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The Bible study magazine for those wishing to go deeper into God's Word.
Citation preview
Living Word Magazine Going Deeper into God’s Word
Issue 9 April 2012
Bible Studies by: Daniel Kolenda, Ken Legg, Matthew Parsons, Derek Williams, Edwin & Lillian Harvey & more!
To know Him and experience the power
of His resurrection.
1
JOHN 1:14. WE HAVE SEEN HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF A FATHER'S ONLY SON (NRSV) IN THIS ISSUE
©Photos above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov
In this month’s issue: 2. The Holiness & Glory of God Lewis Armstrong (USA)
3. Rebuilding the Walls Part 2 Arfon Lloyd Thomas (UK)
5 A Round with God Matthew Parsons (UK)
7. Rescued from the Pit Wesley Chick (UK)
9. How To Walk Worthy Without Becoming Religious
Ken Legg (Australia AG)
10. Train Others to Pray Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)
11. The Pentecostal Bible Commentary – 1 Corinthians Mathew Bartlett (UK)
13. The Exaltation of Christ Mathew Bartlett (UK)
17. The Runaway Prophet (Jonah) Derek Williams (UK)
19. In Depth Study – Revelation Chapter 14 Derek Williams (UK)
21. Guest Article: Prayer that Brings Heaven to Earth Daniel
Kolenda (CfaN)
©Photos Above& Back cover © Photoquest. Cover: © Karlien Du plessis.. Left © from top:Eric1512, Jeff Schulz,BCritchley, Paul Prescott and Velvetweb.
Bible Studies Online International
www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk
2
The Holiness & Glory of God WRITE IN THE GAPS
HOLINESS
Exodus 15:11
In what way is God glorious?
_______________________________
Exodus 33:23
Why do you think God's Face could not be seen? ________________________
I Chr. 16:29 Worship the LORD in the _________ of ________.
Psalm 93:5
What adorns the Lord's house?
________________________________
Psalm 96:9
Due to his holiness, we should _________ before Him
Isaiah 57:15
Where does the Holy One dwell?
________________________
Amos 4:2 Because He is Holy, what does God have to do?
_____________________
2 Corinthians 7:1
We should be ____________ holiness.
Ephesians 4:24
Describe the new man we put on when we obeyed the Gospel?
_______________________________
I Thessalonians 3:13.
Explain what God does to our heart.
_______________________________
I Thessalonians 4:7.
What did God not call us to?
_____________________________
Hebrews 12:14:
What would be the result of our not living in holiness?
____________________________
I Peter 1:15-16 We are to be ______ as He is ______.
GLORY
Psalm 113:4 How is God's glory described?
________________________________
Psalm 138:5
What is the magnitude of God's glory? __________________________
Isaiah 2:19.
What will God's glory do?
________________________________
Isaiah 6:3
How could the earth be full of God's glory? __________________________
Isaiah 35:2
In Christ, God’s people will see what?
________________________________
Isaiah 42:8
What is God implying?
_______________________________
Isaiah 60:1-2
What will be seen on the people?
_______________________________
Ezekiel 43:4
Describe how the glory of the Lord moved. _________________________
Eze. 43:5.How did the temple have the glory of God?
________________________________
Hab.2:14.What will the earth be filled with?
________________________________
Mark 8:38 How will Jesus come again?
________________________________
Rev. 4:11 Why is God to receive glory?
_______________________________
March Reader’s Article By Lewis Armstrong USA
3
PREPARATIONS AND PROBLEMS
One thing becomes very apparent
when we study Christian history –
that is whenever anyone says, “Let
us get up or arise and build” the
Devil is quick to awaken and say “Let
us get up and destroy!”
The Bible records for us that there
were about 50,000 Jewish people
now living in and around Jerusalem.
Unfortunately they had very little
concern for the sad and fallen state
of Jerusalem and the Temple.
However, we need to note that once
Nehemiah made it known that he
was about to start a rebuilding
project all the problems began! We
learn from this that no battle
commences in the spiritual sense
until someone dares to stand up for
what they know is right.
A question that we might like to
ponder is: How much overtime has
Satan had to put in due to our
willingness to stand our ground for
God’s glory?
The Bible makes it clear that
whenever we stand up for Jesus as
citizens of Heaven then the Devil
will throw all that he has at us to try
to destroy our walls of faith. He will
do all that he can to ruin our steps
of obedience. If you don’t want to
be involved in the battle, then may I
suggest that you remain seated!
The action of Nehemiah is a good
example for us today. He first took
a tour of inspection and viewed the
state of affairs. Likewise, whenever
we are called to undertake a task for
God we should also view the scene
by taking a good look at our own
lives. In doing so we will be able to
identify the difficulties and weak
points. We may even weep over the
ruins that we find. However, with
God’s help, we don’t have to linger
over every negative situation. We
just need to look at them with
honesty and then gracefully and
humbly hand them over into His
loving care. Or, as the great hymn
says, ‘Take everything to God in
prayer.’
Great and wonderful movements of
renewal and revival begin in God
when one humble Child of God is
willing to make amends. Nehemiah
was brave and bold enough to look
fully at the facts and analyse them,
then turn to God for guidance. May
we also pray:
O God, how can we stay seated
when there is so much at stake?
Many walls of Your Kingdom have
been destroyed and neglected.
Please give us courage this day to
stand up and be counted. Teach us
Lord, how to take a glance at the
problems of our own lives and to
look to You for the possibilities that
lie ahead. Amen.
Once Nehemiah is in possession of
all the facts he then convenes a
REBUILDING THE WALLS NEHEMIAH Chapter 2:10-20 By Arfon Lloyd Thomas (UK)
Photo: © Paul Prescott
4
meeting of all the inhabitants and
draws their attention to the
problems that surround them.
Likewise, the Bible tells us that the
Holy Spirit convenes a meeting with
each one of us and convicts us of sin
– yet conveys a passage of
righteousness through Christ Jesus
our Lord.
Sometimes the spiritual matters of
our lives become somewhat clouded
by familiarity and we need to be
firmly confronted. We need to look
around to see and take note of our
spiritual home.
God never intended us to be as
ruined walls – for this would never
glorify Him.
How desperately we need Godly
men and women to take a stand
within the Church today. We need
people to stand up to the opposition
of the Devil and his dominion. We
also need to stand together and say,
“Make all the threats you want to,
we will not be diverted from our
task of rebuilding God’s House for
His glory.” We are called then to
continue the work of rebuilding
broken walls as we praise His Name.
Nehemiah rejected the opposition
because he was under a commission
from God the Father and that is why
he was able to stand his ground.
Let us be reminded that Satan has
camped for long enough on God’s
property and it’s time for us to
stand up and say, “In the Name of
Jesus it’s time for you to go.”
Prayer:
O Lord, forgive us for our timidity when facing Satan and his forces. We know we are no match for him in our own name. But in Your Name there is just no contest! Help us to rise up and resist him for Your glory. Amen.
Building the Walls Worldwide
Pastor Arfon Lloyd Thomas is an experienced minister with the Baptist church in the UK and is willing and available to conduct short term mission trips and revival schools both in Great Britain and overseas.
If you would like to invite Pastor Arfon Lloyd Thomas to your church or conference anywhere in the world, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Contact the Bible Studies Online International office at:
Christian Counsellor’s Companion from Ken Legg.
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The ideal counselling resource for
pastors, pastoral care workers,
chaplains, small group leaders,
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Provides vital Bible-based counsel
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cover for various counselling topics.
Builds confidence in your ministry –
even at short notice you have easy
access to a structured approach for
that ‘emergency’ situation, making
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Available now in iTunes App store.
For more information go to
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ompanion.html
5
'Brian,' I started, so what's the thought behind a rescue club?'
'I guess, to rescue you from a difficult place.' Brian replied.
Well I,m not sure if every golfer needs such a club in his or her bag, but I am convinced we all need rescuing from a very difficult place.
One of the hardest tasks I have as a preacher is to try and open the eyes of the blind, the ears of the deaf and the Iips of the mute. of course I refer to the spiritual life of individuals and not the physical, although Jesus has and still continues to heal the sick. However, the spiritually blind refuse to see the
truth, the spiritually deaf refuse to hear the truth and the spiritually mute refuse to talk about the truth.
Some just get very angry, very defensive and storm off.
Please stay with me for a sentence or two as I explain what I mean by being rescued. God has declared that not one of us is perfect and that we have all fallen short of His standard. Many I years ago I failed an examination by two marks. Fifty percent was the pass and I achieved forty eight percent. ''Are you going to fail me for the sake of two marks?'' I asked my tutor.
The reply was straight to the point. 'Two marks or forty-two marks short, it matters not. You still fail.' The point was made.
l think if God would settle for 'reasonable behaviour' as a pass mark for Heaven most of us would settle for that, or to put it in golfing terms, we would 'take it off the tee' . The problem is, God will not compromise, and the pass mark into Heaven is one hundred percent perfection. This means we are all stuck, because none of us are perfect. We need rescuing.
The pass mark into the Kingdom of God is not achieved by our good works or by our own self righteousness. You cannot go to Heaven by going to church, reading your Bible or even saying prayers. You cannot go by way of confession to a priest or by saying that you were christened as a baby.
Tom is one of our top golfers at Merlin. He is well respected as he serves the community as a police detective, undertaking a very important role. Having said that, Tom would see himself very much as 'one of the boys' and without going into detail his life had been at low
A Round with God Testimonies from the Golf
Course
By Matthew Parsons Photo © Karlien Du Plessis
Evangelist with Assemblies of God UK
6
ebb prior to meeting his wife to be, Hannah.
I first met Tom at Merlin and although I found him to be very approachable he would say today that at that stage in his life, he was not a very nice person. On one occasion, he shared with me about the death of his dad. we went on to talk about heaven and eternal life and Tom was slightly interested without being totally dismissive. From that time I, with a few friends started to pray for him. It was no great surprise therefore when some months later he opened up to me again as we stood at the bar of the clubhouse.
'Something has happened to me. I don't want anyone to really know about it, but I have had a real experience of God'. What Tom didn't know was that following a chat I had with him when he shared about his step-dad dying, I and a few others had been praying for him on a regular basis.
'So what happened?'' I asked trying to give a quiet controlled answer, while inwardly I was jumping up and down rejoicing. 'l was out on the road, when suddenly this lorry was coming up behind me, I lifted my hands and said 'God I am yours,' and something has happened, but can you keep it quiet?'' We spoke for a few minutes about becoming a Christian, and we arranged to meet at his home the following week so that we could talk through what being a Christian was all about. Within a few days I was sitting with Tom and his lovely wife Hannah. I learnt more about horses in thirty minutes than I had learnt in fifty years owing to Hannah's expertise. Soon we were talking about what had happened to Tom. I explained that being a Christian was about having a restored relationship with God and not about trying to keep a
list of do's and dont's, must and must not's. We agreed that we had all sinned and l then shared one of my favourite verses in the Bible being 'The wages of sin is death, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.'
'You know Tom,' I continued 'What this verse is saying is that God is offering us a free gift. Eternal life. All of our sins, past, present and future were laid on Jesus Christ so we could be forgiven. The cross, Tom, is where Jesus laid down His life and became God's eternal sacrifice for sin. It's the place where we meet the grace of God and accept by faith God's free gift of forgiveness and salvation.'
That night, Tom accepted Jesus. As we prayed a very simple prayer I could sense that something very real was taking place in Tom' s life. 'Wow that's amazing' said Tom when he finished his prayer. It was a wonderful evening. Of course I was to keep it all very quiet, but I was not surprised when out if this new found relationship with God, Tom got a Bible, started to pray and even came to church. ln addition he started to tell others about this wonderful new life he had found in Jesus.
Yes, Jesus came to rescue all of us who have sinned and fall short of God's high standard. The question we must ask ourseIves is a simple one, ''What will I do with God's free gift of salvation?' Jesus has paid the price. All of us can be saved and all of us can be rescued from a lost eternity.
The Rescue Club is designed to get you out of danger. Do you have one in your bag? The rescue man, Jesus Christ, came to save you. Will you invite Him into your heart?
A Roung with God by Matthew Parsons
is available in paperback (101 pages) from Amazon UK price £5.99
Buy the book at Amazon UK
Famous Golfing Quotes
The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. ~ Billy Graham
Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness. ~William Wordsworth
If you drink, don't drive ~ Don't even putt. ~ Dean Martin
7
Recently our newspapers and television reports were filled with the story of miners trapped underground in the country of Chile. How pleased we were to see those miners rescued out of a horrible pit!
Ps.40v2:He brought me up also out
of an horrible pit, out of the miry
clay and set my feet upon a rock and
established my goings.
The word here means to be lifted
up, to rise up, to raise, to be brought
up.
The verse tells us that he, that is,
our Lord himself reaches down to
where we are. Verse one tells us
that he inclined to me and heard my
cry. Whatever the situation we are
in, when we call, he is ready to
respond and moves to help us.
Ps.113v5-7: Who is like the Lord our
God, who dwells on high. Who
humbles himself to behold the
things that are in heaven and in the
earth. He raises up the poor out of
the dust and lifts the needy out of
the dunghill.
The words ‘horrible pit’ are a
reference to a cistern, a dungeon, a
pit or grave. It is a place of
devastation, desolation and
destruction. This is a perfect
description of the destination of all
who turn against God.
Ps.9v17;The wicked shall be turned
into hell and all nations that forget
God.
The word that that is used for the
grave or the pit is inter-changeable,
both can be used, as the following
few verses show.
Job.33v18:He keeps back his soul
from the pit and his life from
perishing by the sword.
Ps.28v1:Unto you will I cry o Lord
my rock; be not silent to me. Lest if
you be silent to me, I become like
them that go down to the pit.
Although Christians die, God shall
redeem our life from the horrible pit
of death and corruption to the glory
of resurrection.
Hos.13v14:I will ransom them from
the power of the grave. I will
redeem them from death. O death I
will be your plagues. O grave I will
be your destruction.
The verse goes on to describe being
brought out of miry clay. This
describes the kind of earth
unsuitable for most plants. It is a
thick, slimy consistency, which is
difficult to remove and if a person
stands in this type of ground long
enough, can find themselves stuck
fast and unable to move. This is an
apt picture of the world that has the
unsaved held fast in its grip. They
can do nothing of themselves to get
out of it, only God in his mercy, can
reach down and lift them free; this
speaks to us of God’s salvation.
Ps.37v39: But the salvation of the
righteous is of the Lord. He is their
strength in time of trouble.
Is.12v2: Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid; for the
Lord Jehovah is my strength and my
song; he also has become my
salvation.
The verse goes on to say, and set my
feet upon a rock. This describes a
place that is firm, sure and
steadfast. It is also a description of
God.
1.Sam.2v2:There is none holy as the
Lord: for there is none beside thee:
neither is there any rock like our
God.
Ps.18v31:For who is God save the
Lord? Or who is a rock save our
God?
It is a spiritual foundation that
provides security.
The scriptures tell us that Christ
himself is the cornerstone.
1.Pet.2v6: Wherefore also it is
By Wesley Chick (UK)
Rescued from the Pit
Rescued from the Pit
By Wesley Chick (UK)
Photo: © Velvertweb
8
contained in the scripture, behold I
lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect,
precious; and he that believes on
him shall not be confounded.
1.Cor.3v11: For other foundation
can no man lay, than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.
Mat.21v42:Jesus said to them. Did
you never read in the scriptures, the
stone which the builders rejected,
the same has become the head of
the corner; this is the Lord’s doing
and it is marvellous in our eyes.
Eph.2v20: And are built on the
foundation of the Apostles and
Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being
the chief cornerstone.
As the chorus of the hymn puts it.
On Christ the solid rock I stand, all
other ground is sinking sand.
The verse ends, and established my
goings. Having rescued us from the
pit and set us on the rock, we see
now that we are established along
the journey of our Christian life. The
word for establish here means, to
stand firm, steadfast, sure, faithful,
to be established. As saints we are
secure, firmly established and
cannot be moved.
Job.11v18: And you shall be secure,
because there is hope; you shall dig
about you and you shall take your
rest in safety.
2.Chr.20v20: And as they went
forth, Jehosaphat stood and said,
hear me, o Judah, and you
inhabitants of Jerusalem; believe in
the Lord your God, so shall you be
established. Believe his prophets, so
shall you prosper.
Col.2v6+7: As you have therefore
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so
walk in him: rooted and built up in
him and established in the faith, as
you have been taught, abounding
therein with thanksgiving.
Ps.55v22: Cast your burden on the
Lord and he shall sustain you; he
shall never suffer the righteous to
be moved.
Ps.66v8+9: O bless our God, you
people and make the voice of his
praise to be heard. Who holds our
soul in life and suffers not our feet
to be moved.
There is an old chorus we used to
sing, not heard so much these days.
It says,
O glory to God he lifted me up, he
lifted me up I know. He reached
down his hand and lifted me up and
that’s why I love him so.
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New commentary on 1 Corinthians out now!
9
Image: ©Lostarts
The Holy Rosary Shop? How ‘religious’ can you get?
It is no secret that Jesus was an enemy of religion. Some say that the word ‘religion’ comes from the Latin word religare, which means “to tie, or to bind.” Concerning the religious leaders of His time, Jesus said: “…they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers” (Matt.23:4).
He was referring to how the leaders restricted people’s lives through a superabundance of rules and regulations. The Law had 613 commandments, but the scribes and elders decided that was not enough and added thousands more! That’s what religion does – it lays heavy burdens upon unsuspecting people who are led to believe that these man-made commandments are actually God-given. In contrast, Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. He never came to bring people into bondage through the imposition of laws, but to set them free by means of the truth.
And yet, the New Testament epistles abound with exhortations relating to how we, as God’s people, should live. So what’s the difference? If we fail to answer this question correctly we will either end up using the New Testament in a legalistic way, or we will simply disregard all the instructions from the epistles and the truth will not impact our living.
Legalism or morality teaches us how to behave. In contrast, authentic Christianity helps us to “learn Christ” (see Eph.4:20). What does that mean to “learn Christ”? Here are three important distinctions between legalism, or morality, and New Testament instruction.
1) Morality tells people what to do, or not do, without any reference to Christ. It is a list of rules that can be used as a general moral checklist, even outside the context of the Church. We can give the same rules to the world – and in fact, sadly, much of Christianity today attempts to moralize society in this way. In contrast, the apostles always first taught Christians who they were in Christ and then exhorted them to be those people, i.e. to live in the power of their new creation identity. First they taught the believer’s position in Christ; and then they exhorted their hearers to embrace the ‘walk’ that corresponds with that position.
I often use a pair of scissors to illustrate this point. If you attempt to cut a piece of paper with a single blade of the scissors you are going to find it difficult. Scissors are effective only as both blades close against each other to produce a cutting result. Likewise, Paul’s epistles, such as Romans, Ephesians and Colossians are made up of two parts. The first part is doctrinal, in which Paul tells us who we are in Christ. In the second half he goes on to exhort us to let there be an outworking of what God has worked in us (Phil.2:12-13). No one who preaches or teaches from the Word of God has the right to exhort God’s people to behave in a certain way
without first telling them who they are in Christ. Otherwise they will just bring their hearers under the power of legalism and condemnation. On the other hand, if we think it is sufficient to only focus on the doctrinal truths of our new creation identity, without teaching the walk that corresponds with the new life, we will be equally deceived.
2) Morality makes demands upon us to produce something. We are expected to manufacture certain behavioural works. In contrast, in Christ we are given something. We have been given a life; His life! He that has the Son has the life. So, for example, instead of trying to produce patience, purity, love, generosity, etc., by faith I put on the new man which is the very life of Christ Himself (Eph.4:24; Rom.13:14).
3) Morality is an attempt to clean up bad habits. But the Christian life is different to this. The old behavioural patterns are replaced, not by focusing upon them but by embracing the new. When Spring arrives we don’t go into the garden and pluck off all the old leaves from the trees. Why? Because the new leaves automatically push the old ones from the branches. Likewise, as we put on the Lord Jesus Christ we make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its desires. By yielding the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness unto holiness, we inevitably make them unavailable to serve sin. Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh!
Ken Legg (AG Gold Coast, Australia)
How To Walk Worthy Without Becoming Religious
By Ken Legg
10
One of his disciples said unto him, Lord,
teach us to pray, as John also taught his
disciples (Luke 11:1).
The plea and purpose of the apostles
were to put the church to praying. They
did not ignore the grace of cheerful
giving. They were not ignorant of the
place which religious activity and work
occupied in the spiritual life. But not
one or all of these, in apostolic estimate
or urgency, could at all compare in
necessity and importance with prayer.
The most sacred and urgent pleas were
used, the most fervid exhortations, the
most comprehensive and arousing
words were uttered to enforce the all-
important obligation and necessity of
prayer. —E. M. Bounds.
In traveling among the nations, John R.
Mott made it a practice to study the
sources of the spiritual movements
which transformed whole communities.
Invariably, when he could reach the
source, he found it to be intercessory
prayer.
“I heard of a man,” he says, “who spent
three hours a day in intercession.”
When someone asked him, “How can
we multiply intercessions?” he said, “I
used to lay down a great many points
on how to get people to pray, but I have
made up my mind that the only way to
get them is to do it myself.”
—Selected.
Leaders of men and movements have
seen this importance of prayer-training.
D. E. Hoste, successor to Hudson Taylor,
places this need above all other
branches of instruction:
“In connection with the Training Home,
the thought sometimes comes to me, in
view of the growing emphasis on prayer
and intercession in those parts of the
field where there has been special
spiritual blessing, whether the exercise
of them should not have a more definite
and larger place in the course of
preparation. The leadership would
need to be by someone who through
much exercise and even travail, has
himself been baptized with a true and
fervent spirit of prayer.
“Should it not be recognized that the
practice of prayer and intercession
needs to be taught to young believers,
or rather developed in young believers,
quite as much, if not more so than other
branches of the curriculum?”
The late J. D. Drysdale, founder of
Emmanuel Missions and Training
School, possessed this same vision:
“If I am concerned that my flock be men
and women of prayer, then, as their
pastor, I must lead the way; apathy in
me will produce apathy in them. The
church prayer-meeting ought to be the
best attended in the week, and if it is,
success will follow the ministry of the
Word at the weekends. I would rather a
thousand times set men and women to
pray than teach them to preach.
The homiletics class can teach them to
preach.”
J. H. Jowett, a most godly and moving
preacher, emphasized the same need:
“I would rather teach one man to pray
than ten men to preach.”
In his autobiography, Bristol Fashion,
Hugh Redwood states that as a young
convert no-one had taken the pains to
teach him how to pray, and to this he
attributed his failing to make the most
of a period in his life which could have
proved so useful. After years, he
rediscovered Christ through prayer.
What books we might have had from
the pen of this journalist had some
simple Christian introduced him to
access to God by prayer!
Photo © Eric1513
Train Others to Pray An extract from “Kneeling we Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey
ISBN 1-932774-08-4. 128 Pages Price $6.00. Image © Margaret M. Stewart
Reproduced by kind permission of Harvey Publishers. www.harveycp.com
“More ships!” some cry; “More guns! More fighters in the air!” But wise the King who calls for—more prayer! Remember, angels use this ancient thoroughfare— So keep the highways clear: more prayer!
One day will not suffice to meet time’s wear and tear; Each hour of life must see—more prayer! Again, and yet again, the scrolls of God declare, The deepest need of men—more prayer!
—Unknown.
11
NEW! The Pentecostal
Bible Commentary
Series: 1 Corinthians
Here is an extract from the
section on the Gifts of the Holy
Spirit.
The Gifts of Inspiration
The Gift of Prophecy
Paul refers to this as one of the
greater gifts of the Spirit (see
chapter 14) because of the manner
and scope of its effects. It ministers
edification, exhortation and comfort
to the whole local church
simultaneously.
To edify is to build up spiritually,
whilst to exhort is to teach and
challenge; indeed, the original
meaning of the word exhort is ‘a
calling near’ (paraklesis). Horton
speaks of the ‘balmy words of the
Holy Ghost that encouragingly lead
us away from the world and its sin
and care, and call us near to heaven
and God's sweet presence’. To
comfort is to console or solace when
in trial or distress. So as Ellicott says,
prophecy is meant for ‘building up,
stirring up [and] cheering up’. A gift
of healing may benefit a person's
body in this life; but prophecy
ministers to a person's spirit and
prepares them for the next life.
Prophecy helps the church on the
heavenly road, imparting the will
and mind of God, and strengthening
believers for the fight of faith. Its
effect is immediate and far reaching,
for the gift ministers directly to a
person's spirit.
Prophecy is a divinely inspired and
anointed utterance. It is not
deliberated, and so is not to be
confused with the ministry of
preaching. Horton realised this and
wrote: ‘as speaking in tongues is a
supernatural utterance in an
unknown tongue, so prophecy is a
supernatural utterance in a known
tongue’.
Although prophecy does not
originate from the human mind, the
prophet is only enabled to prophesy
according to the measure of faith.
This appears to indicate that as a
person matures as a Christian, so
they should also mature in their use
of this gift. It is not that the gift itself
has been improved, but that the
Holy Spirit takes hold of whatever
measure of faith and spiritual
experience is present in the
individual’s life, so that those who
are more spiritually mature are able
to sustain a greater degree of
inspiration.
To have the gift of prophecy does
not entitle a person to claim the
office of a Prophet, although there
are some who have been entrusted
with this office by Christ for the
benefit of His church. Although they
are all gifts of grace, the gifts of the
Holy Spirit are not exactly the same
thing as the ministry gifts of Christ,
listed in Ephesians 4. The difference
is that whilst any believer may
possess and use the gift of prophecy
(14:5), a Prophet is himself or
herself a gift to the church, ordained
by Christ perpetually to that office.
The Gift of Tongues
This is a supernatural utterance by
the Holy Spirit in a language wholly
unknown and unlearned by the
speaker. The utterance is never
understood by the speaker and
generally not by the hearer. It is a
manifestation of God by His Spirit
speaking through the channel of the
human speech organs. In private or
personal use, the gift enables the
human spirit to pray directly to God
without engaging the understanding
of the mind (14:14); whereas in
public use, these utterances are God
speaking to people through human
channels in a language not
understood by the hearers. It is a
miraculous sign (Mark 16:17), but if
those present cannot understand
what is said then clearly it has no
other benefit unless it is
accompanied by its companion gift
the interpretation of tongues. Hence
Paul’s instruction that in public
worship, if there is no one present
with the gift of interpretation, the
12
person with the message in tongues
should not give it (14:28).
There have, of course, been many
anecdotal instances of persons
being present at the time that a
message in tongues was given who
understood the language being
used. For example; a close friend of
mine is a well-known author, and a
fluent French speaker. He related
how he had scorned the idea of such
a gift as tongues being available to
believers today until he heard an
uneducated young man in his home
church in Sheffield speaking in
absolutely flawless French; and my
friend became even more amazed
when the pastor of that church (who
was not a French speaker either)
gave by way of interpretation a
word for word translation of the
original message into English. Whilst
such an occurrence provides the
hearer with a more substantial
proof of the gift’s reality; and hence
of the reality of the great Source of
all gifts; it appears to be the
exception rather than the rule.
The Interpretation of Tongues
The person using this gift has not
understood the message in tongues
as originally given. Nor have they
been given the supernatural ability
to translate. Rather, they have been
given by the Spirit the same
message (not necessarily the same
form of words but the same burden
or meaning) that was given to the
person who uttered the tongue. The
difference being that this time it is
given in the speaker's own language.
So the interpreter does not translate
what was originally said, but gives
the sense and meaning of what was
said. When used together, these
two gifts are equivalent to the gift of
prophecy in their effect on the body
of Christ.
12:11. It is one and the same Spirit,
distributing as he decides to each
person, who produces all these
things.
How diverse these gifts are! Not
every believer has them all, nor do
all believers have the same ones, for
the Holy Spirit gives to each one
according to His own will. Yet in this
instance His will is not arbitrary; for
God gives His gifts to those who
seek and ask for them. All of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit are available
to the whole body of Christ, and all
Christians are encouraged to seek
and ask that they might receive and
thereby be equipped for their
involvement in God's purposes.
The Pentecostal Bible Commentary Series: 1 Corinthians, pbk 316 pages.
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Our Father in heaven,
Holy is Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For Yours is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever.
Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
13
David asks the question, "Who will
ascend the hill of the Lord? And who
will stand in his holy place." Perhaps
David had in mind the worshippers
who went up the hill of Zion to the
temple to worship God. Who would
God hear and receive? Yet there is a
greater meaning here. For when
David asks, "Who shall ascend..?",
he is actually asking, "Who shall
enter into the very presence of God
in heaven and remain there, to
minister eternally before him?"
We are certain that there is only one
answer to this question. Only one
person in history has ever met these
requirements, and that is the Lord
Jesus Christ.
For Christ has not entered the holy
places made with hands, which are
copies of the true, but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence
of God for us; Heb 9:24
1. The Justice of Christ's
Exaltation
Christ's Exaltation is Just
because of his Pre-Existence
It is not unreasonable to suppose
that since Christ is the mighty
Creator who came from heaven in
the first place, it is quite right for
him to return there.
David begins this Psalm with the
words, "The earth is the LORD s, and
all its fullness, The world and those
who dwell therein. For He has
founded it upon the seas, And
established it upon the waters. v1-2
Jesus Christ Himself is credited with
the act of Creation. The Scripture
insists that Christ is the Son of God
who was there in the beginning.
Speaking of Jesus, the apostle John
says,
In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things were
made through Him, and without Him
nothing was made that was made.
John 1:1-3
In writing to the Colossians, Paul
says:
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation [that
is, begotten before all creation,
meaning He Himself was not
created]. For by Him all things were
created that are in heaven and that
are on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things
were created through Him and for
Him. And He is before all things, and
in Him all things consist. And He is
the head of the body, the church,
who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things He
may have the preeminenc.. Col.
1:15-18
The writer to the Hebrews says:
God has in these last days spoken to
us by His Son, whom He has
appointed heir of all things, through
whom also He made the worlds;
Heb. 1:2
Jesus often referred to "coming
from Heaven" or "Coming from the
Father" and of "returning to the
Father." e.g. Jesus said to them, "If
God were your Father, you would
The Exaltation of Christ. In Psalm 22 Jesus was the lamb of God taking away the sin of the world. In Psalm 24 He is the exalted King, the Lion of Judah.
Psalm 24 by Mathew Bartlett
Image © BCritchley
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love Me, for I proceeded forth and
came from God; nor have I come of
Myself, but He sent Me. John 8:42
"I came forth from the Father and
have come into the world. Again, I
leave the world and go to the
Father." John 16:28
"And now, O Father, glorify Me
together with Yourself, with the
glory which I had with You before
the world was. John 17:5
It was fitting that Christ who knew
the glory of being as one with God
his Father in heaven should return
to the place where he came from.
And it is perfectly fitting that God
the son should be so exalted.
Christ's Exaltation is Just
because of his Sinless Perfection
Jesus Christ is the one person who
has never sinned in action- he has
clean hands. He is the only one who
has never sinned in thought or
motive - He has a pure heart. He is
the only one who has been faithful
to God in all circumstances. Even in
the desert where He fasted alone
for forty days and nights being
tempted by the devil, when the
tempter came to Him and showed
Him all the kingdoms of the world
and their glory in a moment of time,
saying all these will be yours if you
bow down and worship me, Jesus
replied "You shall worship the Lord
your God and serve him only."
Nor was Christ ever guilty of perjury.
He never made a false oath or told
any lies whatsoever.
Even when Caiaphas the High Priest
had the audacity to put him on oath
to the Living God, Christ answered
honestly. Caiaphas said "Are you the
Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"
Jesus replied "I am. And I tell you
that henceforth you shall see the son
of man sat at the right hand of God
and coming on the clouds of
heaven."
Christ's Exaltation is Just
because of his Obedience
Christ Jesus, who, being in the form
of God, did not consider it robbery to
be equal with God, but made
Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a bondservant, and coming
in the likeness of men. And being
found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even
the death of the cross. Therefore
God also has highly exalted Him
Phil 2:6-9
Jesus Christ always did the will of his
Father. The reason he left heaven
and was born as a baby in
Bethlehem was to accomplish his
Father's plan to save sinners.
Although Jesus was always perfect
with regard to his sinlessness, yet by
suffering death and sorrow he has
become perfect (all we need) as the
author of eternal salvation for all
who believe in him. It was God's
plan, not Christ's that he should
suffer and die on the cross for our
sakes. As a man, Christ had a will of
his own. But for our sakes, in the
garden of Gethsemane the night
before his crucifixion, he prayed
"Father, not my will, but yours be
done" and he went through with the
shame and agony of the cross.
It is for this reason that Paul says
God has highly exalted him.
Summary
This great Christ, who is creator and
master of the universe, for our sakes
he humbled himself to become a
man and lived a life of spotless
purity, always doing what pleased
his father God in heaven. He
suffered all the pain and woes that a
human man can suffer, and
completed his obedience by dying
on the cross for the sins of the
whole world, so that we may have
eternal life. Little wonder, then that
such a mighty Saviour should be in
the words of Paul
Therefore God also has highly
exalted Him and given Him the
name which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of those in heaven, and
of those on earth, and of those
under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. Phil 2:9-11
2. The Triumph of Christ's
Exaltation
Christ's Exaltation is Triumphant
because He has fulfilled the
Word of Scripture
Then He said to them, "These are the
words which I spoke to you while I
was still with you, that all things
must be fulfilled which were written
in the Law of Moses and the
15
Prophets and the Psalms concerning
Me." Luke 24:44
For hundreds of years before Jesus
came God had sent prophets with
His word, predicting the days when
God would send His Son to earth to
be our Saviour. They told of His birth
to a virgin (Isa. 7.14) in Bethlehem
(Micah 5.2). They told of Herod's
trying to kill Christ when He was still
an infant (Jer. 31.15). They told of
His flight to Egypt to escape Herod
(Hos. 11.1). They told of His living in
Nazareth as a boy (Matt 2.23) and of
His moving to Capernaum as a man
(Isa9.1). They told of his entering
Jerusalem (Zech. 9.9) on a donkey
and of his being betrayed by a close
friend (Ps 41.9) for thirty pieces of
silver (Zech. 11.13). They told of his
unfair trial (Isa 53.8) and of his being
handed over to be crucified (Ps 22.
16). They also told of his
resurrection (Ps16.10). Christ came
as the fulfilment of the words of the
Scripture. After all that had been
written about Him was fulfilled, we
see Him returning to heaven in
triumph as heaven's appointed King.
Christ's Exaltation is Triumphant
because He has finished the
Work of Salvation
In Mark we read "When he had
spoken these things he ascended to
heaven where he sat down at the
right hand of God." This speaks not
only of taking up his rightful place of
authority, but of a work completed.
The ascension shows that Christ had
by His death and resurrection
accomplished all that was necessary
for the redemption of all mankind.
John Baptist said, behold the Lamb
of God who takes away the sin of
the world.
God so loved the WORLD. God is not
willing that ANY should perish, that
is why Christ has provided the
means of salvation for every man
and woman and child that has ever
been born.
Just as the resurrection gave God's
Amen to the "It is finished of Christ",
so the ascension and exaltation of
Christ give the Amen to the great
commission "to go into all the world
and preach the gospel - make this
full, free salvation which I have
obtained known to everyone. And lo
I am with you always."
Christ's Exaltation is Triumphant
because His Victory is
Unchallenged
It was usual in David's time and in
history since, for a victorious King to
return with his army in triumphant
procession with the spoils of victory.
In the battle of Calvary, the Lord of
glory has fought and won on his
own. He has shown that he is strong
and mighty in battle. By enduring
the shame and agony of the cross,
he defeated death, and all the hosts
of Satan who - for all their professed
wisdom did not know the wisdom of
God which had foreordained that
Christ should die for our sakes.
If they had, says Paul, they would
not have crucified the Lord of Glory.
(1 Cor..2:7-8)
So now this Psalm pictures Christ
returning in triumph to the ivory
palaces of heaven, the undefeated
and unchallenged victor, leading the
souls of the redeemed dead in his
procession to the shouts of joy of
millions of angels. The everlasting
gates of heaven, into the presence
of God himself, open to Him of their
own accord that He might rightfully
enter in.
3. The Blessings of Christ's
Exaltation
We have already mentioned that
the Lord Jesus has not returned to
heaven empty handed - he has the
spoils of victory. What His death and
resurrection have accomplished for
us, He is able to bestow from
heaven because of His exaltation.
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His Power
The exalted Christ has power to give
His church the gift of eternal life.
Jesus said, "I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish; neither
shall anyone snatch them out of My
hand." John 10:28
"You have given Him authority over
all flesh, that He should give eternal
life to as many as You have given
Him." John 17:2
By His Power God brings us into a
relationship with Himself whereby
we share in His own nature and in
the divine life. "As His divine power
has given to us all things that
pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who
called us by glory and virtue" 2
Peter 1:3
By that same power, we are kept
eternally:
16
who are kept by the power of God
through faith for salvation 1 Peter
1:5
This blessed existence will never
end, and we shall know God and
enjoy fellowship with him forever. If
what you heard from the beginning
abides in you, you also will abide in
the Son and in the Father. And this is
the promise that He has promised
us--eternal life. 1 John 2:24-25
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His
Presence
Paul is at great pains to show, in
Eph. 4.9-10, (as Peter also explains
in 1 Peter 3.19) that Christ when
absent from His body for three days,
descended into the lowest place,
the place of departed spirits, and
there proclaimed deliverance for
those saints, such as David, who had
lived and died in hope of His
coming, but who had never seen it.
Then in His resurrection and
ascension He ascended to the
highest place so that He might fill all
things.
When Christ walked as a man on
earth, as a man He could only be in
one place at a time. Yet now the
exalted Son of God is able to say to
His followers I am with you always
and everywhere in every situation
until the world ends. He is able to
say to countless millions of believers
all over the world at the same time
"wherever two or three gather in
my name, I am there in the midst of
them." Notice that Christ is not
saying "The Holy Spirit will be
there." Although I'm sure that He is.
He says "I will be there" Christ in His
exalted glory is omnipresent -
everywhere at the same time,
although invisible to us, yet real and
tangible in His presence.
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His
Promise
Jesus taught His disciples about
many promises which God had
made, but there was one thing so
special that he referred to it as "THE
promise of the Father."
And being assembled together with
them, He commanded them not to
depart from Jerusalem, but to wait
for the Promise of the Father,
"which," He said, "you have heard
from Me; for John truly baptized
with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not
many days from now." Acts 1:4-5
Jesus had often spoken publicly
about this promise: On the last day,
that great day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, saying, "If
anyone thirsts, let him come to Me
and drink. He who believes in Me, as
the Scripture has said, out of his
heart will flow rivers of living water."
But this He spoke concerning the
Spirit, whom those believing in Him
would receive; for the Holy Spirit
was not yet given, because Jesus
was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39
Peter said "This Jesus God has raised
up, of which we are all witnesses.
Therefore being exalted to the right
hand of God, and having received
from the Father the promise of the
Holy Spirit, He poured out this which
you now see and hear. Acts 2:32-33
Jesus had told His disciples "It is to
your advantage that I go away; for if
I do not go away, the Helper will not
come to you; but if I depart, I will
send Him to you. John 16:7
It is because of the exaltation of
Christ that we experience the
blessings of His promise through the
power and presence of the Holy
Spirit in our lives.
Through His Exaltation Christ
gives the Blessings of His
Purpose
God's purpose for all who trust
Christ as Saviour is that they may be
conformed into Christ's likeness. In
order for this purpose to become an
on-going reality in our daily lives,
Christ has given certain gifts to
every member of His body, so that
the church may build itself up in
love, every member growing into His
likeness until Christ may be seen in
and through us. (Eph. 4:7-13)
Every member of the church has an
important part in the fulfilment of
God's purpose. Let us never despise
the gifts God has given, however
insignificant some might seem. We
must use them for his honour and
the good of the church of Christ (1
Pet. 4:10).
Through his exaltation Christ gives
us the blessings of his power, his
presence, his Promise and his
purpose. May we never fail to lay
hold of all these until we all come to
the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ
AMEN. Photo Lion © Sallytaz Lamb, Leetorrens
17
God was completely in control of the situation: He always is! God was still one step ahead of Jonah. God not only had the great fish in the right place at the right time but He had prepared it to swallow Jonah and to retain him in its stomach for three days and nights without any harm coming to him (without him being digested), also providing him with air to breathe during that time. Whether it was a whale or not makes no difference in fact throughout the scriptures whenever fish is mention their species is not given. This great fish had been especially prepared by God to save Jonah from drowning and to provide him with transport to Nineveh.
The Runaway Prophet
The Book of Jonah
Chapter One A brief Bible study by Derek Williams.
Photos this page: © Jeff Schulz. Bottom Right: © Fotogeek
V15. On throwing Jonah overboard the sea immediately becomes calm, a confirmation that they were doing according to the will of God.
This is the same with us when we know what God wants us to do but a battle goes on within us. The moment we yield to the will of God we have that peace and calm within that confirms we are going in the right direction even though we may have doubts and fears later.
V16. When the sailors saw the miracle that had happened they became fearful of the power of the God who could do such a thing (Mark 4:41). We are not told what manner of sacrifice they offered or what their vows were. They may have just added Yahweh to their list of other gods or they may have turned from them and accepted Him as the only true God.
The Lord Prepares 1:14 - 17.
V14. The "therefore" refers to the fact that in spite of all their efforts the sailors could not prevail against the will of God. So they submit to it and cry upon Jonah's God using His name Yahweh to have mercy on them. They realized that in order for their lives to be saved they would have to sacrifice Jonah.
This reminds us of the prophetic words spoken by Caiaphas the high priest concerning Jesus (John 11:49 -52). They ask the Lord to be forgiving for throwing him overboard and that He would not lay this charge against them because they were doing that which was according to the Lord's plan (Psa. 115:3). This again is echoed in the New Testament concerning Pontius Pilate (Matt. 27:24-25).
18
Jonah's Prayer 2: 1 - 10.
V1. Jonah continued his downward
experience until he was brought to
the place of repentance where he at
last realized that he could run away
or hide from God or escape his
responsibility. It is from the depths
of the fish's belly which had taken
him down to the deepest depths of
the sea that Jonah cries upon the
Lord from the depths of his soul.
V2. He is honest with God and
confesses that it is because of his
affliction that he cries to Him (Psa.
120:1). His testimony is that the
Lord was gracious and merciful in
hearing and answering his cry. The
experience he was going through
was that of a living hell where the
presence of God was absent but
then God heard him!
V3. Again he recognized that it is the
hand of God that had brought him
to this place. It was a place of no
escape for he was encompassed
round about by the waters and he
could not deliver himself, no one
else could help him, there was no
hope for him except from God.
V4. Although he felt the heavens
were as brass and that God had
turned His back upon him he yet
looked towards God in repentance
for mercy and deliverance.
V5. It was not only his body that was
engulfed by water but it was the
experience of his soul too until he
felt that his whole life was
entangled and his mind deranged
with doubts and difficulties. All this
was brought upon him by his on
disobedience !
V6-7. When he was at the end of
himself, when he felt that he could
take no more, and had humbled
himself, the Lord delivered him (1
Cor. 10:13). In his extremity he had
forgotten the Lord, or more likely in
his suffering's he chose not to, but
now he turns his eyes and his soul
towards heaven and to the only one
who could deliver and save him. Of
course we are not like Jonah, are
we? V
8. To try and cope without God or to
turn to other things for help is to cut
ourselves off from our only hope,
God's mercy.
V9. Jonah had learnt his lesson and
so he declared that he would offer
to God the sacrifice of his lips. That
is, he would never cease to praise
and give Him thanks for what he had
done for him (Hebrews 13: 15).
Jonah also promised that he would
fulfill the vows that he had made to
the Lord God, that is, he would
declare the word of the Lord as he
had been asked to do in the first
place. Jonah had personally proved
and received the salvation of the
Lord and knew without any shadow
of doubt that it only comes from
and belongs to Him through Jesus
Christ our Lord (Psa. 3: 8; Acts 4:12).
V10. If the prophet had found it difficult obeying the voice of God, yet the fish immediately obeys the Lord’s command and delivers Jonah safely on to dry land.
We are not told exactly the location where the fish spat Jonah out, except that it was clearly no more than three days journey away from the city of Nineveh.
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The Harvest of the Earth.
The Lamb and the 144,000 . v1 - 5.
1. "Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father's name written on their foreheads."
The scene changes dramatically from the vision of the beasts to one of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, which is a reference to heaven itself. With Him are the 144,000 who were sealed in their foreheads with His Name and His Father's, so most translations read (Rev. 7:3).
2. "And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps."
John hears a voice from heaven sounding like a great waterfall and like the rumbling of mighty thunder. The voice sounds like the music of harpists accompanying themselves on harps.
3. "They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth."
They sang a new song, before the throne of God, the four living creatures and the elders - new possibly meaning that it is sung in a fresh or different way (see Rev. 5:8 - 10) Only the 144,000 redeemed from the earth are able to learn to sing this song.
4. "These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb."
John's description of them is a reference to their spiritual character. The saying, "they have not defiled themselves with women and are virgins" is not a reference to their marital status. (This would imply that the 144,000 were all men).
They have kept themselves morally pure, free from illicit sexual intercourse and idolatry, from the contamination of a godless world (Col.3:5). They are fully committed disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have been redeemed by Christ and together with all who have been purchased by the blood of Christ they are a kind of first fruits (James 1:18).
5. "And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God."
There is no deceit or falsehood in them for in the sight of God they are blameless, not in themselves, but in Christ. Col. 1:22.
The Proclamation of the Three Angels. v6 - 13.
6. "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people-"
Here begins another series of visions about events which actually should precede the events recorded in first five verses. John saw an angel flying in mid heaven announcing the good news of salvation through the atoning death of Christ to put away sin and His resurrection to justify the believer. This is the everlasting Gospel. Yet whilst the Gospel is everlasting in its effects it is limited in its application to the present age of grace. The message is to be made known throughout every tribe and nation (Luke 2:10 - 11).
7. "Saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgement has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water."
The call of the angel is for all men to fear God as creator and to give Him honour and praise for the time of His judgement has come (John 12:31 -32, John 16:8 - 11).
8. "And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."
Another angel followed the first to proclaim the fall of Babylon. This is the first time in Revelation that "Babylon" is mentioned. The literal city of Babylon was founded by Nimrod (whose name means "rebel" (Gen. 10:10). It was here that men began to build the tower of Babel (meaning confusion) in direct rebellion against God. Gen. 11:7 - 9. The city was a centre of idolatry and oppression. Peter refers to Babylon in his epistle (1 Pet. 5:13) and it is
Our In Depth Study. Revelation 14. By Derek R. Williams. Photo © Godfer
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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generally excepted that it is a synonym for Rome. Babylon is mentioned again as the object of God's wrath in Rev. 16:19, the mother of harlots, Rev. 17:5, its fall, Rev. 18:2, judgement Rev. 18:10, thrown down and found no more in Rev. 18:21. It is the source and centre of godlessness, greed, idolatry, perversion etc. a cesspit of iniquity. It has ensnared and engulfed the whole world in the passions of its harlotry. It may not be a literal revival of the city is meant here, but rather that the fruits of the rebellion against God which it came to symbolise - a world system opposed to its maker - is meant. It is of course possible that such a system may be governed from a particular city at the time of these events. However, the age of rebellion and of man's casting off God will come to an abrupt end.
9-10. "Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb."
A third angel cries a warning with a loud voice that anyone who bows to pay homage to the Anti-Christ or his statue or who receives his mark will suffer the fullness of God's wrath and indignation in the same measure as it will be poured out on "Babylon". God will show no more mercy in those days, for all will have been given every possible opportunity to repent, without effect. They shall therefore be tormented with a combination of fire and sulphur before the presence of the angels and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
11. "And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name."
This punishment will be an eternal punishment; it will never cease or for one moment be made more bearable. This will be the everlasting conscious
punishment of all those who gave themselves over to worship Anti-Christ and his image.
12. "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus."
The patience and endurance of the saints on earth will be tested at that time, for they will remain true to the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ whilst all others worship the beast.
13. "Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them."
Those who are Christ's and martyred during the reign of Anti-Christ, will enter into the same blessedness of everlasting rest that Christ gives to all His people, who have died in Him throughout the church age. John is recording these words from heaven as being true and faithful. Tatford records that one expositor says: "These Jewish martyrs had not only lost their part in the rapture of the Church, but also in the glory of the Kingdom". However, they enter into that same rest as the Church that had gone before them (Heb. 4:9 - 10). Their patient endurance will be their testimony."
Reaping the Earth's Harvest . v4 - 16.
14. "Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle."
John sees the Lord Jesus sat on a white cloud wearing a golden crown (the victor's wreath) and having a sharp sickle in His hand (Matt. 24:30 - 31).
15. "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."
An angel comes from the presence of God proclaiming that the time had come
for Christ to reap in the harvest of the earth (Joel 3:12 - 13). The measure of the sins of the wicked are now filled up and the time of their destruction has come.
16. "So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped."
In response to the angel's call the harvest is cut down and gathered ready for judgement.
Reaping the Grapes of Wrath. v17 - 20.
17-18. "Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe."
A fifth angel comes from the temple in heaven with a sharp sickle in his hand. Another who has power over fire comes from before the altar and shouts to the one who has the sickle to thrust it in and gather the grapes from the vineyard of earth for they are ready (Rev. 6:9-10).
19-20. "So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs."
This being done, the harvest is thrown into the winepress of God's wrath (Rev. 19:15). The crushing of this harvest takes place outside Jerusalem where rivers of blood shall flow for a distance of 200 miles as high as a horse's bridal. The Anti-Christ, false prophet and all the rulers of the earth will be there and all of them shall be finally overcome. (Joel 3:11 - 14; Rev. 19:17 - 21)
.From The Revelation of Jesus Christ by Derek Williams (paperback £6.99)
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Praying According to the
Word of God
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10
This Bible Study has been taken
from Chapter VI of Daniel
Kolenda’s new book “Your
Kingdom Come” and is for those
who desire to enter into a divine
partnership with God and His
purposes by joining the prayer
revolution.
Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:9-10
“Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be Your name. Your
Kingdom COME. Your will be done,
on earth as IT IS IN HEAVEN.”
Jesus taught us to pray that all the
glory of His Father’s Kingdom would
break through and be manifested
on the earth, bringing the
transference of all of Heaven’s
purposes and blessings into the
earthly arena.
Many years ago, I had a most
interesting vision. I saw a massive
dam. It was holding back a mighty
river on one side, but on the other
side was thirsty ground, parched
and cracked in the sun. I
understood that the river
represented the glory of God, and
the parched ground represented
the world. I knew that it was God’s
will that the knowledge of His glory
cover the earth as the waters cover
the sea, and so I said, “Lord, how
will Your glory breach that massive
wall?” Then I saw it. Tiny broken
places began to form in the dam,
hairline fractures that seemed so
insignificant. But out of those tiny
cracks, razor sharp spurts of water
began to spray through. The
cracking continued and I watched as
small chunks of the wall began to
fall away. Soon water was gushing
in from all sides, and suddenly, in
one moment, the mighty dam was
swept away and the parched
ground was covered. Then the Lord
spoke to me and said, “My glory will
cover the earth through broken
people.”
Suddenly, I saw Jesus at the Last
Supper breaking the bread of
communion, and He said, “…This is
my body, which is BROKEN for
you…” (1 Corinthians 11:24). When
Jesus spoke of His body being
broken, He was speaking of the
crucifixion.
Immediately the words of the
Apostle Paul in Galatians 2:20 came
flooding into my spirit: “I have been
crucified with Christ; and it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in
me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave
Himself up for me.” What a
powerful confession! To be
crucified with Christ… this is the
brokenness that will result in His life
flowing out through ours to the dry
and parched world around us. “It is
no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me….”
When we are broken, like Gideon’s
clay jars, the light of Christ inside
will shine out, and those rivers of
living water inside of us will come
pouring out as Jesus promised they
would. But how can we be crucified
with Christ? Should we find a band
of Roman soldiers and ask them to
nail us to a cross? The reality is that
Jesus had laid down His life long
before He was nailed to the cross.
Hear Him praying in the garden,
“…Not my will, but thine, be done”
(Luke 22:42). This is true
brokenness. It’s where the real
crucifixion takes place, and it is in
this laying down of our own will and
desires that our prayers become
truly powerful.
Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of
God are a broken spirit: a broken
and a contrite heart, O God, thou
wilt not despise.”
One of the greatest hindrances to
the true revelation of the glory of
God in the earth is prayer offered
by those who have personal
agendas that seek to exalt
themselves. They pray, “Not thy
will, but mine, be done.” God sees
absolutely everything. He hears
every prayer, but He also looks
deep within the heart of the
individual who prays the prayer,
and clearly understands the
motivations of the heart which are
behind it! Nothing is ever concealed
from His eyes. Prayer of any sort for
anything is always going to be
subject to His scrutiny. He not only
hears what we petition Him to do,
but He also sees all – the true
reason that the petition is being
made. This is what James was
referring to when he said:
22
“You lust and do not have. You
murder and covet and cannot
obtain. You fight and war. Yet you
do not have because you do not
ask. You ask and do not receive,
because you ask amiss, THAT YOU
MAY SPEND IT ON YOUR
PLEASURES” (James 4:2-3 NKJV).
God loves it when we pray the
things that are on His heart more
than our own. One of the highest
purposes of prayer and intercession
is to help bring His Kingdom into the
earth so that He will be glorified.
The truth is clearly illustrated by
Jesus when He said, “And whatever
you ask in My name, that I will do,
THAT THE FATHER MAY BE
GLORIFIED IN THE SON. If you ask
ANYTHING in My name, I will do it”
(John 14:13-14 NKJV).
Many people have attempted to
use faith and prayer in the name of
Jesus as a blank check to get
whatever they want for themselves.
God has given us wonderful
promises about asking, believing,
and receiving. That is not in dispute
whatsoever, but there is a higher
calling in faith and prayer. It is to
ask for things, that when given, will
be used exclusively to bring glory to
our Heavenly Father through His
Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! It’s a
type of prayer that is not about us,
but it is all about Him and for Him.
This is the kind of prayer that God
desires. Jesus has promised that if
we pray that way and with that
motivation, “If you ask ANYTHING in
My name, I will do it” (John 14:14
NKJV).
In 1 John 5:14-15 NKJV, we find
another wonderful promise of
scripture. It reads as follows: “Now
this is the confidence that we have
in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we
have the petitions that we have
asked of Him.”
One of the great secrets of prayer is
the discovery of the unlimited
power that is available when God’s
people begin to intercede for things
that God has clearly promised in His
written Word. Faith and expectancy
in intercession are little more than
presumption and delusion if they
are not firmly rooted in that which
is the expressed will of God to
perform. Thank God that because of
His great love, mercy, and grace, He
doesn’t give us everything we ask
for. If He did so, many times
disaster would be the result for us
as well as the abortion of His
purposes and plans!
God is absolutely honest. He can
never lie. He will never promise
things that He is unable or unwilling
to deliver. We can have absolute,
unwavering confidence that when
we go to Him in prayer, seeking
those things that we know are His
expressed will to give and to do, a
revelation of His glory and power
will soon come. It will never fail.
When we know that we know that
we know what the will of God is, we
can pray that will with the
unwavering assurance that the
answer is on the way.
When we begin praying for a mighty
outpouring of the Holy Spirit that
will break the devil’s back and
glorify God, the heavens will begin
to leak under the weight of His
glory. When we begin to
passionately pray that souls be
saved and that the name of the
Lord Jesus be famous in the nations,
we can be absolutely confident that
Heaven is beginning to move in
response. Jesus has promised that
when we pray with the motivation
that His Father be glorified, He will
respond by doing ANYTHING that
we ask Him to do!
When we begin to pray, “Not my
will, but Thine, be done,” our lives
become a crack in the wall that
allows the glory of God to flow to
the earth. The Scriptures declare
that one day the knowledge of this
glory will completely cover the
earth like the waters cover the sea.
There could not be a more
thorough saturation. Although this
prophetic promise is still unfulfilled,
we have seen many glimpses of
what happens when God’s people
pray.
The next great move of God will
come as a result of Prayer &
Obedience by the body of Christ.
Discover how God made us
partners with Him for the
fulfillment of His purposes in the
earth.
Don't miss your opportunity to
purchase the first book released by
Author and Evangelist Daniel
Kolenda.
GET THE BOOK NOW! $12.99
HARDBACK
http://bit.ly/A0OmSW
Be Blessed,
Daniel Kolenda, Evangelist
To find out more, or to support the
work of CfaN visit their website:
http://us.cfan.org/?lang=en-US
Article reproduced with the kind
permission of Christ for all Nations.
23
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