Post on 04-Aug-2016
description
This month ’s art i c les f rom Chris
Palmer , Kar l Ayl ing , Mathew
Bart lett , P iet er Lal leman & more
John 6:9 There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves, and
two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
Going Deeper into God’s Word Issue 53 Summer 2016
Living Word Magazine
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In this issue:
3. The Lion and the Lamb Dr Pieter Lalleman
6. Living Bread Mathew Bartlett
9. Romans 8 v 31–39: The Victory of Righteousness Mathew Bartlett
13. Pastoral Training for Timothy Dr Chris Palmer (OMS)
15. The Christian Life - Psalm 17 Mathew Bartlett
18. This Soap is Good! Doreen Harrison
19. Massive Power Massive Love Karl Ayling
Back: Britain’s’ Cheapest Gospel Tracts Bible Studies Online
www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk
Living Word is published in the UK by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett
©Photos - above: Mihai-bogdan Lazar. Cover: © © Photowitch. Wooden background: Dave Bredeson
Back Cover: © A. J. Cotton
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Chapter One: The Risen Lord
(Revelation 1)
Introduction
The part of the Bible that we will
discuss is often referred to as ‘the
Revelation of John’, but the author
himself calls it ‘the Revelation of
Jesus Christ’. It is the risen Lord
Jesus who appears to John and
then gives him insight into ‘what
must soon take place’ (1:1). John is
instructed to write down what he
has seen and heard (1:19; cf. the
emphasis on the written form of
the text in 22:6–11, 18–19).
The book begins slowly because it
has a number of introductions:
first there is chapter 1, then
chapters 2 and 3 on the situation
in the seven cities, and chapters 4
and 5 on the situation in heaven.
The next main part of the book
only begins in chapter 6.
Background Information
In the Introduction I explained the
kind of book Revelation is. By
order of the risen Lord Jesus, John
is writing this book to seven
named local congregations in Asia
Minor, the area which is now
Turkey (1:11). He is himself on the
island of Patmos, off the Turkish
coast (1:9). He may have been
sent there in exile by the Roman
authorities, but Patmos was not
known as a prison island; hence it
is more likely that John was there
merely to preach the gospel.
In John’s time the Roman Empire
included the whole territory from
Spain and England to Egypt and
Syria. There was peace throughout
this area and Asia Minor,
moreover, was also prosperous
thanks to trade and industry. The
inhabitants of Asia Minor were
therefore very satisfied with the
Roman rule and they participated
enthusiastically in the worship of
the many Roman gods. Religion
played a large role in many social
activities. In addition to traditional
gods, the living emperor was
worshiped as a god and the cities
of Asia Minor competed to be
allowed to build a temple for the
emperor. It is important to be
aware that severe persecution of
the Christians only began in the
third century and that John
mentions the name of only one
martyr, Antipas (2:13). The
present problem is that Jesus's
followers were expected to
participate in society like everyone
else, including the worship of the
emperor—and that many did so!
The book of Revelation is meant to
prevent them from this
'automatic' idolatry. As Nick Page
writes, 'Revelation is not written
to console those going through
trouble: it is written to make
trouble.'
It is characteristic of the book of
Revelation that John makes much
use of the Scriptures of Israel, our
Old Testament. However, he never
quotes them literally and he does
not refer to them either; it is up to
us as readers to find out where
and how he works with the Old
Testament. The Old Testament
sources of Revelation are found
especially in the prophets Isaiah,
Ezekiel, and Daniel; in second
place we have Genesis 1–2,
Exodus 7–15, the Psalms, and the
other prophetic books. In the
present chapter John describes his
call in a way that recalls the call
narrative of Ezekiel, and this book
also plays a role in the structure of
Revelation.
Explanation of the Text
Verses 1–3 Preface
Verse 1a. John calls his book a
'revelation' (apocalypse, see the
Introduction) of the Lord Jesus
Christ. His 'servants' are in the first
place the first hearers of the book,
the members of the seven
churches to which it will be sent,
but in the second place all
Christians. For all of us there is a
blessing from God (1:3).
Verses 1b and 2. Angels play a role
in the transmission of the
revelation and they appear in
almost every chapter of this book;
but it is especially the Lord Jesus
who reveals himself and his plan
to John. John modestly calls
himself a servant of the Lord
(1:1b).
Verse 3. At the time of the New
Testament, most people could not
read, so the letter which
contained the revelation had to be
read out to them. Yet in every
town and village at least some
would be able to read.
Prophecy is not merely
information, it is a message that
we must 'take to heart' or 'keep'
(NRSV).
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6
The Lord Jesus Christ had just fed
5,000 men besides women and
children with five loaves of bread
and two fish. He had sent his
disciples away by boat to
Capernaum before dismissing the
crowds who would have wanted
to take him and make him king by
force. Jesus withdrew to the
mountain alone where he spent
part of the night in prayer before
re-joining his disciples by walking
to them on the water of the Sea of
Galilee. The crowds who had
eaten the loaves and fish search
for Jesus and find him in
Capernaum, teaching in the
synagogue. On their arrival Jesus
challenges them, for they were
not seeking Him for what they
could receive from God, but only
for what they could receive for
their bellies. They wanted food
free of charge, and perhaps
thought of Jesus as a first century
Food Bank. The Lord Jesus Christ
teaches us that we are not to
labour and seek for food which
spoils, but for food which endures
to eternal life. He spells this out
clearly by declaring “I am the
Bread of Life”. This is:
Bread to be Sought
In v26 Christ rebukes the crowds
for seeking to have their bellies
filled, or to put it another way,
seeking the things of this world.
Jesus said “Do not worry about
what you eat or drink or about
clothing, but seek first the
kingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all these things
shall be given you as well.” To seek
the kingdom of God is to seek the
things which belong and pertain to
God. These are lasting things - for
they are eternal. Jesus describes
the bread to be sought by
comparing it with manna. The
people, still thinking of their
bellies, bring this point up to the
Lord Jesus Christ. On their journey
with Moses through the
wilderness on the way to the
Promised Land, God provided
them with manna to eat every day
for forty years. So by comparing
the True Bread with manna Jesus
is able to teach them that the True
bread:
It is Heavenly not Earthly
Because of the way it appeared,
manna was often referred to as
bread from heaven, but such was
not the case. The Lord Jesus Christ
makes clear that it had no spiritual
identity. By contrast the Living
Bread, the Lord Jesus Christ, came
down from heaven to earth. As
the Son of God he was always one
with his father in heaven. But at
the incarnation, that first
Christmas, he took on our flesh
and blood and was born as a baby
in Bethlehem that he might give
his life for the world, and by giving
his life for the world, he would
give his life to the world.
Since this bread is heavenly it is
also eternal. How sad it is today,
as then, many people including
professing Christians, are seeking
earthly satisfaction, not the
fullness from heaven. Paul writes
of these people: For many walk, of
whom I have told you often, and
now tell you even weeping, that
they are the enemies of the cross
of Christ: whose end is destruction,
whose god is their belly, and
whose glory is in their shame--who
set their mind on earthly things.
For our citizenship is in heaven,
Living
Bread Image © Lightkeeper
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from which we also eagerly wait
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Philippians 3:18-20
By contrast, the Christian is called
upon to seek things above, that is,
heavenly things.
If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right
hand of God. Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the
earth. Colossians 3:1-2
It is Spiritual not Carnal
Jesus is not saying that the manna
in the wilderness was not
supernaturally provided, but
rather that its effect was natural.
That is, it fed their bodies and
sustained them physically. It made
absolutely no difference to their
spiritual life. It fed their bodies,
not their souls and it was only for
a time. The people fed on manna
every day, but they still died, it
could not give eternal life as Christ
can. The True Bread brings a
supernatural element to life, that
we might eat it and live forever.
V35 This food is completely
satisfying, just as God’s covenant
with us is ‘arranged and secure in
every part’. It is bread which
satisfies the need of the whole
person—for Christ makes us
whole.
Seeing that Christians have been
supplied with spiritual life, it is sad
that many are still seeking for
what is natural, living as carnally
minded Christians. Paul, writing to
the Corinthians had to tell them:
And I, brethren, could not speak to
you as to spiritual people but as to
carnal, as to babes in Christ. 1
Corinthians 3:1 John warns us that
all that is in the world--the lust of
the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and
the pride of life—is not of the
Father but is of the world. 1 John
2:16
V27 Do not work for food which
spoils but for food which endures
to eternal life which the son of
man will give you. If we want to
seek for what is spiritual then
Christ tells us how to get it.
Bread to be Bought
Bread has to be bought, or
obtained. Yet as Isaiah says, it is to
be bought ‘without money and
without cost’ Where do we get
this bread from and how? Of
course, we receive it from Christ,
for Christ has it. In fact Christ IS it.
He will GIVE it. For it is freely given
as a gift of God to the world. You
can buy it on your knees at Calvary
without money and without price
but freely with a broken & contrite
heart.
He WILL give it. It is his will to do
so. As Christ makes clear in this
chapter. E.g. "And this is the will of
Him who sent Me, that everyone
who sees the Son and believes in
Him may have everlasting life;
John 6:40
Christ makes all this available to us
for God the Father has sealed Him,
with the Holy Spirit. It is through
the Holy Spirit that we receive,
flesh counts for nothing v63.
It is the Holy Spirit who does the
work of regeneration. It is through
the Spirit we have access to the
Father. It is by the Spirit we know
and enjoy a foretaste of the all
things which are freely given us by
God. It is all through the Spirit.
V37 A supernatural God provides
us with a supernatural gospel, as
Jesus made clear when he said
“you must be born again, or born
from above.” It is only God who
can bring men to the Lord Jesus
Christ. We cannot do so ourselves.
We did not bring ourselves and we
cannot bring others. V45 all taught
by God. The evangelist is used, but
God teaches, draws and calls us to
himself. It is God who moves on
our hearts, through his word and
by his spirit to bring us under
conviction, then repentance to
salvation. He gives faith to believe.
You and I need to humbly confess
that we can do nothing of
ourselves—and when we do we
must be willing to believe on the
Lord Jesus.
So to sum up, we obtain this bread
from Christ, through the Holy
Spirit and by faith.
So we have sought the bread and
bought the bread, but we haven’t
finished yet. Bread it no good to
you unless you eat it. And having
sought and bought (or obtained)
the bread The Lord Jesus Christ,
we must eat or partake of it.
Christ explains in v51–58 what it
means to eat of this bread, to
partake of him. It was on the cross
that He gave his body to be broken
and His blood shed for us, so we
might have eternal life. To eat
bread and drink blood means to
appropriate what Jesus has done
for us in his sacrifice on the cross.
Christ is not specifically referring
to the communion in these verses.
In communion, we take the
emblems, but when we partake of
Christ, we are partaking of the
reality of what he has done for us.
Bread to Be Eaten
By partaking of Christ, we go from
having no life to having eternal
life.
Jesus said to them, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, unless you
eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood, you have no
life in you. John 6:53
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By God’s grace we are saved!
Before we came to Christ we were
dead in our trespasses and sins,
but through what Christ has done
for us in his death and
resurrection we have been made
alive together with Christ. We
share his life - the life of God in
our very being, this is what eternal
life is. In fact Jesus, praying in John
17 said “This is eternal life, that
they might know you, the only
True God, and Jesus Christ whom
you have sent.” We know that we
have passed from death to life,
because we love the brethren. 1
John 3:14
Remain in me (kept)
He who eats My flesh and drinks
My blood abides in Me, and I in
him. John 6:56
Not only do we begin our new life
with Christ, we must continue it in
the same way. 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,
Col 2:6, 7
We remain in the Lord Jesus by
partaking of Him every day. We
partake of his grace which is
sufficient for every need; we
partake of his comfort when
things get rough, receive his
strength when we are weak, and
his joy when we are down. We
could go on and on telling of ways
in our Christian lives in which the
Lord keeps and sustains us by
imparting of himself.
Raise him up (glorified)
I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54
The impartation of Christ to us will
be fully realized when we “Awake
with his likeness.” In the
resurrection of the last day of
which our Lord speaks here, not
only will believers receive a new
body like unto his body, but they
shall be like him forever. Beloved,
now we are children of God; and it
has not yet been revealed what we
shall be, but we know that when
He is revealed, we shall be like
Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
1 John 3:2 God’s purpose is that
every child of God shall become
like the Lord Jesus Christ. For
whom He fore knew, He also
predestined to be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He
might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Romans 8:29
Not only shall we be like Christ, we
shall be with him. For if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again,
even so God will bring with Him
those who sleep in Jesus. For this
we say to you by the word of the
Lord, that we who are alive and
remain until the coming of the
Lord will by no means precede
those who are asleep. For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the trumpet of
God. And the dead in Christ will
rise first. Then we who are alive
and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And
thus we shall always be with the
Lord. 1 Thess 4:14-17
We shall be like Jesus, be with
Jesus and nothing shall ever
separate us from Him.
I am persuaded that neither death
nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor
things present nor things to come,
nor height nor depth, nor any
other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Romans 8:38-39
This is the completeness of the
salvation procured for us by
Christ’s death on Calvary.
Conclusion
Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life”
Will you accept and receive the
Bread of Life from the Lord Jesus,
through the Spirit, by faith? If so
you will be saved, kept and
glorified... If you receive him he
will receive you. You can receive
Him, will you receive Him today?
The Prophet of Messiah
The encouragement which Zechariah's prophecies brought to the Jews at the time of their return from exile helped them to rebuild not only their temple but also their national identity. Yet Zechariah's message of hope pointed beyond the glory of the temple to one greater than the temple: the Anointed One (Messiah) who would become both priest and king forever over all nations.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
The Prophet of Messiah: The Book of Zechariah
Paperback: £9.99 & free UK delivery.
KINDLE: £4.99
Available as an ebook in most formats.
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In his letter to the Roman church,
Paul has considered how the
righteousness of God is revealed in
our salvation. God’s righteousness
is: required, revealed, reckoned,
received and recognized. Paul has
traced man’s experience from guilt
through grace to glory, ending
with verses 29–30 where we
found that from God’s viewpoint
the glorification of every child of
God has been completed. This is a
truly breath-taking statement, and
the verses Paul goes on to pen in
Romans 8:31–39 have been
described as among the most
beautiful in the Bible, but that
beauty is as practical as it is poetic.
By using a series of questions and
answers, Paul shows how Christ’s
salvation silences every voice
which opposes believers.
The Voice of Opposition
V31 What then shall we say to
these things? If God is for us, who
can be against us?
Righteousness is revealed by the
reality of God’s love.
V32. He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us
all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things?
God’s love was revealed by the
sacrifice of His Son—he did not
spare him. We know the story of
Abraham, where God told him to
offer his Son Isaac as a sacrifice.
We read of Abraham gathering the
wood to burn the offering, binding
Isaac with rope, laying him on the
wood and then lifting the knife to
kill his son in sacrifice. Then God
calls to him from heaven:
‘Abraham, Abraham, do not lay a
hand on the boy. Now I know that
you fear God, for you have not
withheld your son, your only son
from me.’ Do you think that having
offered his son to God in this way,
Abraham would have held back
anything else from God? And
could God go so far as to give us
his only Son and after that refuse
to with him freely give us all
things?
God’s love is revealed in the
sufficiency of God’s son. By giving
His Son, God gave all things, or
literally the all things. All that Paul
has spoken of as being ours in
Christ through this epistle—a right
relationship with God by which we
call him father, the peace of
acceptance with God, the love and
joy this relationship brings and any
other blessing we could name are
all ours when we take Christ.
John Phillips tells a story of a
Roman centurion who had a
rebellious son, and a faithful
servant. As the time approached
for the old soldier to die, he wrote
his will. Calling his son to him he
said, ‘Son, I’ve disinherited you and
left everything to Marcellus. But
you are my son, so before I die I
want to make sure that you have
just one thing from among my
possessions. You can take
whatever you want. What will it
be?’ ‘I’ll take Marcellus’ replied the
boy, for in taking Marcellus, he
was taking all things.
To receive Christ is to receive all
things. Christ’s sacrifice &
sufficiency silences the voice of
opposition.
The Voice of Accusation
V33 Who shall bring a charge
against God's elect? It is God who
justifies.
Righteousness is reckoned by the
eternity of God’s love.
Believers are referred to as ‘God’s
elect’. Paul has already explained
the foreknowledge of God, and
that our election is not ascribed to
ourselves but God. We look back
to God’s choice of us and forward
to the fulfilment of that choice, for
it is God who justifies.
In Zechariah 3 we read of Joshua
the high priest, standing in God’s
presence with Satan stood
vehemently accusing him. The
Lord clothes Joshua with clean
garments and says “THE LORD
rebuke you Satan.” Satan the
accuser of the brethren is silenced
by the Lord Jesus our advocate.
The vision illustrates what
justification means. When we trust
Romans 8 v 31–39: The Victory of Righteousness
© Joseph Sedmak
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Jesus we are clothed with His
righteousness - not the result of
our good works, but the gift of
Christ who died and rose again to
make it available for each one of
us.
In this way God’s justification
silences every voice of accusation.
The Voice of Condemnation
V34 Who is he who condemns? It
is Christ who died, and
furthermore is also risen, who is
even at the right hand of God, who
also makes intercession for us.
Righteousness is received by the
activity of God’s love. God’s love is
not only real and eternal but
active. God’s love was
demonstrated as he brought His
plan of salvation into action. Here
God’s salvation is shown in its
four-fold aspect:
Christ our sin bearer - Christ died
for our sins. So that we could have
peace with God, Christ satisfied all
the demands the law, both by
keeping it perfectly and taking its
punishment. No wonder the cross
was central to Paul’s life and
message. In Corinth he said: I
determined not to know anything
among you except Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. 1 Cor 2:2
For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being
saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor
1:18
We preach Christ crucified, to the
Jews a stumbling block and to the
Greeks foolishness 1Cor 1:23
In Galatians he cries God forbid
that I should glory, save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal
6:14
Christ our Saviour - by raising Jesus
from the dead, God confirmed
that his death is sufficient to atone
for our sins. Christ was raised
again for our justification (Rom
4:25) that we might receive
everlasting life.
Christ our Sovereign - Christ is not
in the tomb, but sat at the right
hand of God. All the priests in the
OT are spoken of as ‘standing’ to
minister, for their job is never
over. The fire was always kept
burning on Jewish altars,
reminding us that animal sacrifices
can never take away sins. A fire
shall always be burning on the
altar; it shall never go out. Lev
6:13 That is no doubt why
Proverbs says There are three
things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, "Enough!" The
grave, The barren womb, The
earth that is not satisfied with
water—And the fire never says,
"Enough!" (Prov 30:15–16). The
fire of God’s judgment could never
be satisfied by the blood of bulls
and goats. This is a great theme of
Hebrews. It is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take
away sins (Heb 10:4).
But Christ by his death on the
cross has consumed the fire of
God’s wrath once and for all crying
“It is finished” - and he sat down in
heaven. And every priest stands
ministering daily and offering
repeatedly the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sins.
But this Man, after He had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat
down at the right hand of God,
(Heb 10:11-12).
In the OT no one was allowed to
be both priest and king. Priests
came from the tribe of Levi and
the kings from Judah. But the
writer to the Hebrews tells us that
Jesus is made a high priest forever
“after the order of Melchizadec”
(Heb 6:20). He goes on to explain
that Melchizadec was at the same
time priest of God and King of
Salem (Heb 7:1–2). So now we see
Christ our great high priest, sat
down on the throne of God, our
exalted King forever.
Christ our Succourer - Though
Christ’s work as sin bearer has
been completed once and for all,
He continues His Office of High
Priest, for not only does our High
Priest make atonement for us, he
makes intercession for us. This is
an important theme in the NT. Not
only did Christ die, he lives that he
might intercede for us in the
presence of God. For Christ is not
entered into the holy places made
with hands, which are the figures
of the true; but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of
God for us: (Heb 9:24). Therefore
He is also able to save to the
uttermost those who come to God
through Him, since He always lives
to make intercession for them
(Heb 7:25).
In the OT the high priest bore two
precious stones on his shoulders
and a breastplate on his chest.
Both of these were symbolic of
him upholding the nation of Israel
before God. They were to be a
memorial before God (Exod 28:12,
29). As Christ appears in God’s
presence he upholds all his people
by his prayers. He is able to
succour - that is help, support and
relieve those who are suffering
temptation and trial. Christ is our
compassionate High Priest As
Matthew Henry says, “The
remembrance of his own sorrows
and temptations makes him
mindful of the trials of his people,
and ready to help them.”
Paul has already written about an
intercessor on earth - the Holy
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Spirit who intercedes in and for us
- so we also have an intercessor in
heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ who
feels for us in our infirmities. His
intercession brings us strength for
every circumstance of life. The
crucifixion, resurrection, ascension
and intercession of Christ brings us
tremendous security, which is why
Paul ends by dealing with:
The Voice of Separation
V35 Who shall separate us from
the love of Christ?
Righteousness is realized by the
security of God’s love. Paul takes a
string of enemies both physical
and spiritual and he parades them
all before us to show that nothing
can ever separate us from Christ's
love. Let’s deal with them one at a
time:
Extremes of Condition
Tribulation
There are a host of afflictions
which are common to God’s
people in every age. Many are the
afflictions of the righteous.
Illnesses, joblessness, accidents
and problems would be just the
start of a huge list. But none of
these things can separate us from
the love of Christ.
Distress
The word means to be in a narrow
position - in straights or dilemmas.
There are times when we just
don’t know what to do. In such
times our distress cannot separate
us from the love of Christ
Persecution
Throughout the church age
believers have been persecuted by
men’s tongues and by men’s
swords.
Jesus said “Remember the word
that I said to you, 'A servant is not
greater than his master.' If they
persecuted Me, they will also
persecute you.” John 15:20
But persecution cannot separate
us from the love of Christ
Famine
Christians are among those who
are experiencing famine in many
countries today. They are not
immune. Paul himself had this
experience when he said I have
learned both to be full and to be
hungry, both to abound and to
suffer need. I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens
me. Phil 4:13
Paul had found that famine cannot
separate us from the love of
Christ.
Nakedness
Christians are not immune to
poverty. Many in the early church
had to run to deserts and hide in
caves from their persecutors. They
were no strangers to nakedness.
Paul recounts his experience “ in
weariness and toil, in sleeplessness
often, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings often, in cold and
nakedness- 2 Cor 11:27 But, says
Paul, it can’t separate us from the
love of Christ.
Perils
Paul had abundant experience of
perils. He says “I was in journeys
often, in perils of waters, in perils
of robbers, in perils of my own
countrymen, in perils of the
Gentiles, in perils in the city, in
perils in the wilderness, in perils in
the sea, in perils among false
brethren;” 2 Cor 11:26
Sword
The night Jesus was betrayed was
perhaps the first time a sword had
been held up to him. Since then
many saints have been put to the
sword, including James the
brother of John. Pictures from
countries such as Indonesia show
modern day examples of
Christians publicly beheaded by
the Islamic militia and their heads
carried around on poles. Even
today God’s people are like sheep
driven to slaughter.
As it is written: "For Your sake we
are killed all day long; We are
accounted as sheep for the
slaughter." But in all these things
we are “more than conquerors”.
This Greek word has no simple
translation in English. It literally
means Hyper/super conquerors.
We are already on the winning
side, we are over all and above all
for Christ has won the victory for
us. Stephen Olford says, “This is an
entirely new order of victory,
every attack is a means by which I
show them who’s the winner!”
Extremes of Spiritual Powers
Angels
If Paul means bad angels then we
recall that Lucifer was hurled from
heaven to earth and that Christ
has given us power to trample on
the works of the enemy. No evil
angel can separate us from the
love of Christ. If he means good
angels, if it were possible at some
future time that these would rebel
and oppose our favored position
in heaven, they shall never be able
to separate us from the love of
Christ.
12
Principalities
These are the spirits of high rank
mentioned in Eph 6. With all their
wiles and force of darkness they
cannot separate us from the love
of Christ.
Powers
These wicked sinister powers are
responsible for the witchcraft,
Spiritism, idolatry and Satan
worship in the world today,
something which is made more
popular by such films as Harry
Potter and Lord of the Rings.
These things are real and
powerful, but mighty as they are
cannot separate me from the Love
of Christ.
More Extremes of State
Death
Death has been called the King of
Terrors. Man is instinctively afraid
of death and rightly so, for “it is
appointed unto man once to die
and after this the judgment”. Only
those who are in Christ need have
no fear of death, for nothing can
separate us from the love of God
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Life
Life can be more dangerous than
death. Many things can happen in
life. Men are filled with
tremendous anxiety about what
life may bring. There are
thousands of conditions we may
find ourselves in life but none of
these can ever separate us from
the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Extremes of Time & Space
Neither present no future - the
past is already dealt with. But
nothing now or in the future. No
height nor depth. Consider how
vast the universe is. Christ has
filled all these things. He
descended to the depths of hell
before rising triumphantly to the
highest place in heaven. Nothing
in the heavens can separate me
from Christ’s love.
The breadth length depth and
height of the love of God were
revealed at the cross and Jesus
death is enough to send me clean
into his very presence.
In case he’s left anything out, Paul
concludes with the words “nor any
other created thing,” This eternal
security is as resounding as it is
reassuring.
God has included you in the
reality, eternity and activity of his
love, and he gives you an
opportunity to be secure forever
in his love which nothing can
separate us from. This security will
be yours as you receive the Lord
Jesus as your Saviour, for in
receiving him, you receive all
things.
Let’s Talk About Prayer
Though prayer is 'the Christian's vital breath' it raises many questions: if God is in control of everything what's the point of praying? How is prayer related to healing? What about 'unanswered' prayer?
In this remarkable book Dr Tom Holland (Union School of Theology) uses a series of conversations between a pastor and members of his congregation to help us think through these and other questions in the light of biblical teaching.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
13
In this Bible study I would like to
share four aspects with you. The
Bible tells us that these are,
amongst others, signs of the
impending return of Jesus.
1. All things will continue as
they were from the beginning.
The disciples asked Jesus what
these signs would be. He warned
them not to consider disasters as
such since they would always
come – wars, rumors of war,
nation against nation,
earthquakes, and famines. Life
would be normal not abnormal –
people marrying, eating, drinking,
sleeping, or working. All these
things would go on right up to the
day of His coming, just as they
have to this day.
1 Timothy Chapter 1
It is important for our purposes to
always examine the role of the
pastor as outlined in the Pastoral
Epistles; however it must not be
the sole purpose of the
investigations, as there is much in
each chapter which is relevant to
the whole of the Christian Church.
v.1–2 Paul had a particularly good
relationship with Timothy; Acts
shows that he was a companion of
Paul during his missionary
journeys. Here he refers to him as
‘son in the faith’, which is most
probably a reference to his
conversion under Paul’s ministry
(Acts 16:1–3). We have a
responsibility for others who come
under our spiritual influence; and
Paul wanted to pass on beneficial
instructions to the younger man
whom he regarded as his spiritual
‘son’. It is vital that we never think
that we have or know all the
answers; it is important to seek
good godly advice from those
whom we respect in spiritual
matters.
v.3–11 Beware of false teachers; a
pastor’s heart is here revealed
through a concern for the
protection of the congregation of
which he has spiritual
responsibility; the pastor must
watch over the people as a
shepherd with the flock. But how
do we recognise false teaching?
The safest course is to be sure of a
knowledge of the truth of the
biblical narrative and the theology
contained within; as the pastor
knows the truth so too this can be
passed to the congregation hence
preparing all to recognise what is
false and unbiblical. The pastor
should:
1. Know the true word.
2. Pray for direction.
3. Remember you have a
responsibility to self and others.
4. Never teach out of selfish gain.
v.5 What is the correct motivation
for all our work and service for
God? It is love! If in our ministries
we concentrate on the love of God
which is expressed in his word then
there will be blessing. Paul
highlights this in 1 Cor. 13 the
famous chapter on love sadly so
often kept for weddings and
funerals; however contained in its
verses is essential help on
understanding love and its impact
upon the individual.
v.11 The gospel is the gospel of the
glory of the blessed God—it is
God’s gospel, his mission and his
love (2 Cor. 4:4–6). It is imperative
to remember that the whole
message revolves around God not
us! The pastor must never be a
self-centred individual but one
who’s primary role is the spiritual
care of those in the community
both inside and outside the church.
Pastoral Training for Timothy by Dr Chris Palmer (OMS) Image © Curaphotography
14
v.12 Why are you here? This is a
vital question to examine (take a
few minutes to think around this
question and consider your true
reasons for attending Bible College
or the role you currently have in
the local church). Paul here
recollects his call to ministry and
despite the difficulties faced he is
full of gratitude towards God for
choosing him to be a bearer of the
good news of the gospel. There
will be periods of hardship as you
serve the Lord; doubts; fears;
criticism; questions and despair;
however at those times remember
who has called you to his service:
the Lord ‘kurios’ the supreme
authority!
Are you thankful that God has
chosen you to serve him in his
ministry in the world?
If you are going to serve in a
manner that is in line with God’s
plans, then you will require:
1. Strength from God.
2. Work for God.
3. Goal is God himself.
v.17 Here we see a picture of the
God whom we serve; this is known
as a Doxology—an ending of
praise to the God we know and
serve. In this verse we see that God
is:
1. King.
2. Eternal.
3. Immortal.
4. Invisible.
5. Wise/ all knowing.
(see also Rev. 15:3; Rom.1:23; Col.
1:15; Rom. 16:27).
Church discipline
v.20 To be handed over to Satan
means to be put out of the church
into the realm of Satan (i.e. the
world outside the church); possibly
set apart from the church to ‘learn
a lesson’ and understand that God
can forgive their misdemeanour.
Church discipline is an important
issue for the Pastor/leader; how
we deal with matters of discipline
in the church can affect the whole
body of Christ. It is therefore
necessary to be firm, fair and
biblical in one’s approach to
disciplinary matters.
Quality Control in the Church:
How are disciplinary matters dealt
with by leaders?
There will be times when you will
have to deal with serious matters,
such as immorality or financial
impropriety, and it is essential that
you deal with them in the biblical
way. The Bible lays down principles
for dealing with problematic
church members.
Community discipline is essential,
and all churches should have a
disciplinary procedure in place as
part of its constitution. If this is the
case, all members should be aware
of this policy and therefore will not
be able to object when a decision
is made.
What is the Framework for
Discipline?
1. Brother to brother (Matt.
5:22–24; 1 Cor. 5–6).
2. Two/three witnesses speak to
the erring member (Matt.
18:15–16).
3. Pastor/elders speak to the
erring member (Matt. 18:17, 1
Cor. 1:11).
4. Excommunication for the
unrepentant member (Matt.
18:17, 1 Tim. 1:20, 3 John 1:9).
5. What about being accepted
back, after genuine
repentance? (Jm. 5:19-20)
(See also, Ezra 10:1–18; John 9:22,
34; 2 Thess. 3:6–15; Titus 3:10–11;
1 Tim. 5:20; 1 Cor. 11:30; Rev.
2:20–22).
Serious Issues
Serious matters of discipline will be
few and far between, be sure that
no one ‘lords’ it over a
congregation, making rules for the
most insignificant matters and
taking the joy out of discipline. Our
preaching and teaching should be
enough to encourage people to
live as Christians, the emphasis
should be placed on good solid
biblical instruction, allowing the
convicting power of the Holy Spirit
to work on people’s lives to change
them in God’s time. Enforced
restrictions can sometimes prove
negative.
The whole matter of discipline
needs to be treated with the
respect it deserves; remember not
to discuss the ‘issues’ openly when
other people’s lives are involved—
we are not to be gossips.
Discernment is essential in all such
matters, for judging others can be
a big problem (Matt. 7:3ff.) See
also 1 Cor. 4:5; 6:1; 1 Pet. 4:15;
Eph. 4:32; Gal. 6:1.
Be prepared to act but don’t go
looking for trouble!
QUESTIONS
1. What issues might a
pastor/leader face in the Church
which might require disciplinary
intervention?
2. Discuss how a leader might deal
with:
- Sexual immorality?
- Physical abuse?
- Malicious gossip?
- Open criticism of leaders?
15
This Psalm is one of only four in
scripture that is given the title “a
prayer of David.” The
circumstance that has occasioned
the prayer is of a serious nature as
David’s life is threatened unjustly,
for he had not wronged those who
were persecuting him. He turns to
God in prayer, knowing that God is
both righteous and merciful and
will see his innocence and deliver
and vindicate his servant.
In this Psalm I would like us to
notice the conflict, continuance,
cost and consummation of the
Christian Life.
The Conflict of the Christian
Life
In verse 3 David is not claiming
sinless perfection when he says,
You have tested my heart; You
have visited me in the night; You
have tried me and have found
nothing.
He is merely claiming to be
innocent in the matter that he is
praying about, that he has not
wronged his persecutors. He is not
suggesting to God that there is no
sin in his heart. If he did he would
be a liar.
If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If we say that we have
not sinned, we make Him a liar,
and His word is not in us. 1 John
1:8,10.
There is no one who could ever
claim to be absolutely free from
sin in thought word or deed and
that was the Lord Jesus Christ. We
cannot attain sinless perfection in
this life. The conflict that a
believer has with sin is a major
conflict of the Christian life.
Paul did not claim to be perfect:
Not that I have already attained,
or am already perfected; Phil
3:12.
He goes into great detail in the 7th
chapter of Romans to explain the
conflict of the Christian life.
Paul is not describing the
experience of an unconverted
person, for unconverted persons
are at enmity with God, and so
cannot delight after the law of
God after the inward man. Neither
is he speaking of how he used to
be before he had the victory and
found a position of sinless
perfection. For as we said , he
never claimed to be perfect. Paul
is explaining the conflict which is
experienced by all believers,
including himself, between the
new nature, which is born again of
God’s Spirit and delights to do
God’s will, and the old nature,
often referred to as the flesh,
which cannot conform to the law
of God.
In the work of regeneration, God
the Holy Spirit does not change or
renew the old nature. Instead, He
The Christian Life - Psalm 17 Image © Lensonfocus
16
creates a new nature within us in
the likeness of Christ. As the new
nature develops and grows, and
we allow it to have the upper
hand, so we have greater victory
over sin than we had experienced
before. But this process and
progress will never end while we
live in a fallen world. There will
always be occasions when the old
nature gains the upper hand. This
is by no means an excuse for us to
sin wilfully. But it is nevertheless
the honest experience of every
Christian who has ever lived. Paul
concludes his theme on a note of
victory, for since the old nature is
counted as God as being dead,
crucified with Jesus Christ, and
since we have the new nature
living within us, the old nature
cannot drag us back under its
absolute control. Therefore we are
forever free from condemnation,
the new life of the Spirit which we
enjoy in Christ Jesus have sets us
free from the demands of law of
sin and death.
The Continuance of the
Christian Life
v4 David tells us that it is by the
inward power of the word of God,
revealed to him and acted upon by
him with God’s help has kept him
safe, walking in the ways of the
Lord. So he prays that the Lord will
keep him in the right way, obeying
his word. He leads me in the
paths of righteousness For His
name's sake. Ps 23.3
This is the secret of Continuance in
the Christian life, and a
tremendous lesson for us. Rom 8
says that as many as are led by the
Spirit of God are the sons of God.
How does this leading work out in
practice?
How can a young man cleanse his
way? By taking heed according to
Your word. Psalms 119:9
It is only through the word of God,
delivered to us through expository
preaching, received into our
hearts and acted upon that we can
be divinely enabled to know and
to do the will of God.
Through his word God is doing an
eternal work in us. Let us never
underestimate the eternal
importance of the ministry of
God’s word in our lives. Jesus said
“Sanctify them through Your truth,
Your word is truth.” John 17.17.
We must also appreciate the
terrible eternal consequences of
neglecting God’s word.
God’s ordained way of making his
will and counsel known is through
the preaching of his word. Let us
dwell on that thought for a
moment. Not just his word but the
preaching of it.
John the Baptist came preaching..
John came baptizing in the
wilderness and preaching a
baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins Mk 1:4
Jesus preached the good news of
the kingdom... Now after John was
put in prison, Jesus came to
Galilee, preaching the gospel of
the kingdom of God, Mark 1:14
And God has chosen to reveal his
word through preaching. Titus
1.2,3
in hope of eternal life which God,
who cannot lie, promised before
time began, but has in due time
manifested His word through
preaching, which was committed
to me according to the
commandment of God our Savior;
Titus 1:2-3
Paul told Timothy to preach the
word. There are a number of ways
that preaching is important. For
example,
1. In scripture we are told that the
greatest gift of the Sprit is
prophecy. Why? We might have
though the gift of healings or the
working of miracles were the
greater gifts, but we would be
wrong, for these gifts generally
minister to individuals in their
body, not directly to their soul.
Whereas prophecy ministers to
the soul and builds up the whole
congregation of the church at
once. Even through it is through
imperfect channels, it is God
speaking to man.
2. In relation to the lost,
How then shall they call on Him in
whom they have not believed? And
how shall they believe in Him of
whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without a
preacher? And how shall they
preach unless they are sent?
Romans 10:14-15 No one ever got
saved without hearing about
Jesus.
3. When Paul told Timothy to
preach he word, he was saying the
same as Jesus said to Peter. “Feed
my sheep”. Peter told other elders
to “feed the flock of God”. We are
fed spiritually when God’s person
and will are made known to us
through the preaching of his word.
So great was the importance
attached to this by the apostles
that they refused to be distracted
from it by any menial task,
however important. If the church
meal for widows needed someone
to run it, fine, but it would not be
them.
as newborn babes, desire the pure
milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby, 1 Peter 2:2
Have you ever seen
undernourished children? They
are not fed properly. If only they
were given a well-balanced diet.
But what of our spiritual lives. Did
we realise that we can be
undernourished and ill formed in
17
our Christian lives for want of
good Bible teaching?
The early church continued
steadfastly in the apostles
teaching. They never missed a
Bible study. They regularly and
conscientiously attended
whenever the apostles gave Bible
teaching, so that they might grow
in their Christian faith and improve
their usefulness to the Lord and
his church.
He Himself gave some to be
apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ,
Eph 4:11-12
The Cost of the Christian Life
That David’s life was threatened
we have already established and in
verses 9 -12 of this Psalm he gives
us a picture of his persecutors,
which we will not go into this
morning. Enough for our purposes
to say that he was persecuted.
This is the Cost of the Christian
life. "We must through many
tribulations enter the kingdom of
God."
As David knew too well, there are
times when the wicked rise up
against the children of God. Only
this week, the minibus was
attacked and its tyres slashed
causing over £200 of damage.
At this present time the Lord has
not permitted them to harm our
persons. Yet we are reminded that
there will always be those who will
oppose and hate the Christian
church.
If the world hates you, you know
that it hated Me before it hated
you. If you were of the world, the
world would love its own. Yet
because you are not of the world,
but I chose you out of the world,
therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to
you, 'A servant is not greater than
his master.' If they persecuted Me,
they will also persecute you. John
15:18-20
They will put you out of the
synagogues; yes, the time is
coming that whoever kills you will
think that he offers God service.
John 16:2
Then they will deliver you up to
tribulation and kill you, and you
will be hated by all nations for My
name's sake. Matt 24:9
So Jesus answered and said,
"Assuredly, I say to you, there is no
one who has left house or brothers
or sisters or father or mother or
wife or children or lands, for My
sake and the gospel's, who shall
not receive a hundred fold now in
this time--houses and brothers and
sisters and mothers and children
and lands, with persecutions--and
in the age to come, eternal life.
Mark 10:29-30
We must be prepared for this to
happen. And yet God has
promised to hide us under the
shadow of his wing. David tells us
that God will keep us as the apple
of his eye - the pupil, the most
sensitive part.
As we consider these and other
scriptures it is hard for us to
appreciate them in the context of
the killing, torture and
imprisonment which is the daily
experience of millions of Christian
around the world. How can we be
certain that God is keeping his
promise to protect us, when all
around the world Christians are
persecuted and tortured?
I think a story by Corey Ten Boon
illustrates this point.
A little boy was out walking with
his father and it became dark. On
returning home they had to cross
a very fierce river by a narrow
bridge. The little boy was
frightened. He could not see the
river, but he could hear its angry
swelling. He was too frightened to
cross the bride unless he should
fall into the water and be carried
away. So his father lifted him up
and carried him. He could still hear
the raging water, but knew that he
was safe in his father’s hands. So
he fell asleep, trusting his dad.
Next morning he woke up
peacefully to a beautiful morning
in his own bed at home with his
father. That is what will happen
when we pass though persecution.
Although we may hear and
experience the hate and even
abuse and martyrdom at the
hands of our enemies, our dying
will only be a falling asleep in the
arms of Jesus, and we will wake up
all together, safe and sound with
him at home. This is the..
The Consummation of the
Christian Life
David’s greatest desire was to
dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. He was like Paul who said
to depart and be with Christ is far
better. Here David says I will be
satisfied when I wake with your
likeness. One day we shall wake
up from this earth's dark night,
and see Jesus face to face, 1 JN 3.2
“when we see him we shall be like
him” Fear, sorrow, guilt for our
failings, sickness and pain will all
be passed forever and we will
never remember them. Lois said to
me last night, I wish I could sing
like I used to. Well I don’t know if
you’ll ever sing like you used to
but I do know that you will sing
like you have never sung before in
those mansions bright - and
wonder of wonders - none of the
Lord’s children will be missing. We
shall all be there! And so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
The Prophecy of Amos
The virtually unknown prophet Amos bursts onto the pages of history with a warning relevant to his time. He confronts the nation of Israel with the unchanging nature of God and warns them to repent before judgment falls. As we study a period in the history of a nation that had turned its back on God, we draw disturbing parallels with our own time.
18
We met a gentleman in Africa
who told us, "There is only one
thing I cannot provide for
myself! My food grows or I
catch it. I built my house with
the materials I found in the
forest. The river washes me
and my clothes—but to get
really clean, I need SOAP."
I have a memory of arriving late
one evening at a Missionary
Compound to be greeted by
the Watchman, who was taking
the opportunity to wash in the
river. He rose up out of the
water, covered in white soapy
bubbles. "This soap is good!"
he said.
We take soap for granted. It
comes in all colours,
fragrances, degrees of oiliness,
sizes, and shapes. Its one
purpose is to make us clean.
This is an adequate description
of religion!
Religion is a system which is
presented in a number of
different ways with the one
purpose: to make us clean.
Humanity’s grubbiness can be
described in various words but
one word suffices for all the
others. That word is Sin.
Sin disfigures every society, and
every single soul. All faiths have
one intention: to clean up
humanity and appease a
righteous God. But how can
human effort appease God?
How can sinful man deal with
his own sinfulness?
The Christian faith provides the
only answer! God placed Jesus
on planet earth to identify with
humanity. When Jesus was
crucified he paid the penalty
for the sin and guilt of the
entire human race. When we
identify with Jesus he cleans us
up.
Faith in Jesus is heavenly soap!
A convicted prisoner, in a
maximum security jail, put it
like this "When I accepted
Jesus as my Saviour, I was still
inside—but inside, I was clean."
On the first Easter Day Jesus
rose from the dead, and this
indicates that God accepted his
sacrifice. Personal Spring
cleaning is available through
faith in Jesus Christ.
We all need to pray: “Remove
my sin, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter
than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)
© Paul Prescott | Dreamstime.com
This Soap is Good!
An Extract from A Garland of Grace by Doreen Harrison
19
MASSIVE POWER
Massive power, massive
love, healed and saved
From above
By a love I did not earn
That holds me near both
night and day.
Through the ups and downs,
when feeling down
And burdened by my
tarnished crown;
It’s always there come rain
or shine,
Through a promise true that
makes it mine.
A love so true I cannot say a
word or thing to lose its way.
Massive power, massive
love, healed and saved
From above
By my Father’s love—
Abba Father’s love.
ANGEL LIGHT
Angels can fly because they
take and hold everything
lightly.
Light breathes life into
everything.
Is this why they visit us at
night, delivering Daddy’s
blessings and lessons at the
quietest time?
Could you cope with a single
touch at any other time?
Would your mind
comprehend— their touch is
so light as to be
imperceptible?
Would this rescue you from
calamity of work, calamity of
family, calamity of spouse,
calamity of life?
Have we missed the glory,
the mercy, the joy, the love
of His tender touch by the
breadth of a hair?
Have I blinked out of
synchronisation with the
Creator’s rhythm?
Does my heart not jump
elatedly when the angel’s
delivery finds its target?
Lord provide me an angel’s
light.
Massive Power Massive Love
Shocking… heart-rending… inspiring… compulsive
reading.
Healed and saved from above! The autobiographical
book of Psalm-like poems charting the journey of one abuse survivor to salvation
and healing through the mercy of Jesus Christ.
Karl Ayling’s honest and at times heart-rending poetry
tells the story of his life, and allows the reader to journey with him from the darkness of despair towards salvation
and eventual healing.
Available from all good Christian bookstores
Massive Power Massive Love
Paperback: £7.99 & free UK delivery. KINDLE: £3.99
Available as an ebook in most formats.
Karl Ayling has a unique way of sharing his amazing testimony—through a book of moving psalm-like poetry. Here are two of his poems.
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Contact us for details:
Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett
Living Word Magazine and Bible Studies
Online are ministries of Sharon Full
Gospel Church. UK Reg. Charity No.
1050642 www.sharonchurch.co.uk
Tel: (+44) 01495 753561 Lines open 9am-5pm
Mon to Fri with answerphone.
Living Word digital magazine is available free
of charge. Print copies also available at cost
price from: www.biblestudiesoline.org.uk
Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett
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