EP 85 – Philemon, a Precious Book
- Realize that they Lord takes full responsibility of the needs in our life and eternity
- Paul’s love to Onesimus–the Lord’s to us
- Brotherly love
- Appeal to a brother–the Lord is our high priest and mediator, making intercession for us day and night.
- “My very heart”--we are on the Lord’s heart
- The Lord is our Beloved; all was charged to His account. He takes full responsibility.
- This life, eternity, materials (needs) and all.He Himself totally belongs to us.
- We share His all, whether we know it or not.
- We don’t know how to arrange; He plans and arranges for us.
- Because He has a flaming love of Jehovah for us. He totally commits Himself into ourlives.
- A short letter–only one chapter–content of the Book of Philemon
- Paul was in jail, yet he remembered a brother’s need, who was a bondservant, nowimprisoned because of stealing his master’s things.
- Paul met him in jail, preached to him and saved him.
- From then on he became a brother, useful to coworkers.
- Philemon comes before the Book of Hebrews, a book that talks about the Lord as a high priest more than any other books. The Lord ever lives and intercedes for us, just as Paul intercedes for a brother in the Book of Philemon. We also need such a priest and mediator to intercede and defend for us.
EP 86 – Changed to be the Most Profitable and Acceptable
The lessons that the book of Philemon has taught us:
- V1-3: family church can also go forward
- V4-7: Paul praised the faith and love of Philemon. The effect of faith is love
- V8-11: Paul, the aged, appealed for Onesimus. One would become profitable after he has known God
- V12-14: Onesimus was on Paul’s heart, that also illustrates that we are on the Lord’sheart
- V15-17: Paul encourage Philemon to receive the brother, that illustrates that Father welcomes us and accepts us fully because we are united to the Lord
- V1-3: It’s difficult to have big meetings in some countries but the church can still go forward. The church is not a place but it is you and me. We should give thanks: knowing that nothing can stop the church to go forward. It’s the most precious that we have the Lord. Paul was persecuted and was in jail. However, he still could bear fruit in the prison and even affected the royalty
- V4-11: The meaning of Onesimus- profitable. In the past he stole and fled (the Bible has not mentioned in details). Now he had changed and became profitable. He had become a dear brother. Paul took him as profitable and wanted to him to stay with him to serve together
- V12-15: In God’s family, we belong to one another. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit want a family. We are the ones in the family. Our relationship with God is deeper than the with our family. The husband and wife on earth become one in flesh. We are in one spirit with the Lord and this is the deepest. We are the ones on the Lord’s heart..
- V15-17: It’s so precious we are united with the Lord and we can enjoy the Father’s and the Lord’s delight. Moreover, it’s more than a delight and it is a longing desire (SOS 7:10). We have done nothing but when we returned, God dashed out to embrace us and kiss us. Eph chapter 1 also mentions the blessing of being accepted.
EP 87 – Charge That to My Account
Philemon 1:18 The precious words: charge that to my account
Paul said, “charge that to my account..”- the Lord has put everything onto His account. Onesimus owed Philemon - We owed God a lot. But the Lord died on the cross for us and He was willing to do so.
When we returned to the Lord, He and Abba were joyous at the same time. We didn’t ask anything, but Abba swore and appointed the Lord as the High Priest. The Lord is really responsible for the needs in our life and eternity.
Put that to my account, we really owed a lot. The Lord has put all of our transgressions to His account. He even has given Himself for us. He was willing to go through the cross for us.
Philemon 1:19-20 “get some benefit”, “refresh Paul’s heart”. It is like when we go back to the Father, the Lord also rejoices. God rejoices for us in heaven and He shouts for joy for us. The Lord rejoices for us because He loves us and He also loves the Father. He has become the way. Abba and the Lord rejoice for us together.
Put all to My account - The Lord takes care of our life now and eternity.
Chinese hymn meaning:
Our sin was numerous. We owed God and we were against God.
But God has prepared us a Priest, a Mediator.
If someone wrongs me, should I find a lawyer for him? There is no such thing in this world.
But God and Christ have done that for us.
We didn’t ask God for a priest,
But Abba swore and appointed a Priest for us.
God has said it in His heart, “Put all to My account.”.
He will take care of us in this life and eternity.
Paul said, “charge that to my account..”- the Lord has put everything onto His account. Onesimus owed Philemon - We owed God a lot. But the Lord died on the cross for us and He was willing to do so.
When we returned to the Lord, He and Abba were joyous at the same time. We didn’t ask anything, but Abba swore and appointed the Lord as the High Priest. The Lord is really responsible for the needs in our life and eternity.
Put that to my account, we really owed a lot. The Lord has put all of our transgressions to His account. He even has given Himself for us. He was willing to go through the cross for us.
Philemon 1:19-20 “get some benefit”, “refresh Paul’s heart”. It is like when we go back to the Father, the Lord also rejoices. God rejoices for us in heaven and He shouts for joy for us. The Lord rejoices for us because He loves us and He also loves the Father. He has become the way. Abba and the Lord rejoice for us together.
Put all to My account - The Lord takes care of our life now and eternity.
Chinese hymn meaning:
Our sin was numerous. We owed God and we were against God.
But God has prepared us a Priest, a Mediator.
If someone wrongs me, should I find a lawyer for him? There is no such thing in this world.
But God and Christ have done that for us.
We didn’t ask God for a priest,
But Abba swore and appointed a Priest for us.
God has said it in His heart, “Put all to My account.”.
He will take care of us in this life and eternity.
EP 88 – The Father Swore and Appointed the Lord as the High Priest Forever (1)
Ps 110: *It prophesies that the Lord will be a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He is our High Priest forever.
Ps 110:1-3 The Lord has offered His all for us and He has also overcome all for us.*This psalm also prophesies the glorious scenes in the future. The Lord will come and all things will be revived. The Lord will defeat all enemies. We will reign together with the Lord.
Ps 110:3 It’s so precious the Lord’s life is like the dew in the morning. He offered Himself for us at the prime of His life.
Ps 110:4 A very precious verse: “The Lord has sworn...” The Lord is our priest. He is the only Son in the Father’s bosom. For us He is a priest forever. He lives forever to intercede for us.
Ps 110:4-6:The Lord will execute judgement among the nations. Soon will be the day of the Lord coming to reign. Now the world is dark. It would become hell on earth if the Lord is not returning. Although the end time has not come, when we see the world’s situation, we know it’s close to “the beginning of birth pains” All are ready–various advancement of technology-control of trade and tracking technologies-advancement of weapons. If the Lord delayed, it would be as the Bible says: all humans would be destroyed. Nevertheless, in tribulations, there will be people who love Him and are loyal to Him. They will be His martyr.
The Lord is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He surpasses all priests of the Old Testament times. At the same time, He is also the King of righteousness and the King of peace. Most importantly, He is our King of love.
Psa. 110: this psalm not only tells us He is a priest, more so He is a King. In the Old Testament time, a priest could not be a king at the same time, and a king could not be a priest at the same time. However, Melchizedek was the king of peace and king of righteousness. Being a priest means having to make the most difficult sacrifice; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit experienced the greatest pain and accomplished it. Thus, other things (including the Lord to be a king and reign) will for sure be accomplished. The Lord also promised us that He will drink of the new vine with us in His kingdom one day. We will make a toast with Him when He reigns!
*Now we are enjoying the effect of the Lord being our priest. The Lord Himself also foresaw the fruit of His anguish (Isa. 53:11)--He saw us and He was satisfied and delighted because He knew our love for Him.
*Now we are still on earth, which is not yet perfect: there are still tribulations on earth. But we can be of good cheer because the Lord has overcome the world. One day He will even vindicate us. We have encountered much persecution, but one day God will vindicate us.*All things will be restored. Man will walk the lions and lions will graze like the days in Eden. Cats and mice will play together. It’s so precious that all will come to pass
Ps 110:1-3 The Lord has offered His all for us and He has also overcome all for us.*This psalm also prophesies the glorious scenes in the future. The Lord will come and all things will be revived. The Lord will defeat all enemies. We will reign together with the Lord.
Ps 110:3 It’s so precious the Lord’s life is like the dew in the morning. He offered Himself for us at the prime of His life.
Ps 110:4 A very precious verse: “The Lord has sworn...” The Lord is our priest. He is the only Son in the Father’s bosom. For us He is a priest forever. He lives forever to intercede for us.
Ps 110:4-6:The Lord will execute judgement among the nations. Soon will be the day of the Lord coming to reign. Now the world is dark. It would become hell on earth if the Lord is not returning. Although the end time has not come, when we see the world’s situation, we know it’s close to “the beginning of birth pains” All are ready–various advancement of technology-control of trade and tracking technologies-advancement of weapons. If the Lord delayed, it would be as the Bible says: all humans would be destroyed. Nevertheless, in tribulations, there will be people who love Him and are loyal to Him. They will be His martyr.
The Lord is a priest according to the order of Melchizedek. He surpasses all priests of the Old Testament times. At the same time, He is also the King of righteousness and the King of peace. Most importantly, He is our King of love.
Psa. 110: this psalm not only tells us He is a priest, more so He is a King. In the Old Testament time, a priest could not be a king at the same time, and a king could not be a priest at the same time. However, Melchizedek was the king of peace and king of righteousness. Being a priest means having to make the most difficult sacrifice; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit experienced the greatest pain and accomplished it. Thus, other things (including the Lord to be a king and reign) will for sure be accomplished. The Lord also promised us that He will drink of the new vine with us in His kingdom one day. We will make a toast with Him when He reigns!
*Now we are enjoying the effect of the Lord being our priest. The Lord Himself also foresaw the fruit of His anguish (Isa. 53:11)--He saw us and He was satisfied and delighted because He knew our love for Him.
*Now we are still on earth, which is not yet perfect: there are still tribulations on earth. But we can be of good cheer because the Lord has overcome the world. One day He will even vindicate us. We have encountered much persecution, but one day God will vindicate us.*All things will be restored. Man will walk the lions and lions will graze like the days in Eden. Cats and mice will play together. It’s so precious that all will come to pass
EP 89 – The Father Swore and Appointed the Lord as the High Priest Forever (2)
Psa. 110:4 God swore to demonstrate His determination, including
Priests of the Old Testament time would die, but “according to the order of Melchizedek” illustrates that the Lord lives forever. From the Book of Hebrews we see that the Lord is better and more superior. God’s Son is an everliving priest. The Lord’s covenant is an eternal covenant that the infinite One set up with us; it’s a better covenant.
Ps. 110:4 The Father said this to the Lord: it’s especially precious that God has sworn to set His beloved Son to be the high priest. It shows God’s heart.
Setting the Lord as a priest: the Lord had to be a man forever; because man sinned, He had to become a man in order to bear our sins. He had to die. It’s so astonishing: God sworn, and He was determine for his Son to die. The Father swore, showing that He would go through the cross together with the Lord.
“He would not change His mind”--illustrates that the Father, the Son and the Spirit experienced the same deep agony; it shows God’s determination for us.
God sworn–in human terms: the Father would “for sure” do it God’s infinite love–Abba has prepared the darling for His beloved Son, making us compatible with the Lord. The Father–Abba wants us to have the eternal love union with the Lord, to satisfy His Son’s heart
About us–It’s our great need for the Lord to be our priest, to guide us to know and enter God’s love and glory. We need the Holy Spirit to come and work in our hearts.
In oneness, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work for us to accomplish God’s love dream. It all originated from God’s infinite love. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit passed through such an astonishing journey. The Lord is full of joy and was not forced: He knew He would have to go through the cross, but He was glad to do so. In the Book of John, it records many times “the Father sent the Son.” This is what the Lord treasures. The Song of Solomon also mentions that the Lord came leaping through the mountains and bounding over the hills.
- having the Lord to become a man forever.
- the Lord to bear our sins and die for us
- the Lord to be responsible of our lives
- the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to suffer the suffering of the cross together
Priests of the Old Testament time would die, but “according to the order of Melchizedek” illustrates that the Lord lives forever. From the Book of Hebrews we see that the Lord is better and more superior. God’s Son is an everliving priest. The Lord’s covenant is an eternal covenant that the infinite One set up with us; it’s a better covenant.
Ps. 110:4 The Father said this to the Lord: it’s especially precious that God has sworn to set His beloved Son to be the high priest. It shows God’s heart.
Setting the Lord as a priest: the Lord had to be a man forever; because man sinned, He had to become a man in order to bear our sins. He had to die. It’s so astonishing: God sworn, and He was determine for his Son to die. The Father swore, showing that He would go through the cross together with the Lord.
“He would not change His mind”--illustrates that the Father, the Son and the Spirit experienced the same deep agony; it shows God’s determination for us.
God sworn–in human terms: the Father would “for sure” do it God’s infinite love–Abba has prepared the darling for His beloved Son, making us compatible with the Lord. The Father–Abba wants us to have the eternal love union with the Lord, to satisfy His Son’s heart
- the Lord revealed this secret before His crucifixion: John 17: the Lord mentioned 7 times we are given to Him by the Father.-how delighted He is towards this gift that the Father has given to Him.
- the Lord also expressed His love desire: He desired to be with those whom the Father has given Him forever; He desired us to see His glory, and He desired us to gain the glory together.
- the angels and the four living creatures also admire us
- Abba fully knows the Lord’s love dream, and He has the same love dream forthe Lord. Therefore, Abba knew that the Lord longed to be a man forever, andthat He desired to be a priest to take away all the hindrance.
About us–It’s our great need for the Lord to be our priest, to guide us to know and enter God’s love and glory. We need the Holy Spirit to come and work in our hearts.
In oneness, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit work for us to accomplish God’s love dream. It all originated from God’s infinite love. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit passed through such an astonishing journey. The Lord is full of joy and was not forced: He knew He would have to go through the cross, but He was glad to do so. In the Book of John, it records many times “the Father sent the Son.” This is what the Lord treasures. The Song of Solomon also mentions that the Lord came leaping through the mountains and bounding over the hills.
EP 90 – We Are the Lord’s Darling Love
Exod. 28:28 The breastpiece of the high priest’s garment was engraved with the names of the 12 sons of Israel. The high priest bore them on his chest, illustrating that we areon the Lord’s heart.
Song 8 We ask the Lord to set us as a seal on His heart.
John 17 The Lord told His desire – to be the closest with us.
*The Father set the Lord as the high priest so that He can gain us forever.
*The Lord loves the Father and us so much that He desired to be our High Priest, bringing us back to the Father’s bosom.
Exod. 28 The Bible mentions multiple times about the high priest’s garment, and it records in great detail about it. This proves that the Bible is the word of God: it is precious, but according to man’s thinking, they would not use such lengthy passage to talk about a piece of garment.
The breastpiece is special–in Philemon, Paul says Onesimus is “his very heart”(v12)
Also, Song 8:6 “Set me as a seal...”
Exod. 28:28: breastpiece is tied on the chest
Exod. 28:29:“to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.”-- God’s thoughts for us since eternity past are tremendous and uncountable.
*The Father and the Lord equally eagerly desire the Lord to be our high priest. The Father even swore an oath for this, and the Lord desired to become a man forever, to be the closest with us.
*The Lord wants to be the closest to us; in the Lord’s last prayer, he expressed that He wanted to be with us.
*Now the Lord is already heart to heart with us; in the entire universe, no one is closer to us than He is. The Lord has accomplished this. Now He is in glory, seated at the Father’s right.
*For Himself, the Lord desired very much to become a man forever, to be a priest and to die for us.
*For the Father, the Lord also desired to be a priest. He loves the Father and He wants to bring us back to Him. He would not feel being forced by the Father to become a Man. On the contrary, He felt this is exactly what He desired.
*The Father and the Lord were of the same mind.
Song 8:6 In those days, some people bore the names of their loved ones or wives on their necks. Such bearing represented they were united together. Bearing them on the neck is to put them on their hearts. The Lord not only put us on His heart; He desires to gain us.
*The Lord is the true Beloved, because only the true beloved will be responsible for all.
*For the husbands and wives on earth, their love covenant is “never apart, loving and caring for each other.” All these are the shadows.
*Because the Lord is the Beloved, He would become the high priest. The Beloved and darling relationship is the deepest relationship. Therefore, He was willing to solve our problems most thoroughly.
*E.g. one’s husband is a doctor, who can heal his wife of her sickness. Yet, the deepestrelationship is still the husband and wife.
Song 8 We ask the Lord to set us as a seal on His heart.
John 17 The Lord told His desire – to be the closest with us.
*The Father set the Lord as the high priest so that He can gain us forever.
*The Lord loves the Father and us so much that He desired to be our High Priest, bringing us back to the Father’s bosom.
Exod. 28 The Bible mentions multiple times about the high priest’s garment, and it records in great detail about it. This proves that the Bible is the word of God: it is precious, but according to man’s thinking, they would not use such lengthy passage to talk about a piece of garment.
The breastpiece is special–in Philemon, Paul says Onesimus is “his very heart”(v12)
Also, Song 8:6 “Set me as a seal...”
Exod. 28:28: breastpiece is tied on the chest
Exod. 28:29:“to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.”-- God’s thoughts for us since eternity past are tremendous and uncountable.
*The Father and the Lord equally eagerly desire the Lord to be our high priest. The Father even swore an oath for this, and the Lord desired to become a man forever, to be the closest with us.
*The Lord wants to be the closest to us; in the Lord’s last prayer, he expressed that He wanted to be with us.
*Now the Lord is already heart to heart with us; in the entire universe, no one is closer to us than He is. The Lord has accomplished this. Now He is in glory, seated at the Father’s right.
*For Himself, the Lord desired very much to become a man forever, to be a priest and to die for us.
*For the Father, the Lord also desired to be a priest. He loves the Father and He wants to bring us back to Him. He would not feel being forced by the Father to become a Man. On the contrary, He felt this is exactly what He desired.
*The Father and the Lord were of the same mind.
Song 8:6 In those days, some people bore the names of their loved ones or wives on their necks. Such bearing represented they were united together. Bearing them on the neck is to put them on their hearts. The Lord not only put us on His heart; He desires to gain us.
*The Lord is the true Beloved, because only the true beloved will be responsible for all.
*For the husbands and wives on earth, their love covenant is “never apart, loving and caring for each other.” All these are the shadows.
*Because the Lord is the Beloved, He would become the high priest. The Beloved and darling relationship is the deepest relationship. Therefore, He was willing to solve our problems most thoroughly.
*E.g. one’s husband is a doctor, who can heal his wife of her sickness. Yet, the deepestrelationship is still the husband and wife.