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The Changing of the Tide –
Journey Through The Bible
Take a journey from the creation of this world to the future
establishment of God's kingdom on this earth. This book provides a
systematic overview of some of the major themes of the Bible,
giving you foundational teachings on which you can build as you
engage in your own personal Bible study. Today, there are a lot of
things being said by a lot of people-some of whom are very
prominent in religious ministries-about the things of God. It is up to
you to grab hold of the Godly knowledge you glean from the bible
and apply it to your own Life's Journey.
Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from King
James version of the Bible.
ISBN-10: 1721151052
ISBN-13: 978-1721151059 Author: Velyn Cooper VC Productions vcproductions1@gmail.com
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Preface…………………………………………………3
Introduction ……………………………………….…..6
1. Adam and Eve……………..…..…………………..10
2. Noah ………..….………..………………………19
3 Abraham……………………………………………25
4. Moses ……………………………………………29
5. Joshua and Judges ………………………………...33
6. Kings ...……………..…………………………….36
7. The Birth and Death of Christ ..………………….39
8. The Resurrection of Jesus ..……………………..42
9. The Return of Christ For His People ……………..49
10 The New Jerusalem……………………………….51
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PREFACE
Something to Think About
Many people live and die without ever knowing and
understanding their purpose for being on earth.
Many people live and die knowing their purpose but not
having had the boldness to seek to understand it and to
pursue it.
A few people live knowing and understanding their
purpose and spend their entire life time seeking to fulfill
it.
In which category are you?
What is Purpose?
According to Encarta online dictionary, purpose involves
three things:
1) The first is twofold and includes
a) the reason for which something exists and
b) the reason for which something is done
If you don’t understand the reason for your existence and
why you do the things you do, you cannot and will not
understand the true purpose of your life
2) The second involves the goal or intended
outcome of something
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If you do not understand the true purpose of your life,
you cannot establish effective goals and as a result, you
cannot live your life to its fullest potential. (Please
understand that living your life to its fullest potential
does not necessarily include you ever obtaining great
financial wealth. Many persons have gained great
financial wealth but still have not fulfilled their
purpose).
39) The third involves desire or resolve necessary to
accomplish a goal.
When you understand the true purpose of your life, it
will give you the courage and resolve necessary to
accomplish your goals, in spite of the difficulties you
may face in doing so.
If you do not understand the purpose of your life, you
will live your life just like the waves in the ocean – they
go wherever the wind blows. Sometimes it’s a gentle
breeze that makes them sound like music when they flow
to the shore and other times, they are like angry
monsters, looking for the next prey to destroy.
I grew up on an island and I am amazed that even now,
after so many angry winds and hurricanes have sent
tremendous waves crashing onto our rocky shores, the
waves are always destroyed but the rocks remain firm.
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It is as if the rocks understand their purpose. They were
placed where they are as a barrier of protection for the
people and the land and they have served their purpose
and continue to serve their purpose well. Even when they
are overcome by the storms, they don’t crumble and fall.
Instead, they stand firm as they wait for the waters to
recede. Once this happens, they don’t disappear in
shame; instead, they remain and continue to protect the
land.
Unlike the waves that go wherever the wind carries
them, we have to fight against the waves of the negative
circumstances of life. Instead of allowing them to crush
us and destroy us on the rocks and shores of life, we
have to learn how to use their powerful force to mold us
to accomplish the purpose for which we were created.
The Purpose of This Book
The purpose of this book is to provide a general
overview and history of some of the major topics in the
Bible from Genesis to Revelation, with the hope that it
will create a desire within you to search the scriptures
further and learn more on your own.
This book does not cover all of the topics in the Bible
nor does it go in depth into any topic. It is a compilation
of a selection of personal Bible studies completed by an
ordinary person interested in learning more about God
through His word.
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Introduction
The Destructive Power of Self Will
According to the Bible (Genesis 1-2), God created order
out of chaos and made a world that could perfectly
sustain human, animal (land, sea and air) and plant life.
Conditions were perfect for survival until the man He
created forgot his purpose- which was to take care of the
garden; made a decision to exercise his freedom of
choice and chose to disobey an instruction from God.
Just in case you are not familiar with the story of the
creation of the world, in six days, God created the world.
On each day He created a new thing. On the sixth day he
created beasts (land animals) and man.
Day 1 - Light
Day 2 – The Firmament (sky)
Day 3 – The Earth and Seas
Day 4 – Sun, Moon and Stars
Day 5 – Birds and Fish
Day 6 – Beasts (Land Animals and Man)
Day 7 – God Rested
Every creature that God had created thus far had the
ability to reproduce or create others that were just like
them. God even told them to be fruitful and multiply and
fill the waters and the seas and the earth with their kind.
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This lets us know, that God created everything in pairs,
male and female, so that they could reproduce after their
kind.
The difference between the man and everything else that
God created is that God breathed His breath, which is the
breath of life, into his nostrils and it was only after God
breathed the breath of life into the nostrils of the man,
that he became a living soul.
Becoming a living soul means that unlike the animals,
who were not given life by the breath of God, man was
given an intellect and had the ability to think, reason,
make choices and have a personal relationship with God.
After a while, the man whom God named Adam was
lonely because even though there were lots of animals
around, there was no one like him that he could talk to
and build a relationship with. There was no one that he
could be paired with and eventually produce others after
his kind. God recognized this and decided that He
would make another human being that would be
compatible to Adam. This human being was a woman
whom Adam called Eve. She was extra special because
God took a part of Adam (his rib) and used that rib to
make Eve.
Just how God made the animals male and female so that
they could complement each other and reproduce after
their kind, He made human beings male and female to
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complement each other and reproduce after their kind.
Eve was not just a woman to Adam- God gave her to
Adam as his wife. It was at this point that marriage
between a male and female was instituted by God.
Unlike the animals, God made human beings with the
ability to receive instruction and make informed choices.
Before God made Eve, He placed Adam in a beautiful
Garden called Eden and explained to him what his
purpose in the Garden entailed. There was only one rule
or law that Adam was to obey and that law was that he
was not to eat of a particular tree in the Garden. This
tree contained the fruit of the knowledge of good and
evil. He did really well obeying this law until Eve came
along. After a while, she could not resist the desire or
the temptation to taste the fruit of that particular tree and
experience the knowledge it had to offer. She ate it and
nothing happened to her. Why? The responsibility for
the fruit on the tree was not given to her, it was given to
Adam and it was his responsibility to make certain that
she understood and followed the rules. After all, the
rules were handed to him directly from God.
Adam did his part but Eve focused on the one thing they
were told not to do. Eventually she ate the fruit. Nothing
happened to her so she went and gave some to Adam.
He, seeing that Eve ate it and nothing happened to her,
disregarded the law that God had given to him and ate
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some of it also. That‘s when the world as he knew it
came crashing down all around him.
As soon as he ate the fruit, his world view became
drastically different. Nothing was the same anymore.
Whereas he and his wife were naked and unashamed,
they were now aware of their nakedness and they were
ashamed. Where they once welcomed the presence of
God when He came to spend time with them in the
garden, they now hid themselves when they heard His
voice. Their worldview was changed forever and they
set in motion a changing of the tides of life that will not
cease, until the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
returns to set up His kingdom on earth.
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Chapter 1
The First Changing of the Tide
The first changing of the tide shuts the door on
what was and brings you into the reality of what is.
Adam and Eve (Genesis 3)
We read about the first changing of the tide in the life
of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3.
Everything was perfect in the Garden of Eden, until
the tide changed. They had a perfect relationship with
God and a perfect relationship with each other – until
they caused a change in the tide, through the choice
they made.
How did the tide change?
The tide changed through their sin of disobedience to
God. This sin was not a haphazard sin but a sin of a
well informed choice. They knew what God had
instructed them to do, but they chose to exercise their
right to freedom of choice, go against His instructions
and do their own thing.
What were the effects of this changing of the tide?
As a result of their choice to disobey God, they
experienced a permanent changing of the tide in many
ways. They lost their perfect, intimate relationship
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with God; they lost their perfect, intimate relationship
with each other; and they were forced out of the only
perfect home they would ever know- the Garden of
Eden- never to return again.
A word of wisdom to the young and young at heart
When you are young or young at heart and are living
at home with your parents or with others who help to
support you, you can’t wait to be in a position to live
on your own so that you can do your own thing. You
can’t wait to go when you want to, come back when
you want to and not have to answer to anyone. You
just want your independence.
What you must remember is that independence comes
with a price – you are solely responsible for the
decisions that you make and each decision has
consequences that you will have to deal with.
Adam and Eve wanted what you want, they wanted
their independence but instead of finding this
fantabulous life of independence outside of God, they
found themselves in the worst possible position they
could ever find themselves in – they found themselves
outside of the perfect will of God.
The Perfect Will of God
God’s perfect will is for us to live our lives in
obedience to the instructions He has given in His
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word. For us today, it is the Bible, for Adam, it was
the instruction he got directly from God.
The tide changed, not by the will of God but by the
choice of the man, the effects of which passed on to
every one of his descendants – which includes you
and me.
Do you understand the damage that Adam’s choice of
disobedience caused to the entire human race?
When Eve disobeyed God, she was the only one
infected by sin but when Adam disobeyed, we were
all infected because he is the one through whom we
all came.
Romans 5: 12
Wherefore as by one man sin entered in to the world
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men
for that all have sinned.
Have you ever heard an announcement on TV asking
people who bought cars of a certain year, make and
model to take them back to the dealership where they
got them from because there was a defect in some part
that was put in all of those vehicles? Well, just how
that batch of parts was defective and affected all of
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the vehicles that they were put into, that’s how we
were affected by the disobedience of Adam. He is the
original from which we came and therefore whatever
he inherited was passed on to us. We did not commit
his sin but since he and Eve had children after his sin
nature came to life, everyone who was born into this
world inherited his sin nature. This means that unlike
Adam who was created perfect with a direct
relationship to God, we were born imperfect and must
now establish our relationship with God through His
Son, Jesus Christ, as outlined in His written word, the
Bible.
After Adam and Eve sinned and were removed from
the Garden of Eden, they became parents. Their
purpose now was to reconnect to God as best they
could, re-establish their relationship with him and
train their children to grow up in the knowledge of
God. Unfortunately, they would never have a prefect
relationship with God again because once they
became aware of sin through their disobedience of the
one law God gave them, that perfect relationship was
gone forever.
Everyone on earth has or had parents. Unfortunately,
as with all things, over time as Adam and Eve had
children, things continued to change and sin began to
really spread on the earth.
The first act of disobedience took place in the Garden
of Eden when Adam ate of the tree from which God
told him not to eat.
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The first murder took place after Adam and Eve left
the Garden of Eden and had children. Their oldest son
Cain killed their youngest son, Abel. Things escalated
from there and the more the population grew, the
more sin increased.
God gave us all parents and our parents were to train
us in the things of God. Unfortunately, after sin
entered the world, it escalated to a point where people
started worshipping other gods that they had made or
they started to worship things that God had created to
benefit them – like the sun and the moon.
Some people stuck to training their children about the
things of God while others formed new societies and
cultures where they promoted new beliefs and new
teachings that were different from the teachings of
God.
If you were raised in a home or society that did not
promote the teachings of the God of the Bible, you are
still without excuse for not recognizing Him. I say
this because the existence of God is evident in
everything that He has made.
Romans 1: 20
For the invisible things of Him (God) from the creation
of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the
things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
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Romans 1: 20 (NIRV)
Ever since the world was created it has been possible to
see the qualities of God that are not seen. I’m talking
about His eternal power and about the fact that He is
God. Those things can be seen in what He has made. So
people have no excuse for what they do.
If we had followed God’s word in rearing our children
and lived the example of His word before our children,
the world would not be in the state that it is in today.
What do you see when you travel throughout your
daily life? What do you see at school, the mall, down
town, on your job or even when you travel the world
through your television set, the internet, a cruise ship
or a plane?
I don’t know what you see but I see people that are
lost, confused, lonely, spiritually hungry and with no
sense of purpose. They are just here. The tide hasn’t
changed in their lives as yet. They are caught in an
undercurrent and don’t know how to free themselves.
That’s where we as children of God come in and must
spend time sharing the word of God with them. We
are to show them the love of God by our actions and
attitude toward them, and explain to them that it is
only in Jesus Christ, the Son of God that we are made
free from all that hinders us.
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John 8: 36
If the Son (of God) therefore shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed.
Those of you whose parents took you to church or still
take you to church and teach you about the things of
God as outlined in His word, are so blest because
your parents are working to give you the best. They
are making sure that when the tide changes in your
life, and you must move away from them and begin
life on your own, that it will be a good change. They
want you to be a positive contributor to the up
building of your own families as well as to those other
people with whom you come in contact. Don’t fight
the process, work with them and in the end you will
be forever grateful.
Don’t be like Adam and Eve. When they were put out
of the Garden of Eden, the door as it were, was shut
by God and the tide was forever changed. They were
never allowed to enter again.
Make sure that when your time comes to leave home,
it will be voluntary; with the blessings of your parents
and with an understanding that it is always your home
and you are always welcomed.
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The Power of Choice
The choice we make sets a course for our lives.
Sometimes this course can be changed and sometimes
it cannot.
Judas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, made a
choice to betray Jesus. This set him on a course which
he could not change, due to the guilt that
overwhelmed him as a result of his betrayal. (Matthew
26:14-16, 47-50; 27:1-10)
The remaining eleven disciples made a choice to
abandon Jesus after He was arrested (Matthew 26:
56b) but also made a choice to return to Him after His
resurrection. (Matthew 28: 16-20)
Guilt and shame could have kept them away but they
chose to forgive themselves, abandon their guilt and
shame and return to their Saviour.
Peter, the disciple who stated the foundational
principle upon which Christ said that He would build
His church (Matthew 16: 16-18), made a choice to
deny Jesus at a time when Jesus could have really
used a friend. (Matthew 26: 69-75). He could have
been like Judas and chosen a path of destruction after
he betrayed Jesus by denying Him, but he repented of
his wrong, abandoned the guilt and shame that came
as a result of his wrong and returned to His Saviour.
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He ended up being one of Jesus’ most precious
Apostles.
The difference Between a Disciple and an Apostle
A Disciple is a student and an Apostle is a Disciple
who has learned his lessons, graduated and is now
able to be sent out to teach others.
If you are a churchgoer, how long have you been a
disciple? Do you think you are now ready to graduate
and become an apostle? If you aren’t, do you think it
was God’s purpose that you say a disciple forever?
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Chapter 2
The Second Changing of the Tide
Noah
The tide changed again during the time of Noah, when
the wickedness of man was very great. (Genesis 6-8)
After Cain killed his brother Abel, he was banished
from living with his family and moved to another
place. The Bible does not give details as to the
population at the time and how people got to be in the
place where Cain went, but if we can watch a movie
and fill in all of the gaps that are left out so that the
movie would run for a certain length of time, why
can’t we fill in the gaps that that are left out in the
Bible?
It is obvious that every detail is not recorded in the
Bible that we use nor in any other version of the Bible
that has been written. This in no way cancels the
validity of the Bible as prophecies that were made
long before this generation of people were even
thinking of being born are now being fulfilled.
Besides, you can find many others prophecies and
their fulfillment all through the Bible. You just need
to take your time and read it.
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What is Prophecy?
Unlike a prediction of future things which may or may
not come true, prophecy is a promise of future things
that will come true.
Noah
After Cain was banished another man had a role to
play. His name is Noah.
Genesis 6: 5
And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in
the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil continually.
Man had now moved so far from God and His original
relationship with Adam. In fact, they were so bad that
there was only one man and his family who were
actually living according to the teachings of God. This
man was Noah. In the midst of this great wickedness
of the people, he found grace or favour in the eyes of
God because he was a just man; perfect in his
generations, and he walked with God. (Genesis 9; 6b)
In other words, he did what God wanted him to do; he
lived a life that represented the example of the life
God expected him to live before his family and his
neighbours and he had a great relationship with God.
As the people did what was right in their own eyes
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and blatantly showed God that they would exercise
absolutely no restraints regarding sin, there was Noah,
living according to what thus saith the Lord. This
lifestyle of Noah resulted in him finding grace or
favour in the eyes of God and being spared the
destruction God planned to bring on the people of that
time, with the changing of the next tide.
God told Noah to prepare for the changing of the tide.
The preparation involved the building of a big boat
called “The Ark”. It took 120 years for The Ark to be
completed and during that time, God used Noah to
speak to the people about their lack of relationship
with Him. Unfortunately, they ignored Him.
It had never rained before so when Noah told them
that he was building The Ark so that he and his family
could be saved from the coming flood, they didn’t
take him seriously. By the time the rain started to fall
and they realized that what he was saying was true,
Noah, his family and all that God told him to carry
was safely locked away in The Ark. God Himself
locked the door, so even if Noah wanted to let
someone else in, he wasn’t able to.
1st Peter 3: 21
…once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, while The Ark was a preparing, wherein few,
that is eight souls were saved by water.
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At the changing of this tide, only Noah and his family
were saved. The other people were so busy focusing
on everything else but God, that the word of God had
no effect on them. By the time they realized that the
word of God was true, it was too late. The tide had
already changed and they were forever lost.
Right now, we are living in the modern version of the
days of Noah. The same things that were happening
then are happening now. Just as the word of God was
going forth then it is going forth now. In fact, it is
going forth on an even greater magnitude than it was
then because of the advancement of modern
technology.
If you observe the events of today closely, you will
discover that the attitude of the people and the mood
of the atmosphere are just as they were during the
days of Noah and are just as they would be, according
to Jesus, as He taught His disciples the importance of
being ready for His return.
Matthew 24: 36- 38
36) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angles of heaven, but my Father only.
37) But as the days of Noe (Noah) were, so shall the
coming of the Son of man be.
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38) For as in the days that were before the flood they
were eating and drinking and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noe entered into the ark
39) And knew not until the flood came and took them
all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
As with Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, the
door to the world that was, closed at the changing of
the tide and Noah and his family embarked on a new
life in God.
Preparing for Change
As the Lord told Noah to warn the people of the world
of his day about the upcoming changing of the tide, so
the Lord is using His people today to warn of the final
changing of the tide that will take place when Christ
returns for His church –those who follow the
teachings outlined in the Bible.
The people of Noah’s day paid absolutely no attention
to his warnings and lived as if there would be no end
to their lives and their world. By the time they
realized that the message Noah was preaching was the
true message of God, it was too late and they were
forever destroyed.
The message of Christ’s return for His church is being
preached daily via the radio, television, the internet,
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print media, word of mouth and other forms of
communication. Yet many are not heeding the
warnings. As with the people in the days of Noah,
they are not making any preparations for His return.
Do you think that the image the world has of the
church today is because of the lack of concern by
many, regarding the second coming of Christ, when
He returns for His church? Why? Why not? As a born
again believer in Jesus Christ, what role can you play
in sharing this most important message of the return
of Christ for His church?
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Chapter 3
The Third Changing of the Tide
Abraham (Genesis 12: 1-4)
God called Abram (later called Abraham) out of a
place called Haran and told him to go to a place that
he had never been to before but a place that God
would take him to. All of the blessings that God had
for Abraham were in this place and through
Abraham’s obedience, all of the families of the earth
who accepted the God of Abraham and lived their
lives according to His instructions, would be blessed.
Abraham left Haran and the life he knew and stepped
out in faith into the life that God had called him to.
He never went back to Haran. When the tide changed
in his life, he stepped out in faith in obedience to the
call of God and the world that he knew was left
behind, never to be returned to again.
That is how we should be when God calls us and the
tide changes in our lives. We are to forget those
things that are behind, and we should press toward the
mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3: 14)
In other words, when we come into a right
relationship with God, we should forgot about our
past life style, whatever it may be, focus on the word
of God and our new life in Him and live our lives
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according to His teachings, as outlined in the Bible.
(This does not mean that God might not send you
back to the physical place where you came from in
order for you to help bring others out).
The only problem that I saw with Abraham’s move is
that God called him but he carried Lot with all of his
flocks, herds and tents along as well. If you read
Genesis chapters 13 – 14, you will see the problems
Abraham went through because of Lot. They had to
eventually separate because Abraham’s herdsmen and
Lot’s herdsmen were forever arguing, to the point
where separation was necessary in order for both of
them and their flock to survive.
That’s what happens to us sometimes. God gives us
specific instructions but we add our own two cents to
it and then the trouble starts.
Whenever God gives you something to do, you are to
do only what He instructs you to do. If you add or
take away from His instructions, no matter how good
your intentions may be, you will be the one to have to
go through all of the unnecessary stress that comes
along with the choice that you made.
Abraham suffered much because of Lot. Even after
their separation, when Lot was captured by the
confederacy of Kings who joined forces against
Sodom (where Lot chose to live) and the surrounding
cities, Abraham had to go and rescue him.
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When the tide changes in our lives and we try to hold
on to things or people that God is trying to separate us
from, they will be like a thorn in our flesh. This thorn
in the flesh will serve as a constant reminder that we
are to be completely obedient to God when He speaks
to us, as any deviation from His instructions will
result in us suffering the consequences of the actions
we choose to take. We need to learn to let go of
everything and allow God to fulfill His perfect will in
our lives.
Stepping Out in Faith
God told Abraham to leave the only place he ever
knew and go to a place where he had never been
before. This move of faith resulting in his receiving
blessings he could not fully imagine nor would he
personally experience, as they were to be manifested
during the time of his descendants.
Abraham believed God, moved forward in faith and
his descendants inherited the promises God made to
him.
A lot of times we want blessing from God, but we are
so shortsighted and selfish, that we only see the
present and have no concerns about our future
generations. God wants to bless us, but not with
blessings that are going to die with us. He wants to
bless us with blessings that will outlive us and live on
in our descendants for generations to come.
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How has this story of Abraham changed your outlook
regarding the blessings of God for your life? Have
you been selfish in seeking the Lord’s blessing or
have you been generous by asking Him to extend your
blessings into the lives of your generations to come?
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Chapter 4
The Fourth Changing of the Tide
Moses (Exodus – Deuteronomy)
In Exodus chapter 2, Moses was born. During this
time, Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt, had instructed the
midwives that they were to kill all of the male
children. The Israelites were multiplying too much for
his liking and he was concerned that with too many
males, there would eventually be an uprising among
the Israelites – due to the unfair treatment they were
receiving – and his government would be destroyed.
Fortunately, the midwives were God-fearing women
and the life of Moses was spared. He was put in an
ark of bulrushes which was placed in the river and
was rescued by the daughter of Pharaoh herself. (Do
you remember Noah? God saved him in an ark as
well).
Moses grew up knowing his family history, but was
privileged to enjoy the best of everything living in
Pharaoh’s house could offer. Unknown to him, the
tide was about to change and the life of luxury that he
had become accustomed to was about to be left
behind. God had other plans for him.
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One day, Moses saw an Egyptian mistreating one of
his fellow men and after checking to make sure that
no one else was around, he killed him. This started the
changing of the tide in his life and tells us that even
though Moses was living the lifestyle of the rich and
famous, he did not forget where he came from. He
remembered his people; loved them and defended
them.
After this act of murder, Moses had to run away from
his life of luxury and he ended up alone in the
wilderness. Here, he was separated unto God for a
season, as Noah was separated unto God in the ark.
During this time, God dealt with him and he learned
from God. After his season with God was over, God
sent him back to his fellow men so that he could now
help them to become a part of the changing of the tide
that had already taken place in his life.
Sometimes, we forget where we have come from. We
must remember that we were not always saved. God
delivered us out of our sinful lives. He separated us
from the lives we used to live and made us new
creatures in Christ. (2nd
Corinthians 5: 17) Once we
have spent time in His word and grown in the
knowledge of Him, we are not to keep it to ourselves.
We have a responsibility to take the word back to our
family and friends who have not yet accepted Jesus
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Christ as their personal Saviour, so that they too can
be given the opportunity to accept Him into their
lives.
Moses had experienced both the physical and the
spiritual changing of the tide. Physically, the palace
would never be his home again and spiritually, he
envisioned the life that God had shown him on the
other side of the Red Sea, which would forever
separate him and the children of Israel from the land
of Egypt.
It was a journey through a wilderness where God met
all of their daily needs. Once the children of Israel
crossed the Red Sea, Egypt was forever left behind.
The tide changed forever on that part of their lives
and they moved on in a new direction, under the hand
of God.
Going Back
When some people get saved, they get the notion that
they are no longer to have any association with
anyone from their past, who is not saved. This was not
so in the life of Moses. God separated him for a
season from his people and placed him in the enemy
camp. During this time, he was well trained in the
wisdom and knowledge of the finer things of life.
After this season of training was over, God then took
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him into the wilderness where He instructed him in
the wisdom and knowledge of God. When his time of
training was over, God sent Moses back to his people
as the one who would deliver them from the hands of
the Egyptians. Moses had an audience with Pharaoh
because God had already established a relationship
between Moses and the royalty of Egypt.
GOING BACK IS GOOD IF YOU ARE GOING TO
USE WHAT YOU LEARN TO BRING SOMEONE
ELSE OUT.
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Chapter 5
The Fifth Changing of the Tide
Joshua
Joshua 1-4
After the death of Moses, Joshua became the leader of
the Israelites and had the awesome task of leading
them across the Jordan River. This was yet another
changing of the tide in the lives of the children of
Israel. Once they crossed over the Jordan River, they
were on their way to possessing the land of Canaan,
which God had promised to their forefather, Abraham.
If God has revealed something to you, ask Him to
give you the courage to work towards its fulfillment
even in the midst of discouragement; the patience to
wait for its fulfillment, when you cannot see the end
in sight and the fortitude to bear what you must as you
await the fulfillment of the vision.
Joshua had all of these qualities and as a result, he
witnessed the manifestation of the vision that God had
given to his forefather Abraham, hundreds of years
before he was born.
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The Sixth Changing of the Tide
Judges
After the death of Joshua, the children of Israel
experienced another changing of the tide, when the
period of the judges came into effect. The first judge
of Israel was Othniel and he ruled for forty years.
There was no king and everyone did what was right in
his own eyes.
Judges 21: 25
In those days there was no king in Israel: and every
man did what was right in his own eyes.
Passing on the Baton
Joshua was Moses’ right hand man. He stayed with
him; was obedient unto him and was well trained by
him. As a result, when Moses died, he was able to
step up to the plate as the new leader of the children
of Israel.
Wherever we are in our lives is a training process for
something else. Unfortunately, some of us are so busy
complaining about where we are that we don’t learn
what we need to know, in order to get to the place
where God wants us to be.
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David was anointed King when he was but a boy (1st
Samuel 16: 7, 13). Yet, he did not assume this role
until many years later, after the death of Saul, when
he was anointed King of Judah (2nd
Samuel 2: 4).
David had to exercise extreme patience during this
waiting period but it was also during this time that he
was being prepared for his role as King.
THE WAITING PERIOD IS THE PERIOD OF
PREPARATION, WHEN GOD EQUIPS YOU FOR
THE ROLE THAT HE HAS CALLED YOU UNTO.
This period of preparation is not a time of do nothing
but a time when you will be going through all sorts of
developmental changes, as God prepares you for your
new role.
From outer appearances, the world may see you as a
mess and someone who just doesn’t know what they
are doing or what they want. You don’t mind them.
You just keep your focus on God and what He has
revealed to you and when the time is right, He will
condemn every tongue that rises against you in
judgment. (Isaiah 54: 17)
Whatever situation you find yourself in, use your
preparation time well because opportunity is
beneficial only to those who are prepared for its
arrival.
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Chapter 6
The Seventh Changing of the Tide
Kings
When the children of Israel were in Mizpeh, Samuel
was their judge. When he became too old to handle
the responsibilities of being a judge, he made his sons
judges over Israel. Unfortunately, they did not rule
like him. They turned aside after filthy lucre- earning
money in illegal ways; they took bribes and they
perverted judgment. The elders of Israel got together
and told Samuel that he was old and his children were
not following his example of leadership, so they
wanted a king to judge them like the other nations
around them. (1st Samuel 7: 6b; 8: 1-5)
Samuel was so disappointed when he heard the
request of the people, but he did what any Godly
leader should do – he prayed to God about the request
of the people. God told him to honour the request of
the people because they were not rejecting Samuel as
judge – they were rejecting God as their king.
This decision to have a king rule over them resulted in
yet another changing of the tide in the lives of the
children of Israel. Never again would they experience
God as their King in this world – they would not
experience this again until Jesus Christ rules from
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Jerusalem during His Millennial or one thousand year
Reign.
The Eighth Changing of the Tide
Nebuchadnezzar’s Great Image (Daniel 2)
Another changing of the tide came during the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He had a dream of
a great image but he had no idea what the dream
meant. This image had a head of gold; breast and arms
of silver; belly and thighs of brass; legs of iron and
feet part of iron and part of clay.
The only person who could interpret his dream for
him was Daniel. Daniel was a Godly Israelite who
was brought to Babylon from Jerusalem as a captive
and who continuously sought and worshipped the
Lord of his forefathers – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
This dream of Nebuchadnezzar represented the
kingdoms of this world that would exist, prior to the
establishment of God’s eternal kingdom on earth.
The head was of gold and represented Babylon, which
was the kingdom that Nebuchadnezzar ruled. The
breast and arms of silver represented Medo – Persia
and the rule of Darius the Mede and Cyrus of Persia.
The belly and thighs of brass represented Greece and
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was ruled by Alexander the Great. The legs of iron
represented Rome and the toes of iron and clay
represented the divided nation of Europe.
Nebuchadnezzar saw a stone cut out without hands
which struck the image on its feet and broke them into
pieces. When this happened, all of the parts of the
image broke into pieces and became like chaff and
disappeared into thin air. The stone that struck the
image became a great mountain and filled the whole
earth.
Each kingdom grew weaker and weaker as
represented by the various strengths of the materials
seen in Nebuchadnezzar’s great image, until the
image was finally destroyed by the stone that was cut
out of the mountain without hands. This stone that
was cut out without hands represents the final
changing of the tide that will take place on this earth
and transport those who are ready for the change into
eternity with God. (This is the time when those who
have made the decision to live for Christ will be
gathered unto Him for all of eternity – the end of
earthly rule by men).
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Chapter 7
The Ninth Changing of The Tide
The Birth of Jesus Christ – also known as the First
Advent of Christ, which is His first coming to
earth. (Matt.1; Luke 1)
The birth of Jesus Christ resulted in another changing
of the tide and a repeat of what happened during the
time of the birth of Moses. Just as Pharaoh decreed
that all of the male children were to be killed in order
for him to ensure that his throne was secure, so did
Herod issue a decree that all of the male children born
during the time of the birth of Christ were to be killed,
in order for him to ensure that his throne was secure.
What Pharaoh and Herod both seemed to have
misunderstood or just chose to overlook was the fact
that in Genesis 3: 15, God had promised a seed or an
off-spring to Eve, who would bruise the head of the
serpent, destroying him forever, while the serpent
would only bruise His heel, causing Him temporary
damage.
In their limited thinking, they thought that they could
prevent the changing of the tide, which resulted in the
ushering in of Christ, our Saviour.
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The Tenth Changing of the Tide
The Death of Jesus
Matthew 27: 31-34
The tenth changing of the tide came at the death of
Jesus, when He was crucified on the cross; His death
marking the end of the handwriting of ordinances (the
law of Moses) that was against us, which was also
contrary to us. (More details in Chapter 14)
Colossians 2: 14
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of
the way, nailing it to His cross.
Galatians 3: 13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,
being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree.
The Law of Moses
The Law of Moses is the laws which God gave him to
give to the Israelites so that they would know how to
worship Him correctly; how to make correct sacrifices
and how to live justly or fairly with each other. These
laws consisted of a lot of rules and regulations that
were impossible for anyone to keep.
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These laws were actually in place only until a perfect
sacrifice was available. This perfect sacrifice was
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who had never
committed one sinful act in his entire life. Once He
died on the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of all
mankind, there was no need to offer any more animal
sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins.
Why did Christ do this for us?
Galatians 3: 14
...That the blessings of Abraham might come on the
Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The Blessings of Abraham
The blessings of Abraham can be found in the
following scripture passages:
Genesis 12: 1-7; Genesis 13: 14-16; Genesis 15: 5-6;
Genesis 17: 6.
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Chapter 8
The Eleventh Changing of the Tide
The Resurrection of Jesus
(Matthew 28: 1-6)
1) In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn
toward the first day of the week, came Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher
(tomb)
2) And behold, there was a great earthquake: for the
angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came
and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon
it.
3) His countenance was like lightning and his raiment
white as snow:
4) And for fear of him, the keepers did shake and
became as dead men.
5) And the angel answered and said unto the women,
fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was
crucified.
6) He is not here for He is risen as He said. Come, see
the place where the Lord lay.
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At this eleventh changing of the tide, Jesus arose
victorious over death, with the keys or the authority
over hell (the grave) and death. (Revelation 1: 18)
Matthew 28: 18 (Jesus is speaking)
All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
Jesus delegated this power unto His apostles
Matthew 28: 19-20
19) Go ye into all the world and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Ghost:
20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I
have commanded you: and lo I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world.
The Twelfth Changing of the Tide
The Power of the Holy Ghost
The Birth of the Church
(Acts 1: 8: 2: 1-4)
The twelfth changing of the tide took place in the
book of Acts.
In Acts 1: 8, the apostles were told by Jesus that they
would receive power after the Holy Ghost came upon
them.
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“But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost
is come upon you: and ye shall be witness unto me
both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and unto the
uttermost part of the earth”.
This power came upon the apostles in Acts 2: 1-4
1) And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place
2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as
of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting
3) And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like
as of fire, and it sat upon each of them
4) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and
began to speak with other tongues (languages) as the
Spirit gave them utterance.
After this empowerment by the Holy Ghost, Peter
preached such a powerful, God inspired message that
about three thousand souls received the word, were
baptized and were added to their number. (Read Acts
2)
This was the beginning of the age of the Church.
Unfortunately, many of us need to go back to Bible
basics to discover God’s teachings regarding His
church.
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Who or What Is The Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the power of God and the agent
through whom He accomplishes His will.
Luke 1: 35
And the angel answered and said unto her (Mary), the
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of
the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that
holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called
the Son of God.
Where did the Holy Spirit come from?
The Holy Spirit came from heaven.
1st Peter 1: 12
According to 1st Peter 1: 12, the Holy Spirit came
from heaven
Why did the Holy Spirit come to earth?
…To teach us the truth as He receives it from Jesus.
John 16: 13 –15 NIV (Jesus is speaking)
13) But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will
guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His
own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will
tell you what is yet to come.
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14) He will bring glory to me by taking from what is
Mine and making it known to you.
15) All that belongs to the Father is Mine. That is why
I said the Spirit will take from what is Mine and make
it known to you.
What truth does the Holy Spirit teach us?
John 16: 8
The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth about sin,
righteousness and judgment.
Why does the Holy Spirit teach us about Sin?
John 16: 9
The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth about sin because
we didn’t believe on Jesus.
Romans 3: 23
The Holy spirit also teaches us about sin because all
of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
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Why does the Holy Spirit teach us the truth about
Righteousness?
John 16: 10
The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth about
righteousness because righteousness is doing what is
right according to God and not man and Jesus-our
living example is now in heaven.
Why does the Holy Spirit teach us the truth about
judgment?
John 16: 11
The Holy spirit teaches us the truth about judgment
because the prince of this world will be judged.
Grieving the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4: 30
And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness,
and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from
you, with all malice.
How do we Grieve the Holy Spirit?
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we are convicted us
of our sins but continue to live our lives without
turning from our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as
our Saviour.
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The Holy Spirit is also grieved when people who have
accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour hold on to
ungodly acts.
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Chapter 9
The Thirteenth Changing of the Tide
The Return of Christ for His People
1st Thessalonians 4: 13-18
The thirteenth changing of the tide will usher in the
return of Christ for all who have accepted His gift of
salvation and lived according to His Word.
There is coming a day that will usher in the final
changing of the tide for mankind. Anyone who is not
prepared, as with those in the days of Noah will find
themselves on the wrong side of the change with no
hope of ever crossing over.
Matthew 24: 36- 38
36) But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not
the angles of heaven, but my Father only.
37) But as the days of Noe were, so shall the coming
of the Son of man be.
38) For as in the days that were before the flood they
were eating and drinking and giving in marriage, until
the day that Noe entered into the ark
39) And knew not until the flood came and took them
all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
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Look around you. Things haven’t changed much.
Everything that was going on during the time of Noah
is going on right now. So many people didn’t heed the
warning signs then and the people today are not
heeding the warning signs now.
When Christ returns for those who have committed
their lives unto Him, many will be caught unawares
and left behind. All who are dead in Christ will rise
first to meet Him in the air and those who are alive at
His return and prepared for His coming will be caught
up in the clouds (commonly referred to as the
Rapture) to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we
ever be with the Lord. (1st Thessalonians 4: 13-17)
If you have not yet accepted Christ as your personal
Lord and Saviour and been baptized for the remission
of your sins, you are not a part of His Church and
therefore will not be going with Him when he comes
for those who are His own.
The only way to become a part of His Church is
through the channel that He has provided for salvation
– belief in Him, repentance and baptism for the
remission of sins. (See Acts 2: 38, 41)
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Chapter 10
The Fourteenth and Final Changing of the Tide
The New Jerusalem – The Eternal Kingdom of God
(Revelation 21-22)
Revelation 21: 1-4 (Apostle John is speaking)
Read all of Revelation 21-22 so that you can get an
idea of the new heaven and the new earth that God has
planned for those who choose to worship Him.
The exact location of this kingdom is not known.
The Bible tells us that it descends out of heaven
from God, after Christ’s 1000 years reign on earth
(Revelation 20) but it never states exactly where
the kingdom is located.
According to Galatians 4: 26, this New Jerusalem is
above which tells us that it will not be established on
earth.
I don’t know your spiritual location and you don’t
know mine. I can only know what you show me and
you can only know what I show you. God knows your
heart and He knows mine. He is the Righteous Judge
and as such, must punish and will punish all sin.
I cannot speak for you and you cannot speak for me. I
cannot defend you before God and you cannot defend
me. The attitude of our hearts toward God will
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determine where we will end up at this final changing
of the tide.
When the tide changed for Adam and Eve and they
were put out of the Garden of Eden; that was a
permanent change.
When the tide changed for Abraham and he was
obedient to God and left Haran to go to a place that he
had never been to before; that was a permanent
change.
When the tide changed for the children of Israel and
they left Egypt and crossed the Red sea; that was a
permanent change.
The signs are evident that the tide is going to change
again but the changing of the tide will take place
without warning and the effects of the change are
again going to be permanent.
At this final changing of the tide, you will either be on
the side of the Lord or you won’t. You will either be
going to heaven or you won’t. The choice is yours.
Just remember that once the tide changes, the choice
you made will be permanent.
There is a spiritual changing of the tide that is taking
place right now. God wants to separate us so that He
can prepare us for the work that He has called us unto
– that of winning souls for the kingdom. He cannot do
the separating unless we make ourselves available to
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Him.
Allow Him to separate you for a season and prepare
you for His work, as He separated Noah in The Ark
and prepared him. This is the only way that He can
take you from where you are; perfect His work in you
and place you where He needs you to be, in order for
you to create new life in others through His Son, Jesus
Christ. With this, the changing of the tide will result
in a great harvest of souls for God’s eternal kingdom.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your
personal Lord and Savior, why not make Him your
choice right now? This is the only way that you will
be prepared for His return and not miss the last
changing of the tide.
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Velyn Cooper
P. O. Box F42524
Freeport, Grand Bahama
Bahamas
biblicaljourneys@gmail.com
website: biblicaljourneys.net
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