19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)

Series 19

Episode 3

Prologue

Message

What does the book of Colossians teach us about overcoming the flesh? The believers in Colossae were ineffective in overcoming the flesh. Though they had the outward behaviours, yet they lacked the spiritual strength. Paul led us into spiritual enjoyment. This includes our mind and spirit. Our mind is also in our spirit. It doesn’t mean that outward things are not important. However, our spirit ought to play a leading role. We need to know His will and improve ourselves accordingly. He will strengthen us. Therefore, we cannot rely on outward elements. Paul said that we ought to mind the things that are above.

The Bible passages we read in previous episodes are not only the best suggestions; they are the way to guide us to mind the things above. Every detail is very clear, such as the presence of innumerable angels. You may ask, “What does it have to do with me?” Can you see their joy? We need to be influenced by the truth. The Lord sanctifies us by the truth. And the things that are above are very important truths.

In addition to the angels, it also describes many precious things. However, the truth about the angels is already very helpful to us because it helps us to understand better what heaven is like. The details are very abundant and meaningful. How bountiful is New Jerusalem! God’s throne is in the city. Not only is He on the throne, He is also governing in our heart. We do not manage our heart by our own strength, but by the One who sits on the throne.

The river of life is very meaningful. It is a real river and the water is drinkable. On either side of the river, the tree of life yields twelve kinds of fruit. This tells us that we can enjoy the Lord. He is our life. The river of life represents the Holy Spirit. We need to drink from the Holy Spirit, not relying on ourselves. The Holy Spirit gives us life. It is so precious that the Lord also gives us life.

Not only do we have the New Covenant, we also come to the mediator of the New Covenant. Isn’t this more precious? We have the New Covenant and the Lord is the guarantor. The Lord Himself is the most precious blessing of the New Covenant. The New Covenant has brought us into the most precious relationship with the Lord and Abba. The four blessings in the New Covenant are already very precious! On the night before His crucifixion, the Lord beautifully explained the New Covenant in great detail. He even set up the feast of the bread and the cup. This is a life-long feast, so abundant that we will use our lifetime to explore and enjoy. Moreover, His presence is with us in the break bread meetings. Over and over again, He gives us fresh enjoyment and enlightenment. This enjoyment we have in the break bread meetings is indeed a glimpse of eternity.

It is so abundant that I can only give you the overview. Sometimes you may feel that “the things above” mentioned in Colossians chapter 3 are too vague. In fact, they are very wonderful and abundant! What we gain by His grace is beyond our imagination. He has planned all things for us, including the heavenly places. Before His crucifixion, the Lord said, “…I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2) That place is heaven! Let us consider: God Himself designed and built this city. Isn’t it amazing? With the greatness of His power, God could have created the city with just a command. But instead, God personally designs and builds it in order to show His love for us. This is beyond our comprehension, difficult for us to fully understand. 

Series 19

Coming to Mount Zion to Appear Before God

Message Date: 2020-03-22

The Lord is the way, the truth and the life. It’s so precious that we can go to the Father through Him. Hebrews 12 mentions that today we have not come to Mount Sinai (symbolizing law), but to Mount Zion (symbolizing grace). We live in grace, and enjoy deeply drawing near to the Father and the Lord. In the book of Colossians, some brothers and sisters turned back to the law, so Paul reminded them to mind the things above. Hebrews 12 tells us what are above: the heavenly Jerusalem, the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, innumerable angels, Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, the sprinkled blood, the spirits of the righteous made perfect, etc. Each of these is very abundant, essential and immeasurable. They also express God’s love, welcome and acceptance to us, and they help us to draw near to God. Psalm 84 tells us that in those times, Israel appeared before God in Zion; they longed to draw near to God. As for us, we have received grace even more tremendously and wonderfully. So, we should come before God and draw close to Him all the more.
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19.1 The Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life

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19.2 Live in Grace. Enjoy the Father and the Lord

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19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)

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19.4 Mind the things that are above (2)

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19.5 Appear before God in Mount Zion

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Introduction

01 Introduction of Treasures for the Soul

Series 1: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord

1.1 The Most Blessed Generation
1.2 Message from John the Baptist
1.3 Abide in the Lord Always
1.4 Abide in the Lord’s Love at All Times
1.5 The Lord Speaks to Us and Helps Us in Our Hearts

Series 2: Being Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout this Year

2.1 God’s Greatest Work Starts in Our Hearts
2.2 To Be Heart to Heart with the Lord Throughout the Year
2.3 Our Spirits can Feel God and Have Fellowship with Him
2.4 The Importance of Peace
2.5 Our Spirits Need the Words of God
2.6 Give the Lord Time and Space to Speak in Our Hearts

Series 3: Let Our Hearts be Influenced

3.1 The World Needs People Who Deeply Experience God
3.2 Just as His Anointing 
Has Taught You, 
Abide in the Lord
3.3 Be Influenced 
by the Lord Throughout 
this Year

Series 4: The Importance of Peace

4.1 Enjoying God’s Peace in Your heart
4.2 Let Not Your Hearts be Troubled, Neither Let Them be Afraid.
4.3 How Should Our Spirit Respond to the Lord?

Series 5: Our Spirit Being Able to Enjoy the Lord

5.1 Our Spirit is Satisfied Only When We Worship God and Deeply Experience Him
5.2 How to Worship God with Our Spirit
5.3 Looking at the Lord with our Inner Eyes
5.4 Our Spirit Needs to Enjoy the Lord Himself
5.5 The Song of Solomon Often Mentions About “Eyes”
5.6 Realize Being Heart to Heart with the Lord in Singing and Worship

Series 6: Live out the Life of being Heart to Heart with the Lord

6.1 Living a life of union with the Lord in a stable pattern every day
6.2 Enjoying the Lord and not being disturbed
6.3 The Importance of Seeing Him with Our Spiritual Eyes

Series 7

7.1 Learn to Protect Our Spirits From Virus Prevention
7.2 Our Spirit Can Hear, Think, and See
7.3 How to Live a Life of Faith
7.4 The Importance of the Mind
7.5 David’s Eyes Beheld the Lord Always

Series 8: During the last supper, the Lord spoke about the essence of the blessings of the new covenant.

8.1 The Lord established with us the eternal love covenant by His blood
8.2 The Lord Treasures the New Covenant and Break-Bread Meeting the Most
8.3 Love Encounters
8.4 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the fourth blessing
8.5 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (1)
8.6 Before His Crucifixion, the Lord clearly explained the essence of the blessings of the new covenant: the first blessing (2)

Series 16: We Have Come to Mount Zion and the Heavenly Jerusalem

16.1 See that the Lord is at the right hand of the Father
16.2 Coming to Mount Zion (1): the meaning of Mount Sinai
16.3 Coming to Mount Zion (2): the difficulty in forgiveness of sins
16.4 Coming to Mount Zion (3): to Live in Grace
16.5 Having Come to the Heavenly Jerusalem
16.6 What is in the heavenly Jerusalem (1)?

Series 9: Being Heart to Heart with the Father

9.1 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 1)
9.2 Being Heart to Heart with Abba (Part 2)

Series 10

10.1 The Love Desire in the Depths of Abba and the Lord’s hearts
10.2 Fruit of the Lord’s Crucifixion: Eternal Life
10.3 The Lord Came to Manifest the Father’s Name
10.4 The Father Sent His Only Begotten Son
10.5 Reminders on enjoying heart to heart with the Father
10.6 The Father’s Desire for Me is Forever Steadfast

Series 11

11.1 The preciousness of the Letter to Philemon
11.2 The most profitable; the most accepted.
11.3 Charge That to My Account
11.4 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (1)
11.5 The Father made the Lord our eternal High Priest by an oath (2)
11.6 We are the Lord’s darling love

Series 12

12.1 The Lord’s Words at the Last Supper
12.2 Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing.
12.3 What is true faith?
12.4 Look upon the Lord in glory
11.5 Trust and Peace (1)
12.6 Trust and Peace (2)

Series 13: The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility

13.3 The Lord’s Gentleness and Humility (Part 2)

Series 14: Manifold evidence

14.1 How does the infinite Lord see us?
14.2 We are the ultimate and final love of the Lord
14.3 The Lord is forever a Man; He once died for us
14.4 The Lord’s manifold love evidence (Part 1)
14.5 The Lord’s manifold love evidence Part 2

Series 15: Understand How Our Spirit Works And Be Heart To Heart With The Lord Continuously

15.1 We Can Only Enjoy God By Faith
15.2 His Words Abide In Us
15.3 Live With The Lord
15.4 Seek The Things That Are Above
15.5 Understand How Our Spirit Works: Will, Mind And Feelings
15.6 Guard And Uplift Our Mind

Series 17: Know that the Church is the Firstborn

17.1 Know that the church is the firstborn
17.2 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 1)
17.3 The Blessing of the Firstborn (Part 2)
17.4 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 1)
17.5 The Lord redeemed us to be the firstborn (Part 2)

Series 18: The Blessings to be the First Born

18.1 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 1)
18.2 Israel is God’s Firstborn Son (Part 2)
18.3 To be united with the Lord and become the Firstborn
18.4 The Lord is the Firstborn
18.5 The Blessing of the Firstborn: Kingship
18.6 The Blessing of the Firstborn: a Double Portion of the Blessings

Series 19: Coming to Mount Zion to Appear Before God

19.1 The Lord is the way, and the truth, and the life
19.2 Live in Grace. Enjoy the Father and the Lord
19.3 Mind the things that are above (1)
19.4 Mind the things that are above (2)
19.5 Appear before God in Mount Zion

Series 20: The final destination of our spirit and eternity is the heavenly Jerusalem

20.1 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (1)
20.2 The Lord Desires Most for Us to Draw Near to Him (2)
20.3 The Lord Becomes the Way so that We can Come Before God with Confidence
20.4 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (1)
20.5 The Heavenly Jerusalem, Destination of Our Spirits and Eternity (2)

Series 21: Live Out the Life of the Firstborn: Be A Priest

21.1 The Father made the Lord the High Priest
21.2 Priesthood: One of the Blessings of the Firstborn
21.4 The Precedents of Priests in the Bible (2)

Series 22: When Believers Die, They Will Go to the Heavenly Jerusalem

22.1 The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (1)
The Heavenly Jerusalem is paradise (2)
The Spirits of the Righteous Made Perfect

Series 23: New Jerusalem is a real city

God has prepared a heavenly home for us
Is the heavenly new Jerusalem a real city?
Satan causes man not to be clear and assured about the things in heaven
Are physical substances not spiritual?
New Jerusalem is a real city (1)
New Jerusalem is a real city (2)

Series 24: God prepares for us

Genesis 22: Father and Son went together
Genesis 22: For us, the Father gave His only Son
Genesis 22: The Lord will provide
24.4 God’s preparation for us

Series 25: The Father and Son Affection

25.1 The Lord Came to Make Known the Father
25.2 The Father and Son Affection (Part 1)
25.3 The Father and Son Affection (Part 2)

Series 26: We are a royal priesthood

26.1 God who alone does wondrous things
26.2 The Lord is the High Priest
26.3 We are a royal priesthood (1)
26.4 We are a royal priesthood (2)
26.5 The life of a priest

Series 27: Who are you in the infinite one’s loving heart?

27.1 Meditate on who you are in the infinite Lord’s loving heart
27.2 Meditate on who you are in the infinite Lord’s loving heart (2)
27.3 Meditate on the infinite Lord’s words at the last supper

Series 28: The conclusion and climax of the book of Hebrews

28.1 Sing praises at Easter (1): The defeat of death
28.2 Sing praises at Easter (2): The risen Lord has swallowed up death
28.3 The important purpose of Hebrews and the help we get from it
28.4 Confirming the importance of drawing near to God

Series 29: How to behold

29.1 Behold the Father
29.2 See that God meets me in His steadfast love 
and exults over me with loud singing (1)
29.3 See that God meets me in His steadfast love and exults over me with loud singing (2)
29.4 See how the Lord loves us (1)
29.5 See how the Lord loves us (2)