deeply calling on the name of the Lord, “Oh Lord Jesus”. When doing this, drop all your cares, fears, sadness and sin, and receive the Lord Jesus as life, joy, peace and encouragement. Call “Lord Jesus” several times throughout the day. 3. Read the verses given each day in order to have a complete idea of the subject to be covered. Remember that the Bible explains the Bible; because of this, you will find quotations from many other books of the Bible aside from the one which we are presenting in this Daily Food. 4. Prayerfully read the verse suggested each day. To do this, each word ought to be repeated, emphasized and proclaimed without haste, as if one were chewing. Do not read the verse too fast, but spend time on each word. In this exercise, do not worry about understanding the verse, but “eat” it, taking it by faith as spiritual food. 5. Underline and highlight the phrases and words in the explanatory text that most impress you. Pay special attention to the Key Point. This point will function as a key to unlock the spiritual significance of the text. “Digest” it during the day, repeating it to yourself. In this manner, the text that you read in the morning will be your spiritual food all day long. 6. Share what you gain with those you are related to at home, at school, at work, etc. They need the life that you receive through the word.

Enjoy! In Small Groups 1. Daily Food is an excellent tool for small groups meeting to study the Bible. These small groups may be informal and be characterized by mutual care among the members. 2. A small group meeting can be formed of household members, relatives and neighbors, friends who live nearby, classmates, or work colleagues. 3. Try to meet regularly with members of your small group meeting in order to read Daily Food together. 4. When together, read the suggested passages for each day and prayerfully read the verse of the day. 5. Try to apply the Key Point to your daily life and its difficulties, and to your personal and professional life. Make the word of God applicable to your living. In this way everyone can actively participate and be mutually edified. 6. Take the opportunity to pray together for individual needs or problems. 7. Whenever possible, bring guests to your small group meeting. Then more people can be supplied by Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word.

May you all receive life abundantly!

The editors

PS: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to look at the Complementary Reading suggested at the end of each week. It is very helpful.

CONTENTS Week 1 – Message 9 The Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:10-13)

Why Did the Lord Jesus Speak in Parables?...................................... 7 Hearing the Word of the Kingdom.................................................... 9 Being Good Ground......................................................................... 11 Overcoming the Cares of the World and the Deceitfulness of Riches................................................................ 14 Being Violent to Take the Kingdom................................................. 17 Being Purified with Fire.................................................................... 19 The Purifying Process of the Heart and Soul................................... 22

Week 2 – Message 10 The Seven Churches in Revelation (Rev. 1:20)

Having Ears to Hear What the Spirit Says to the Churches........... 25 The Parable of the Sower and the Church in Ephesus.................... 27 The Parable of the Tares and the Church in Smyrna...................... 30 The Parable of the Mustard Seed and the Church in Pergamos...... 33 The Parable of the Leaven and the Church in Thyatira.................. 35 The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Church in Sardis, and the Parable of the Pearl and the Church in Philadelphia..... 37 The Parable of the Dragnet and the Church in Laodicea............... 40

Week 3 – Message 11 The Revelation of the Church Life (Matt. 16:18-20)

The Requirements for Obtaining the Revelation of the Church.... 43 The Revelation of the Church and Its Authority............................ 45 The Importance of Growing in Life................................................. 47 The Problem of the Soul-Life........................................................... 49 The Importance of the Church Life................................................. 51 The Way to Follow the Lord in the Church Life............................. 53 The Church Life is for the Kingdom ............................................... 55

Week 4 – Message 12 Exposing the Soul-Life (Matt. 17:4-6)

Hearing the Lord in a New Way...................................................... 58 Governed by God’s Life.................................................................... 61 The Great Need of Denying the Self............................................... 63 The Forgiveness That Issues out of God’s Life................................. 65 We Can Come to God without Fear................................................ 67 Constantly Denying the Soul-Life.................................................... 69 The Responsibility of Shepherding the Saints................................. 71 5

Week 5 – Message 13 The King Enters Jerusalem (Matt. 21:5-9) Transformed and Useful to the Lord................................................ 74 The Obstacles for the Fulfillment of God’s Will.............................. 76 Following the Pattern Left by the Lord Jesus................................... 78 Restricted and Transformed by Life, and Useful in the Work.......... 80 A Change That is Inward and Real................................................. 82 Transformed by the Spirit and Fire................................................... 84 The Two Realms During the Kingdom of the Heavens................... 86 Week 6 – Message 14 The Last Ministry Revealed by the Lord (John 21:21-23)

The Lord Feeds and Takes Care of His Disciples............................. 90 Following the One We Love............................................................. 92 Serving in Fellowship with Others................................................... 94 The Last Ministry—Spirit and Life.................................................. 96 Being Supplied with Spirit and Life................................................. 98 The Details Revealed by the Spirit................................................ 100 Remaining Close to the Lord......................................................... 102

Week 7 – Message 15 The Ministry of the Twelve Apostles (Acts 2:14-21)

Christ is the Perfect Passover Lamb............................................... 105 Being Proved by the Fire of the Spirit............................................ 107 Baptized with the Holy Spirit to Preach the Gospel...................... 109 The Two Aspects of the Spirit........................................................ 111 The Result of Calling on the Lord’s Name.................................... 113 Practicing the Church Life with Simplicity.................................... 115 The Pattern for the Church Life Today.......................................... 117

Week 8 – Message 16 The Ministry of Paul (Acts 9:13-16)

Denying the Soul-Life to Carry out the Ministry........................... 120 Salvation in the Lord’s Name......................................................... 122 Calling on the Lord’s Name in the Midst of Persecution............... 124 Commissioned to Bear the Lord’s Name........................................ 126 Paul Receives the Revelation of God’s New Testament Economy.129 Convincing People through the Spirit........................................... 131 The Ministry Which We Follow and Practice................................ 133

Week

1 – MONDAY

Scripture reading:

Matt. 13:9-17, 34-35 Read with prayer:

But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it (Matt. 13:16-17).

The Parable of the Sower

WHY DID THE LORD JESUS SPEAK IN PARABLES?

In chapter 13 of the gospel of Matthew, the Lord Jesus spoke seven parables. At the end of the first, the parable of the sower, the Lord said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (v. 9). In order to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, we must have ears to hear what the Lord has to say, that is, we must have an open heart to receive His words. Verses 10 and 11 continue saying, “And the disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’ He answered and said to them, ‘Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.’” The Lord spoke to them in parables that the condition of their hearts might be exposed; the hearts of the people were hardened and insensitive. The disciples, however, had ears to hear. Hence, the Lord spoke in a very special way to them. The disciples are our representatives. As those who will govern the coming world, the Lord wants to give us the revelation of the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens. Consequently, we must have a proper heart. Despite having been saved in their spirit and regenerated, many still spend much of their lives in the realm of the soul,

The Revelation of the Church Life

living by their natural being. Like the Jews who heard the Lord’s words but did not understand them as prophesied by Isaiah, there are believers today who hear with their ears, but cannot understand; who see with their eyes, but cannot perceive. The Lord said that the heart of the people had grown hard. The original Greek word for dull in this verse is fat. This fatness makes the heart thick, insensitive, and hard. Therefore, the Lord says in verse 15: “For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.” Hence, we can say that having a dull heart is the result of refusing to deny the self, take up the cross, and lose the soullife. The seven parables of Matthew 13 can be divided into two categories: life-related and work-related. In order to enter into the kingdom’s manifestation and govern the coming world with the Lord, we need these two things: life and work. Concerning the first item, it is clear that we must be born again of the divine life, grow, and mature in this life to enter into the kingdom of the heavens (John 3:3, 5, 7). At the same time, the Lord also perfects us in the work of the ministry for the building up of His Body today (Eph. 4:1112) that we may be able to manage all His possessions and reign with Him one day (Matt. 24:47; Rev. 20:6). Key point: Having an open heart to receive the Lord’s words. My key point: Question: In your own experience, what can make a heart “fat”?

Week

1 – TUESDAY

Scripture reading:

Matt. 13:1-8, 18-23; Heb. 6:7-8 Read with prayer:

You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it;… You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth (Psa. 65:9-10). For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God (Heb. 6:7).

In Matthew 13, the Lord spoke to the multitudes in parables, beginning with the parable of the sower (vv. 3-8), which conveys God’s intention to plant the seed of life into our hearts. Those who only use their mind to understand the Word are unable to practice it; for such ones, this parable may not have much meaning. However, if we open our hearts and turn to the Lord, we will see how important this parable is (2 Cor. 3:16). Verse 3 says: “Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow.’” The seeds fell on to four kinds of ground. Verse 4 continues: “And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.” The Lord Himself interprets this parable in verses 18-23. Verse 19 reads: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.” The wayside is a public place where anyone is free to travel; it is like the paths created by the traffic of people walking through. Once a path like this is established, plants

The Parable of the Sower

HEARING THE WORD OF THE KINGDOM

The Revelation of the Church Life

can no longer grow there due to constant traffic which makes the ground compact and hard. In accordance with the Lord’s explanation, the ground in these verses represents our heart. This means that if we have too many plans in this world, we will also have many anxieties travelling through our heart. These plans and anxieties cause our hearts to be hard and dry, insensitive to the things of God. The more we involve ourselves with the things of the world, the less likely it will be for us to receive the word of the kingdom, for its seed will be unable to get into us. When the seeds remain on the surface, the birds come and devour them. Likewise, if the word of the kingdom does not penetrate our heart, the power within the seed of life will have no way to operate in us. If this is our situation, if our heart has become hard from the traffic of the world, we must pray like this: “Oh Lord Jesus! My heart is hard and dry; I have allowed so many things to occupy my thoughts and heart that Your word cannot find a way in. What must I do? Work on my heart and ‘soften’ the ground.” By calling on the Lord’s name, the ground of our heart will be softened and His word will penetrate it, bringing life, germinating, and flourishing therein. Hallelujah! Key point: Lord, work on my heart! My key point: Question: What do the ground and seed represent in the parable of the sower?

Week

1 – WEDNESDAY

Scripture reading:

Zech. 7:12; Matt. 13:1-8, 18-23 Read with prayer:

Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Cor. 4:2).

The second kind of ground mentioned in this parable is the stony one, where there is little earth. In order to germinate, a seed requires earth that is able to retain moisture; if the ground is stony, there is little earth, and consequently, little water. Hence, if the roots are unable to absorb enough moisture from the earth, the plant will attempt to do so from the air, the surface. The stones in the ground represent the hidden and natural sins concealed in our hearts that make it hard (Zech. 7:12). This ground represents those who receive the word with joy, yet having no root in themselves, when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, they immediately stumble (Matt. 13:20-21). Despite germinating, the seed of God’s life cannot mature in such ones. What must we do? Should we allow the “plant” to die from the “heat of the sun”? No. We should pray, “Oh Lord Jesus! My heart is filled with stones and is very hard. I have so many natural opinions and arguments. Have mercy on me and remove the stones from my heart! I want Your life to grow in me.”

The Parable of the Sower

BEING GOOD GROUND

The Revelation of the Church Life

Hidden within the ground of our heart, within us, are many stones. When we manage to remove one, it seems another one takes its place. Nevertheless, if we live a normal church life, we will go on removing these stones. The way to do so is by denying the soul-life; we must reject everything that is hidden in our natural being: our opinions, concepts, and reasonings which are like stones that prevent the growth of God’s life in us. By pressing forward like this, little by little, our heart will become good ground where the seed can grow unhindered. The third kind of ground presented in the parable of the sower, in Matthew 13, is the one filled with thorns: “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them” (v. 7). The Lord Himself explained that “he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matt. 13:22). Plants also need sunlight in order to grow and are only able to bear fruit when there is light in abundance. Most plants do not flourish or bear fruit when confined and kept inside a house. Spiritually speaking, the thorns represent the enemy’s strategy to prevent the plant from receiving sunlight. There are numerous kinds of seed. There is, for instance, the early seed, which goes through its life-cycle in forty days of being directly exposed to sunlight. There is also a late variety of seed, which requires an even longer time of direct exposure to sunlight. This is relevant in managing the time for harvest. Likewise, in order to mature in the divine life, we need to be directly exposed to “sunlight”; only then can we flourish and bear fruit. Christ is our “Dayspring from on high” (Luke 1:78). By remaining in fellowship with Him, we can grow unto maturity.

We praise the Lord, for one day we will have a heart that is soft and free from all hardness and insensitivity. Then, every hidden stone will have been removed from us, which are the natural things of our fallen soul, and we will be able to retain the water God sends down from the heavens. This will also free us from the thorns, that is, the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. Hence, our heart will become good ground which can foster normal growth. Key point: Without stones and thorns, we can become good ground. My key point:

The Parable of the Sower

Question: How has the experience of removing the hidden stones of your heart been?

The Revelation of the Church Life

Week

1 – THURSDAY

Scripture reading:

Matt. 13:5-7, 20-22; 16:24-25; 1 Tim. 6:10 Read with prayer:

I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches (Psa. 119:14). He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage (Prov. 11:28). OVERCOMING THE CARES OF THE WORLD AND THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES

In order for a plant to grow, flourish, and bear fruit, it needs to be adequately exposed to sunlight. Likewise, after believing in the Lord, we too need a very special light so that His Word planted in us can grow and bear fruit. This light is none other than the Lord Jesus Himself as the Dayspring from on high (Luke 1:78). If we are short of the Lord’s light, we will not be able to mature. However, when we are exposed to the divine light, we bear fruit. We thank the Lord for enlightening us through this parable concerning the hindrances for the growth of the kingdom’s word in us. Our first problem, the hardness of our heart, can be resolved by calling on the Lord’s name; this is the way to soften the “ground” of our heart. Concerning the second issue, our soul-life, represented by the hidden stones in the ground, we learned that they must be removed one by one by rejecting the opinions, strongholds, and reasonings that emerge from the self (Matt. 16:24-25). As we live the church life, we are removing these stones by denying the soul-life. Hence, we can grow and receive even more sunlight. Unhappy with this situation, however, the enemy will attempt to prevent the growth of the Word in us by using the thorns.

The Parable of the Sower

Being wild, the thorns grow very quickly and without any cultivation. When the seed germinates and grows among thorns, it finds it difficult to receive sunlight, which is blocked by the thorns. Moreover, the thorns choke the plant, leaving it unable to grow and mature adequately to bear fruit. As explained by the Lord, the thorns are “the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches” which “choke the word, and make it unfruitful” (13:22). These anxieties or cares of the world, which are the concerns of our day-to-day life, along with the deceitfulness of riches, are the reason why so many can no longer serve God. Such ones have been bound and tied by the many concerns of the world, especially those pertaining to making a living. So many people are unable to overcome this! The most sought out item in the world is money; it is its central goal and activity. What about us, God’s children? Are we overly concerned with the things of the world such that we are less and less involved with the things of God? We may be able to overcome several aspects of the world, but concerning material riches, many remain enslaved. They say they want a comfortable life, but once they have it, they remain dissatisfied. Even after attaining a high level of comfort, they always want more. This is the real situation of many believers today. Due to limited resources, the first car of a young person is usually pre-owned. Although it may require extensive maintenance, the car takes care of mobility aspect. After a while, that young person realizes the need for a car that requires less maintenance. Then, he works twice as many hours in order to make more money to buy a better and more comfortable car. This is only an example of how many are choked by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches. Every believer has gone through this cycle of trials.

The Revelation of the Church Life

Attempting to deal with this issue, many will cut off the thorns; nevertheless, this measure will prove useless when the wild thorns grow back and choke them again. The things of the world, its day-to-day anxieties, grow much faster than Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life in us. Merely spending less money on that which is superfluous is not enough. We must pray that the Lord will burn away all the anxieties and desires for things we do not need. As a result, we will be freed from the thorns. Praise the Lord! Key point: Burning away the deceitfulness of riches. My key point: Question: What prevents us from bearing fruit?

Week

1 – FRIDAY

Scripture reading:

Matt. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7 Read with prayer:

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force (Matt. 11:12).

Since we are preparing ourselves for the coming world, we must thirst for God’s Word. Unfortunately however, many people only seek knowledge. They do not have the vision that everything we have today should be for the coming world. Even in the work of many Christian groups, this vision is nowhere to be found. They have not seen that they were also called to reign with the Lord. To those who see it, however, the Lord says, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear” (Matt. 13:16). We must be attentive to the revelation the Lord gives us. In order for God’s life to grow in us, He carries out a preparation work in us as we deny ourselves and take up the cross that we may lose our soul-life. At the same time, He tells us many words that relate to the work of the ministry. Hence, in addition to growing in life, we are also perfected for the work. If we practice the Word by serving in the Lord’s work, we will become useful for the work of the ministry. In the gospel of Matthew, we see that John the Baptist went out to preach the gospel, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand” (3:2). After being baptized, the Lord Jesus initiated His earthly ministry, preaching those same words (4:17). Later on, He chose twelve apostles from among those who followed Him to

The Parable of the Sower

BEING VIOLENT TO TAKE THE KINGDOM

The Revelation of the Church Life

expedite and help preach the gospel of the kingdom (10:7). God wants to perfect and prepare those whom He entrusted with the gospel of the kingdom that they may reign with Him one day. The Lord gave this vision to those who already knew what the kingdom of the heavens is. Nevertheless, it is not enough to merely know this, for the kingdom of the heavens is taken forcefully, violently (11:12). If we desire to properly prepare ourselves, we must grow in life and also be diligent, taking advantage of the opportunities we are given to be perfected for the work of the ministry. For instance, when sitting at the table, what should we talk about? In a normal condition, we should talk about our enjoyment of the Lord and our experiences living the church life. Many, however, waste this opportunity by talking about secular things such as cars, houses, jobs, etc. Such things are the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches; they hinder our growth in life and prevent us from moving closer to the Lord. This is the real situation of many, as well as the reason why they do not grow spiritually. We must be diligent, redeeming our time that we may take the kingdom of the heavens by force (or violence, according to the original). This does not mean that we should use our natural strength; on the contrary, it means that we should let go of everything that is natural, and even be violent to do so, that we may enjoy the things of the kingdom of the heavens. Key point: Not wasting our time. My key point: Question: In your own living, can you say that you have been violent to take the kingdom?

Week

1 – SATURDAY

Scripture reading:

Matt. 3:11; 1 Pet. 1:7 Read with prayer:

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts (Prov. 17:3).

Matthew 3:11 reads, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” These words were spoken by John the Baptist as he referred to the Lord Jesus. It was as if he had said, “I baptize you in water because I am the Lord Jesus’ forerunner; I am preparing the way for Him. I do so to lead you to repentance, that is, that you may deny your soul-life and be ready to receive God’s life.” Although the fire in verse 11, with which the Lord baptized, can be associated with the fire in verse 12, the unquenchable fire, according to our own experience and the revelation of 1 Peter 1:7, we can correlate this fire to the Spirit’s inner burning. Just as gold is refined by fire, this inner burning also purifies us. By the time Peter wrote his first epistle, he was already quite mature. The gospels, however, tell us of a Peter who had a very strong soul-life. While following the Lord, Peter’s soul-life was often exposed by Him. The fallen nature which we inherited from Adam, that is, our soul-life, is equally strong, being the result of our natural birth. When we believe in the Lord, He initiates a transforming and purifying work in us to eliminate our

The Parable of the Sower

BEING PURIFIED WITH FIRE

The Revelation of the Church Life

soul-life little by little. According to our experience in the past, whenever we suffered a grave situation such as a car accident, illness, or even financial hardship, we thought that was the Lord’s way of leading us to deny our soullife. We have experienced, however, that once the adverse situation ceases, our soul-life is still there, ready to manifest itself again. In these experiences, we see that merely going through sufferings is not enough to deal with our soul-life; we need the burning of the Holy Spirit within our being. For instance, let us take the example of a brother who was ill. While he was sick, he went before the Lord and confessed his sins. After his confession, he recovered. After some time, however, the illness came back. He thought, “Is there anything I have yet to confess?” Trying to understand what was happening, he went back to the Lord, who showed him even more things. Then, he prayed, “Oh Lord, I removed that stone, but found an even deeper one I did not see the first time. I want to deny my soul-life. Remove this stone!” The Lord heard his prayer and he felt healthy again. The illness came back a third time and the situation became quite serious: he was between life and death. Once again, he prayed, “Lord, I have already confessed once and twice... Is there more that I should confess?” The Lord showed him even more things, he confessed, and was healed. Nevertheless, there were still manifestations of his soul-life. When the church wanted to advance in the Lord’s moving, he would not follow with the church; instead, he wanted to serve in his own way. Despite all the suffering he had gone through, his natural being still persisted. It took some time, but at last, he realized it was not only a matter of confessing his sins, but of letting go of his self, ego, and opinions, thus submitting to the Lord. Since we all have a very strong soul-life, this situation is familiar to us all. The sufferings caused by the outward

situations alone cannot eliminate it. We must turn ourselves to the Lord and allow the fire of the Holy Spirit to burn and purify us, just as gold is purified by fire. Key point: Letting go of ourselves and submitting to the Lord. My key point:

The Parable of the Sower

Question: Have you had the experience of going through sufferings, confessing your sins to the Lord, thinking you had been purified, and then having your soul-life manifest itself again?

The Revelation of the Church Life

Week

1 – SUNDAY

Scripture reading:

1 Pet. 1:6-7 Read with prayer:

Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord (Rom. 12:11). For our God is a consuming fire (Heb. 12:29). THE PURIFYING PROCESS OF THE HEART AND SOUL

When we allow the fire of the Spirit to burn away our natural being along with its desires and ambitions, all the things that hinder the growth of the kingdom’s word in us are gradually removed. Hence, our heart becomes like the fourth kind of ground mentioned in Matthew 13:8: good ground where the seed can bear fruit a hundred, sixty, and thirtyfold. Indeed, the best way for our heart to become this good ground is to allow it to be tried by fire, as gold is placed in the refining crucible to be purified. First Peter 1:6-7 reads, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” When gold is mined, the miner is unable to remove all its impurities with water alone. The mineral must be placed in the refining crucible, and everything goes into the fire. Being one of the densest metals found in nature, when gold is exposed to high temperatures, all other metals and elements in its rough state dislodge and rise to the surface; there they can be removed. However, in order to get gold that is nearly pure, it is not enough to merely refine it once. In order to remove even more impurities, the temperature must be raised.

Only then can the smallest impurities rise to the surface and be removed. Physical gold, however, though refined by fire, is still perishable. When Peter wrote this, he did not refer to physical gold or earthly fire; rather, he spoke concerning the preciousness of our faith and the fire of the Holy Spirit. This encourages us to turn to our spirit mingled with the Spirit of God, that we may keep it fervent (Rom. 12:11). When we are in spirit, it is easy to confess our sins and repent of our natural being. Within the Spirit in us is the fire that burns all the impurities of our heart and soul. Hallelujah! This is how we become good ground that is able to yield a hundred, sixty, and thirtyfold. Praise the Lord! Key point: Turning to the Lord’s presence in our spirit. My key point: Question: What is the best way for our heart to become good ground?

The Parable of the Sower

Complementary Reading: “The Great Reward” – chap. 2 – Dong Yu Lan. “The Mysteries of the Kingdom of the Heavens” – chap. 2 – Dong Yu Lan.

NOTES