LIVING WORD GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD Issue 2 September 2011

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Issue 2 September 2011

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 1

Living Word

Bible Studies Online UK

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD

BLESSED IS THE NATION WHOSE GOD IS THE LORD PSALM 33:12 (AV) ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Remembering 9/11

The tragedy and the triumph! by Mathew Bartlett

I’ll never forget what I was doing on 9/11/01 when I first heard of the attack on the Twin Towers, New York. Like many Pastors in the UK, I have to do my own building maintenance. My good friend Robert (a former British solider) and I had been putting in new ceilings and lights in the bathroom area of our church. We came home for lunch, because I needed to find some more tools. Robert phoned me: “you should see what has just happened in America! A jumbo jet has crashed into a skyscraper!” Only as news continued to come in did it become clear that this was more than a terrible accident, it was a deliberate attack by terrorists.

We were shocked, sickened, and horrified, unable to believe that anyone could do this. What kind of diabolical mind would plan something like that? What kind of warped maniac would deliberately fly a jet into a building to kill thousands of innocent people?

©zaphod2008

The End of the World is Nigh? (Pg 12) So Jesus didn’t show up on 21st May?

(c) 1SandraRBarba

The Lord’s Plans and Mine (Pg.10) God has a purpose for every life.

Cover photo Ground Zero© Paulojrainho US Flag photo © chhobi

As time went on, amidst the tragedy, a redeeming truth began to emerge from the wreckage. The courage and selflessness shown by the emergency services that day appeared as a ray of hope emerging from the darkness.

If the hatred of men has caused the disaster, the love of men and women now began to redeem the situation. Many risked all, and hundreds gave all, paying the ultimate price to save others. This ray of hope spread to other American people, so that although the country was in mourning, it was not in defeat.

The cover page shows the cross which was erected at ground zero, from the rubble of the towers. It became a symbol of hope, a message to the world that America’s spirit was unconquered.

BELIEVERS GLORIOUS FUTURE

It is because of Christ that believers have a glorious future! Those who trust Christ, the Son of God, to be their Lord and Savior will have eternal life and dwell with him eternally.

I’ll never forget what I was doing on 9/11/01 when I first heard of the attack on the Twin Towers, New York. Like many Pastors in the UK, I have to do my own building maintenance. My good friend Robert (a former British solider) and I had been putting in new ceilings and lights in the bathroom area of our church. We came home for lunch, because I needed to find some more tools. Robert phoned me: “you should see what has just happened in America! A jumbo jet has crashed into a skyscraper!” Only as news continued to come in did it become clear that this was more than a terrible accident, it was a deliberate attack by terrorists.

We were shocked, sickened, and horrified, unable to believe that anyone could do this. What kind of diabolical mind would plan something like that? What kind of warped maniac would deliberately fly a jet into a building to kill thousands of innocent people?

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 2

(c) Walter Arce

When they buried the Lord Jesus in a cold and desolate tomb, and sealed him in with a stone, his disciples may have thought that it was all over.

But Jesus Christ was not defeated by the cross. He rose from the dead in victory, having conquered sin, death and hell. Because of his complete victory, Jesus has been highly exalted and now sits at the right hand of God, with all powers made subject to him in heaven and on earth.

It is because of Christ that believers have a glorious future! Those who trust Christ, the Son of God, to be their Lord and Savior will have eternal life and dwell with him eternally.

One day, very soon, he will return to this earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There will be no more violence, hatred or war when Jesus reigns, only peace and love forever.

Today, ten years after the September 11th attacks, America still mourns its dead and remembers the past, but it can look forward to the future. It can choose to lay the foundations of love and justice for the next generation. It can decide once and for all that the only power which conquers hate is the power of perfect and selfless love.

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Reader’s photos

Let’s pray for each other. Greetings to Indian Pastors Jeevan Prasad (left) and Samuel

John (right)

Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life

for his friends

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 3

The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit

by Derek R. Williams. Image © Photoquest

This Month: Part 2.His Work. Having learned about the Person of the Holy Spirit we realize that He does not carry out our wishes, but rather we should obey and carry out His!

The Holy Spirit is given to carry out the work, plan and purposes of God in our lives, and in order for him to do so, we must submit ourselves under His control.

Let us consider several aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit:

a) To Testify of Christ The Holy Spirit bears witness to the world that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God who came to give His life as a ransom for many (John 15:26).

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would convict men: of the sin of unbelief; of the righteousness which God offers them in Christ (Rom. 10:3-4); and of judgment to come.

Christ has judged and broken the power of Satan that all men might believe and be saved, so that if men reject Christ, they will find themselves under judgment. The Holy Spirit makes this truth real to the human soul.

b) To Regenerate and Quicken the Believer. Once we were dead in trespasses and sins and walked according to this world and the god of this world (Eph. 2:1-3). Now in Christ we are "born again", having received a new spiritual life, which is the life of Christ within us.

c) To Sanctify the Believer

It is the Holy Spirit that separates us to God and from the evil habits which formerly enslaved us that we might serve the Lord in holiness (1Pet. 1:2).

God has predestinated us to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29), and the Holy Spirit's work of changing us into the image of Christ (a work called sanctification) is an ongoing process, which will be completed when Christ comes again.

d) To Indwell the Believer

In the Old Testament, the scriptures often refer to the Holy Spirit coming upon men (e.g. Judges 3:10, 6:34, 14:6, and 1 Sam. 16:13). The prophets spoke as the Holy Spirit moved upon them.

It was at the commencement of the New Covenant, when the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized by John, that the Holy Spirit came and dwelt within Him in fullness (John 1: 32).

It is God's purpose that this same fullness which indwelt his Son should indwell all of God's people throughout the Church age and forevermore. He dwells in believers individually (1 Cor. 6:19) and collectively as a body (1 Cor. 3:17 - where YOU is plural).

Many promises were given in the Old Testament concerning the manner of the coming of the Spirit, which Jesus referred to as the "promise of the Father."

The first promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was given by Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 32:15) where he says that His coming will make the useless, empty, barren places fruitful to the extent that the fruit trees will be so numerous as to be like a forest.

If we replace the word "'places"' with "'people"' we will have the correct picture of, in the first instance, the people of God without the Holy Spirit, and secondly with Him.

As we read in Joel 2, the promise of the Father is not confined to a select few but to as many who will seek and ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)

MORE STUDIESON THE HOLY SPIRIT

For our series “The Theology of Pentecost”

visit the editor’s blog at:

http:/biblecommentaries/wordpress.com/

ARTICLES BY: Mathew Bartlett

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 4

PRAY FOR CHANGE

Jesus Himself promised to send the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8) and it is the Father that sends Him (John 14:26). He arrived in Person on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).

There is however a condition that has to be fulfilled in order to receive this promise and that is we must first accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior (Acts 2:38), for then the Holy Spirit can come upon us, for He only ever comes upon the Jesus living in us.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would indwell His followers, and he referred to the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)

The word baptize means to immerse or submerse completely, so it is not a part of us that receives the Holy Spirit, but the whole body soul and spirit of believers are indwelt (1Cor. 3:16).

How do we receive this baptism of the Holy Spirit? If we are saved, then on God's side there is nothing to stop us receiving,

Jesus tells us that if we "'ask"', "'seek"' and "'knock"' (Luke 11: 9-13) He will not fail to fulfill his promise.

Jesus also told the disciples that they were to wait until they received the Holy Spirit. So, we receive the Holy Spirit by claiming the promise by faith.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not received by everybody in the same way. On the day of Pentecost He came upon the disciples as a "mighty wind" and "cloven tongues of fire" (Acts 2:2-3)

Yet the believers in Samaria and at Ephesus received the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17; 19: 6-7), whilst Cornelius and his household were baptized as Peter was speaking (Acts 10:44).

In every case recorded in Acts, when believers received the Holy Spirit there was a miraculous evidence of his indwelling, a miracle peculiar to the New Testament: "speaking in tongues".

e) To Teach, Guide and Reveal Truth to the Believer.

There is no one that can find out or teach themselves concerning the word or things of God, for the things of God can only be made known to us by revelation (1Cor. 2:13).

The Holy Spirit is given to instruct us in the things of God (Neh. 9:20). We have no need to be taught by men for He is our teacher (1John 2:27).

When as Christians we are called to give an account of ourselves before men or to give a reason for the hope we have in Christ, it is the Spirit that will give us the right words to speak (Luke 12:12).

It is He that brings the words of Christ back to our memories (John 14:26).

Because He is the Spirit of Truth it is only the truth of God that he can give to us, nothing false (John 16: 13). From this verse we also learn that He is our guide in the Lord's work (Acts 13:2 and Acts16:6). The fact that we are guided by the Holy Spirit is proof that we are sons of God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Rom 8:14).

The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the

Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and

bring all things to your

remembrance, whatsoever I

have said unto you.

(John 14:26 AV)

16% Number of Americans who read the Bible every day

41% Number of Americans who NEVER read the Bible.

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 5

David's plea in Psalm 4 for God to hear his cry is based upon the fact that God had heard him in the past and, had liberated him when he was in distress.

Whatever our need, God is able to set us free.

For if the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed

(John 8:36)

• From evil spirits (Luke 11:14)

• From sickness and infirmity (Luke 13:11-12).

• From controlling passions, desires or habits (Rom. 8:2). As we grow in Christ, so this will become more evidenced in our lives, as we feed the new nature and this becomes stronger, so we will be more able to overcome the old nature (John 8:34-36)

• From the bondage of having to observe religious rules in order to obtain a righteousness before God (Gal. 5:1).

• From fear (1 John 4:18). • From the guilt of past sin (Heb.

9:14). • If the sin was committed before

we became Christians then remember we are now new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-18).

• If we sin as Christians, we must confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9).

The Lyrics of Life Everyday truth from the book of Psalms. Photo © Brad Calkins

Christ's mission was to proclaim freedom for the captives (Isa. 61:1).

He fulfilled this (Acts 10:38).

His reference to the acceptable year of the Lord referred to the Jubilee year, when every Hebrew slave was to be released.

Note: Teaching on "curses" etc.

There has been a teaching around in some Christian circles which alleges that even though someone has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are still bound by so called ties or curses left over either from their previous way of life or (even more bizarrely) from previous generations, and that these need to be broken. Such "generational curses" teaching forms the basis of Derek Princes' famous yet erroneous book "Blessings and Curses".

The scripture makes it categorically clear that when we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, the moment we are born again, we are new creations.

The old has gone, for we have died with Christ and have risen again with him to newness of life. Whatever curses or bondages there may have been before we came to Christ, they are broken the moment that we receive him as our Savior for now we are IN CHRIST (Rom. 8:1).

The Liberated

Life.

Hear me when I call, O

God of my righteousness!

You have liberated me when I was in

distress.

Psalm 4:1

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 6

(c) James Steidl

This is a theme running throughout scripture. It is called "justification by faith". God was David's righteousness, for we could translate this verse "God my righteousness".

When David called upon God for his help, he was not trusting in his own righteousness. He knew that he was a sinner just as we all are (Rom. 3:23). He knew that of himself he was ungodly and unrighteous (Rom. 3:10). David knew that all his righteous acts were like filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).

Because we are all sinners, the scripture tells us that no one will be counted as righteous by their own works or by their observance of the law (Rom. 3:19-20).

So Christ died for the ungodly and the unrighteous (Rom. 5:8 and 1 Pet. 3:18).

He did this so that all who believe might receive God's gift of righteousness by faith. Like David we have no righteousness of our own, we have received the righteousness of God, as a gift through faith in Christ (Rom. 3:21-22 and Rom. 4:5-8).

Abraham also is set forth as an example in the scriptures of a man who did not work to obtain righteousness, but received the gift of the righteousness of God by faith ( Rom. 4:1-5). This righteousness is not earned but given by grace.

Liberty or Responsibility?

Being justified by faith we have tremendous freedom as believers. Yet it is not freedom to do as we please, but freedom to choose what pleases HIM

Christians are warned not to misuse their liberty in Christ. Peter warns against using it as a cloak of maliciousness. Liberty is not an excuse to break the law, for whilst Christ has set us free, we are not at liberty to oppose the ruling power (1 Pet. 2:13-16).

In the OT, Balak, the enemy of Israel, sought for a heathen prophet named Baalam to place a curse upon Israel. But God intervened and stopped him, and this is what Balaam said:

GOD TURNED BALAAM’S CURSE TO A BLESSING

How can I curse one whom God has not cursed, or how can I denounce one whom the LORD has not denounced? For there is no spell against Jacob, nor is there any divination against Israel. At this time it must be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'Look at what God has done!' (Numbers 23:8&23)

Of course, the life that we lived before we came to Christ will have its effects, as will periods when we are backslidden. But the Lord is gracious. There may be deep hurts that will need to be healed. As we open more to the Lord, God can heal those hurts. There may be problems which we need to overcome by His grace. What we thought would be impossible for us to do He enables us to do e.g. loving someone who has hurt us or who does not return our love.

The teaching that a man is still bound after Christ as saved him is blasphemy, since it makes nothing of what Christ did for us upon the cross. What Christ has done cannot be undone. Eccl. 3.14

We are not to use our liberty as an opportunity to indulge the appetites of the flesh (Gal. 5:13). Instead we are to serve one another in love.

Paul emphasizes that we are not to use our liberty in a way that would weaken or offend other believers. For example, eating pork in front of a converted Jew might well be an exercise of my liberty, but if it offends my brother, then I am not acting in love, and so it then becomes a misuse of my liberty.

Liberty is the possession of every believer in Christ! Yet liberty always brings responsibility. So let’s realize that we are free, and live a life of freedom, but let’s never forget our responsibilities to God and to each other.

It is because Christ has set me free, that I owe Him all.

(c) Webdata

O God of my righteousness!

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 7

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Our In Depth Study. Revelation 7. 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 Chosen People of God Pause for the Sealing of Israel v1-8.

1. "After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree."

After witnessing the result of the opening of the sixth seal there is a pause before the seventh is opened. Four angels are sent to hold back the devastating forces of judgement, depicted by the four winds, so that nothing on earth is harmed.

2-3. "Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."

Another angel ascends from the east, the sun rising, having the seal, or signet ring, of the eternal God in his hand. He shouts to the four angels who had been given the authority and power to restrain the winds and withhold them from harming the earth, sea and trees until the people of Israel who remain faithful to God are secured from harm in the midst of the judgements that will follow by setting a seal on their foreheads to show that they are His servants (Rev. 14:1; 22:4). This is not a literal seal, seen by men, but an heavenly one that only God and His heavenly host will see (compare Ex. 28:36 - 38).

4. "And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:"

John does not say that he saw the number being sealed, or that he counted them, but that he heard that it was one hundred and forty-four thousand.

5- 8. "of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed."

This number was made up of 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel. It must be noted that Joseph is mentioned as representing the two half tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim, although Manasseh is referred to separately, whilst Dan is not listed at all. There are two main schools of thought concerning this. One is that Dan is excluded because they were the most idolatrous tribe. Secondly that the entry of Manasseh separately was a copy error that occurred because of the practice of abbreviating, thus Dan was wrongly written as Man: and taken to be Manasseh. Whatever the case may be, the elaborate listing of the tribes and the numbers from each one and the use of the phrase "sons of Israel" clearly indicates that those seen in the vision are literally Israelites and this is not a symbolic reference to the Church. The numbers 144,000 and 12,000, whilst they could be taken literally could equally be symbolic of a specific number.

What is certain is that a small percentage of the present population of Israel, a remnant, would be sealed.

The Multitude of the Saved v9-14.

9. "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,"

The sealing of the 144,000 is clearly depicted as taking place on earth. John now looks again to the heavenly scene and sees a vast multitude of people too great for anyone to count, taken from all the races and tribes of earth. Every branch of mankind deriving from Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons is represented, standing in front of the throne of God and before the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, dressed in the white robes of righteousness, justification and holiness.

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GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 8

They were shouting with a mighty voice, an expression of the greatness of their joy and intense feeling of love "Our salvation is due to our God seated on the throne, and to the Lamb" (Amp.N.T.)

11-12. "All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honour and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen."

Chapter 5:11 referred to a multitude of angels, but here it is "all the angels" together with the elders and the living beasts who fall on their faces before the throne to worship God. Amen! By this they were strongly affirming the truth of what had been uttered by the multitude of the redeemed. They give a sevenfold anthem of praise to the glorious attributes of God. The definite article should be placed in front of each one, thus: the blessing, adoration; the glory, praise and worship; the wisdom, infinite supreme knowledge; the power, ability and abundance; the might, strength are to our God for ever and evermore. Amen.

13. "Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, "Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?"

One of the elders, representative of the Church, as if anticipating a question from John asks "Do you know who these are, clothed in white, and where they come from?" (Living Bible). It is not that the elder expected him to know, but wished to inform him.

14. "And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

John addresses the elder with the respectful title of sir (lord), saying "Sir, you know." John would not take it on himself to reply even if he had an idea. The multitude from all races, colours and tongues were those who had been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and came out of the great tribulation triggered by the opening of the five seals. (NOTE. The KJV has "great tribulation" without the definite article. Thus the verse does not refer to one event but to all the events connected with the opening of the five seals. It is not to be confused with the so called Great Tribulation of Daniel 12:1 which concerns the Jewish nation).

Eternal Service and Bliss v15-17. 15. "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them."

It is because the Lord Jesus Christ gave His life as the sacrifice for sin and they are washed in His blood and clothed in His righteousness that this multitude are able to stand before the throne of God and to serve Him unceasingly day and night. "Day and night" is a figure of speech in this context meaning "continually" since there is no night in heaven. The place of their service is heaven. "His Temple" is not a literal temple for Rev. 21: 22 says "God and the Lamb are the temple": and God shall dwell among them.

16. "They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;"

The redeemed shall want for nothing in heaven nor will they suffer as they had on earth. This verse encompasses all forms of deprivation including persecution and suffering at the hands of men.

17. "For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

The Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is in the centre of the throne will provide for them as the Good Shepherd, guarding and keeping them (the word "feed" means to "tend as a shepherd"). He shall guide them to the fountains of living waters (Isaiah 49:10) i.e. the eternal life of heavenly joy and bliss. God shall blot out (Isaiah 25:8) all tears; meaning that everything which has given grief, sorrow, heartbreak or disappointment will be erased and swallowed up forever by His presence.

They shall neither hunger

anymore nor thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any heat. For the Lamb who

is in the midst of the throne will

shepherd them and lead them

to living fountains of waters.

(c) George Mureson

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 9

.

Man’s Plans verses God’s Plans

The book of Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings. King Solomon, in his life time, is said to have quoted three thousand proverbs, although only nine hundred of them are recorded in this book. The other proverbs are by different people, some who are named and others anonymous. The word proverb means “a description by way of comparison.”

One purpose of this book is to give the reader skillful and Godly wisdom, it’s a practical book and it bases wisdom solidly on the reverential fear of the Lord.

Many of the proverbs are optimistic because God is in control. Because of this, the reader is assured that he will reap what he has sown. God cannot be left out of the picture.

Each proverb has two parts, the first, called in Hebrew, the Mashal. The second, called the Nimshal. For example:- Prov.1v7; The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom(mashal); but fools despise wisdom and instruction(nimshal).

So with this in mind, let’s take a look at Prov.19v21;

Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lords purpose for him that will stand.

The Bible tells us that God has a plan for the salvation of mankind and that he formed this plan before the foundation of the world. This plan has been revealed over many centuries through the scriptures. For example:

Gen.3v15; And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; and it shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel.

De.18v15; The Lord your God will raise up unto you a prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me; unto him shall you listen.

Ps.132v11; The Lord has sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.

Is.7v14; Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive and bare a son and shall call his name Immanuel.

Is.49v6; And he said, it is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you might be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Mi.5v2; But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose going forth has been from of old, from everlasting.

Ze.9v9 Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion; shout, o daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king comes unto you; he is just and having salvation; lowly and riding on an ass and on a colt the foal of an ass.

God has demonstrated how His plans stand firm, even when men make their plans against Him, for all the promises which He has made in the scriptures were completely fulfilled by the coming of Christ.

Ma.1v21; And she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins.

By Wesley Chick

God has a plan for every individual’s life

Read: Proverbs 3:5-6 & 19:21 All scripture quotes from the Authorized Version. Picture: © SandraRBarba

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 10

But whilst God plans are for man’s benefit, man’s plans have always been against God. Man prefers to go his own way and do his own thing, thinking he knows better than God. We read in the book of Genesis that after the flood, God told the people to be fruitful and multiply and to move around and populate the earth. Then over time they rebelled against God and we read in chapter eleven that the people moved to a place called Shinar and settled there. We read “And they said come, let us build us a city and a tower whose top reaches to the heavens; and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the whole earth” (Gen. 11:4). Then God came down to see what was going on and he confused their language and scattered them all over the earth. So with all their plans and schemes against God, he had the last word!

Then turning to the New Testament, we read in Luke 12 that Jesus told the parable of the rich land owner. He had just had a bumper harvest and his barns were already quite full. So after thinking about this, he decided to have his barns pulled down and to build even larger ones where he could store his bumper harvest. Then he planned to put his feet up and take it easy, living off the profits of his vast stores of fruit and grain, eating, drinking and making merry. Then we read in verse twenty “But God said to him. You fool! This very night your soul will be required of you; and all the things you have prepared, whose will they be? Again, the rich man had his plans, but God had the last word.

In James chapter four, we read there of a presumptuous business man, planning with his colleagues, that they go to a certain city, spend a year there doing their business and hopefully make loads of money. But in verse fourteen, we read “Yet you do not know the least thing about what may happen tomorrow.

What is the nature of your life? You are really but a wisp of vapor, a mist that is visible for a little while and then disappears into thin air. So we see that people, companies and even governments, may make their plans but its God who has the last word.

Consider these scriptures:

Ps.33v10+11; The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to naught. He makes the thoughts and plans of the people of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of his heart through all generations.

Prov.16v1; The plans of the mind and orderly thinking belong to man, but from the Lord comes the wise answer of the tongue.

Prov.16v9; A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.

So what about us, is it alright to make our plans? Of course it is, especially in the days we live, when the pace of life is so hectic, we need to plan for tomorrow, next week, next month or next year. The difference is, that the world out there, make their plans with no thought of God in mind. Whereas the Christian makes his or her plans involving God in them.

Ja.4v15; You ought instead to say, if the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that thing.

Of one thing we can be sure: God is guiding our lives and directing our plans, and in all things is working for our good.

Ps.37v23; The steps of a good man are directed and established by the Lord when he delights in his way.

We worry for we do not know the plans of the Lord in advance, but we can be assured that he is fully acquainted with his own plan for our lives.

Jer.29v11+12; For I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon me and you will come and pray to me and I will hear and heed you.

So the next time we plan anything and it doesn’t work out as we thought, instead of getting up tight or anxious or even a little angry, remember that God, in his wisdom, knows best and has a better plan for us.

As the chorus of the hymn says:

Stay still, stay still,

God is silently planning for thee.

Stay still, stay still,

He plans for eternity.

Stay still, stay still,

God is silently planning for thee.

Stay still, stay still,

He plans for eternity.

GOING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD | (SEPT 2011) 11

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The End is Nigh? Are You Sure?

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

(Rev 22:12 AV)

At the beginning of the year, I read Tom Breen's article in the Washington Post (3rd January 2011), about a group of "Christians" spreading the word that Jesus Christ will return and the world will end on May 21st 2011. They used the text of Acts 17:31 to justify their claims:

He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. (Acts 17:31 NKJV).

It is now September 2011. Clearly, they got their facts wrong!

It is quite right, of course, to believe that Jesus will come again, for it is His right to reign over all the earth. But as for making predictions about the date, may I remind the reader of what the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said on this issue:

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matthew 25:13 NKJV)

Reader, be ready, Jesus is coming! Be ready always, for he could come today. He will certainly come "as a thief in the night". (1 Thessalonians 5:2 NKJV)

©zaphod2008