Download - Living Word Magazine April 2015
The centurion watching Jesus saw the earthquake, and
feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
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In this issue:
4. Vanguard of an Invasion Force Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)
5. You are NOT a Captive Ken Legg (Australia)
6. Faith: The Sixth Sense Reinhard Bonnke (CfaN)
8. The Poison of Unbelief (Part 2) Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)
9. Faith-builders Bible Study Luke 1:57–80 Derek Williams (UK)
11. In Depth Study – Zechariah 9 Mathew Bartlett (UK)
14. Stephen the Pentecostal Deacon Haydn O. Williams (UK)
15. The Winning Bet Bible Studies Online
16. Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection Mathew Bartlett (UK)
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Living Word is published in the UK by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett
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An extract from ”Kneeling We Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey BUY ON KINDLE! £3.86 Reproduced by kind
permission of Harvey Publishers. Image© Elultimodeseo
Pray ye...Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done (Matt. 6:9, 10).
The kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it by
force (Matt. 11:12).
The kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord
(Rev. 11:15).
Don Richardson in a Memorial
Service for the martyred
missionaries in West Irian had this
inspired explanation to give for the
hatred and abuse heaped upon the
loving ministries of the Christian.
This holds true in other than
heathen lands but merely is shown
in a more polished manner:
“We may well ask, ‘Why is it that
people who are loyal to Jesus Christ,
who endeavor to be as He was,
holy, harmless, undefiled— people
whose desire is to live and teach the
ethic of Heaven itself— why should
they be, in every age, the objects of
such furious hatred?’
“There are, perhaps, many reasons.
I will name what I believe is the
main one. The ungodly of this
world persecute the body of Christ
because they instinctively recognize
that body as the vanguard of an
invasion from another world, a
world diametrically opposed to this
one. The ungodly are fighting to
hold this planet against this
invasion, even though it is an
invasion by the greatest love and
goodness that ever was. The
ungodly want to keep this planet a
place where they can practice
independent meaning in rebellion
against God, even though the
penalty for that rebellion is death
itself, and so they resent every
encroachment from that other
world where the rule is that men
practice dependent meaning in
submission to God.
“Some imaginative men have
speculated about the possibility
that this world may someday be
invaded from outside itself. Little
do they realize that an invasion of
this world occurred two thousand
years ago, an invasion far more
subtle, far more sophisticated, far
more certain of success than
anything that the wildest flight of
man’s imagination could conceive.
The Incarnation of Jesus Christ was
that invasion and He is still carrying
on His conquest, not by bringing in
armies to suppress the earth, but by
transforming His enemies into
citizens of His kingdom through His
Gospel.”—Helen Manning.
The continuance of this invasion is
largely maintained by the secret
prayer warriors described by S. D.
Gordon:
“The victor’s best ally in this conflict
is the man, who while he remains
down on the battlefield, puts his life
in full touch with his Savior-Victor,
and then incessantly, insistently,
believingly claims victory in Jesus’
name. He is the one foe among
men whom Satan cannot withstand.
He is projecting an irresistible spirit
force into the spirit realm. Satan is
obliged to yield. We are so
accustomed through history’s long
record to seeing victories won
through force, physical force, alone,
that it is difficult for us to realize
that moral force defeats as the
other never can. . . .
“Every time such a man prays it is a
waving of the red-dyed flag of Jesus
Christ above Satan’s head in the
spirit world. Every such man who
freely gives himself over to God and
gives himself up to prayer is giving
God a new spot in the contested
territory on which to erect His
banner of victory.”
Vanguard of an Invasion Force
Christian to arms! Behold in
sight
The treacherous,
threatening sons of might;
To arms! or thou art put to
flight;
Attest thy glorious chivalry.
Each moment’s respite sees
thy wrong,
Supinely thou hast dwelt
too long.
Thy foes, alas! they grow
more strong.
Arise! Acquit thee valiantly!
—Selected.
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You are NOT a Captive by Ken Legg
When a circus elephant is just a
baby its leg is tied to a leash which
is attached to a peg or stake and
hammered into the ground. As it
tries to pull on the leash, the chain
cuts into its leg causing soreness
and bleeding. Over time, the wound
becomes so sensitive that even the
slightest pull on the chain is painful,
and so eventually the elephant
stops trying to free itself.
Amazingly, when it is full grown, the
same chain and stake keep it bound
to one location even though the
adult elephant could easily pull the
stake out of the ground. Why is
that? The memories of the animal’s
painful attempts to free itself in the
past have become embedded in its
mind. It has been programmed to
believe that it is as powerless in the
present as it was in the past. It is
now held captive, not by the chain
and peg, but by wrong thinking.
Before we were born again we were
in the kingdom of darkness and
under the dominion of Satan and
the power of sin. But now we have
been delivered ‘from the power of
Satan to God’ (Acts 26:18). Paul
says, ‘He has delivered us from the
power of darkness and conveyed us
into the kingdom of the Son of His
love’ (Col.1:13).
This has happened to us as a result
of our union with Christ. In Romans
6:10 Paul explains, ‘For the death
that He died, He died to sin once for
all; but the life that He lives, He lives
to God.’ What does this mean?
In other places the apostle tells us
that Christ died for sin. But here he
says He died to sin. It is obvious that
he is not suggesting that Jesus
stopped sinning, because He never
sinned. What he means is that
whilst Jesus temporarily left heaven
and came to live in a realm where
sin dominated, i.e. Earth, He no
longer lives in that realm. After His
death, resurrection and ascension,
He left Earth and was raised to the
Father’s right hand in heaven. Now
He lives unto God. Sin has no place
or power in this realm.
In the following verse he says, on
the basis of our union with Christ,
‘Likewise you also, reckon
yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus our
Lord’ (Rom. 6:11).
He is not suggesting that we have
died to the possibility of temptation
or sinning, but that we have died to
the sin nature which was the
dominant power which reigned in
us. In Christ, we are now seated in
the heavenly places and alive unto
God. We are partakers of the divine
nature. Another power, much
greater than sin, rules in us now;
that is, the power of His grace.
We stand in the grace of God (see
Rom.5:2; 1 Pet.5:12). Godliness is at
the core of our being. It is the
essence of our new nature. In the
same way that sin produced the
certainty of sinful behaviour, grace
produces the certainty of holiness.
As far as our unredeemed bodies
are concerned, sin remains and will
make its appeal to us from that
base. If we are suffering from ‘circus
elephant syndrome’ we will think
that we are just the same now as
when we were in Adam, so we will
give in to sin’s demands.
That’s why Paul has taken time in
the preceding chapter to explain
that we are not in Adam anymore.
We are now in Christ. Therefore, sin
is not our master. We are
empowered by grace to reign: ‘... as
sin reigned in death, even so grace
might reign through righteousness
to eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord’ (Rom.5:21).
We must not fall for the lies of
some branches of modern
psychology which would have us
believe that we are victims of our
upbringing and therefore doomed
to problematic behaviour. That may
be true of those in Adam, but not of
those in Christ.
It’s not the way that we were raised
that matters, but the way that He
was raised! He died and was raised
out of the realm of sin and death
and now lives unto God. We were
raised with Him that we might reign
in life by the mighty working of His
power in us. ‘Those who receive
abundance of grace and of the gift
of righteousness will reign in life
through the One, Jesus Christ’
(Rom.5:17)
Order ‘Grace: The Power to Reign’
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6
Introduction - Common Faith
This Bible study has been taken
from chapter 2 of FAITH THE
LINK TO GOD'S POWER
Some people have very odd
ideas about faith, so odd that
here we need to clarify what, in
fact, we are discussing when we
talk about faith. Faith is not
believing something you know is
not true; neither is it believing
something for which there is no
evidence. That is simply
foolishness. The Bible is a big
book all about faith, and in it, we
find a few facts about faith that
will help us get the definition
straight.
The elementary fact is that faith
is a built-in part of all humans.
We are born to be believers. If
you think you have no faith, try
it! Try not believing in anything
or anybody—your wife,
husband, doctor, bank, boss,
baker, or chef. There are no
guarantees, yet we put our lives
into the hands of surgeons, and
we trust drivers of trains, cars,
and airplanes without thinking
of faith. But that is what it is.
Faith is a kind of immune system
to filter out fears that otherwise
would paralyze all activity. When
it fails, we develop all kinds of
phobias and compulsions. It is a
nervous breakdown. Jesus said
to not have phobia but faith.
(See Luke 8:50.)
If you stopped using this faculty
of faith, you would never get out
of bed in the morning or step
outside. You might think the sky
could fall down. In this world, a
million cobra troubles are coiled
to strike, but we carry on,
usually quite aloof from them
and confident. The Bible says,
“God has dealt to each one a
measure of faith” (Romans
12:3). Christ said, “Only believe”
(Mark 5:36), because we can.
Getting married is the best
illustration of faith I know of.
Has any bride or bridegroom
ever imagined the other was
perfect? Yet they commit
themselves to each other for
life, for better or worse. One
bride refused to repeat the
Faith: The Sixth Sense by Reinhard Bonnke Image © Grace21
Article reproduced with kind permission of Christ for all Nations
7
words, “I take thee for better or
worse.” She said, “I only take
him for worse. I know he’ll never
be better.” She still went ahead,
confident but not optimistic!
There is no mystique about faith.
Perhaps little children are the
biggest believers. Many times I
have lifted a child in my arms,
but not once has the child
screamed for fear of falling.
Jesus Himself carried a child as
an illustrated sermon. He said
the child carried a passport to
the kingdom of God. Faith does
not come by murdering common
sense. It is not a peculiar
psychology developed with
great effort by saints in caves
and living on bread and water. It
is not peculiar at all. It is natural.
Doubt is peculiar—irrational in
fact. It is the only thing that ever
surprised Jesus.
Sinners Can Believe
The next thing we must
understand is what it means to
be holy, to be a saint. People
often confuse faith and virtue.
Virtue is developed. By
contrast, faith does not come in
the same way that one learns
the piano, grade by grade.
People talk about “big believers”
as if believing came in sizes, like
suit jackets. But we can have
faith even when we know we are
not very good. Sinners can have
faith; otherwise, they could
never be saved. Nobody is good,
but Christ taught us that all can
believe. He commended some
people for their faith, but they
were foreigners, quite ignorant
of doctrine.
The Bible does the same. It has
an honor roll listing heroes and
heroines of faith. (See Hebrews
11.) They are remembered not
for valor or kindness but for
their complete reliance upon
God. Faith is a perfectly ordinary
thing that makes us outstanding
in the eyes of God, since
“without faith it is impossible to
please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6).
By faith it is possible to please
God, and faith is possible for
everybody.
Believe in What?
Another fact about faith is that
we are what we believe. Thus,
we need to monitor what we
believe. We make the decision
to believe, and what we believe,
in turn, will define us. Some
believe in UFOs, or that the
earth is alive, or in voices from
the dead; perhaps they just want
to be different. In our lives, we
are presented with millions of
things we could believe in, but
God is supreme. Above all else,
He is the one worth believing in.
Even in this modern world,
surveys show that practically
everybody believes in God—in
some sort of God, somewhere.
The question is, what sort?
Faith, the Character Test
In this way, believing tests us.
The kind of God we believe in is
a window into our souls—for
example, the difference
between believing in Christ or
Karl Marx. We are what we
believe. What does it say about
us if we follow a faith that only
demands a few prayers?
Minimum-effort religions can be
quite popular; they make small
demands and gain a big
following, cheap faith for
lackadaisical people.
Jesus Christ asks for everything:
“Son, give Me your heart.” A
broad religion is an easy road,
but it gets narrower and goes
nowhere. Faith in Christ is a
narrow road that gets wider and
leads somewhere. “The path of
the just is like the shining sun,
that shines ever brighter unto
the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).
BUY: Faith The Link With
God's Power
International Evangelist
Reinhard Bonnke draws from his
years of personal study and
vibrant ministry to reveal that
Faith itself is not the power, but
it links us to the power source. It
is not the size of our faith but the
size of the God we believe in that
determines the results. There is
no link to God’s power without
faith.
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In Matthew 17:14-21, a certain
man with a demon-possessed son
had come to Jesus’s disciples for
help, but when they could not cast
out the evil spirits, they asked Jesus
why they had been so unsuccessful.
He said to them, “Because of your
unbelief” (v. 20). This is a very clear
and precise explanation that Jesus
reiterated by going on to say, “For
verily I say unto you, If ye have faith
as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto this mountain, Remove
hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove; and nothing shall be
impossible unto you” (v. 20). So far
this seems very straightforward. But
the simplicity and clarity of this
statement is often overshadowed
by confusion over the next words
Jesus spoke: “Howbeit this kind
goeth not out but by prayer and
fasting” (v. 21).
It almost sounds as if Jesus
contradicted Himself. When asked
why the disciples had not been able
to exorcize the demon, He said it
was because of unbelief. But now
He seems to be saying that it is
because they had not fasted and
prayed enough. Which is it? The
confusion comes when we fail to
realize the moral of the story. At
first glance it may appear that the
demon is the focal point of this
account, but a closer look will reveal
that the real antagonist in this story
is not the demon but the spirit of
unbelief. The disciples were
concerned about the demon inside
the boy, but Jesus was concerned
about the unbelief inside His
disciples. The disciples’ question
was about casting out demons, but
Jesus’s answer was about casting
out doubt. Jesus knew that once
unbelief has been cast out,
exorcizing demons would be a piece
of cake.
Sometimes we have to pray long
prayers and fast for many days
before we get the victory, but it is
not because our appeals coerce
God into doing something. And it is
not because we have finally earned
the answer to our prayers by
logging enough credit hours into
our spiritual bank account.
Much fasting and prayer may be
necessary and useful in helping us
gain victory over our own stubborn
flesh and cast out the spirit of
unbelief that blocks God’s power
from flowing through us. It is this
kind of unbelief that goes out only
“by prayer and fasting. It is also
worth mentioning that some
manuscripts do not contain the
statement about prayer and fasting
at all, which is why many Bible
translations have left it out
completely. Any way you look at it,
faith is the key to powerful prayer.
This is the point Jesus made in this
story.
In Matthew 9:25, when Jairus’s
daughter died, Jesus had to send
everyone out of the room before He
could raise her from the dead. Why
didn’t He allow all those scornful
skeptics to see the miracle with
their own eyes? Because He had to
cast the unbelief out. Peter did the
same thing in Acts 9:40: “But Peter
sent them all out and knelt down
and prayed, and turning to the
body, he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And
she opened her eyes, and when she
saw Peter, she sat up” (NAS). Jesus
taught His disciples a lesson: Cast
the spirit of unbelief out, and
nothing will be able to stand against
you. Demons, death, and even the
most formidable mountains will
obey your command.
Investors often “diversify” their
investments because if one venture
doesn’t work out, they want to have
something else to fall back on. So a
common idiom in the business
world is, “Don’t put all your eggs in
one basket.” That means, don’t put
all your resources into one
investment because if one of your
“baskets” breaks and all your “eggs”
are in it, you will lose everything.
You see, if you are holding back
some of your “eggs,” it means you
are not 100 percent confident that
a particular basket will hold. You
may be 50 percent confident or
even 99 percent confident, but that
small percentage of apprehension is
what I am calling “unbelief.” So how
do you know when you’ve gotten
rid of all the unbelief? When you’ve
put all of your eggs into God’s
basket.
The Poison of Unbelief Part 2 Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda (CfaN) Photo: © Ellah
By kind permission of CfaN, an extract from Daniel’s new book-
Live before you die. £9.99 BUY NOW.
9
The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles.
Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will benefit from using Faith-builders studies.
Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand.
Each chapter has thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided.
Below is an extract from the study notes for Luke 1:57-80
The Birth of John the Baptist
1:57-58 Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
When the time came, Elizabeth gave birth to a son just as the angel Gabriel had said; and all her neighbours and relatives heard God had been merciful in healing her barrenness, and they gathered to share her joy.
1:59-61 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother replied, "No! He must be named John." They said to her, "But none of your relatives bears this name."
According to the Law of Moses, when the boy was eight days old they took him to the synagogue to be circumcised (Genesis 17:10-14). They were about to call him Zacharias after his father, but Elizabeth stopped
them, insisting that his name was John. The people could not understand why she would choose a name other than that of her husband or another respected relative.
1:62-63 So they made signs to the baby's father, inquiring what he wanted to name his son. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed.
It is strange to think that they made signs to Zechariah to ask what name he wanted to give his son, for he was not, so far as we know, deaf, only dumb. Another translation puts they asked him. In reply, he motioned for them to give him a writing tablet and he wrote on it that the child’s name was John.
1:64 Immediately Zechariah's mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God.
As soon as Zechariah had done this, as the angel had previously commanded him, his speech was restored and he began praising God.
1:65 All their neighbours were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about.
Great awe fell on all those who were present and on all throughout the Judean hills who heard the news of what had happened.
1:66 All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the Lord's hand was indeed with him.
Clearly, the people thought that the manner of John’s birth and naming, involving Zechariah’s vision, dumbness and subsequent healing foreshowed that God would be involved in this child’s life – and they wondered for what purpose God would raise him up. The only other children since the patriarchs whose birth was spoken of in such terms in the Scriptures were Moses, Samson and Samuel, all great judges and prophets. And throughout his lifed, God’s hand was with him.
The Faith-builders Bible study series
Luke Chapter 1:57-80 By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem
Mark Chapter 2 (abstract) By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem
10
Zacharias’ Prophecy
1:67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.
Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied concerning his son in terms of his God given mission of preparing the way for the long awaited Messiah, Jesus; and so he begins by praising God for the coming Messianic kingdom.
1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
Zechariah first praises God for visiting His people. The birth of John announced that the coming near of Go din the person of the Messiah was imminent. Zechariah further reveals the purpose of this coming; he (God, through the Messiah) has come to redeem His people and Zechariah’s new-born child would grow to announce this coming to Israel.
1:69-71 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.
A ‘horn’ is a figure for a mighty deliverer; a king from the lineage of David (Psa. 18:2). In Zechariah’s eyes he would save the people of Israel from their enemies, just as God had made known through His prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21-24). Perhaps Zechariah especially has in mind the first prophecy in the Bible (verse 70 can read ‘since the world
began’), where the enemy who brought sin, death and estrangement from God into the world is depicted as being defeated by the Messiah, and the effects of his work are undone (Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8).
1:72 He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant.
He is fulfilling His promise of mercy that He made to Israel’s forefathers (especially Abraham) and has remembered the covenant He had made with them; a covenant which Paul explains was to be made with all people through one of Abraham’s descendants -the Messiah (Gal. 3:15-17).
1:73-75 The oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham. This oath grants that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.
Indeed, Zechariah elaborates on what he has said already. This is the covenant which He made with Abraham after he offered up his son Isaac (Gen. 22:16-17), granting Israel deliverance from sin so that they could serve Him in holiness, consecration and righteousness (Eph. 4:24) without any fear (Isa. 45:17).
1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.
Zechariah’s prophesy now turns to John, who would be called the prophet of the Most High for he will go before the Lord Jesus Christ preparing the way for Him (Mal. 3:1 and Mal. 4:5).
1:77 To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.
John was to make known the way of salvation to the people, firstly through preaching that they should repent in order to be ready for the Messiah; and then by pointing him out to them, the one who would forgive their sins (Luke 3:3).
1:78 Because of our God's tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high.
Thus the mission of John and that of Christ would be accomplished by God's tender love, mercy and grace. What is more, the time is imminent for Messiah’s appearing; the sun is about to rise for a new day of grace.
1:79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Through the Messiah’s coming, God will cause his light to shine into the hearts of those who are lost in the darkness of sin and held captive by the fear of death (Eph. 5:8 and Heb. 2:15); leading sinners into the way of peace (Eph. 2:14).
1:80 And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel.
John grew up and become spiritually strong, that is mature his knowledge, understanding and strength of the Lord. He lived in isolation in the desert until the time came for him make himself known to Israel.
11
Prophecies Against Israel’s Enemies
9:1 This is a message from the
LORD: His eyes are on everyone,
especially the tribes of Israel. So he
pronounces judgment against the
cities of Hadrach and Damascus.
(CEV)
An oracle is a heavy burden, a
prophetic message which weighed
the prophet down because of its
gravity and seriousness. The oracle
concerns the nations along the
Mediterranean coast which were
Israel’s enemies and neighbours –
Syria and Philistia. Originally, when
Israel invaded the Promised Land,
God included these territories in
their inheritance (Num. 34:5-6); but
Israel had never conquered them
completely. Hadrach was to the
north of Hamath, and Hamath was
nearer to the Syrian capital
Damascus. Tyre and Sidon were also
along this same coast.
The prophet speaks of the defeat of
these fortresses as coming from the
Lord, without naming the armies
responsible or giving further details
of the time and circumstances of
these conquests. For this reason
experts argue over when these
prophecies were written (and
consequently whether or not they
were all written by Zechariah). It is
possible that each verse depicts a
different time in history. Baldwin
explains that some suppose the
defeat of Hamath and Damascus by
Jeroboam II to be depicted here (2
Kings 14:28); but it is also true that
the Assyrians and Greeks fought
these cities in later times, and that
it was Alexander the Great who
eventually overcame Tyre. The
Philistine cities mentioned in vv. 5-6
were subdued by Nebuchadrezzar
before the exile, and so some
scholars suppose that this is an
earlier prophecy inserted by the
editor.
The key to why this allusion of
God’s actions against Israel’s
enemies is made by the prophet is
found in verse 8. Many of the
returned exiles faced hostility from
the surrounding nations (e.g. Neh.
2:10), and God wanted to reassure
them that he would keep them safe
from enemy invasion. Clearly this
promise was not open ended –
Jerusalem and the temple were
much later invaded by the Romans;
but it was a promise which held for
that time. God’s eyes were upon
the children of Israel to watch over
and guard them, just as his eyes
were upon their enemies in order to
bring calamity on them. I have
quoted the CEV above because I
think it is a better rendering than
those translations which suggest
humanity’s eyes being on the Lord.
9:2-4 as are those of Hamath also,
which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre
and Sidon, though they consider
themselves to be very wise. Tyre
built herself a fortification and piled
up silver like dust and gold like the
mud of the streets! Nevertheless the
Lord will evict her and shove her
fortifications into the sea — she will
be consumed by fire.
Using its wisdom – the technology
available in those days – the island
of Tyre had built an almost
impenetrable sea defence, and
became a wealthy trade centre.
Nevertheless, Alexander overcame
these defences ‘by building a mole
from the mainland’ and dealt
ruthlessly with the people of Tyre. It
never again rose to power.
9:5-7 Ashkelon will see and be
afraid; Gaza will be in great
anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope
will have been dried up. Gaza will
lose her king, and Ashkelon will no
longer be inhabited. A mongrel
people will live in Ashdod, for I will
greatly humiliate the Philistines. I
will take away their abominable
religious practices; then those who
survive will become a community of
Our In Depth Study
Zechariah Chapter 9
By Mathew Bartlett
Photo © Jacob Gregory Scripture taken from the NET Bible®.
This article is an extract from The Prophet of Messiah – a Zechariah Bible Commentary
Buy Paperback £3.73
12
believers in our God, like a clan in
Judah, and Ekron will be like the
Jebusites.
What is interesting about the
depicted humbling of the Philistines
is that God would use it to bring
them into fellowship with himself
and his people. They were to be
absorbed into the population of
Israel just as the Jebusites (the
original inhabitants of Jerusalem)
had been by David when he took
Jerusalem. It was necessary of
course for their religious practises
to change for this to become
possible.
Nevertheless, perhaps it was not
until the days of the early church
that this scripture was entirely
fulfilled. For when Philip came to
this region (Acts 8:40), it seems
many were added to the Lord, and
the text of Acts shows how these
were commanded to abstain from
blood etc., and became fully
accepted as part of the people of
God, with Israel and the Gentiles
were made equal partners in God’s
new believing community (Eph.
2:15).
The Lord Defends His People
9:8 Then I will surround my temple
to protect it like a guard from
anyone crossing back and forth; so
no one will cross over against them
anymore as an oppressor, for now I
myself have seen it.
Whilst this verse refers in the first
instance to the temple itself, its
message encompasses the whole
nation which was home to that
temple. God would be on guard and
keep watch (‘I myself have seen it’)
over his people continually. Baldwin
notes the structure of this poem
follows that of the earlier verses,
and so we might infer the unity of
this chapter’s composition, even if it
was a redaction of various original
sources. Nevertheless, the details of
this section remain somewhat
obscure and it requires a good deal
of interpretation of the context in
order to understand them. We will
assume the messages to be relevant
to the post exilic period; although
they also contain a good deal of
Messianic allusions. Whatever the
circumstances and time of the
prophecy, the truth expounded to
God’s people is enduring. God
would uphold and defend the cause
of his own people and fulfil his
purpose for the nations in relation
to the coming of the Messiah King.
The Coming King and His Reign of
Abundance and Peace
9:9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of
Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you: he
is legitimate and victorious, humble
and riding on a donkey — on a
young donkey, the foal of a female
donkey.
This verse was used by the gospel
writers to relate to the time of
Christ’s entry into Jerusalem (Matt.
21:5; John 12:15). The rightful and
eternal King of Israel comes with
meekness, riding the young
unbroken colt, accompanied by its
mother, into the city of Jerusalem
to shouts of rejoicing and cries of
‘hosanna’. As Zechariah depicts, he
comes bringing salvation; though
the nature of that salvation was
until his death and resurrection
quite unknown to humanity.
9:10 I will remove the chariot from
Ephraim and the warhorse from
Jerusalem, and the battle bow will
be removed. Then he will announce
peace to the nations. His dominion
will be from sea to sea and from the
Euphrates River to the ends of the
earth.
The Messiah being King over Israel
is not the total extent of his glory.
He will reign from sea to sea, from
the River Euphrates to the ends of
the earth. This is a worldwide reign
of peace – and the verse insists that
it is only the Christ who will
introduce this peace to the nations.
The chariot, war horse and bow
were the artillery, cavalry and
infantry of the ancient world. Today
one might think in terms of the
removal of tanks, war planes and
guns, but the picture is the same.
The reign of Christ over the earth
will bring an end to war.
9:11-12 Moreover, as for you,
because of our covenant
relationship secured with blood, I
will release your prisoners from the
waterless pit. Return to the
stronghold, you prisoners, with
hope; today I declare that I will
return double what was taken from
you.
There is some debate over who the
prisoners are who are in this
waterless pit, and what that pit
represents. It may be that God is
promising the removal of affliction
and famine conditions, to restore
his exiled people to the stronghold
of Jerusalem and to bless them with
a measure that would outweigh the
pain of their exile in captivity.
On the other hand, the verse can be
used to describe the work Christ
had achieved through his
introduction of a new covenant
ratified with his own blood shed on
the cross. He has delivered those
who were prisoners of sin and Satan
and who therefore were without
the living water of a relationship
with God and who were doomed to
13
an eternity in the waterless pit of
hell where ‘the fire is not quenched’
(Mark 9:43). In this case, the
stronghold referred to would be
God our refuge, or even Christ our
refuge (Heb. 6:18) who rescues us
from the wrath to come (1 Thess.
1:10). As for the ‘double’
restoration of God’s blessings upon
those redeemed by Christ’s blood,
these could be enumerated at
length from many New Testament
writers. As Isaac Watts in his hymn
‘Jesus Shall Reign’ succinctly notes
that ‘In him the tribes of Adam
boast more blessings than their
father lost.’
9:13-14 I will bend Judah as my
bow; I will load the bow with
Ephraim, my arrow! I will stir up
your sons, Zion, against yours,
Greece, and I will make you, Zion,
like a warrior's sword. Then the
LORD will appear above them, and
his arrow will shoot forth like
lightning; the Lord GOD will blow
the trumpet and will sally forth on
the southern storm winds.
We may be uncertain of the exact
circumstances in which this promise
was given. Perhaps the returned
exiles feared the rising power of
Greece, or perhaps this note was
inserted by a later writer to
encourage Israel at a time when the
Greeks actually did invade the land.
Actually, the mention of Greece has
been omitted by some translators
altogether, who see in this verse a
broader reference to God’s victory
over all nations. Whatever the case,
the overarching message of the text
remains clear. God is not helpless
against his enemies. He is able to
take hold of human weakness and
glorify his name. Nor will he
abandon his chosen people, for he
will take hold of little Judah and
Ephraim to defeat far more
powerful foes; he will take hold of
the foolish to confound the wise
and the weak to confound the
strong (1 Cor. 1:27-29). In the
picture given in verse 14 we see
God acting on behalf of his people,
regardless of human agency.
We might be weak, foolish and few,
but the Lord can give victory to his
people by his own supernatural
agency.
9:15 The LORD who rules over all
will guard them, and they will
prevail and overcome with sling
stones. Then they will drink, and will
become noisy like drunkards, full
like the sacrificial basin or like the
corners of the altar.
No matter what weapons come
against the people of God (here
sling stones may be used against
them as much as by them) they will
overcome because it is God who
guards them. Their victory will be
complete; as symbolised by the
fullness of their cups, (not actually
cups of alcoholic drink nor blood,
but full cups of blessing brought
about by the blood of the new
covenant) – a fullness further
symbolised by the basins used in
the temple to collect the blood of
sacrifices (Lev. 4:7). The noise of the
victorious crowd, although
resembling that of drunkards, owes
its origin to a more noble cause; as
was seen on the Day of Pentecost
as the fullness of the Spirit becomes
the church’s possession as a spoil of
Christ’s absolute victory (Acts 2:15;
Eph. 5:18).
9:16 On that day the LORD their
God will deliver them as the flock of
his people, for they are the precious
stones of a crown sparkling over his
land.
God’s people with whom he has
made his covenant are precious to
him: they are the flock of which he
is pleased to be the shepherd, and
they are the crown of his glory – as
the writer of Ephesians explains,
nothing will so glorify God
throughout eternity as those whom
he has redeemed by his grace (Eph.
1:12).
9:17 For how great is his goodness,
and how great is his beauty! corn
shall make the young men cheerful,
and new wine the maids. (AV)
I have elected to use the Authorised
Version for this verse, since it seems
to make better sense. Admittedly,
the subject (who is great in
goodness and beauty?) is unclear in
this verse, but perhaps in context it
is in praise of all that God has done.
God’s grace itself is a beautiful
treasure; and the objects of grace
are also made beautiful by him
(Eph. 5:25-27). His abundant
blessing (symbolised by new wine
and grain) is poured out on all,
whether male or female.
Baldwin sees in this a more direct
reference to God not only
protecting his people but also
providing for them. There was to be
no more famine, but sufficient rain
to produce bumper crops, if God’s
people would inquire of him for it
(10:1); and this would result in great
rejoicing throughout this pastoral
society of Judah. Nevertheless,
Baldwin points further to the
abiding spiritual significance of
these words. To be alienated from
God is to be in an arid and barren
place; whereas to be reconciled to
God is to be blessed in unspeakably
bountiful terms.
14
Stephen the
Pentecostal Deacon
Acts 6:8–8:1
Brief extract of a forthcoming book
based on studies by the late Haydn
O. Williams. Image © Dvest I give Stephen the title ‘Pentecostal
Deacon’ not as a denominational
tag, but because he was filled with
the Holy Spirit as were the 120 on
the Day of Pentecost, and was
gifted with the gifts of the Holy
Spirit in the same way. This
remarkable man was:
Characterised by Fullness
The word of God gives the
qualifications for deacons (1 Tim.
3:8) though when Stephen was
chosen these had not yet been
committed to writing. Instead,
Peter said to the church “look ye
out seven men full of the Holy Spirit
and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). These men
were tested and known to be of
honest report. They were to serve
the church and the cause of the
Lord. There is a great reward for
such ministry.
Filled with the Spirit and Faith
It was not long after the church
began to multiply that they found
they needed deacons. Stephen was
chosen because he was full of the
Holy Spirit. We don't know if he was
one of the original 120 who were
filled, but he was known for his
fullness in the Spirit. In my
experience I have discovered a
great difference between a filled
and a non-filled believer.
(Acts 6:5). Stephen was also notable
for his faith, his ability to believe
and trust God. This was evidenced
by the works of faith which he did,
the signs and miracles which were
done through his ministry.
Filled with Wisdom
(Acts 6:5) The deacons were chosen
because they were full of wisdom.
Stephen exercised great wisdom,
but it was not merely human
wisdom; it was given by the Holy
Spirit. When Stephen was
persecuted, his enemies could not
resist the wisdom by which he
spoke (or rather, by which the Holy
Spirit spoke through him) Acts 6:10
(see Matt. 10:20).
Filled with God's Word
Acts chapter 7 contains 60 verses
mostly spoken by this Pentecostal
deacon, giving an account of God's
dealings with the children of Israel;
showing that Stephen was well
versed in Old Testament history.
Filled with Power
(Acts 5:8) Jesus said you shall
receive power when the Holy Spirit
comes on you. How true this was in
Stephen's experience. It was
nothing of physical or mental
ability. He was full of the Holy Spirit,
and the faith, wisdom, and
knowledge that come with it. God
can and will give us the same gifts.
Characterised by Fearlessness
When Stephen began to
demonstrate the power of God, he
met with opposition. The word of
God has forewarned us, ‘in the
world you will have tribulation’. So
Stephen found persecution, lies
were told about him. When we
begin to work for God, the devil
does not like it. He will stir up
trouble for us. Yet Stephen was
given strength and courage to speak
out against evil the sin of the
people who had rejected Jesus.
Fearless in Death
The words of Stephen brought out
their wrath as they shut their ears
and took him out of the city to
stone him to death. As Luek
describes Stephen’s vision of Christ
standing at the right hand of God, I
cannot help feeling that Jesus was
thrilled with the faithfulness of
Stephen. He was a faithful witness,
unto death. He would have heard
our Lord say to him, ‘Well done,
good and faithful servant’.
Forgiving in Death
He was truly filled with the Holy
Spirit for he not only demonstrated
the power and gifts but also the
fruit of the Spirit. His dying prayer
manifested the nature of a Christ-
like Spirit. ‘Lay not this sin to their
charge’ he prayed in Acts 7.60; an
echo of what Jesus prayed on the
cross, ‘Father forgive them.’
15
I grew up around horse racing. In
our house all the talk was about
the tip for the 2:30 at Chepstow
or who was favourite for the
3:30 at Newmarket. I knew the
names of jockeys and trainers
and I could work out the odds on
an each-way accumulator before
I was 10!
As a young boy—even though it
was illegal—I would sneak in to
see my mum in the betting shop
where she worked. All the men
(it was usually men) were
watching the horse racing and
exchanging tips. One thing all
the punters were looking for was
a winning bet, especially if the
odds were long. Many times
someone would put a pile of
cash on a ‘dead-cert’ only to lose
heavily. They found out the hard
way that the only certainty with
gambling is this – the bookmaker
always wins.
Of course, there are some things
which are certainties in life.
Death, for instance. No one
knows when death will come,
and we all hope it will not be too
soon, but death will surely come
to us all. We simply cannot avoid
it; it is appointed for people to
die. Equally certain is the fact
that all of us will one day stand
before God to be judged for our
sins.
For centuries people have
sought for a way to avoid death
and to live forever. Many books
and films have been made about
the subject – it is a problem
which vexes the whole human
race.
Yet God has already given us the
answer to this seemingly
insurmountable problem. Jesus
Christ came to abolish death and
bring eternal life and
immortality to the human race.
God’s eternal son left heaven
and became one of us, sharing
our flesh and blood nature, so
that he could die.
Everyone has sinned, and since
the penalty for sin is death, all
humanity was awaiting
punishment of eternal death and
separation from God in hell. But
Jesus allowed himself to be
nailed to a Roman cross and
died in our place—bearing our
sin—so that we might live
forever.
After Jesus had died, his friends
took his body down from the
cross and laid it in a nearby
tomb. Three days later, Jesus
rose from the dead and now he
is alive forever. He has immortal
and eternal life–and is willing to
share it with you.
When you ask Jesus into your
life, his spirit enters into your
heart, so that you share eternal
life with him. When this
happens, all your sins are
forgiven and you become a child
of God. The death sentence for
sin no longer has power over
you. Think of it this way: if you
committed a crime, and the
penalty was a fine—but a friend
paid the fine for you—would you
have to pay the fine as well?
Jesus died to pay the price for
your sin so that you will never
need to.
God loves you, and he has
promised to give you eternal life
if you put your faith in his son
Jesus. Have you put your trust in
the Lord Jesus? Have you asked
him to save you from your sin?
When you do so, he will give you
a life that will never end. And
when inevitably death comes for
you, you will no longer have to
face judgment – instead you will
be immediately present with the
Lord Jesus, in a place of joy
where there is no pain or sorrow
forever.
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16
Every Easter Sunday we celebrate
Christ’s rising from the dead. But
that was not the end of the story.
The Bible says that Jesus appeared
again and again to his disciples in
various ways over the 40 days
following his resurrection, giving
them many infallible proofs that he
was alive. What was the purpose of
these post resurrection
appearances of Christ?
They Were Regenerating
When Christ appeared to Mary
Magdalene, the women, the eleven
disciples, and all the others in the
upper room after his resurrection,
his purpose was that by believing in
him (as the Christ who had died and
was risen) they might be born again
to eternal life. This new birth is
called regeneration. In the upper
room, Jesus Christ breathed on his
disciples and through the operation
of the Holy Spirit they were born
again—or born from above—with a
new spiritual nature, the nature of
God.
It is the same for every one of us
today. Jesus died and rose again for
you. He wants you to believe this
even without seeing him. There is
enough power in his resurrection to
bring you from spiritual death to
spiritual life.
That is why the Bible says “if you
confess with your mouth that Jesus
is Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 ESV)
One of the apostles, Thomas, was
not with the others when Jesus
appeared to them on the first
Easter Sunday, and he refused to
believe their story without seeing
the risen Christ for himself. When
the Lord appeared to Thomas one
week later, he rebuked him for his
unbelief, and said "Have you
believed because you have seen
me? Blessed are those who have
not seen and yet have believed."
(John 20:29 ESV)
Today when you believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ who died for you, and
who rose again and is alive today,
you will experience a spiritual
regeneration—you will be born
again and receive the gift of eternal
life.
Restoring
You may remember that before his
crucifixion all of Jesus’ disciples
failed him. Not only did they fall
asleep in the garden of Gethsemane
(when he had commanded them to
watch and pray), but they all
forsook him in his hour of need and
fled for their lives.
Whilst all of them had failed the
Lord, the one most keenly felt his
failure was Simon Peter. He had
followed Jesus to the High Priest’s
house where he saw the Lord stand
trial before the Sanhedrin—but
when challenged by a young servant
girl, Peter denied his Lord three
times.
Peter wept bitterly over his failure,
as Satan sifted him as wheat. But
Christ had spoken of his restoration
even before his failure. When Peter
declared “Lord, I am ready to go to
prison with you and die with you.”
Jesus answered, “The cock will not
crow till you have denied me three
times. But the Lord said this “Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan demanded to
have you, that he might sift you like
wheat, but I have prayed for you
Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection
Sermon Outline by Mathew Bartlett
Image © Connie Larsen
17
that your faith may not fail. And
when you have turned again,
strengthen your brothers.” (see
Luke 22:31–32, 61)
Peter watched his Lord’s crucifixion
afar off. During the three says that
Jesus body lay in the tomb, he no
doubt thought that he had failed
too miserably to be restored. But he
had not taken into account the
resurrection power of Jesus—its
ability to renew and restore. After
all, the power that brings life from
death is able to transform any
situation; it will restore the failing,
revive the fainting, and renew the
backslider’s faith.
So on the first day of the week,
before he appeared to all the
disciples together, but after he had
been seen by the women, Christ
appeared privately to Peter. We are
not sure of the details of this
encounter. After Peter had
discovered the empty tomb, we are
simply told that he left, wondering
about what had happened (Luke
24:12). But by that night the
apostles said “The Lord is risen
indeed and has appeared to
Simon!” (Luke 22:34) They were not
prepared to accept the testimony of
the women—but Simon, whom they
held as their leader (after Christ),
that was a different matter.
Peter had experienced
regeneration, but there was more
work to be done. He now had to
experience restoration.
On another occasion when Jesus
appeared to them, quite early on in
those 40 days, Peter and some
other disciples were fishing on the
Sea of Galilee. The Lord stood on
the shore and called out “Children,
have you any fish” No they replied,
for although they had fished all
night they had caught nothing (see
John 21:1–14). In their hearts they
could remember the very first time
they had encountered Jesus and
were challenged to follow him. On
that occasion too they had fished all
night and caught nothing. Following
his resurrection the Lord repeated
the miracle that had first convinced
them that he was the Son of God.
Christ had taken them right back to
the same place and the same
experience they had when they first
met the Lord. He has to do the
same for us sometimes. The trials of
life, and the problems we
encounter, can cause us to lose
faith, and lose sight of Jesus. But
how gracious our Lord is, the God of
restoration brings us back to
himself to restore our faith in God.
I notice the one great difference
between this second miracle and
the first miraculous catch of fish—
on this second occasion the nets
were not broken; a symbol of the
power which had conquered death
and of the person for whom nothing
is impossible. If Christ wanted the
nets to break they would have; but
if Christ said they would not break,
then they would break not even if a
hundred Great White sharks swam
into them.
When they got back to shore, Jesus
invited the disciples to have
breakfast with him, for he had a fire
already burning with hot coals and
the fish was already cooked. Now, I
wager anything that Christ did not
dirty his hands getting that meal
ready—it was spoken into existence
by the word of God—yet it was real
fish (had he not spoken fish into
existence on Day 5?) and it made a
very good meal.
Having ministered to the stomachs
of the disciples, refreshing them
after a night of toil with food and
friendship, Jesus turned his
attention once again to Peter,
whom he invited to walk with him
in private conversation along the
beach, a little out of earshot of the
others. Jesus did not want to
embarrass Peter in front of the
others. In the past Jesus had
rebuked Peter in front of them all,
but here was a matter to be dealt
with in private. It was between the
two of them.
Peter had denied his Lord three
times and the Lord knew how to
restore him. Three times he looks
into his soul and asks “Do you love
me most of all?” (see John 21:17)
Peter was hurt that the Lord
demanded he say it three times.
When a wound scabs over, if it is
infected, it must first be reopened
before the poison can be taken out.
The Lord did not bring up Simon’s
failure because it had not been
forgiven. He was not telling Peter
that he needed to repent all over
again; he was simply healing the
wound. He was restoring Peter so
that he could start again. And Peter
responded to the restoration.
The word of God tells us today that
those how fall into sin are to be
gently restored in this way—the
word used for ‘restore’ is the same
as that which is used for setting a
bone after it has been fractured.
We have been forgiven so much; we
ought to help others find
forgiveness too. James writes that
“whoever brings back a sinner from
his wandering will save his soul
from death and will cover a
multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)
Even the adulterer at Corinth was
(after discipline) fully restored,
which was the intention of the
discipline all along—there was no
other reason for it. Paul said “I
wanted you to know the proof of
my love for you…Now you ought
18
rather to forgive him and comfort
him.” (see 2 Cor. 2:4-8)
If you have failed the Lord, or failed
in your faith, the risen Lord Jesus
Christ is still able to restore your
soul. As the scripture says, “If we
confess our sins he is faithful and
just to forgive our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.” (1
John 1:9)
God’s restoration is never partial,
only complete. In the words of an
ancient hymn “perverse and foolish
oft I strayed, and yet in love he
sought me, and on his shoulders
gently laid, and home rejoicing
brought me.”
Instructing
Luke recounts how after his
resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ
appeared to them over 40 days, and
spoke about the kingdom of God.
Whatever did he teach them about?
We have some of his post
resurrection teaching recorded for
us.
He instructed them in the
fulfilment of scripture.
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus,
beginning with Moses and all the
prophets, explained all things that
were written about him in the
scriptures: “Was it not necessary
that the Christ should suffer these
things and enter into his glory?"
(Luke 24:26) On appearing to his
disciples again he “opened their
understanding to the scriptures”
(Luke 24:45).
The preaching of the gospel
His opening their minds to
understand the scriptures meant
that now they could preach the
gospel. He instructed them in this.
He said, in effect, “I am sending you
just as my father sent me. I am
giving you a message of
forgiveness.” (see John 20:23) The
apostles announced the grounds on
which sins may be forgiven; being at
the same time forewarned that
their mission to preach the gospel
would eventually reach every
creature.
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
And behold, I am sending the
promise of my Father upon you. But
stay in the city until you are clothed
with power from on high." (Luke
24:49 ESV)
The Second Coming of Christ
As Jesus gathered his disciples at
the top of Mount Olivet, the last
time he appeared to them, with
over 500 present at once, they
asked him again “Lord, is this the
time you will restore the kingdom
the Israel.” To which Jesus replied,
“It is not for you to know the times
or seasons.” (see Acts 1:6–8)
It was at this time that “as he went,
behold, two men stood by them in
white robes, and said, "Men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking
into heaven? This Jesus, who was
taken up from you into heaven, will
come in the same way as you saw
him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10–11)
In the midst of all this post-
resurrection instruction, perhaps
the most famous part of it, was the
great commission.
Christ’s post-resurrection
appearances were commissioning
Go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature. He who
believes and is baptised shall be
saved and he who believes not shall
be damned. Teaching them to
observe all things whatever I have
commanded you. (Mark 16:15–16
and Matt. 28:19–20)
In the great commission Christ gave
his disciples:
Purpose
Go into all the world and preach the
gospel... We have a message of
salvation to proclaim and we must
proclaim it fearlessly to all mankind,
regardless of whether they accept it
or not. Theirs is to accept or reject,
but ours is to proclaim it without
prejudice. God is not willing that
any should perish. Pentecostal
pioneer missionary and apostle
William Burton said when he
arrived in central Africa “We
couldn’t got the wrong place—we
had to preach it to them all.” For all
our lives we have a purpose. Every
little church across the countryside,
and the big churches in the cities, all
have an equal share in this
purpose—to make the gospel
message known to all people so
that they might be saved. Let’s get
on with the job. Through platform
preaching, tract distribution,
personal witness, and in many other
ways, the gospel must be made
known. Every church should have a
prayer meeting and every prayer
meeting, whatever else it may
contain, must always contain
fervent prayers for the lost, for it is
God's heart and God wants us to
enter in and share his burden
through prayer.
Power
You will receive power after that the
Holy Spirit has come on you and you
will be my witnesses. Having
instructed them to preach the
gospel in all the world, Jesus then
delayed them. Remain in Jerusalem
until you have been clothed with
power from on high. There is no
point going to work without your
tools. And the tools given by a
supernatural Christ for a
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supernatural task are necessarily
supernatural.
And these signs will accompany
those who believe: in my name they
will cast out demons; they will speak
in new tongues; they will pick up
serpents with their hands; and if
they drink any deadly poison, it will
not hurt them; they will lay their
hands on the sick, and they will
recover. (Mark 16:17–18)
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had
spoken to them, was taken up into
heaven and sat down at the right
hand of God. And they went out and
preached everywhere, while the
Lord worked with them and
confirmed the message by
accompanying signs. (Mark 16:19–
20)
The tragedy of evangelism today is
that many who go forth to preach
who have not yet received this
power from on high. They are like
men going to dig the road with a tea
spoons—they have not got the
proper tools for the job. Far worse,
it is disobedience to the Lord Jesus
Christ and irreverence for God’s
way of doing things.
When Paul preached he said my
preaching was not with wise and
persuasive words but with a
demonstration of the Spirit and of
power that your faith might not rest
in the wisdom of men but in the
power of God. When we preach the
gospel today we must do so in the
fullness and power of the Spirit of
God; we must expect supernatural
manifestation to confirm God’s
word.
Presence
Go into all the world…And lo I am
with yo always to the end of the
age,
Wherever we go with the gospel,
whatever challenges we face, even
the rejection and persecution of the
people, God is still with us. The Lord
Jesus Christ accompanies us.
It was because of that presence that
the apostles could sing when locked
in jail, bleeding from a beating. It
was because of that same presence
that the earth shook, the prison
doors opened and a number of
souls were added to the church.
We cannot stop the progress of
God. He will build his church and no
man can stop it. Let opponents of
the cross atheists write as many
books and produce as many films as
they like—no one can stop the Lord
from accomplishing his purposes.
Let us be humbly encouraged by
this. We are weak but God is strong.
On one occasion, Moses said to God
“if your presence goes not with us
let us not go up hence”, but God in
reply assured him “My presence will
go with you and I will give you rest.”
(see Ex. 33:14-15)
To Joshua, the Lord said—as he says
to us—“I will be with you, I will
never leave you nor forsake you.”
(see Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5)
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 at Amazon
The Prophet of Messiah: The Book of Zechariah
Paperback: £3.73 & free UK delivery.
KINDLE: £2.96 (free to members of KINDLE unlimited)
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Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett
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