Living Word Magazine January 2012

Issue 2 September

You shall diligently keep my laws

Living Word Magazine

LIVING WORD GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD

2011

Going Deeper into God’s Word Issue 6 January 2012

Bible Studies by: Reinhard Bonnke, Ken Legg, Mathew Bartlett, Derek Williams, Edwin Harvey & more!

Bible Studies Online International GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD |

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www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk FOR HE HAS SAID “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR FORSAKE YOU.” (HEB. 13:5)

In this month’s issue: 3.

God Remembers

4.

The Whole Armor of God Mathew Bartlett (UK)

6.

Keeping His Commandments

10

The Theology of Pentecost Part One

12.

It is Finished Ken Legg (Australia AG)

13.

Prayer is Omnipotent

14.

The Giver of Grace Mathew Bartlett (UK)

18.

Love in Harvest – The Book of Ruth 3. Derek Williams (UK)

20.

In Depth Study – Revelation Chapter 11 Derek Williams (UK)

22.

Guest Article: The Power to Witness Reinhard Bonnke (CfaN)

Johnson Matthews (India)

Mathew Bartlett (UK) Mathew Bartlett (UK)

Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)

©Photos Above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov ©Photos Above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov

IN THIS ISSUE

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January Reader’s Article – from India

God Remembers Read Isaiah 44

By Pastor Johnson Mathews Vijayawada, A.P., India.

Image:R. Gino Santa Maria

The Lord says, "Remember these things, O Jacob, for you are my servant, O Israel. I have made you, you are my servant; O Israel, I will not forget you” (Isaiah 44:21). Whenever I read the Scripture and the promises found in it, I would always insert my name there and inherit those promises for me. In the same way, we too can insert our names instead of Jacob and Israel in the above mentioned promise. That will give us great joy and comfort. It is human nature to forget all the good things we do to people. But the Almighty God never forgets us.

He knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” praise the Lord! (Job 23:10)He did not even fear death. He placed his entire trust upon the Lord and passed his days. Did the Lord forsake him?

No, the Lord blessed him in double measure. He granted him long life and blessed him and his descendants. That is how God blesses those who trust Him. Dearly beloved, we always run to human beings whenever we need some help. But they always hurt our feelings and disappoint us. This is what is happening in this world. Instead of seeking the help of a human being, let us always wait at the feet of God seeking His help.

Our God is able to help all those who wait upon Him. The Bible says, “...Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing” (Psalm 34:10). So whenever we are humiliated and rejected by people, let us cling on firmly to the feet of Lord Jesus Christ. The Scripture states, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

The Lord says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:16). Our Heavenly Father has engraved us on the palms of His hands and remembers us all the time. Our parents may show much love towards us. But there is a limit even to their love but God’s love is incomparable.

Our gracious Lord will certainly enable us to enjoy His amazing love and abundant blessings.

Let us meditate how He remembers us and loves us.

The Lord remembers the poor and the needy. Psalmist David says, “Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer” (Psalm 40:17). As mentioned in the above Scripture verse, we are humiliated in this world in so many ways. If we expect the love of people at such times, we will only be disappointed. “Man is man and God is God.” Friends, let our eyes be upon the Lord all the time. Psalmist David says, “I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2) We are very familiar with the story of Job. He lost everything in life. His own wife cursed him and his beloved friends tormented him. Even in that pitiable situation, he placed his trust only upon the Lord. He said, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face” (Job 13:15). “…

Prayer: Loving Lord Jesus, Your love is incomparable. You have engraved me on the palms of your hands. I am poor and needy. I lift up my eyes to you. I wait at your feet seeking your help. Remember me in your mercy and console me. Do not turn your servant away. Give me great joy and comfort. Give me the grace to experience your amazing love and abundant blessings. In Your matchless name I pray. Amen.

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The Whole Armor of God

By Mathew Bartlett The Christian Warfare.

10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His power.

(c)Regien Paassen

Many years ago, my pastor led me through a series of Bible studies on the whole armor of God. He had served in the RAF during World War Two and was stationed in Asia to fight the Japanese. He told me that when he was being briefed for battle, he was told “Do not underestimate the enemy, but do not over estimate him either.”

As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are not to underestimate the power of Satan, which is certainly great in the matter of deception.

Yet we are not to overestimate him – for he cannot overcome us. We have been fitted out with the whole armor of God so that we might overcome the wiles and schemes of the devil on any and every occasion.

As we shall see from the following study (which is an extract from my book “The Blessings of God’s Grace”) the Lord Jesus Christ himself is the armor of God, he is our protection, our sword for attack and shield for defense. He is all sufficient for us in every circumstance, as the whole (complete, nothing lacking) armor of God. Some readers may be facing spiritual warfare, oppression, or temptation.

May you be encouraged to “stand firm” in Jesus Christ in the day of battle.

How can we ever hope to fulfill the demands Christ makes of us in the Christian life? Only as we share God’s strength and power, being "strong in the Lord". As we avail ourselves of God’s power to strengthen us, He will enable us to live for Him. The greatness of His mighty working in us will cause us to be spiritually strong to stand against the forces of darkness and overcome the wiles of the devil (Philip. 4:13).

11. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

In the following verses Paul compares a Christian to a soldier who has been well equipped for battle. No soldier would ever go into battle without putting on his armor or taking his weapons. So the Christian must put on the full armor of God as he faces the evil in the world and takes his stand for Christ.

God has provided all we need, but only as we partake of it (put it on), can we overcome evil (1 John 4:4).

There are many ways in which the devil tries to gain an advantage over God’s people. For example, the persecution of Christians is increasing in the modern world. In Western countries, this persecution often takes a darker, more subtle form, as laws are passed to challenge God's law and believers find themselves with a choice: to disobey Christ or face civil lawsuits and even criminal charges. The devil also tries to cause division among Christians; to lead into backsliding; to split up Christian marriages (1 Cor. 7:5);

or lead God’s people into sin and error (2 Cor. 11:3). If we are going to overcome these diabolical strategies we must be strong in the Lord’s supernatural power.

12. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

God wants us to know who our enemies are. They are not flesh and blood, but spiritual powers of evil at work in the world. Since our war is a spiritual one, it requires spiritual weapons and protection. Satan is not an idea or a personification of evil on whom can be placed the blame for man's calamities. Satan is a fallen angel, having a supernatural force of great cunning and power, and is an actual personality at work in the world today. A list is given of the various ranks of angelic beings that joined Satan in his rebellion against God and his attempt to incite a similar rebellion among men. The distinctions among them are not of great importance, but they are all led by “the god of this age” (Satan) to carry out his wishes (2 Cor. 4:4).

It ought not to be surprising that the children of God come under the particular attack of demonic forces, since these are led by Satan, who is God’s enemy and therefore ours.

The warfare is so personal that it is described as "wrestling", which is hand to hand combat. Yet Paul wants the child of God to see that he begins this fight from a position of victory. Christ has already overcome the forces of evil, so that all must submit to His authority.

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Christians are made to share in this victory by virtue of their union with Christ. The armor of God, which Paul delineates, is actually an expression of our vital union with our triumphant Lord.

As Bruce writes: “(They) launched an assault on the crucified Christ, but He, far from suffering their assault without resistance, grappled with them and overcame them, stripping them of their armor and driving them before him in triumphal procession (Col. 2:15). Thus (they) are already vanquished, but it is only by faith union with the victorious Christ that Christians can make His triumph theirs.”

13. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Because of this present onslaught against the Church, we need to put on all the armor of God; availing ourselves of all the God in Christ has done and given to us; so that we might be able to resist the devil and stand our ground in these evil days.

As we do, we are promised God’s strength, which is sufficient to enable us to stand firm and not give in.

14. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.

The first piece of armor is "the belt of truth". A wide belt around the back and stomach strengthens a man to stand straight and carry heavy loads.

In our spiritual war, we must clothe ourselves with God's truth if we would know His supernatural strength. The rest of a Roman soldier's armor would be ineffective without the support provided by his belt. The armor of God is remains ever effective

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because God cannot lie, and therefore His armor cannot fail to be sufficient.

In order to "wear" this belt, we must have a living acquaintance with the truth that is Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

God's Word is truth, and as believers we must know the truth, believe the truth, and live the truth.

We are saved through faith (Eph. 2:8).

The word "truth" also includes the thought of loyalty. No Christian soldier can stand who is not loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we take our stand for Him we will find that He is always loyal to us.

We live by faith (Gal. 2:20).

Next on the list is the "breastplate of righteousness". Being justified (made right with God in Christ), we have the power to live a righteous life, and develop a righteous character. Living right is one of the greatest weapons a Christian has; keeping a clear conscience helps us to silence the accuser. To walk with God, in the center of His will, is indeed the safest and best place for anyone to be.

15. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the Gospel of peace.

Our feet must be shod with "the preparation of the Gospel of peace".

We must prepare ourselves by becoming familiar with the Gospel message, so that we are able to share it with others and lead them to the Lord. We should always be prepared to witness: ready and able to share the good news with others we meet (1 Pet. 3:15).

16. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Next is the "shield of faith". Paul considers this to be of great importance, since all the rest of the armor would be useless without it. The term used is for a full length shield that covers from head to toe. The armor which faith provides is all inclusive:

Faith gives us victory (1 John 5:4).

Without it we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).

We are justified by faith (Gal. 2:16).

We are to pray in faith (James 1:6).

And so we are able to quench all the devil throws at us by faith. It appears that "fiery darts" would have been used by Roman soldiers to set fire to their enemy’s defenses. Satan tries to set a sinful fire in our hearts and minds through many temptations to sin.

God's provision of the shield of faith indicates that it is not by our own strength that we can overcome fire in our hearts and minds through many temptations to sin. God's provision of the shield of faith indicates that it is not by our own strength that we can overcome temptation, but by the keeping power of God and our faith in His ability to keep us (1 Pet. 1:5).

17. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Next (fifth) on the list is the “helmet of salvation”. We ought not to take this analogy to the soldier's armor too literally, for salvation encompasses our spirit, soul and body, and is not confined to the mind. Yet surely the head is the most important part of the body to defend, and this is why the helmet is a figure of our salvation, which provides us with sufficient protection for the whole man in every circumstance. Just as being ready to proclaim the Gospel is not a matter which concerns the Christian's feet, so the helmet of salvation does not merely protect his mind, but his soul.

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It remains true, however, that the devil continually attacks the Christian’s mind. The helmet of salvation will protect from his accusations and onslaughts (2 Tim. 1:7).

Finally, the only attacking weapon the Christian has been given is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God". We must use God’s Word as we strive in prayer just as the Lord did during His temptation in the wilderness. For example, when Satan asked Christ to prove His divinity by turning stones into bread, Jesus replied, "It is written, 'man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " (Matt. 4:4 NKJV™) The Lord Jesus Christ overcame by the power of His Word, and that same powerful, living word is available for us to use.

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb. 4:12)

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Keeping His Commandments

By Mathew Bartlett Photos © Danilo Ascione (Page 5)& Tupangato (Page 6) You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water below.

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain Remember the Sabbath day to set it apart as holy.

Honor your father and your mother You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not give false testimony You shall not covet… anything that belongs to your neighbour.

Shortened from Exodus 20:1-17

Keeping God’s Commands is what counts (1 Cor. 7:19).

Our Personal Prayer Life.

18. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

Although prayer is not mentioned directly as part of the armour, it is essential to our spiritual warfare.

We are to persevere in praying in the Spirit, using the Word of God in the way described in the previous verse. The believer must pray regularly, at all times, without missing a single daily prayer time and without giving up on prayer. We are to pray with a purpose, aware of the needs of God’s people as we intercede on their behalf, especially for their spiritual needs.

It is over 3,000 years since the law was given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and yet the law of God continues to have eternal effects.

One must not allow oneself to confuse the "ceremonial law", which was given as a temporary measure to Israel (which ceremonial law was a shadow and picture of the reality which has now been revealed in Christ) with the spiritual law, or the moral code, which abides forever as an unchanging statement of the nature of God. The principles of morality laid down by the law in the Old Testament are not abolished but repeated and reinforced throughout the New Testament.

The Law Insufficient to Justify Sinners

So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Rom 7:12 The law was an insufficient means of bringing us to God, not because it contained any fault, but because man's sinfulness made him unable to keep the law Thus the law was rendered of no effect as a means of our justification.

There is none righteous no not one (Rom. 3:10), all of us have broken God's laws (Rom. 3:23). By the means of the law shall no flesh be justified (Rom. 3:20); instead we are justified by faith in Christ (Rom. 3:21-25). God did not overlook his law when justifying sinners.

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That he might be just and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus (Rom 3:26).

One man, the perfect sinless Son of God Jesus Christ, kept the law of God perfectly. He fulfilled every part of it and met all its righteous demands before taking the penalty for law breakers on the cross.

The law is no longer the means of our acceptance with God or of our access to God. Now, by the blood which Christ we are both accepted and we have access into the holiest place.

The Law was a Picture, Christ is the Reality.

The law depicted a means of man coming to God by sacrifice and having access into a man-made holy

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of holies, the innermost part of the tabernacle once a year, with the blood of bulls and goats. These pictures pointed to Christ, who by once offering himself has opened the way for all of us (not the high priest alone) to freely enter, not an earthly tabernacle, but God's immediate presence.

The moral law given by God to Moses was written on tablets of stone, but now in Christ that same spiritual and eternal law is written by the Holy Spirit on the fleshly tables of the human heart (2 Cor. 3:3).

"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws on their hearts and I will inscribe them on their minds," then he says, "Their sins and their lawless

deeds I will remember no longer."

Heb. 10:16-17 The method of God's salvation is to make a new creation. When we trust in Christ we receive a new spirit from God and a clean heart upon which God writes His law.

The Law has not Abolished, but Fulfilled

been

If anyone wishes to question whether the moral and spiritual code (not the ceremonial code) given in the law still stands today, he must turn to Christ for the answer: I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place. Mat 5:18

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The Life of Christ is the Fulfillment of the Moral Law

will not carry out the desires of the flesh" Gal 5:16

When Jesus Christ taught the law of God, he did not abrogate it, but gave it a greater spiritual application. He showed it in its true light. For example, when considering the command "Thou shalt not commit adultery" Jesus revealed how God's standard applied to more than the physical act.

In the freedom that we have, we are not free to disregard the law, but free to "keep" the law in a new way.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.

For just as God's law must be written in the heart and kept from the heart, so sin begins in the heart. A man's lust for another woman cannot be blamed on hormones or a mid-life crisis! It is in the heart, with the lusting of the soul that adultery begins. We note that when Christians committed adultery in the New Testament their sin was not overlooked (e.g. 1 Cor. 5). The standard of the law was applied, not that believers might be judged and condemned, but that they might be corrected by it.

Similarly, considering murder, Jesus recognized it as being more than a physical act, for whoever hates or has malice toward his brother is already guilty of having the seed of murder in his heart. So we see, that rather than being abolished, the commandments are still applied to the believer's life, only in a new and living way.

The Life of Christ IN US Fulfills the Moral Law Just as we are not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Christ, so also the keeping of God's moral law cannot be achieved by the works of flesh, or by any legalistic righteousness; but rather by the Spirit, through faith in Christ This teaching was neglected by the Galatians (Gal. 3:3), whom Paul exhorts to "live by the Spirit and you

For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, "You must love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 5:13-14 Every moral failure in the New Testament is identified by the fact that the law of God is broken, and every moral virtue can be seen as a fulfillment of this law.

Let us look at some of the moral failings Christ rebukes his church for in the book of revelation.

But I have this against you: You have departed from your first love! (Rev 2:4) Not loving God with all the heart is a breaking of the first commandment.

But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Rev 2:20 Idolatry is the breaking of the second commandment, and adultery the breaking of the seventh Elsewhere in the New Testament we see similar references to law breaking. Covetousness (Col. 3:5) is a breaking of the tenth commandment.

Paul criticizes some for "keeping the Sabbath" for they did so religiously, as if to earn favor of God. Yet that same Paul realized that the vast on the "Lord's day" majority of the

early church met together on the first day of the week and he did not argue with that.

When Christians choose to keep a sacred day of worship, it is something we delight to do for the Lord, not something we do out of a religious obligation. Six days in seven we are concerned with our business, but the seventh day we set aside to worship him completely. Such "Sabbath keeping" is a joy, not a bondage!

In Ephesians 6:2 "Honor your father and mother", the fifth commandment, is repeated for Christians.

Lying and theft (Eph. 4:25-28) are condemned in the New Testament, and are breakings of the 8th and 9th commandment.

In response to these sins, Paul tells us to put off the old nature of sin and put on the new nature of Christ.

If indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus. You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on the new man who has been created in God's image -- in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.

Eph 4:21-24 The law was not written for the righteous (1 Tim. 1:9). If we are walking right with God, in the Spirit, then we will be enabled to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), and although imperfectly (for we remain temporarily in a body of sin) we will show the evidence of this by living out the spirit of God's moral code, as Jesus did.

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When we sometimes fail and fall, we have an advocate with the father, one who speaks in our defence, for although we deserve the penalty of law breakers, Hallelujah he has already paid that.

Sin is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), and sometimes we do fall into sin. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness (that is, put us right with God again, cleanse us morally and give us a right and true spirit again). 1Jn 1:9 Most of Hebrews and much of 2 Corinthians are taken up with explaining how the glory of the new covenant far exceeds the glory of the old.

Moses brought a law written on stone, which could not justify but only condemn sinners. Moses did not shed his own blood, but was only a picture or foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Similarly, the shedding of the blood of bulls and goats was intended merely as an object lesson pointing towards the one who would set us free from sin by his own blood, write the law upon our hearts, and pay our debt of sin in full so that we might be right with God forever.

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Since believers share in the Divine nature of Christ, and have within them a desire to be more like Jesus, the keeping of God's commandments there is no more burden, only delight. This is freedom indeed!

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

1Jn 5:3

I will find delight in your commands, which I love.

Psalm 119:47

What an uttermost salvation!

We cannot claim to be perfect (Phil.

3:12) but we are pressing on to the perfect likeness of Jesus (Phil. 3:1314). It is not a mere desire to keep the law which motivates us, but a desire to be like Jesus who kept the law.

O how I love your law! All day long I meditate on it.

Psalm 119:97

(c) Zatletic

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The Theology of Pentecost

By Mathew Bartlett Image: © Photoquest

Part One: The Baptism in the Holy Spirit At the age of seventeen I was converted in an Assemblies of God church in South Wales, where the Spirit filled pastor immediately instructed me about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

For some time, although I was in earnest, I received nothing.

Looking back I suppose that I was trying so hard by my own effort to get filled that I missed out on simply receiving by faith.

The Lord graciously filled me with His Spirit as I slept in bed one night. I already been asleep for several hours but awoke to find the whole room, and my body, filed with a glorious light.

Although this light filled the room it seemed neither to come from any source nor was it going anywhere. As I opened my mouth to speak in a language I had never heard, so also the light began to flow out of my mouth like a mighty river. I continued speaking in tongues, not wishing this experience to stop, for about half an hour and then went back to sleep.

From that day on I found that I could speak in tongues at will, and it was not long before I received other gifts of the Holy Spirit and began a fruitful evangelistic ministry. Twenty years later I am the senior minister of the very church where I first came to know the Lord; and now it is my turn to pass on the instruction I received as a young man concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In these latter days of outpouring, where millions of believers all over the world are receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is crucial to understand the doctrinal basis of this experience.

The Doctrine of the Trinity Our understanding begins with the doctrine of the Trinity, the scriptural basis of our Pentecostal experience.

Scripture clearly teaches that whilst there is only one God, there are three persons in the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each of these persons is God. The Father is God (1 Cor. 8:6 and Eph. 4:6). The Son is God (John 1:1 and Heb. 1:8). The Spirit is God (Gen. 1:2 and 1 Cor. 2:10-11).

When asked by the ancient Irish whether there were three Gods or one, Saint Patrick took a shamrock and declared that as there are three petals but one shamrock, so there are three persons in the Godhead, but one God. Patrick was simply restating a teaching of Jesus: Matt. 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

(See also 2 Cor. 13:14 and 1 John 5:7) The persons of the Godhead worked together in creation. The Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters and God (the Father) spoke the Word (Son) saying “let there be light” and there was light. The persons of the Godhead worked together in redemption. God (the Father) so loved the world that He gave His Son to be our Savior. Through His atoning death and glorious resurrection, the Lord Jesus is exalted to the highest place and is able to pour out the Holy Spirit on His church, our helper and comforter, abiding in us forever.

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The persons of the Godhead may also be seen at work together with regard to the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Three distinct baptisms It is helpful to note that there are three distinct modes of baptism in the New Testament.

1. When a sinner receives Christ as Lord and Savior, he is born again by the action of the Holy Spirit. It is at the moment of our regeneration that the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ; and so now the believer is included “in Christ”. “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13). In this baptism, the agent is the Holy Spirit and the medium is the body of Christ.

2. The believer’s baptism in water is an open confession of his Christian faith, and is performed by a minister in the medium of water. In this baptism, the agent is the minister and the medium is water.

3. In the third baptism, the baptizer or agent is the Lord Jesus Christ and the medium is the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist declared of Christ “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Matt. 3:11). Peter emphasized this on the day of Pentecost, that “being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33).

A clear understanding of these distinctions will help prevent young converts confusing the baptism in the Holy Spirit with regeneration.

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Is conversion the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

There are Christian denominations who maintain that every believer receives the Holy Spirit when they are born of God, and deny the reality of what they refer to as a “second experience”. But whilst sinners can be born of God, only saints can be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Conversion is not the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ own experience is our example The life of Jesus provides us with a rich illustration of this truth.

We have no doubt that Jesus Christ was supernaturally conceived of the Holy Spirit - in a unique way He was born of God. Yet at the banks of the Jordan River, He saw heaven opened and the Holy Spirit descending on Him in bodily form like a dove.

The inspired historian Luke relates that He was about thirty years of age when this occurred. So there was a gap of approximately thirty years between His being “born of God” and His receiving the Holy Spirit.

The receiving of the Holy Spirit did not make Jesus a Son of God, for He already was the Only Begotten Son. This Holy Spirit baptism empowered our Lord for His life’s work and miraculous ministry.

In the same way, the believer does not become a child of God when baptized with the Holy Spirit. He has already become a child of God through faith in Christ, and so is qualified to receive the same miraculous promise of the Father.

As an old English missionary to China once told me “The Holy Spirit comes only on Jesus. So you must have Jesus in your heart before the Holy Spirit will come upon you.” Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity has come to dwell within us and empower us to live out God’s great mission for our lives: to be witnesses for Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Believer, have you consciously sought the Lord Jesus Christ to baptize you in the Holy Spirit?

Will you lay your whole life upon the altar for God and ask Him to empower you through this baptism for a life of effective service?

For more free Bible studies online, join our Bible study fellowship at www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982

by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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(JAN 2012)

5) “But I believe that if you want God’s blessing, there is a price to pay”

It is Finished!

Everything that God wants to do in our lives has already been paid for.

False teachers try to get you to pay for what Christ has already paid for.

Rom.8:32 We are already blessed with all things. Eph.1:3; 2 Pet.1:3

(c) Ingrid Heczko

Legalism says "Do"; Grace says "Done!"

Many Christians across the world are now making the transition from legalism into grace. Legalism is the belief that my works are the basis of God’s acceptance and blessing. Grace is the belief that I am always accepted and qualified for every blessing because of the finished work of Jesus.

With legalism the focus is always upon self. With grace the focus is always upon Jesus. Legalism says, “Do”. Grace says, “Done!” There is nothing I can do to make God love me more; and there is nothing I can do that will make Him love me less. This is grace. When we try to relate to God and the Christian life through lawkeeping we leave the realm of grace.

Legalism nullifies the grace of God. But not everyone is convinced. Here are some of the popular objections I come across to the grace of God, and how I answer those objections: 1) “We all need rules to give us structure and goals and to lead a better life” Paul was deceived into thinking this, and it ‘killed’ him spiritually. Rom.7:11 Legalism actually incites us to sin, not holiness. The commandment puts a thought in our mind that wasn’t previously there, so that we obsess over it. And it touches the point of our rebellion. Rom.7:5-8

The Law is good, but our ‘marriage’ to it is bad, because the power-base in this marriage is the flesh, which is weak. Rom.7:18; 8:3. God’s plan for us is not to be married to the Law but to Christ. Rom.7:1-4 2) “I believe in grace, but it needs to be balanced” In other words, grace saves us but works keep us? Having begun in the Spirit are we to be made perfect by the flesh? (Gal.3:3) What we call balance is really mixture. Rom.11:6 Grace must stay pure in order to be radical and effective 3) “Grace is just a license to sin” No, grace is the only thing that can get us out of sin. It is God’s ability in the place of our inability. It is God’s way of holiness. Rom.6:14 Some people might abuse grace and turn into licentiousness, but true grace is not an encouragement to sin. Titus 2:11-14 4) “I believe in grace, but we still have to do our part” Our part is to believe that Jesus has done it all. John 6:29. Our full salvation is provided by Him The Christian lives Rom.1:17; Gal.2:20

by

faith.

Good works are our free response to what God has done for us. Any works that seek to pay for blessing and favor from God are dead works 6) “If there’s nothing I need to do, why should I do anything? Grace takes away the motive for Christian living” Paul taught grace more than any other, and yet worked harder than all others. 1 Cor.15:10 If the only reason you serve, give, obey, etc. is to receive something from God in return, then grace does not remove the motive for giving, but rather it reveals your mercenary motive!

The only acceptable motive for serving, giving, obeying etc. is love.

Gal.5:6

Ken Legg is pastor of New Beginnings Christian Church on the Gold Coast of Australia. He is well known for supplying Bible Studies to small groups and resource material to Christian Ministries.

You can sign up for Ken's free e-zine, Grace Roots, on his website at http://www.small-groups-ministry.com

Original Article Source: http://www.small-groupsministry.com/Grace_RootsGraceRoots68LegalismsaysDoGracesays Done.html

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Prayer is Omnipotent 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

KNEELING WE TRIUMPH The devil is not afraid of machinery; he is only afraid of God, and machinery without prayer is machinery without God. Our day is characterized by the multiplication of man’s machinery and the diminution of God’s power sought and obtained by prayer.

But when men and women arise who believe in prayer, and who pray in the way the Bible teaches us to pray, prayer accomplishes as much as it ever did.

Prayer can do today as much as it ever could. Prayer can do anything God can do, for the arm of God responds to the touch of prayer. All the infinite resources of God are at the command of prayer.

Prayer is the key that opens wide the inexhaustible storehouses of divine grace and power. “Ask, and it shall be given you,” cries our Heavenly Father, as He swings wide open the doors of the divine treasure-house.

There is only one limit to what prayer can do; that is what God can do. But all things are possible to God; therefore prayer is omnipotent.

Christian history and Christian biography demonstrate the truth of what the Word of God teaches about prayer. All through the history of the Church, men and women have arisen in all ranks of life who believed with simple, child-like faith what the Bible teaches about prayer and they have asked and they have received.

But what are some of the definite things that prayer has power to do?

There is mighty power in prayer. It has much to do with our obtaining fullness of power in Christian life and service. The one who will not take time for prayer may as well resign all hope of obtaining the fullness of power God has for him. It is “they that wait upon the Lord” who “shall renew their strength” (Isa.40:31).

Waiting upon the Lord means something more than spending a few minutes at the beginning and close of each day running through some stereotyped form of request. “Wait upon the Lord.”

True prayer takes time and thought, but it is the great time-saver. At all events if we are to know fullness of power we must be men and women of prayer.—Torrey.

Too oft, when faithless doubtings Around our spirits press, We cry, “Can hands so feeble Grasp such Almightiness?”

While thus we doubt and tremble Our hold still looser grows; While on our darkness gazing Vainly Thy radiance glows.

Oh, cheer us with Thy brightness, And guide us by Thy hand, In Thy light teach us light to see, In Thy strength strong to stand.

Then though our hands be feeble, If they but touch Thine arm, Thy light and power shall lead us And keep us strong and calm.

—Unknown.

Out of a very intimate acquaintance with D. L. Moody, I wish to testify that he was a far greater pray-er than he was preacher. Time and time again, he was confronted by obstacles that seemed insurmountable, but he always knew the way to surmount and to overcome all difficulties. He knew the way to bring to pass anything that needed to be brought to pass. He knew and believed in the deepest depths of his soul that “nothing was too hard for the Lord” and that prayer could do anything that God could do.

—Torrey.

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The Source of Grace

(c) 1David Asche

In the eighth chapter of John we see the Lord Jesus Christ as the giver of grace, dealing gently with a sinful fallen woman and showing her God’s forgiveness and pardon. This message of pardon for the undeserving should touch all our hearts, for we too are undeserving.

Jesus Christ is:

The scripture says that the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

That grace was revealed to Mary at the conception of Jesus Christ. The angel Gabriel greeted her with the words, Greetings you who are highly favoured, or we might literally translate Greetings you who are graced with much grace.”

Christ was not born to Mary because Mary was worthy, but because of the grace of God. In the same way, Christ was not born to humanity because we are worthy, but because of the grace of God. To understand this we must understand the meaning of grace.

It is favour and blessing shown by God to those who are completely undeserving of it, in fact to the whole of undeserving humanity.

Undeserving in the sense that we have all broken God’s laws, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

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We have no claims to make on God, and yet he showers his blessings and mercies on us by grace.

This grace was revealed to the shepherds at the birth of Christ, angels above Bethlehem sang of the grace of God which has appeared for all men, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace goodwill to all men.”

God’s grace was revealed to the Wise men at the childhood of Christ, for where did they find the one born king of kings and lord of lords, but in a lowly home, the word Matthew uses implies that Jesus was a little older than a new born, and that Mary and Joseph had by then moved into a local home. But whether by his birth in a stable or his living in poverty, we see demonstrated the grace of God. 2Cor. 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich.

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Through his life of selfless giving and ministry, and ultimately by his death on the cross for sinners, truly God’s grace has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

No wonder that Paul writes to Titus: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…”

Jesus is the only mediator between God and men; he is the source and the channel through which we receive the grace of God.

The Substance of Grace Not only is Christ the sour e of grace, but he himself is the substance of Grace. Grace is what he is. When God wanted to give his gift of grace to the world, to forgive men's sins and reconcile them to God, he gave his son (see John 3:16). It was at Christ’s incarnation that the grace of God was revealed. John 1:14 Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory — the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. In speaking of God giving his only begotten son for you and me Paul exclaims "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift", his gift too wonderful for words, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But it was at his crucifixion that grace was most amply

(JAN 2012)

demonstrated. One might well ask the question, how was Jesus able to forgive this woman’s sin.

She had broken God’s law. She was caught in the act of adultery.

The law said she should die. How could Jesus do right without condemning the woman? The answer provides us with the key to the message of God’s grace. It was that Jesus himself was already on his way to take that woman’s death penalty, and my death penalty and your death penalty upon himself. It was at the cross that Christ volunteered to become sin, so that God could in his body punish sin on the cross, and that by God’s grace men might go free.

Whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus. Rom 3:25-26 Heb 2:9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by God's grace he would experience death on behalf of everyone.

He loved me and gave himself for me.

So he in himself is both the source and the substance of God’s grace.

The Scale of Grace When some people give gifts, they are carefully watching the pennies. Even some monarchs, when they give gifts to their people, have only limited funds, and cannot give all. But when our God gives of his grace, he has limitless resources, the gift of grace which he gave, Jesus Christ is himself infinite. Think for a moment of his resources.

HE is eternal and infinite. He is the creator and sustainer of all existence. He is all powerful, all knowing all wise and all loving.

He is never wrong, and he is never frustrated or thwarted.

What an incredible resume our saviour has. And when he gives, he gives abundantly.

The scale of God’s grace is seen in its Abundance The word of God says, where sin did abound, his grace did much more abound. (Rom 5:20) This woman in John’s account may have sinned many times, it was not just the one act of adultery that she needed forgiveness for, yet when Jesus forgives, he forgives the whole, and his grace is abundant.

The whole human race is in the same situation. Looking back to the time when the first mean sinned, allowing sin into the world so that all mankind became sinful, Paul writes.

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“Sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned. But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many! And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification. For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading to life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous. Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(From Rom 5:12-21) Not only does God’s grace abound so as to cover all our sin, God’s grace abounds to cleanse us from all our sin.

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It is one thing to be pardoned, but another for your sin to be removed, so that even the guilt of your sin is cleansed, and you are given a new heart and a new spirit. Yet this is just what God offers to us in Christ. This is the extent of God’s grace. We are made clean by the blood of Christ. For by grace you are saved.

Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God In Ephesians Paul describes believers as having been at one time dead in trespasses and sins, enemies of God, controlled by evil passions, and ruled by the prince of darkness. Yet in Christ we are made alive, reconciled to God (no longer enemies but his own children), set free to serve in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are no longer subject to the evil powers that once dominated us, for we have been rescued out of the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear son. All this is has become ours through God’s action of saving us by His grace. By grace you have been saved (salvation is a word that encompasses all these benefits we have listed) through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God (Eph. 2:8).

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Just as the scale of God’s grace is seen in its overwhelming abundance, forgiving and cleansing each individual sinner who comes to faith in Christ, so

The scale of God’s grace is also seen in its availability God’s grace is universally available. If have already cited the song of the angels at Bethlehem, singing peace on earth good will to all men.”

And I don’t care what Bible translation you have got which try to change those glorious words, but the original text really does say and mean ALL MEN meaning all people everywhere, men and women of every race and colour and creed.

When Jesus said "God so loved the world" that is all embracing.

That means you and I, whoever you may be. When Jesus said that whoever believes n him shall not perish but have everlasting life that means you.

Salvation, the gift of God’s grace, is universally available. But notice that just as it is universally available so also it is individually accepted. That whoever believes in him. God may offer his grace to the whole world, but only you can accept it for yourself. A gift from any giver will do you no good unless you receive it, even if that give is God himself.

The bible says that. But to all who have received him -- those who believe in his name -- he has given the right to become God's children (John 1:12).

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Have you received the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you by doing so accepted that free gift of God’s grace? Have you trusted the Lord Jesus Christ to be your own personal Saviour, asking him to cleanse and forgive you personally for your sin? That is the way to individually receive the grace of God, and your sins will be forgiven.

The Significance of Grace To this woman who met the great giver of grace was told to go in peace. Again and again Jesus said to repentant people, your sins are forgiven, your faith has saved you, go in peace. The significance of grace is that it prepares us for living this life and the next. Through the gift of grace we enter into peace.

For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Rom 5:17 This is the idea of reigning in life.

Christians are more than conquerors because grace has triumphed over the law; life has triumphed over death, and peace and freedom over guilt and bondage. The one who has received the grace of Christ reigns in life, for he or she is able to do exactly what Jesus commanded this sinful woman to do: “Go and sin no more.”

(JAN 2012)

We are no more bound by the sins, habits, and evil attitudes of our past lives. The things which we could not hope to rid ourselves of before we came to Christ, have now fallen like chains from off our wrists and we are free. This is because we are born again with a new nature within.

The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus (the spirit who now dwells in us) has set me free from the law of sin and death. .

Believers need no more walk in the old ways of sin, but by the spirit, we walk in newness of life.

When challenged by besting sins and his own personal failures, Paul was tempted to despair, “who shall res cue me from this body of death” until he realised the significance of the gift of God’s grace and announced the victory “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

If we reign in life with Christ here, we shall reign in life with him ever after. The whole purpose of Christ coming into the world to save and forgive us from our sins was to

save us from everlasting death and bring u to eternal life.

Only those who know what it means to receive the gift of God, which is eternal life, by putting their faith In Jesus Christ, know what it means to look forward with a joyful and certain anticipation to the coming day when we shall dwell with him in heaven and see his face. There: And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Rev 21:4 As believers in Christ we are not waiting for death, but looking with expectation for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Friend have you realised the significance of God’s offer of grace? You can’t get to heaven without it. If you have, then are you looking for that blessed hope? Jesus is coming again.

Amazing Grace!

How sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found Was blind but now I see.

John Newton

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A Harvest of Love The Book of Ruth Chapter Three. A brief Bible study by Derek Williams. Photo Š Rtimages

She would find him 'winnowing", separating the grain from the chaff at the threshing floor where he would remain all night in order to guard against robbers.

Naomi instructs Ruth on how she should prepare herself before going to meet with Boaz. She was to cleanse and anoint herself and put on her best garment. In contrast to this, there is nothing that we can do in this way to meet God. We can only come to Him as we are and cry out like the publican in Luke 18:13.

It is Jesus who cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7), who anoints us with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1: 18), who clothes us with the garment of salvation (Isaiah 61: 10) and will present us faultless before the Father (Eph. 5: 27; Jude 24).

Seeking Rest 1-6 In Ruth 1:9 Naomi was telling Orpah and Ruth to return home and find rest for themselves. Here she has a complete change of heart for now she is prepared to take on the responsibility of seeking rest/security, for Ruth by finding her a husband and a home. We can liken this work of Naomi to that of the Holy Spirit who comes to convince of sin and to draw us to seek after Christ that we might have that rest and security in His complete work of salvation. The active word here is "seek" or "search out" for without this nothing will ever be found.

Jesus gave a number of illustrations concerning the need to seek e.g. the woman and her lost coin (Luke 15:8-10). All through the scriptures we see that there has to be a seeking after God for He desires to be found of men (Deut. 4:29, Isaiah 55:6 and Jer. 29:13). The ultimate purpose in this seeking and finding rest is that it may be well with the soul.

Naomi knew where to direct Ruth in order to obtain this rest - to the kinsman-redeemer, Boaz in this instance. For this purpose the Holy Spirit has been given that we may point others to Christ (Acts 1: 8; 1 Pet. 3: 15).

Like Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night, Ruth went by night. She was to wait until Boaz had finished the day's work and partaken of his meal and mark the place where he lay down to sleep.

This would suggest that other harvest workers were also sleeping in the threshing floor for the night. It was after he had fallen asleep that she was to enter, uncover his feet, these he would have tucked up into his garment, and lie lengthwise below his feet.

All that Naomi told Ruth to do she did in obedience not doubting for one moment that her mother-in-law had her best interests at heart. This unquestioned obedience by Ruth is an example for us to be obedient to the will of God for our lives, for He knows what is best for us. The perfect example of course is the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:8).

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Ruth's Redemption Assured 7-18.

His heart was merry does not mean that he had become drunk with wine but rather that he was relaxed and refreshed from his meal after a hard day's work. At midnight Boaz was disturbed in his sleep, by the hand of God I believe, and awoke frightened and discovers Ruth. There are other instances in the Bible where men were awakened by God e.g. Samuel (1 Sam. 3: 3 - 4).

In response to his asking who she was she makes herself known and comes straight to the point and asks him to fulfill the duty of a kinsman-redeemer by using the custom of covering her with his garment (the AV has "spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid"). This gesture along with the reference to being a near kinsman conveys her need for marriage protection. In Ezekiel 16:8 God uses the same idea to convey His covenant relationship with Israel: "Then I passed by you and watched you, noticing that you had reached the age for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you, declares the sovereign LORD, and you became mine.

This picture may also be used to describe what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. For Christ is our kinsman-redeemer who has covered us with His blood and made us His bride as part of His church (Rev. 19: 7; and Rev. 21: 9). The words of Boaz to Ruth (Ruth 2:12) return to him here and the Lord uses him to fulfill them.

Boaz acknowledges Ruth's loyal commitment by being willing to marry an older man in order to provide a "redeemer" for Naomi. He sets her mind at rest by assuring her that he is willing to implement the duty of a

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kinsman-redeemer but reveals that there is a closer relative than him who must be given the first opportunity in becoming the redeemer. "As the LORD lives" is an oath of commitment that if the nearer relative does not want to fulfill his responsibility then Boaz certainly would.

There was no other that could take the place of the Lord Jesus Christ as our kinsman-redeemer to give His life as a ransom for ours to redeem us back to God. "There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin; He only could unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in" (Mrs. C.F. Alexander).

"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing" (Zeph.

3:17).

God came down in the form of a man in order to become our kinsman-redeemer (John 1:14 and Rom. 8:3). There was no other way that He could save our souls (Heb. 2:14-17).

In order to protect her virtue and to ensure there would be no misunderstanding concerning Ruth's actions that night, he instructs his workers not to say anything about it to anyone.

The amount of barley that he gave to her 80 - 90 lbs. (36 - 40 kilograms) was the guarantee of Boaz's will to provide abundantly for Ruth's future. So the Holy Spirit is giving to us by the Lord Jesus Christ as a guarantee of our inheritance in Him (Eph. 1:13-14).

Ruth returns home with her bounty and reports to Naomi all that had taken place. Naomi’s empty days (Ruth 1:21) are nearly over. All that was left for Ruth to do was to sit still and see the salvation of God (Exod. 14: 13).Ruth was to trust in the Lord and commit her way to Him and rest in Him (Ps. 37:3-7) until the matter was finalized, as the prophet says:.

© Saeid Shamin Kiya

The story of Ruth tells of the love which Boaz the kinsman redeemer came to have for an outsider who had believed and joined the commonwealth of Israel.

NEXT MONTH: Ruth’s Redemption Fulfilled.

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19

Our In Depth Study.

Revelation 11.

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.

The Two Witnesses Measuring. v1 - 2.

1. "Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, "Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there."

John was given a measuring rod (a set standard) and was told to measure the temple, altar and the worshippers. In the original the words "the angel stood," are absent. The fact that John did not do this indicates that he did not literally measure the "temple, altar, and worshippers" but that it was symbolic. In Ezekiel chapters 40 - 42 when the temple was measured the measurements for each part were given. Measuring the temple sets it apart from the court of the Gentiles that he was told not to measure, which suggest that it refers to Jews only, the altar, which would be the altar of sacrifice, the commitment of worship to God, the worshippers, to determine the number of true worshippers. (Is this an indication of the 144,000 that were sealed in Rev. 7:4?)

2. "But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles.

And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months."

Two Witnesses: Their Witness, Power and Identity v3 - 6.

3. "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."

God tells John of the two witnesses who will testify to the people of all nations during that 3½ year period. To them God

gives the power of prophecy (to foretell future events). They will not witness to Christ as Saviour but to the authority and power of God and to the judgement that is soon to come on an unrepentant world.

Their dress (sackcloth) signifies the solemnity of their message.

turn the waters into blood. They can strike the earth with all kinds of plagues as often as they wish.

The whole ministry of the two witnesses speaks of the judgement of God.

4. "These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth."

The Death of Witnesses. v7 -10.

They are identified as being the two spoken of in Zechariah 4:3 & 11 - 14 who wait on God as His servants. The reference to two olive trees and two lampstands denote the same two individuals. Whilst some affirm that these two witnesses are Moses and Elijah, this is mere supposition.

They are more likely to be men belonging to the time in which they begin their prophesying.

7. "When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them."

5. "And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner."

They are given supernatural power to use against anyone who tries to harm them in word or deed - "fire proceeds from their mouth". Not literal fire, but the Word of God will be so powerful from their lips that it will consume and kill their enemies (Jer.5: 14 & 23:29). They will not destroy their enemies in any other way.

6. "These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire."

They also have power to stop it raining during the time of their prophecy and to

the

Two

Only when the two witnesses have accomplished their God given task will the Divine protection be removed from them so that "the beast" who arises out of the abyss may overcome and kill them. This is the first mention of "the beast", meaning "a wild beast".

He ascends first from the abyss, and later in Rev. 13:1 he is pictured as "rising out of the sea" whilst in 13:11 his assistant "comes up out of the earth". Clearly the two witnesses minister during the worldwide reign BUY THE WHOLE BOOK FOR JUST $1.83 Kindle Version only $1.83!

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of "the beast"- the Anti-Christ.

8. "And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified."

These men are held in such contempt by the world that their bodies are left to rot in streets of Jerusalem, the pseudonym Sodom, first used by Isaiah to denote Jerusalem (Isaiah 1:10), indicates the moral corruption of the city and the name of Egypt, that it is held in bondage to Satan.

9. "Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves."

Their bodies will not be allowed burial and people from many nations will come to gloat over them There their bodies will remain for three and half days.

10. "And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth."

The whole world will celebrate the death of these two "antagonists". They will declare a holiday, throw parties and send presents to each other. They rejoice because they no longer have to endure hearing the truth from these men who "opposed the prevailing errors and rebuked the vices of the age" (Barnes).

The Resurrection of the Two Witnesses. v11 - 14.

11. "Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them."

After three and a half days the "Spirit of life from God" raised them from the dead and they stood on their feet for all to see, an event which brings abject terror to those who witness it.

12. "And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here."

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And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them."

At the sound of a loud shout from heaven the two witnesses begin to ascend to heaven in a cloud of glory, as their enemies look on.

13. "In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven."

That same hour a powerful earthquake will destroy one tenth of the city of Jerusalem, killing seven thousand people, God's judgement for their opposition to His witnesses. Those who survive will in mortal fear attribute this act to the power to God, even though, like Pharaoh before them, they still refuse to repent (Rev. 9:21).

14. "The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly."

The second of the three woes, which were announced in Rev. 8:13 is past and the third one will follow immediately.

The Seventh Trumpet - The Kingdom Proclaimed. v15 - 19.

15. "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

The last of the trumpets brings this series of visions to a close. The six previous trumpets brought judgement on the earth and at the sounding of the seventh, John heard mighty voices in heaven proclaiming that the time had come at last. The kingdom of the world was from henceforth to be the possession of God and of His Christ. Having been taken out of the hands of Satan, the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4) it is again in the hands of its rightful owner. "They were always so in title, both by creation and purchase.

They thankfully observe His actual possession of them, and reign over them; they give Him thanks because He had taken to Him His great power, asserted His rights, exerted His power, and so turned title into possession" (Henry).

16. "And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshipped God," The twenty four elders (representative of the church) rise from their thrones and prostrate themselves before God to worship Him. 17. "Saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned."

They express their gratitude to the Lord God Almighty, the Eternal One because by exerting His mighty power He had at last exercised His right to rule over the whole earth.

18. "The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth."

The time had come for the heathen, those who were enraged against God, rejected Him, opposed Christ and persecuted His people, to experience God's wrath. Whatever their position in life the time had come for them to be judged and destroyed (Rev. 20: 11 - 13).

On the other hand, it is time for all those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, who faithfully served Christ and bore witness to His word to be rewarded. (Col. 3:24 and Rev. 22:12).

19. "Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail."

There is no literal temple or an ark of the covenant in heaven (Rev. 21:22). What John saw may be symbolic of the Church, for Paul writes that the Church is the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21).

The word "Temple" also refers to the place where God dwells and the word used here does not refer to the whole temple but the Holy Place. John saw that the way into the immediate presence of God was open.

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"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:18-20 The Great Commission; the purpose of the believer: to be a witness and make disciples of ALL nations. A daunting task by any standard, but a task set before the Church. Thankfully Jesus did not give this task and leave us to our own devices. Just before he returned to the Father Jesus told his disciples "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

It is important to note that Jesus spoke of Holy Spirit anointing and evangelism being hand-in-hand. It was not an either/or situation. The disciples were to receive power to be witnesses, he promised power and commissioned them for the task ahead.

Before the coming of the Holy Spirit the disciples were in an upper room somewhere in Jerusalem. They had been commanded to stay and wait. They were not to go into Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, or the ends of the earth…not yet…they needed power first. They were not going to lecture on the phenomenon of resurrection, trying to convince people it had happened, presenting cold hard facts. A claim of the dead rising was very controversial and people would dispute what they claimed. Listeners would argue, defend their disbelief, or even accept what the disciples said and would push it aside as just another of the strange things that happen in our world, a bit of curious lore. They were not to be controversialists but witnesses.

What the Holy Spirit would do would be their making, turning them into torches. Witnesses obviously electrified by what they announced, examples of what they preached – very much alive. The Holy Spirit would be – and still is – the key to effective witnessing. Jesus said "Apart from me you can do nothing.”

(John 15:15); we have to remain in the vine, deriving life from him. We can do a great deal without the Holy Spirit, but nothing of any lasting or fruitful effect.

On that Pentecost day, they began "to preach the gospel with the Holy Spirit sent from heaven” (1 Peter 1:12). The Spirit did not come quietly. He announced his arrival with wind and fire. He gave utterance to it through the assembled believers in tongues and prophecy. For the disciples and apostles this was their greatest day. What they became was what the Spirit made them.

That event is the model for us today. Believers who already trust Christ can know the Spirit in this further and more dynamic way. This baptism was for individuals, not for the "whole church.” No word in the New

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Testament suggests that we do not need what the apostles had, or that it would only be for them. On the contrary, Peter's message was clear: "You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39) If the disciples needed to be so endued and to preach the Gospel with the Holy Spirit and with manifestation of the Almighty, are we better than them, able to carry on God's work without the empowerment that they had? We surely need everything that God can give us, and the world needs people equipped like that.

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. 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.

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