Weekly message: Christ-consciousness will help you find peace and rest (Matt.11:28) By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly message: Christ-consciousness will help you find peace and rest (Matt.11:28) 

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce                                                                                                           Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 

Ø     Abide in Him 

            God means us to live a fully orbed life in Christ Jesus, but there are things when that life is attacked from the outside, and we tumble into a way of introspection or self-analysis, brooding, showing deep unhappiness of thought which we thought had gone. Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of the life in God, and self-consciousness continually produces wrestling. Self-consciousness is not sin; it may be produced by a nervous temperament or by a sudden dumping down into new circumstances. It is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs rest in Him must be cured at once, and it is not cured by being ignored, but by coming to Jesus Christ. If we come to Him and ask Him to produce Christ-consciousness, He will always do it until we learn to abide in Him.

Ø    Keep right spiritually, and oneness with Him   

            Never allow the dividing up of your life in Christ to remain without facing it. Beware of leakage, of the dividing up of your life by the influence of friends or of circumstances; beware of anything that is going to split up your oneness with Him. And make you see yourself separately. Nothing is so important as to keep right spiritually, the great solution is the simple one –Jesus said, “Come unto Me.”(Matthew11:28). The depth of our reality, intellectually, morally and spiritually, is tested by these words. In every scenario we will “dispute” rather than “come”.  

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate (or break up, break apart) your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once and ask Him to establish rest. Never allow anything to remain which is making the dis-peace. Take every element of disintegration as something to wrestle against, and not to suffer. Say-Lord, prove Thy consciousness in me, and self-consciousness will go and He will be all in all. Beware of allowing self-consciousness to continue because by slow degrees it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is Satanic. You argue, well, I am not understood; this is a thing they ought to apologize for; that is a point I really must have cleared up. Leave other alone and ask the Lord to give you Christ–Consciousness, and He will poise (or balance) you until the completeness is absolute.

Ø      Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest, turn to Him, ask Him to establish rest

The complete life is the life of a child. When I am consciously conscious, there is something wrong. It is the sick man who knows what health is. The child of God is not conscious of the will of God because he is the will of God. When there has been the slightest deviation from the will of God, we begin to ask – What is Thy will? A child of God never prays to be conscious that God answers prayer, he is so restfully certain that God always does answer prayer. If we try to overcome self-consciousness by any common-sense method, we will develop it tremendously. Jesus says, “Come unto Me and I will give you rest,” (Matt.11:28).  Christ-consciousness will take the place of self-consciousness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest, the rest of the perfection of activity that is never conscious of itself.  

Ø     Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you” (John 14:27)

         There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He makes peace, His words are ever “Spirit of life”. Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “ My peace I give unto you” – it is a peace which comes from looking into His face and realizing His un-disturbedness.

          Are you painfully disturbed just now, distracted by the waves and billows of God’s providential permission, and having, as it were, turned over the boulders of your belief, are you still finding no well of peace, or joy or comfort; is all barren? Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord Jesus. Reflected peace is the proof that you are right with God because you are at liberty to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, you are either disturbed or you have a false security.

          Are you looking unto Jesus now, in the immediate matter that is pressing and receiving from Him peace? If so, He will be a gracious benediction of peace in and through you. But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get. We get disturbed because we have not been considering Him. When one confers with Jesus Christ the perplexity goes, because He has no perplexity, and our only concern is to abide in Him. Lay it all out before Him, and in the face of difficulty, bereavement and sorrow, hear Him say, “Let not your heart be troubled.”  

Bibliography,

Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1985.                   

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His highest. N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

Weekly Message: Biblical view of Cloud By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Weekly Message: Biblical view of Cloud                                                                       

    By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce    

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

Date :8/18/2023  

Scripture reading:

Matt.24:30-31   At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn, they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to others. (Matt.24:30-31)

Revelations 2: 7   Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen!

 

In the Old Testament and New Testament clouds are always connected with God. There is a bright cloud, a dark cloud, a dense cloud and the Pillar of cloud. Cloud in the Bible symbolize God’s presence, God speaks, God’s favor, and God’s glory reveal to His servant and His people. 

Ø                       The Pillar of cloud in Exodus 33: 7- 11 the Lord’s presence and spoke with Moses.

             Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “Tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped each at the entrance to his tent. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

Ø  A dense cloud in Exodus 19:9,18-19 God speaks, and fear of the Lord  

     “The Lord said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking with you and will always put their trust in you.”  Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. (Edodus19:18-19) 

 

Ø  A dark cloud in 1 Kings 8:12 God’s presence and favor to Solomon

 The cloud filled the temple of the Lord and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple. Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in a dark cloud: I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.” (1 Kings 8:10-12)

 

Ø        A bright cloud in Matthew 17:1-8 God’s presence and a voice of God spoke to disciples.

    “After six day Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid”. When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.” 

 Clouds are those sorrows or sufferings or providences, within or without our personal lives. Which seem to dispute the rule of God. It is by those very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were no clouds, we should have no faith. “The clouds are but the dust of our Father’s feet.” The clouds are a sign that He is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow and bereavement and suffering are the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near without clouds; He does not come in clear shining.

               It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials: through every cloud He brings, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in the cloud is to simplify our belief until our relationship to Him is exactly that of a child---God and my own soul, other people are shadows. Until other people become shadows, clouds and darkness will be mine every now and again.

There is a connection between the strange providences of God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Unless we can look the darkest, blackest fact full in the face without damaging God’s character, we do not yet know Him. “They feared as they entered the cloud…” Is there anyone “save Jesus only” in your cloud? If so, it will get darker; you must get to the place where there is “no one any more save Jesus only”.

      Is the relationship between me and God getting simpler than ever it has been?

 

Bibliography,

     

Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1985.                   

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His highest. N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly message: Intercession and prayer realization by Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly message: Intercession and prayer realization

by Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling.

Date: 8/11/2023

 

Scriptures reading:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Eph.6:18)

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus (Heb.10:19)

At that day ye shall ask in My name (John14:26)

  

Ø      Prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God, we are here to be living monuments of God’s  grace instead of proving God answers prayer

 

The cross stands for one thing only for us a complete and entire and absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ, and there is nothing in which this identification realized more than in prayer. “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? The idea of prayer is not in order to get answers from God; prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God. If we pray because we want answers, we will get huffed, (or mad) with God. The answers come every time, but not always in the way we expect, and our spiritual huff shows a refusal to identify ourselves with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove God answers prayer; we are here to be living monuments of God’s grace. “I say not that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loveth you.” Have you reached such an intimacy with God that the Lord Jesus Christ’s life of prayer is the only explanation of your life of prayer? Have our Lord’s vicarious life become your vital life? At that day you will be so identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction. When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to fix the blame on someone else. That is always a snare of Satan. You will find there is a reason which is a deep instruction to you, not to anyone else.   

Ø  Three elements when we go on in intercession

First, intercession must identify with God’s interest in others and God’s will, instead of our personal sympathy and personal prejudice. Second, we are perfectly sure of God. Third, intercession must be the vital connection with God. For personal sympathy and personal prejudice will interfere with our relationship to God and hindrance to intercession. We need to beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding that He does what we ask. Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin. We have boldness to enter into the holies by the blood of Jesus as Heb. 10:19 say, “Having therefore, brethren, and boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”.

             Spiritual stubbornness is the most effectual hindrance to intercession, because it is based on sympathy with that in ourselves and in others that we do not think needs atoning for. We have the notion that there are certain right and virtuous things in us which do not need to be based on the Atonement, and just in the domain of stodgy that is produced by these ideas we cannot intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God’s interests in other, we get petulant or childishly sulky and bad tempered with God; we are always ready with our own ideas, and intercession becomes the glorification of our own natural sympathies.

              We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means the radical alteration (or change) of all our sympathies. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.

               As we go on in intercession we may find that our obedience to God is going to cost other people more than we thought. The danger then is to begin to intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting to a totally different sphere in answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from identification with God’s interest in others into sympathy with them, the vital connection with God has gone, we have put our sympathy, our consideration for them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.  It is impossible to intercede vitally unless we are perfectly sure of God, and the greatest dissipator (or squanderer) of our relationship to God is personal sympathy and personal prejudice.

 Identification is the key to intercession, and whenever we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will, sympathy with ourselves or with others which makes us say – “I will not allow that thing to happen.” Instantly we are out of vital connection with God.

For example, Apostle Peter’s personal sympathy prevented Jesus Christ to fulfill God’s purpose. When Jesus foretold that He will be arrested and will be crucified on the cross, the prophecy about Christ must be fulfilled. Peter’s sympathy prevented Jesus, “No, may this not happen to you”. Jesus rebuked him, “Get behind me Satan.” When Judas betrayed Jesus, with soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees, they carried torches, lanterns and weapons to arrest Jesus. Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear (the servant’s name was Malchus.). Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John18:10-11)      

 Martha’s personal sympathy prevented the glory of God to be revealed.  When Jesus told, “take away the stone”.  Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “By this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days…”  Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”(John11:39-40). Jesus said a prayer, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” (John11: 41-42).Then, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” the dead man came out.

Intercession leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your own “sad sweet self.” The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not there to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests in other lives. Am I stubborn or substituted? Petted or perfect in my relationship to God? Sulky or spiritual ? Determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him?

 

Bibliography,

 

Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1985.                   

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His highest. N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

 

 

Weekly Message: the Spiritual man makes judgments about all things By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Weekly Message:  the Spiritual man makes judgments about all things?

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries; Biblical precepts & Gospel music;

Pastoral ministry & counseling  

 

Scriptures reading 1Cor.2:4-16

         My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power. (1 Cor.2:4). No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1Cor.2:9-10) No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1Cor.2:11-12) This what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1Cor.2:13-14) The Spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1Cor.15-16)

          Apostle Paul pointed out the man without the spirit of God, as an unsaved man cannot understand Spiritual things, the spiritual man, the mature Christian who is led and taught by the Spirit, makes judgments about all things. He can scrutinize, examine, inspect carefully, sift, and thereby understand all things; but unbelievers and even carnally –minded Christians cannot appraise (understand) him.

Jesus’ Sermon and the statements seem wonderfully simple and unstartling, and they sink unobserved into our unconscious minds. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven….Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God…Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God…” (Matthew5:11) We do not need to be born again to apply the Sermon on the Mount literally. The literal interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount is child’s play; the interpretation by the Spirit of God as he applies our Lord’s statements to our circumstances is the stern, and strict work of a saint. 

The teaching of Jesus is out of all proportion to our natural way of looking at things and it comes with astonishing discomfort to begin with. We have slowly to form our walk and conversation on the line of the precepts of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit applies them to our circumstances. The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of rules and regulations: it is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us.

Apostle Peter with all disciples received and were filled the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost. Apostle Paul received the Spirit of Christ when Jesus unveiled Himself to him, and spoke to him in the power of Spirit. Apostle Paul received the highest vision and understood Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount requires the Spirit of God’s interpretation. If we apply Sermon of Jesus on the Mount literally, without Spirit of God, it just like a child read literal interpretation and does not need to be born again. Jesus indicated that a man needs to be born again spiritually, not physically in order to understand and discern Spiritual things.

          Apostle Paul’s letter to Corinthians emphasized that “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.” (1 Cor.2:4).  No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (1Cor.2:9-10) No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1Cor.2:11-12) This what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. (1Cor.2:13-14) The Spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1Cor.15-16)

Apostle Paul again expressed the contrast between a life dominated by the flesh and one controlled by the Holy Spirit. Those who belong to Christ have the Holy Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans8:4-6). And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet, your spirit alive because of righteousness. (Romans8:9-10) Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.(Rom.8:14)  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear. But you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry “Abba, Father.” the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Then, we are heirs –heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. (Romans8:15-17).

My friends, do you receive the Holy Spirit? Do you have Spirit of God in you? Do you fill with Spirit of Christ? Do not believe every spirit, but exam the spirit whether it comes from Christ Jesus our Lord God?  Apostle John said, “Who is the liar? The man who denies that Jesus is the Christ such a man is the antichrist; he denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1John2:22-23).

As Christians we need to declare every day that we received the Spirit of sonship, and by him we cry “Abba, Father.” The Spirit of himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. And set our mind in Spirit for the life and peace result from setting our mind on the Spirit. When our mind is set on the spirit, our outward actions are in agreement with our inner man and there is no discrepancy between us and God. He and we are at peace, not at enmity. The result is that we feel peaceful within. The Sermon and statements of Jesus on Mount, it is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us. It’s only the Spiritual man understand it, live for it and makes judgments about all things. 

 

Bibliography,

Barker, Kenneth L. NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 1985.                   

Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His highest. N.Y. Dodd, Mead & Company, 1935.

King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

 Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.