living word magazine february 2012
DESCRIPTION
The Bible study magazine for those wishing to go deeper into God's Word.TRANSCRIPT
This is my commandment – love one another
Going Deeper into God’s Word
Issue 7 February 2012
Bible Studies by: Reinhard Bonnke, Ken Legg, Mathew Bartlett, Derek Williams, Edwin & Lillian Harvey & more!
Liv
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JOHN 2:11 THIS BEGINNING OF MIRACLES DID JESUS IN CANA OF GALILEE IN THIS ISSUE
©Photos above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov
In this month’s issue: 2. The Marriage at Cana Carl Whorley (USA)
5. Revival Arfon Lloyd Thomas (UK)
9 The Theology of Pentecost Part Two Mathew Bartlett (UK)
11. Are You Stressed or Blessed? Ken Legg (Australia AG)
12. Gateway to God Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)
13. Words of Love Mathew Bartlett (UK)
15. Christ Among Women Mathew Bartlett (UK)
17. Love in Harvest – The Book of Ruth 4. Derek Williams (UK)
19. In Depth Study – Revelation Chapter 12 Derek Williams (UK)
21. Guest Article: Divine Dining Reinhard Bonnke (CfaN)
©Photos Above © Joseph Sedmak (from Notre Dame Paris) Cover: © Andres Rodriguez. Back cover© maxfx . Left © from top: Phtoquest, Richard Thomas, and Willgame
Bible Studies Online International
www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk
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The Marriage at Cana Read John 2 Image: © Willgame
By Carl Whorley
The fact that the marriage took place on the third day is significant. In Genesis 1:9-13, God twice call the third day of Creation good.
It is the only one of the six days of
creation of which God pronounces a
double blessing.
For this reason many Hebrew
couples like to get married on the
third day of the week, traditionally
hoping it will add an extra blessing
to their marriage, and it would
appear that the couple in John 2:1-
11 might have followed this
tradition.
The marriage took place in Cana, (a
small town approximately eight to
nine miles north of Nazareth, the
home of Jesus and the birth place of
Nathanael). The guest list tells us a
great deal. Firstly, Mary the mother
of Jesus was there, along with Jesus
and His disciples. Clearly, one of the
newlyweds was at least close friends
if not relatives of Mary, Jesus'
mother. There has been much
conjecture about the identity of the
couple in question, but
John does not reveal their identity,
for the object of his history is to
demonstrate who Jesus is, the
Christ, the Son of God.
The events of the wedding take a
dramatic turn when in John 2:3, the
social horror of horrors takes place -
they run out of wine!
How much Mary understood at this
time of the capabilities of Jesus is
unknown. From Luke 2:47-49, we
see that Mary should have at least
known that Jesus possessed
superior insight in matters of
Scripture and Theology.
Although he had not yet performed
any miracle (John 2:11) , she knows
that she can turn to Jesus with her
concern about the bride's problem
and so she plaintively and earnestly
seeks His help.
This would not be the only time in
which Jesus referred to His mother
as woman or dear woman (see also
John 19:26), emphasising her
relationship to Him as Son of God
rather than ass Son of Man.
He does this firmly but very
respectfully, and then asks her a
very pointed question "what have I
to do with you?" Or how does this
concern me? This is a very polite but
firm way of asking "and what would
you like for me to do about this?"
Jesus refers to the fact that his time
had "not yet come"
Jesus was aware that He was on a
divine time schedule ordained by His
Heavenly Father even before the
foundation of the world.
In John 2:4, Jesus states that His
hour had not yet come.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus says this
several His hour/time was not yet
come (e.g. John 2:4, John 7:6, John
7:8, John 7:30, John 8:20)
But by the time we get to John
12:27, the wording starts to change:
Now is my soul troubled; and what
shall I say?
Father, save me from this hour: but
for this cause came I unto this hour.
Christ's hour is now approaching.
Later, in John 13:1 & 17:1, the
wording changes again.
John 13:1...Now before the feast of
the Passover, when Jesus knew that
his hour was come that he should
depart out of this world unto the
Father, having loved his own which
were in the world, he loved them
unto the end.
February Reader’s Article – from USA
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John 17:1.These words spoke Jesus,
and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and
said, Father, the hour is come;
glorify thy Son, that thy Son also
may glorify thee.
Clearly we see that the hour
referred to by Jesus in John 2:4, is
the hour in time of His passion. The
hour in question would be His
Passion Week.
In the world's way of seeing facts,
Jesus was just another criminal
being crucified by Roman
jurisprudence. What mankind did
not realize is that it was not only the
greatest hour of triumph for Jesus,
and that this hour came for our
salvation.
This was the hour in which Jesus
finished the work which His
Heavenly Father sent Him to
accomplish. And it was the hour in
which mankind might have peace
with the Heavenly Father through
faith in the finished work of Christ
on the cross.
Mary was going to have to
understand, that though she was
Jesus' mother, the usage of His
divine abilities was set by the
Heavenly Father, and not by her.
Here, Jesus lovingly, yet firmly,
reminds her of this fact.
Jesus is telling His mother that this
was neither the place nor the time
in which Jesus wanted to start His
ministry which would show Him as
the Messiah, and culminate in His
death and resurrection.
In John 2:5, Jesus' mother, Mary,
gives the caterers the best advice
ever given to mankind. And that
being, whatever Jesus tells you to
do, do it! When God says that
because of what his son has done on
the cross, all we must do to obtain
eternal life is believe in him, then do
it! When it comes to being a success
in your walk with God the Father,
then whatever He tells you, do it.
However, even on God's timescale,
he is able to pause to hear and
answer the prayer of an earnest,
godly soul. In response to Mary's
plea, our Lord miraculously supplied
wine at the marriage feast in Cana
of Galilee in John 2:1-11.
There are many words used for
"wine" in the Old Testament, though
it is not clear which word would best
describes the wine that Jesus
produced on this occasion.
(Carl gives us a thorough
examination of these words and
their usage, which I have posted at
our contributor's blog
livingword.com - editor)
In John 2:1-11, the Greek word used
for the English word wine, is the
Greek word oinoV/oinos. From this
one Greek word we get the general
English word wine. However, this
one Greek word was used to denote
a number of items, from intoxicating
beverage, to unfermented wine,
grape juice, vinegar and even grape
skins and raisons.
Therefore, at the marriage at Cana,
what did Jesus miraculously create?
Did He make an intoxicating
beverage, or did He make a very
pleasant, family friendly, beverage
to be enjoyed by all? In truth, the
Bible never does tell us and neither
does the Greek New Testament.
However, emphatic warnings are
given in the New Testament against
excess in the use of wine (e.g. Luke
21:34; Rom. 13:13; Eph. 5:18; I Tim.
3:8 and Tit. 1:7).
As close as we can get to an answer
to this question, would be the
comments of the governor of the
feast in verse 10. He makes a
general statement that it is a
common practice at the start of the
feast, to serve the finest wines. He
does not say "strongest wine", but
"finest" or "best". His comment
does not infer any intoxicating
properties in the beverage created
by Jesus, but to its superior quality.
There is no mention of anyone being
intoxicated at the wedding feast,
and so we can assume they were
not. In a society where water was
not always pure, wine formed a
staple daily drink for the population,
and was necessarily lacking in
intoxicating properties.
When things go wrong, such as they
did at this wedding feast, God is not
unprepared. He is able to intervene
and meet the need. Things went
wrong in the Garden of Eden. It was
not His will for Adam and Eve to
disobey Him, yet, they did.
It is not God's will for anyone to die
without Jesus Christ as their Saviour
and spend a Christless eternity in
Hell. Yet, at the rate, globally, of
approximately three per second,
people do die without Jesus and Hell
becomes their abode for all eternity.
This is not the will of God for
mankind:
2 Peter 3:9...The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some
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men count slackness; but is
longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
that any should perish, but that all
should come to repentance.
In John 2:11, we see that it was here
that Jesus... manifested forth his
glory. Jesus would take this
opportunity to reveal the fact of His
deity. That He is in fact, the very
God in flesh form. Also, Jesus will
use this opportunity to illustrate His
teaching about being born again (or
regeneration).
Titus 3:5...Not by works of
righteousness which we have done,
but according to his mercy he saved
us, by the washing of regeneration,
and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
John 3:3...Jesus answered and said
unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:7...Marvel not that I said
unto thee, ye must be born again.
I Peter 1:23...Being born again, not
of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God,
which lives and abides for ever.
What is Jesus attempting to point
out with His miracle at the Marriage
at Cana in John 2:1-11? Let us look
at the time line in His earthly
ministry. In John chapter 2, He is
just starting his earthly ministry.
Therefore, this miracle would be an
encapsulation of what He came to
do. When we compare Scripture
with Scripture, we see from
Matthew 26:27-28, that the cup, or
wine, represents the blood
Image: © Ingrid Heczko
which Jesus Christ gave and shed to
purchase this new regenerated born
again life on our behalf.
Hebrews 9:22 tells us that if Jesus
would not have shed His blood on
the cross, then this new life would
have been an impossibility. We
would have literally been born to die
and spend eternity in hell.
Jesus came to pay for this eternal
life in Heaven with His own blood
and life, that we might have
abundant spiritual life.
Our Heavenly Father wants to fill
and overflow us with this new life.
John 2:7
It is the finest life which a person can
live. John 2:9-10
It is the one and only way to Heaven.
John 3:5 & Titus 3:5
It is a gift from God. John 4:10 and
Ephesians 2:8-9
It issues from a source which will
never expire. John 4:14.
Through the miracle at Cana, Jesus
shows mankind, through the
symbols of water and wine, that
God our Heavenly Father is offering
new life to all mankind.
To have this new life means to know
for a certain fact (1 John 5:13) that
we can be at peace with God, and
know for certain that when we die,
we will go to Heaven to be with the
Heavenly Father (2 Cor. 5:8).
Jesus gave his life as a ransom for
many, so that we might obtain this
new life. The wine represents the
method of payment for this new
born again life. Our peace with God
cost Jesus His life and His blood.
Because He has paid the highest
price, when we leave this life, we go
immediately to Heaven to be with
Him for all eternity.
For Jesus, the Marriage at
Cana was an opportunity to
tell mankind that God
wanted to give them new
and more wonderful life.
Jesus died and rose again,
and it is His resurrection life,
abundant spiritual life,
which God wants to give to
you right now, and He will
give it to whomsoever will
ask.
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2CHRONICLES 7:14 “If My people,
who are called by My name, shall
humble themselves and pray and
seek My face and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from
Heaven and will forgive their sin
and will heal their land.”
This is the most significant passage of Scripture about the way of revival.
I believe that if this text was truly and humbly undertaken by every Christian today then the whole Church would be revived. It is God’s recipe for spiritual awakening.
What is revival? Perhaps it is easier to ask, “What is not?”
Billy Graham came to England and many people were converted – but that is not revival. It was a demonstration of God’s anointing on a chosen vessel, but it was not revival; evangelism is an expression of the Church, whereas revival is an experience in the Church.
Revival is not the restoration of back-sliders, wonderful though it is when a person returns to God. Some think of revival as a special touch from God, or an unusually powerful and exciting meeting; but according to the dictionary, revival is the process of bringing back
something to life, to
bringing back something to life, to full consciousness or to full strength. Spiritual revival can best be described as, “an inrush of divine life into a body that is threatening to become a corpse,” or “God bending down to the dying embers of a fire and breathing on it so that it bursts into flames.”
One might say that revival is the Church returning to Pentecost.
On the Day of Pentecost a high-voltage burst of spiritual energy flowed into all who gathered humbly in prayer. The effects of the outpouring in the upper room were felt by the entire nation, with many brought to their knees in repentance. God’s power broke down every barrier like a mighty wave of the sea, and everything it touched was changed; lives were transformed and the Church burst into being as souls were saved for Eternity.
This is God’s Revival.
History books record that revivals in later years have 3 distinct characteristics in common: an intense and extraordinary sense of God’s presence, a deep desire to be rid of all sin, and a powerful impact on the wider community.
We must never settle for less than what God wants to give us.
Christianity in the UK is on the decline, and after several decades of charismatic renewal we are still making very little headway.
The Church as a whole did not make much impact on the nation during the “Decade of Evangelism” which took us to the turn of the Century. Therefore, something much greater and more powerful is required if we are to experience the effect of revival in our nation. You might very well ask these questions, “Why does God not come now?” “Why doesn’t He do anything about it?” “Why are we having such little impact with our own members, never mind about impact into the community?”
I believe the answer can be clearly found in 2 Chronicles 7:14. The text begins with a little word that is full of meaning. Just as a large door swings opens on considerably smaller hinges, so this word “if” unfolds the secret of spiritual awakening. We see that God is prepared to act, provided that we take our full responsibility.
For many years I have considered the point that: “Without God man can’t, but without man God won’t!” Although revival is a sovereign act of God, this does not relieve us of our personal responsibility. The great Welsh preacher Christmas Evans said, “Revival comes from God, but is borne to Earth on the wings of fervent prayer.”
“If” is a condition, and if we are in a lapsed condition as an individual, or as the Church, then we need to repent of that condition, and humbly open ourselves up to God, that He might restore us to our rightful position.
Joel, the charismatic prophet in the Old Testament calls for repentance: “Declare a Holy fast; call a sacred Assembly; summon the Elders and all who live in the land.” (Joel 1:14)
Revival
By Arfon Lloyd Thomas, UK.
Images: Desert © Paul Moore and Waterfall © Troy Lilly
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Whereas the prophet Hosea writes: “Sow for yourself righteousness; reap the fruit of unfailing love.” (Hosea 10:12)
Revelations chapter 2 verse 4 says: “I hold this against you, you have forsaken your first love, remember the height from which you have fallen, repent and do the things you did at first.”
The prophet Jeremiah records that we should: “Return faithless people; I will cure you of back-sliding.” (Jeremiah 3:22)
We discover then, through these Scriptures that God is speaking directly to His people.
“My people” means He is speaking to His own people. This also includes us because He chose us and saved us and made us His own.
The message of revival is then a direct call from God to His own people. The response must come from us who are His body. We can see the desperately low state of the nation, but it’s the Church that we need to attend to.
We will never put the World right by looking at its sad and sorry state, because revival must start with God’s own people.
In the Old Testament we discover that God called Abraham to be His own. He promised that his descendants would be “Children of God”, a chosen race, a people belonging to God. However, the New Testament makes it clear that through Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile are accepted into the family of God. We are adopted into His family and through Christ become part of His Holy people. Paul the Apostle writes: “We also received the salvation of our souls when we believed in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:13) Furthermore, we receive the Holy Spirit as a guarantee to our inheritance.
The Apostle Peter confirms to us that we are “living stones”. We are being built up into a spiritual home (1Peter 2:5). “But you are a Royal priesthood, a Holy Nation, a chosen generation.” (1Peter 2:9) John records the words of Jesus: “You did not choose Me; I chose you and appointed you to bear fruit that would last.” (John 15:16) The most wonderful promise follows that text - that as God’s children, chosen by Him, we may ask anything in His name.
In Matthew’s Gospel we find:
“Which of you if his son should ask for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish will give him a snake? How much more then will our Heavenly Father give to us who are called by His name.” (Matthew 7:9-11)
Malachi urges us to test God in His goodness so that “He might throw open the windows of Heaven and pour out His abundant blessing upon us.” (Malachi 3:10) This is the very nature of God, that if we, His people, act according to His will then He will respond with His overwhelming presence, power and purpose.
“If My people who are called by My name” – quite simply this means those who call upon His name, who have a personal relationship with Him through Christ. Going to Church, or living a religious life, or keeping within the law, is not enough to make us a child of God. Going to Church does not make someone a Christian any more than going to a football match would make them a footballer.
God, in His wisdom, has chosen to begin revival within His Church as a whole and this puts an enormous responsibility on all His people. The world will often judge the Church by the behaviour of its individual
members. If one Christian acts in a way that is unfitting for the Church, then the whole Church is judged. The people of the world do not see us as individuals, but they do observe our ways and say things like, “Well, if that’s how Christians behave then I want nothing to do with them.”
On the other hand, if we act in a godly manner then this will serve to draw and win others for Christ. For this we need a heaven sent revival!
Let us then look at the action that we must take in order for God to visit us with revival. Our key text tells us that we are to humble ourselves. Humility is the ability to take a close look at yourself and discover in all honesty what you are. Humility turns from self and seeks the presence of God.
A humble person will always recognise that they are nothing without God.
The opposite of humility is pride, the first sin to enter into mankind. The Devil fell from heaven to Earth through pride. He tempted Adam and Eve to take the fruit, declaring that they would be like God. When we are full of pride we are like the Devil, when we are full of humility we are most like Christ.
God’s command for us today has not changed since the beginning of time. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves.”
We must be willing to evaluate ourselves, not by the standards of others, but by the standard of God’s Word. We must come under the authority of the Bible and submit to its truth. Our attitude is to be the same as that of Christ (see Phil. 2:1-11).
Pride is the enemy of God, and the Bible gives us a strict warning concerning this sin: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
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The Initial Evidence With the increasing interest in the baptism of the Holy Spirit among Christians from traditional denominations, it is more vital than ever that we set out our distinctive Pentecostal testimony. A Baptist friend once said to me “I know when I received the Holy Spirit, for I felt a great peace.” In fact, he was speaking of the time when he trusted Christ as Saviour, and I am sure that he did enjoy great peace – the peace of sins forgiven and of being reconciled to God. But that is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The realm of the Holy Spirit is the human spirit, not human emotion. He does not reveal Himself through our feelings, but by supernatural signs and wonders.
My own baptism of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by the supernatural evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gave me utterance, and I would maintain that this is invariably the case. Jesus told his disciples “these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall . . . speak with new tongues.” (Mark 16:17)
The Initial Evidence in the Scriptures There are only a few episodes in the book of Acts where Luke records the receiving of the Holy Spirit, yet in
each case the supernatural sign of tongues was in evidence.
In Acts 2, the whole group of 120 believers were gathered for prayer, and their receiving of the Holy Spirit was evidenced by their speaking with tongues and prophesying.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Act 2:4
Peter later told the crowd that following their repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus, (which would be evidenced by their baptism in water) they too would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 8, whilst we are not explicitly told that supernatural evidence accompanied the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Simon clearly saw that something genuine had been imparted to the new converts. Being used to the supernatural, and since he wanted to possess (for the wrong reasons) the power he saw demonstrated, it is clear that a supernatural manifestation had occurred which was different to any that he had previously witnessed in the healing and deliverance ministry of Phillip. It is reasonable to suppose that it was the miracle of speaking in
tongues. In Acts 10 when the Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his household, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Act 2:4
In Acts 19 Paul met a company of believers at Ephesus who knew only the baptism of John. After further instructing them in the Christian faith, Paul prayed for them:
And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Act 19:6
The Pioneers of the Modern Pentecostal Movement All the Pentecostal pioneers of the 20th century testified to the miracle of speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Here are just a few:
Harold Horton “(tongues) is the gift manifested in each case when believers receive their baptism in the Holy Spirit, though other gifts may be evidenced as well as it”i
Donald Gee “The New Testament is clear that the gift of the Spirit in the beginning was invariably witnessed to by some physical manifestation — something others could “see and hear” (Acts II. 33). the most usual
The Theology of Pentecost By Mathew Bartlett Image: © Photoquest
Part Two:
The Initial Evidence
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and most persistent manifestation was speaking with tongues (Acts II. 4; X. 44; XIX. 6). The Pentecostal Movement has consistently taught that speaking with tongues is the scriptural initial evidence of that baptism.”ii
Smith Wigglesworth received “the Baptism in the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.”iii
George Jeffries wrote that “the great outpouring of the Spirit with the miracle of speaking in tongues is taking place all over the world.”iv
May I say that after twenty years in active Pentecostal ministry, I have never yet witnessed anyone being baptised in the Holy Spirit who did immediately begin to speak with tongues.
Jesus’ own experience is our example We may take valuable lessons about the supernatural ministry of the Spirit from the life of the Lord Jesus. Following His baptism in the River Jordan, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within Him. We do not read of Christ performing any miracle until after He was endued with power from on high, but from that time on His miraculous ministry began and never ceased.
Since the ministry of the Holy Spirit is inevitably miraculous, the believer’s baptism in the Holy Spirit is always accompanied by miraculous signs, in particular the miraculous sign of speaking in tongues.
Christian friend, the answer to the question “do all speak with tongues?” is still “no,” (1 Cor. 12:30) but may I remind you of the apostle’s holy desire, surely the desire God’s heart, “I would that
you all spoke with tongues” (1 Cor. 14:5).
Scripture taken from the New King James
Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
i Horton, Harold. 1954. The Gifts of the Spirit. London. Assemblies of God Publishing House. ii Gee, Donald. 1941. Croydon. Wind and Flame. Heath Press Ltd. iii Wigglesworth, Smith. 1924. Ever Increasing Faith. First Published 1924, but reprinted in the Pentecostal Evangel, September 13, 1924. iv Jeffries, George. 1933. Pentecostal Rays. London. Elim Publishing Co.
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Image: ©Joyce Geleynse
Stress is a fact of life. All living involves some stress. Stress is simply the response your body makes to any demand you place upon it. Not all stress is bad.A certain amount of stress is necessary for renewal and growth. Efficiency often increases as stress increases. Many of us work best under stress.
But the problem is that continuous stress will lead to distress. When stress is prolonged it becomes harmful. The same adrenaline that prepares the body for action is also toxin and may lead to sickness.
The consequences of stress are serious. These include: illness(stress can cause illness in ups up to 80% of sufferers), insomnia (the inability to fall asleep), High blood pressure and even premature aging!
Let’s just consider the first of these consequences for a moment – sickness. It is a medical fact that prolonged periods of emotional tension may lead to hypersecretion and if persisted in result in sickness. What started in the mind ends in a harmful consequence to the body. For example, stress can cause the arteries to contract, restricting the flow of blood to the heart. This causes many kinds of problems. What is the answer? The medical world tries to bring the body into a state of rest through
medication, e.g. anti-depressants. The result is rest, but artificial rest.
Health and fitness industries try to manipulate health through diet and exercise. Yet, no amount of diet and exercise can provide wholeness when the soul is in turmoil. It’s not what you eat that determines the state of your health so much as what is eating you! (Matt.15:11).
Jesus knew the stresses that weigh upon the soul. He offers true rest to our souls by means of His yoke (Matt.11:28-30). A yoke, a wooden frame, was something that was placed upon a person’s shoulder to make his load easier by distributing its weight. The purpose of a yoke, then, is to enable the strain to be passed from one to another.
The yoke of Christ is described as being easy, meaning kindly, well-fitted, serviceable, pleasant and well-adjusted to the shoulders. In other words, there is nothing more natural than to come under the yoke with Christ. We were meant to live Christ-dependent lives. The first negative emotion, fear, was the result of Adam’s disconnection from God. The Bible likens the masses of those who have left God to the roaring sea of restless waves. The problem is that we too, His children, can live independently of Him and experience all the stress symptoms that the ungodly have because of
their disconnectedness from God. Christ never promised we would be free of trials and difficulties in this life. What He promised, though, is peace in the midst of the storm.
During WWII a competition was held for artists in USA to submit a painting that best depicted peace. Entries of sunsets, flowing streams, snowcapped mountains and pastoral settings abounded. But first prize went to a picture of a raging storm over a narrow valley. To the left a waterfall cascaded down a sheer drop, while lightening streaked across the raging sky. Growing precariously from the sheer face of the cliff was a small scrub tree, its few surviving branches bending to the pressure of the wind. Perched on one of these branches that protruded over the waterfall was a small bird, its head turned upward in defiance of the pounding rain, singing at the top of its voice. That’s peace! Inward peace defies outward circumstances.
Jesus could sleep in the midst of a storm. He had something the disciples did not have at that time. And He has bequeathed this same peace to us. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn.14:27).
Peace surpasses all understanding. It defies analysis. Peace is not deliverance from circumstances, but the ability to stand composed in the midst of a storm. The difference between Christians and non-Christians is not the absence of problems, but the presence of the peace of God in the midst of turmoil. That yoke of His sure looks inviting!
Ken Legg is pastor of New Beginnings Christian Church Gold Coast Australia. Article: http://www.small-groups-ministry.com/Grace_Roots-GraceRoots-18.html
Are You Stressed or Blessed? By Ken Legg
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Then began men to call upon the name
of the LORD (Gen. 4:26).
For the eyes of the Lord are over the
righteous, and his ears are open unto
their prayers: but the face of the Lord is
against them that do evil (1 Peter 3:12).
Prayer is the Christian’s greatest
resource and the one least used. It is his
greatest obligation and the one most
neglected. It is the most common form
of devotion, yet the one least
understood. Prayer is the gateway to
God’s presence, but few enter. Prayer
is the channel of God’s grace, but in
most lives it is clogged. It is commonly
supposed that anyone can pray, but
only those who are accepted in Christ
have full access to God. Many regard
prayer as optional, but God requires
prayer as the condition of His working
and where there is no prayer, there is
no power.—Slocum.
A prominent Christian leader,
acquainted with spiritual conditions
said:
“If I were to put my finger on the
greatest lack in our Christianity, I would
unhesitantly point to the need for an
effective prayer life among laity and
ministers.” And E. M. Bounds warns us
that past praying cannot suffice for
today’s needs: “The Church that is
dependent on its past history for its
miracles of power and grace is a fallen
Church.” Speaking of Hudson Taylor, D.
E. Hoste says:
“He was of necessity a busy man, but he
always regarded prayer itself as in
reality the most needful and important
part of the work. He practically
recognized that much time must be
spent in seeking God’s guidance if a
right understanding was to be obtained
of the problems and difficulties that
confronted him, in carrying on the work
of the Mission. He knew that in no other
way was the power of the Holy Spirit to
be obtained for himself and his
brethren, as they sought to develop the
work. I venture on this occasion not
only to impress upon myself but upon
you as well the importance of our
copying him in this respect.”
And Mrs. Howard Taylor, in her
biography of Hudson Taylor, quotes him
as saying: “Am hoping to give special
time to prayer and Bible study on the
voyage. I do want our whole life to be
an ascending plane—not resting in
anything we have learned or felt or
attained, but a pressing on and up. . . .
Do we not want more really to meditate
on God, to gaze on Him, to take in what
we are even now competent to take in
of His greatness, His resources, His
assurances and promises? Dwelling thus
on Him, should we not be enabled to
grasp more of the heights and depths of
His character and purposes and be more
ready and able to do His will?” One of
the Lammermuir party, writing home to
England, said: “Oh! that we may be
made capable of bearing much blessing.
Do pray that we may each be
drawn close to the Savior, and kept
walking with Him in such sweet
fellowship that for us to live may be
Christ. Then, what wonders should we
see! The destitution in the light of
eternity is awful. It stares us in the face.
Human effort cannot meet it; nothing
can, short of divine power. So do pray.
Oh, we need to lay hold upon God
about it. May He make us really in
earnest. How can we trifle, how can we
be listless in view of His unfailing
promise that what we ask in faith we
shall receive? . . . Why are we not
Israels? God grant that we may learn
how to pray.”
Prayer power is not only the most
direct, but also the most effective force
that can be brought to bear upon the
many difficult problems that exist in the
Lord’s work. Prayer is not only more
effective than other methods of
carrying forward the work of the Lord,
but it has also the further great
advantage of being free from human
schemes and carnal manipulations.
He who waits upon God, moves on in
quiet confidence and needs neither the
blare of trumpets nor press agents’
methods to announce his success, but in
godly fear, leaves until the day of
Christ’s return the record of
achievement. The whole tendency in
the life of prayer is to bring us to the
place of crucifixion, and to school us in
the great principles of righteousness,
justice, and love.—Unknown.
Gateway to God An extract from “Kneeling we Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey
ISBN 1-932774-08-4. 128 Pages Price $6.00. Image © Margaret M. Stewart
Reproduced by kind permission of Harvey Publishers. www.harveycp.com
(c) Ingrid Heczko
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(c) 1David Asche
In many countries, the 14th day
of February is observed as
Saint Valentine’s Day, with
Saint Valentine himself being
(probably) a legendary figure.
He is best known for falling in
love with an executioner’s
daughter before losing his own
life.
It is remarkable how much
money people spend on
chocolates, flowers, and cards
at this time of year. Heart
shaped gifts represent their
love for their spouse,
boyfriend or girlfriend. Each
gift is a way of saying “I love
you.”
The trouble is, the English
language is rather limited, and
so the word love can have
several different meanings. I
can say I really love popcorn, I
love my dog and I love my
wife, all with the same word!
In New Testament Greek, fortunately, we have four different words for love, each with its own particular meaning:
Philia Here is a word for describing
those feelings we have in a
close friendship. It might be
the love that we have for a
brother or a sister, or
someone close to us that we
confide in. It may be our love
for a best friend, someone we
feel we have a lot in common
with. We may have this kind
of love without any romantic
overtones.
Storge OK, this is the word I can use
when I’m talking about my dog
or my popcorn. Some people
might say “I really love ice-
hockey.” This word means to
have affection for, to really like
something or someone, whether
that is an activity or an object,
or even a person.
I may “love” someone in this
way without being deeply
attached to them
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Agape The literal meaning of this
word is “sacrificial love”. It is
the kind of love shown by
someone who gives up their
life in order to save another.
Jesus said of this kind of love:
“Greater love has no man than
this than a man lay down his
life for his friends.”
What seems strange about this
love is that is just keeps on
loving even when it gets
nothing back. It is not looking
for what it can receive but for
what it can give. It is the kind of
self-giving love which God has
for the world.
“For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten
son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
In fact, in the New Testament,
whenever the love of Jesus or
the love of God is mentioned,
this is the word which is used.
Jesus illustrated this love in the
well-known parable of the
“prodigal” (or wasteful) son. In
the modern vernacular he was
a “waster”. This young men
turned his back on his father
and wasted all his father’s
money having a “good time”,
though actually it didn’t turn
out to be very good in the
end.
This boy’s father just kept on
loving him – with agape love.
When the son’s life was a
wreck and he was penniless
and starving he came home
to his father and was stunned
to find a warm welcome with
no word of reproach on his
dad’s lips. The reason? His
dad loved him with agape
love, and this said Jesus is the
love God has for every one of
us who have wandered away
from God, sometimes paying
a high price for our sin.
God will welcome you back.
The greatest demonstration
of agape love was seen when
the Lord Jesus hung on a
cross, bearing your sin and
mine, so that we might be
forgiven. Men buried the
Lord Jesus but three days
later he came back to life.
Today he is alive forever
more, and if you come to God
through him, you will receive
a warm welcome, instead of
words of reproach you will
receive words of forgiveness
and love. You will become a
child of God, and no one can
ever separate you from His
love again. Reader, this love is
really worth having, and by
trusting Christ you can have it
today.
Eros From this Greek word comes
our English word erotic. This
kind of love is the physical or
sexual attraction which Saint
Valentine’s Day is usually
associated with.
Most of the time, when we
hear pop, rock or country
songs about love, we can be
sure it is this kind of love they
are singing about.
This kind of love might make a
teenage girl blush or a young
man act kind of silly. It’s the
love that brings two people
together, a man and a woman,
in the life long bond of
marriage The world makes this
kind of love seem dirty and
guilt ridden when in fact it is a
beautiful expression of the
Creator’s will, even as He
blessed the first married
couple with the words “Be
fruitful and multiply”.
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John 2 Christ the Sovereign
To Mary Christ revealed himself as
the Sovereign -He is Lord.
At the wedding in Cana, when they ran
out of wine, Mary’s request is apparently
rebuffed: woman, what have I to do with
you. Mary had given birth to Christ and
so was his mother. But Jesus wanted her
to look deeper than this at the beginning
of his ministry, for she knew very well
that he was the eternal son of God. Her
relationship with him was no more to be
that of a mother with a son, but of a
servant with her lord and creator, for
only the creator can turn water to wine.
Has it occurred to you that Jesus Christ is
Lord? God has made this same Jesus
which you crucified both Lord and Christ,
has highly exalted him and given him the
name which is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee shall bow
and every tongue confess that he is Lord
to the glory of God the father.
What is your relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you submitting now to his lordship, or are you a rebel refusing to bow the knee to the Lord of all. The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth the LORD Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved. In other words receiving Jesus as Saviour means
recognising him as Lord of your life, and taking him from henceforth to be such. Mary recognised and received Christ as her Lord and sovereign. Will you?
John 4 Christ the Satisfier
To the woman of Samaria Christ revealed himself as the Satisfier.
At the well of Sychar Jesus meets a dissatisfied woman. She has tried it all but life has not been good to her. She had tried to fill her life with relationships, especially sexual relationships with men, but she could not find satisfaction for her soul.
Only Christ was able to satisfy her soul. The woman had a longing in her heart for something. She had not found it with one husband so she tried another. She had not found it with any of her five husbands, so now she was living with a man who was not her husband. How many people are like her, seeking satisfaction for their souls? We cannot find true satisfaction in merely human relationships. Some people turn to drink, but are not satisfied. They drink, take drugs and still must come back for more. Why? Because what they have had has not given them the satisfaction they crave.
This truth is conveyed by Christ's words "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again." In fact anything the world offers can only satisfy for a moment. "But whoever drinks the water I give him shall never thirst for the water I give him shall become in him a spring of water welling up to everlasting life" Continual joyous, eternal satisfaction for the soul.
The woman had been dissatisfied with religion, so she asks Jesus "Our fathers worshipped here, yours in Jerusalem. Which is right?” That is like of a lot of people today. Many are dissatisfied with religion, but the question on their lips is the same: "where can I go to find God?" This woman, in spite of her sinful, dissatisfied life knew that she needed
God. Where could she find Him? He
was standing right in front of her
proclaiming "God is spirit and they
who worship him must worship him in
spirit and truth."
Reader, to know Christ is to know God.
He said "I and the father are one; he
who has seen me has seen the father."
If you are seeking satisfaction for your
soul and spirit, then like this woman
from Samaria you will find it only in
the Lord Jesus Christ, the satisfier.
John 8 Christ the Saviour
To the Woman caught in adultery
Christ reveals himself as the
Saviour.
She was brought by the religious leaders who had caught her in the act of committing adultery. They did not ask or care about her situation, but were looking for a way in which they might accuse Jesus. And so this incident does not so much as reflect the first century attitude to women or sex as much as it reflects the religious rulers’ attitude to Christ.
Unknown to them when they brought
her to Jesus they did her the greatest
favor anyone ever did for her, for he is
the Savior.
Christ Among Women By Mathew Bartlett. Images from top left to bottom right: Kamil Macniak, Podius, Leloft1911
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the Savior. If you are telling someone about Jesus, don't give up, for you are doing them the biggest favor you ever could.
Christ knew all about this woman’s sin just as he knows all about the entire sinful condition of the world. This is the reason he came.The angel announced to his mother Mary: You shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins.
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The fact that we are all sinners is illustrated by the woman’s accusers. When Jesus challenged them, the men left convicted of sin by their conscience. How would any of us stand up to the scrutiny of the all seeing eye of the Son of God?
With no word to offer in her defense, unable to lie or make an excuse to the One who knew all things, she stood alone in front of Jesus. What a terrible day it will be when every man and woman must stand alone before God to answer for their sins. We will not be able to give Him any excuse then either. The word of God says "Every mouth shall be stopped and the whole world becomes silent before God." But if we are ready to admit our guilt and ask for mercy then we can find forgiveness now. Whoso covers his sins shall not prosper. Whoever confesses and forsakes them finds mercy.
As the woman owns up to her guilt, Jesus brings to her the word of salvation: “neither do I condemn you.” How could this be?
Jesus knew the law of God was right -
the soul that sins shall die, so why did
he not carry out the sentence of the
law? The answer to that question is
found in the cross. Jesus had come to
fulfil the law, firstly by keeping it
himself and then by laying down his
sinless life, to take the death penalty
for guilty sinners. Jesus died for our
sins, was buried and rose again. He is
alive and is "able to save completely
and forever those who come to God
through Him." The woman caught in
adultery found forgiveness in Jesus the
Saviour. Will you?
John 20 Christ the Source of Life
To Mary Magdalene Christ revealed
himself as the Source of life.
Mary Magdalene has been in the
headlines recently due to a fictional film
depicting her supposed relationship with
Jesus. The author imagined her marrying
Jesus and having children. It is important
to remember that even the author
declared his work to be complete fiction.
In reality, Mary found relationship to
Jesus that was far more wonderful than
marriage as Christ revealed himself to
her as the Source of Life
It was at Jesus’ empty tomb that Mary Magdalene that Mary Magdalene wept for the missing body of her Lord, only to discover that He was alive!
The fact that Jesus is alive from the dead means that all His work has been accomplished. If Christ had left anything uncompleted that needed to be done in order to take our sins away and give us eternal life, God the Father would not have raise him from the dead. But now we see that heaven’s gate is opened wide to us - for Jesus is alive. He is everything we need.
Because he has taken our sins away he has brought us back to God – this is reconciliation.
Because he has paid the price for our sin he has bought us for God – this is redemption.
Because he is alive forever he has made us to be born of God – this is regeneration.
Jesus lived a human life, yet he always fully possessed the divine life. Now that he has been raised from the dead he imparts that eternal, immortal, and spiritual life to us. Whoever receives Jesus the source of life receives eternal and abundant life in Him.
Receive him into your heart and he will come to dwell within. The secret of spiritual life is to have Christ in you. But if any does not have the Spirit of Christ then he or she does not belong to God.
Mary Magdalene did not receive Jesus as her husband, but she received the risen Lord into her heart. She was born again of God's spirit and Christ lived in her. This is the privilege of every believer. Mary Magdalene was eternally united to Jesus Christ - that is eternal life she received.
Will you receive it too?
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being despised and rejected He suffered outside the gate of Jerusalem (Heb. 13:12).
4:2 Boaz called ten elders to witness what was about to take place. With himself and the close relative this made twelve, the number of the tribes of Israel and of the Lord's disciples. The elders of the community were given the authority to confirm legal transactions and to act as judges.
4:3-4 The situation concerning Naomi and Ruth is put to the closer relative and his right to the first choice of buying back the land (which had belonged to Naomi's husband) is explained to him in accordance with the law (Lev. 25:25). Boaz points out that the only two who would be able to redeem the land were this man and himself, but that he, Boaz, being second in line, could only do so if the first relative refused. We know that there was no one else except Jesus Christ who could redeem us for God only had one Son (John 3:18 and Acts 4:12). The initial response of this nearer relative was to jump at the chance of adding to his inheritance, but this was before he had heard all the details.
There are times when we too, like the disciple Peter, act before we thinks thing through. In Luke 14: 28 Jesus illustrates the need to count the cost of our actions before committing ourselves. In that instance in was commitment to follow Him.
4:5-6 On learning that if he wants to redeem the land then he must also marry Ruth the Moabitess, the other relative realizes that the land would not belong to him, but to any son born to himself and Ruth, the reconsiders his position and refuses the opportunity to redeem the land,
A Harvest of Love
The Book of Ruth
Chapter Four. A brief Bible study by Derek Williams. Photo © Rtimages
immediately to the gate of Bethlehem to set in motion what needed to be done in order to secure Ruth for himself.
The gate of the city was where legal and business transactions took place. Boaz knew that this closer relative would come to the gate to conduct his business and so, he sits and waits for him to come along. God sent His Son into the world to walk, talk and sit among sinners, to seek and to save that which was lost (Matt. 9:13 and Luke 19:10). God did not send Christ to speak to kings and princes of our redemption nor did He sit at the gate to settle the legal requirements for redeeming lost souls, but instead,
Redemption Completed 1 - 12.
4:1 At the close of chapter three we saw that God had brought Ruth and Naomi to the place where they had to sit still and trust in Him to complete the work of redemption on their behalf through Boaz the kinsman-redeemer. So we have to put our faith and trust in the completed work of redemption obtained for us by the Lord Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection (Col. 1:14 and Col. 2:10).
Having promised Ruth that he would undertake to redeem her, Boaz wastes no time but goes
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citing commitments within his own
family. It is likely that he thought
having more children would stretch
his resources too far. He therefore
he foregoes his rights and hands
over the opportunity to redeem to
Boaz.
4:7 It was the custom in the days of
Ruth to seal an agreement made
between two parties by the one
taking of his sandal and giving it
over to the other. This symbolized
the surrendering of all rights and of
what went with them.
4:8 In handing over his sandal to
Boaz, the relative was handing over
all his rights, and this is what the
Lord requires of us, a complete
voluntary surrender of our heart, life
and everything. God sees every step
that we take to yield more of our life
to Him, no matter how small it may
be.
God takes a hold of the surrendered
life and blesses us so that we may
realize (as Paul did) that the things
we hold on to are worth nothing
(Phil. 3:7-8).
4:9-10 Boaz calls on the elders and
the people in the vicinity of the
town gate to bear witness to this
legal agreement.
We too have witnesses, as we have
made confession to our believing
and receiving Jesus Christ as our
Savior, we have given open
testimony to this fact both by word
of mouth and by the action of being
baptized in water (1 Tim. 6:12).
4:11-12 The people rejoice with
Boaz for what God has brought
about for him, and they offer their
blessing, praying God to bring him
many children through Ruth (as
Rachel and Leah did for Jacob) so
that he would prosper and become
famous in Bethlehem.
When one considers the genealogy
of Boaz and Ruth's family and the
offspring eventually born to that
family, it appears that the blessing
came true more abundantly than
anyone could have imagined.
Blessings of Redemption 13 - 17.
4:13 “The LORD gave." All this was
of God's doing; He had brought Boaz
and Ruth together, and it was He
who gave them a son.
In a similar way, it was the Holy
Spirit working in our lives who
brought us to Jesus Christ, and God
who saved us by His grace: 'by grace
we are saved through faith, and that
not of ourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should
boast"" (Eph. 2:8-9).
4:14-16 The blessings given at the
time of their announced betrothal
were not only for Ruth and Boaz,
but for Naomi too.
The Lord had not left her desolate
but had provided her with a
redeemer, a "restorer" (Ps. 23: 3);
that is, one who had given back her
life (just as God has given us eternal
life through Jesus Christ John 1:4,
Rom. 5:21 and 1 John 5:12).
A "nourisher” or sustainer is one
who will maintain, provide, hold up,
protect, support and defend.
Who better fits this description than
our Lord and Savior!
4:17 It was not unusual for
neighbors to give names to other
people’s children and so they called
this one Obed, which means
Servant, and so the Lord Jesus Christ
became a servant first in order to
become our Redeemer and Restorer
(Phil. 2:7).
4:18-22. Having given the narrative
up to the time of the birth of Obed,
the remainder of the chapter tells us
the family line of King David, from
whom the Messiah-Redeemer
would come (Math. 1:5-16). From
foreigner, heathen and outcast,
Ruth had become a member of the
commonwealth of Israel, and her
greatest significance was found in
her being an ancestor in the family
tree of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Israel, Jesus Christ and Satan. v1 - 6.
1-2 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labour and in pain to give birth."
Chapter twelve is the start of a new section of Revelation, the beginning of a new series of visions. In the first of these John sees portrayed events which have been, events which are to lead to "The Great Tribulation" or the time of Jacob's trouble in the future (Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:15 - 22).
The first sign or wonder that appeared to him is of a woman clothed with glory, her feet standing on the moon and her head adorned with a crown of twelve stars. This vision represents the nation of Israel who were chosen by God as His own peculiar people for the purpose of fulfilling His plan of redemption (Deut. 14:2).John saw her pregnant and about to give birth to her child.
3. "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads."
Even before the birth takes place John sees another sign in heaven, a great fiery dragon, which is the Devil (Rev. 12: 9). He is described as having seven heads (expressing complete wickedness), each having a diadem (crown) and ten horns, representing worldwide rule. (Satan is called the god of this world 2 Cor. 4:10).
In Rev. 13:1 the beast is described in the same way except that he has ten crowns on his horns, one for each horn, rather than seven crowns on each of his seven heads.
4-5 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
John saw the Devil in rebellion against God, dragging down one third of the angels, the stars of heaven, to the earth (Jude 1:6). It is likely that this happened before the creation of man. On earth, Satan stood before the woman waiting for her to give birth to her child so that he might destroy it (Matt. 2:13 & 16).
She gave birth to a male child destined to shepherd (proper meaning of rule), all nations with might and power (Ps. 2:7 - 9; Rev. 19:15), which is Jesus Christ. The vision glances over Christ's years of ministry, His crucifixion or resurrection and focuses immediately on His triumphant entry into heaven having defeated death and hell and having bruised Satan's head (Gen. 3:15). The vision illustrates that the Devil failed in his purpose to destroy Christ and that Christ had in fact defeated Satan.
6. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place
prepared by God, that they should feed her there 1,266 days.
The events of this verse do not immediately follow the ascension of Christ but refer to the time in the future when a defeated Devil, knowing his time is short, seeks to destroy the faithful in Israel. They flee from him to a place that God has prepared for them, where they are kept safe and provided for, for three and a half years (see verses 13 - 17). Some have taken this verse to refer to Mary and Joseph fleeing with Jesus into Egypt, but it is clear from verse five that the events depicted in verse six happen only after Christ's ascension. It should be noted that Jews, as well as Christians, have been persecuted at the instigation of Satan to this present day.
Satan Cast out of Heaven. v 7 - 9.
7. "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,"
It is difficult to determine the time of the events of verses 7 -9. We must refer to other Scriptures in order to get a right perspective. According to Isaiah 14:12 - 15 Satan was cast down from Heaven when he attempted to take the throne of God, which must have happened before the Creation of man, for Satan was present in the Garden of Eden. Jesus Christ said that He had seen Satan fall from Heaven (Luke 10: 18). This would have been before He came from Heaven. In verse ten the Devil is referred to as the accuser of the saints who accuses them before God day and night. Job 1:9 -11 tells us that Satan came
Our In Depth Study. Revelation 12. By Derek R. Williams. Photo © Godfer
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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before God to accuse Job and in Zech. 3:1 he is seen standing by the Angel of the Lord to accuse Joshua the High Priest. We can conclude that Satan was cast of Heaven when he rebelled before the creation of man and it is no longer his dwelling place. He came down to earth when he tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1). He is called the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2, Eph. 3:10) which suggests that he is in the heavens, not Heaven itself. Yet up until the time of Christ's ascension he was still able to come before the presence of God. The JFB commentary states that "when Christ ascended into heaven and became an advocate, Satan, the accusing adversary, could no longer appear before God against us, but was cast out judicially." (Col. 2:13 - 15, John 12:31).
The war breaking out in heaven could be understood to refer not to the time before creation when Satan was cast out of God's immediate presence, but to a war yet to be finally fought in the heavens, the air, where the Devil and his angels, the principalities and powers are at present. The archangel Michael leads his angelic host in this fight against the Devil and his angels. This war has special significance for Israel since Michael is referred to as the angel who protects Israel (Dan. 12:1). This war would then be seen as the immediate prelude to the Great Tribulation.
8-9 But they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
In the Name of the Lord, Michael defeated Satan and his forces. (Jude 1:9)
The Devil for all time is cast down from the heavenly realms. He is defeated as the "prince and power of the air" and his angels with him. Hence to maintain his power over men it must be manifested on earth in a new and frightening way.
The Shout of Victory. v10 - 12.
10. "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of
His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down."
Christ has once and for all defeated Satan at the cross of Calvary. Now comes a shout of victory as heaven rejoices that the time had come for God's salvation to be manifested by His power that His Christ might begin to reign on earth. The first step in this was that the enemy who continually made accusations against God's people had been cast down and confined for now to the earth.
11-12 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
Christ's people overcame the Devil by virtue of the blood of Jesus Christ and the word of their testimony (1 John 2:14). They did not love their own lives but gave them up for Christ's sake. Because Satan has been cast down from the heavenlies and is confined to the earth, to the human sphere all that are in heaven whether saints or angels are exhorted to rejoice. But for those who live on the earth and the sea, misery and suffering is about to begin for the Devil, infuriated by his defeat and the prospect of his impending doom will vent his great anger on mankind.
The Great Tribulation. v13 - 17.
13. "Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child."
When the Devil realizes that he has been thrown down from the heavenlies and confined to the earth he will try to destroy all the faithful Jews. He cannot defeat Christ, but would seek his revenge against the nation who brought Christ forth. This is the time of great tribulation which Jesus referred to in Matt. 24:15 - 22.
14. "But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into
the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent."
God miraculously aids the Jews in escaping from Satan and takes them to a secure place in the wilderness where He provides for them for three and a half years. Note: "two wings of a great eagle" denote the intervention of God Himself. In Exodus 19:4 the LORD declares concerning His deliverance of Israel from the Egyptians 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.'
15-16. So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth.
As Pharaoh pursued the Israelites, so the Devil pursues these faithful Jews. In Moses' time the Israelites were stopped by the Red Sea until God parted it for them to pass over. On this occasion the Devil causes a mighty river to flood so that it would drown these Jews, but God causes an earthquake to open the ground and swallow up the river, thus ensuring their escape. Note: Some commentators suppose that this incident alludes to a nation or nations coming to rescue Israel from its enemies. This does not bear up to scrutiny, for although there are nations who are Israel's allies at the present time, at the time of Great Tribulation all nations will be under the control of Anti-Christ. At that time, only God will protect Israel, according to His promise.
17. "And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Since Satan cannot get to these faithful Jews who have escaped he becomes even more enraged with Israel and now turns his attention on those who did not flee. Who are these Jews who flee from the Devil and those who remain? We are not sure, but since they are faithful to God's Word and have the witness of Jesus we suggest that they belong to the 144,000 sealed by God in Rev. 7:4.
21
From The Revelation of Jesus Christ by Derek Williams (paperback £6.99)
“Here I am! I stand at the
door and knock. If anyone
hears my voice and opens
the door, I will come in
and eat with him, and he
with me” Revelation 3:20
Some unusual things in this verse
made me take a closer look at it.
The Lord is asking us to give Him
an invitation when normally He
does the inviting or at least that is
what we might expect.
But before anything else, the
message sets a condition: “If
anyone hears.” The passage from
which this verse is taken closes
with a reminder of that condition:
“He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the
churches.” (Verse 22).
The offer is open to "anyone" and
that means you or me. The Lord is
waiting for us to invite Him in; the
only precondition is that we have
to hear him knocking … and let
Him in.
In this particular case the Lord is
addressing believers; people in
the church at Laodicea, not
outsiders. It seems to indicate
that there are two brands of
Christians, those who leave Christ
Jesus and those who don't. We
don’t like to think of a two-class
Christianity, but there is a real
difference between those who
out and those who welcome Him
in. Those who don't open the door
when He knocks are the kind of
Christians Christ calls "lukewarm."
He warns that He will spit some of
them out of his mouth (Verse 16).
Preachers often toss out the
example of early believers for us
to emulate, but Christ thought of
the Laodiceans as inedible.
I began wondering why the Lord
said, “I will eat with him, and he
with me.” Was eating with the
Lord the same as the Lord eating
with us? If so, why put it like that?
It seems to me that an exchange
of roles is assumed; in the first
instance, we are the hosts and He
is the guest and in the second He
is the host and we are the guests;
two different sittings at two
different tables.
The Lord is Our Guest
Let's look at the first scenario: we
serve Him as the host and He is
our guest. A very literal example
of this can be found in Genesis 18
where Abraham invites the Lord in
for a meal. The account begins like
this: The Lord appeared to
Abraham. Abraham looked up and
saw three men standing nearby.
He bowed low to the ground and
said, “Lord, do not pass your
servant by.” (Genesis 18:1-3).
If I may digress for a moment, this
appearance of God was very
strange: Abraham addressed the
three men as if they were a single
person. Then he asked them to
wait while he prepared a feast. In
true eastern style, it would take
hours, but that wouldn't worry
them. Abraham butchered and
cooked the fattest calf and Sarah
ground some corn and baked
some bread while her husband
went to fetch milk and curds. It
took some time but the Lord is a
patient God!
The meal was served, but
Abraham did not eat with them.
The three men were his guests
and he showed them the greatest
respect, calling them Lord. They
showed their greatness by
rewarding him with the promise
of a son.
Prepare Meals for Strangers?
Another man to prepare a meal
for a passing stranger was
Manoah, the father of Samson
(Judges 13). One day a "very
awesome" being turned up at his
home with information about the
son that was to be born to
Manoah and his wife. In a gesture
of true hospitality, Manoah
22
slaughtered a young goat to
prepare a suitable meal and it
became a burnt offering to God.
Like Abraham and Sarah, who had
given up hope of having any
children, the "angel" promised
Manoah and his wife a son,
Samson.
Sacrifices made on the altars of
Israel were described as "the food
of God": “Priests must be holy to
their God … because they present
the offerings made to the Lord by
fire, the food of their God.”
(Leviticus 21:6).
True, God did not eat their
offerings, but He accepted them
when they were worthy of Him, as
we see in the story of Manoah
and his wife. When these food
offerings became a mere religious
rite offered up by men with hardly
a scrap of moral decency about
them, God was nauseated. He
said, “If I were hungry I would not
tell you for the world is mine, and
all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of
bulls or drink the blood of goats?”
(Psalm 50:12-13).
Let Us Reason Together
The Lord turns what is offered to
Him into something for us. In Old
Testament times the people
brought their tithes of grain and
cattle to the temple and then ate
their tithes before the Lord.
This is echoed in Isaiah 1:11-19:
“The multitude of your sacrifices,
what are they to me?” says the
Lord. “I have more than enough of
burnt offerings, of rams and the
fat of fattened animals; I have no
pleasure in the blood of bulls and
lambs and goats. … Stop bringing
meaningless offerings! Your
incense is detestable to me. …
Your New Moon festivals and your
appointed feasts my soul hates. I
will hide my eyes from you. Come
now, let us reason together,” says
the Lord. “Though your sins are
like scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow. … If you are willing and
obedient, you will eat the best
from the land.” Jeremiah 14:12
also warns Israel (and us!):
“Though they offer burnt offerings
and grain offerings, I will not
accept them. Instead, I will
destroy them with famine.”
Unless we bring something to God
that He can stomach, we shall
experience emptiness; spiritual
famine.
Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke is
principally known for his Great
Gospel Crusades throughout the
Continent of Africa. He is the
Founder of the International
ministry Christ for all Nations,
reaching out with the gospel to
millions of people worldwide.
(c) Stephaniemohrphotography
Jesus is knocking to
give us an invitation
to dine with Him,
but are we listening
and responding to
His invitation?
Enjoy this month’s
featured Bible study
– Divine Dining by
Evangelist Reinhard
Bonnke.
To find out more, or to support
the work of CfaN visit their
website:
http://us.cfan.org/?lang=en-US
This article reproduced with the
kind permission of Christ for all
Nations.
23
i Horton, Harold. 1954. The Gifts of the Spirit. London. Assemblies of God Publishing House. ii Gee, Donald. 1941. Croydon. Wind
and Flame. Heath Press Ltd. iii Wigglesworth, Smith. 1924. Ever
Increasing Faith. First Published 1924, but reprinted in the Pentecostal Evangel, September 13, 1924. iv Jeffries, George. 1933. Pentecostal
Rays. London. Elim Publishing Co.
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