But of the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that I write to you. (1 Thess. 5:1)

2

May God give you the dew of the sky and the richness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. (Gen 27:28)

In this month’s issue:

4. For the Asking Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)

5. Sealed Until that Day Kenn Legg (Australia)

6. Revelation 20: Events at the End of the World Mathew Bartlett (UK)

9. The Living Church (Sermon Outline) Mathew Bartlett (UK)

11. Hearing His Voice Begins With “Turning Aside” Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)

13. Faith-builders Bible Study Mark 13 Derek Williams (UK)

17. In Depth Study – Zechariah 3 Mathew Bartlett (UK)

19. Gaius the Prosperous Soul Haydn O. Williams (UK)

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4

An extract from ”Kneeling We Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey BUY ON KINDLE! £3.86 Reproduced by kind

permission of Harvey Publishers. Image© Winterberg

“Power belongs to God,” but all

that belongs to God we can have

for the asking. God holds out His

full hands and says: “Ask, and it

shall be given you. . . . If ye then,

being evil, know how to give

good gifts to your children, how

much more shall your Father

which is in heaven give good

things to them that ask him?”

(Matt. 7:7, 11).

The poverty and powerlessness

of the average Christian finds its

explanation in the words of the

apostle James: “Ye have not,

because ye ask not” (Jas. 4:2).

“Why is it,” many a Christian is

asking, “that I make such poor

progress in my Christian life?”

“Neglect of prayer,” God

answers. “You have not,

because you ask not.” “Why is it

there is so little fruit in my

ministry?” asks many a

discouraged minister. “Neglect

of prayer,” God answers again.

“You have not, because you ask

not.” “Why is it,” many, both

ministers and laymen, are

asking, “that there is so little

power in my life and service?”

And again God answers:

“Neglect of prayer. You have

not, because you ask not.” God

has provided for a life of power

and a work of power on the part

of every child of His. He has put

His own infinite power at our

disposal, and has proclaimed

over and over again, in a great

variety of ways in His Word,

“Ask, and ye shall receive.”

How little time the average

Christian spends in prayer! We

are too busy to pray, and so too

busy to have power. We have a

great deal of activity but

accomplish little; many services

but few conversions; much

machinery, but few results. The

power of God is lacking in our

lives and work. We have not,

because we ask not. Many

professed Christians confessedly

do not believe in the power of

prayer. It is the fashion with

some to contemptuously

contrast the pray-ers with the

do-ers—forgetting that in

Church history the real do-ers

have been pray-ers; the men

who have made the glorious

part of the Church’s history have

been without exception men of

prayer.—Torrey.

I have been in that old church in

New England where Jonathan

Edwards preached his great

sermon, “Sinners in the hands of

an angry God.” He had a little

manuscript which he held up so

close to his face that they could

not see his countenance. But as

he went on and on, the people

in the crowded church were

tremendously moved. One man

sprang to his feet, rushed down

the aisles, and cried: “Mr.

Edwards, have mercy!” Other

men caught hold of the backs of

the pews lest they should slip

into perdition. I have seen the

old pillars around which they

threw their arms, when they

thought the Day of Judgment

had dawned upon them. The

power of that sermon is still felt

in the United States today. But

there is a bit of history behind it.

For three days Edwards had not

eaten a mouthful of food; for

three nights he had not closed

his eyes in sleep. Over and over

again, he had been saying to

God: “Give me New England!”

And when he rose from his

knees, and made his way into

the pulpit they say that he

looked as if he had been gazing

straight into the face of God.

They say that before he opened

his lips to speak, conviction fell

upon his audience.— Chapman.

To aim aright at the liberty of

the children of God requires a

continual acting of faith—of a

naked faith in a naked promise

or declaration. By a naked faith

in a naked promise I do not

mean a bare assent that God is

faithful, and that such a promise

in the Book of God may be

fulfilled in me, but rather a bold,

hearty, steady, venturing of my

soul, body, and spirit upon the

truth of the promise with an

appropriating ACT!—John

Fletcher.

For the Asking

5

Sealed Until that Day

Grace Roots by Ken Legg

Order your copy online PDF AUS $9 Print AUS $19

Christians are eternally secure, not

only because of the Father and the

Son, but also because of the Spirit.

After we believed in Jesus we were

sealed with the Holy Spirit. Paul

said, “In Him you also trusted, after

you heard the word of truth, the

gospel of your salvation; in whom

also, having believed, you were

sealed with the Holy Spirit of

promise, who is the guarantee of

our inheritance until the redemption

of the purchased possession, to the

praise of His glory” (Eph.1:13-14).

A seal is proof of ownership. As a

young Christian I used to wonder

how, amongst billions of people,

God would know those who have

believed the gospel and are saved.

Would each person be individually

quizzed at the end of their lifetime?

I have since learned that everyone

who puts their trust in Christ is

sealed with the Holy Spirit. And this

seal is ‘tamperproof’.

It secures us until the Lord returns

to claim what is His.

Paul says to the Christians at

Ephesus, “And do not grieve the

Holy Spirit of God, by whom you

were sealed for the day of

redemption” (Eph.4:30). We are

sealed until the Second Coming of

Jesus when the climax of our

salvation will be reached, including

the redemption of our bodies (see

Rom.8:23).

The seal of the Holy Spirit is God’s

deposit which marks us as His. Paul

wrote to the Corinthians, “Now He

who establishes us with you in

Christ and has anointed us is God,

who also has sealed us and given us

the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit”

(2 Cor.1:2122).

We pay a deposit on an article in

order to secure it for ourselves. By

paying a deposit we make the

statement, “This is now mine. I will

return to collect it.”

That’s the promise Jesus made

when He sealed us with the Spirit.

He said, “This person belongs to

me. I have bought them with the

price of my own blood. One day I

will come to collect those who are

mine.”

A seal cannot be removed. Its

permanence guarantees security for

the sealed item. Even though at

times a Christian may grieve the

Holy Spirit, yet He will never depart

from the believer. Jesus promised,

“I will pray the Father, and He will

give you another Helper, that He

may abide with you forever — the

Spirit of truth, whom the world

cannot receive, because it neither

sees Him nor knows Him; but you

know Him, for He dwells with you

and will be in you” (John 14:16-17).

The Holy Spirit Is The Pledge Of

God’s Intentions When Marianne

and I started going out with each

other I was living in the UK and she

lived in Switzerland. We were a

thousand miles apart. We couldn’t

afford to fly to see each other

regularly. And it took ages to send a

letter and receive a reply.

However, when we got engaged I

placed a ring on her finger. That ring

sealed the promise I made to her

that we would be married one day.

It was a pledge of my intentions.

Every time she looked at the ring

she would be reminded of my

promise, “I will come to Switzerland

and we will be married. Then I will

take you to be with me, and we will

be married forever.”

Dear friend, you are eternally

secure because the Father has given

His Word that nothing can separate

you from Him. Also, the Son has

purchased you with His blood and

incorporated you into His own

body. And the Spirit has sealed you

until the day that Jesus comes or

calls you home to be with Him.

Then Jesus will present you faultless

before God.

This is your salvation – signed,

sealed and delivered. It is the full,

ripened fruit of that which grows

from grace roots!

6

!

In Revelation 19 we saw the Lord

Jesus Christ returning to earth with

his saints to destroy those who had

gathered to fight against him in the

battle of Armageddon. The battle

over, chapter 20 starts with the

immediate ushering in of the 1,000

year reign of Christ on earth, a

period of time known as the

Millennium. This great age of God’s

glory being manifested on earth

commences with the removal of

that evil influence that misled the

nations to rebel against God, Satan.

An angel is sent with God given

authority to bind the devil, and cast

him into prison - a place called the

abyss or bottomless pit, where he

will be sealed up for the duration of

Christ’s earthly reign. As Derek

Williams points out, no literal bars

and chains are meant here, for ‘The

devil is securely bound with the

chain of God’s authority and

purpose’. Since God has purposed

to shut Satan in his prison, the

power of his will and word are

sufficient to keep him there. The

absence of Satan alone will lead to a

tremendous period of freedom for

the earth. It is a time when, as an

old hymn puts it: ‘Jesus shall reign,

where ere the sun, doth its

successive journeys run.’ However,

as we shall see, God still has a

purpose for which he sets the devil

free for a season once the thousand

years are over.

Christ’s people will reign with him

over all the nations of the earth.

You will recall from our earlier

studies that those who had died in

Christ were caught up together to

meet him in the clouds, an event

known as the rapture, which takes

place before the Lord’s returning

with his saints to earth. These saints

will rejoice with the Lord in the air,

clothed with their resurrection

bodies, fitted for eternity. With

them are those saints who were

alive at the Lord’s coming for his

people. They were caught up too

and clothed with their resurrection

bodies to meet the Lord in the air.

Now in chapter 20 we are told that

those who gave their lives for Christ

during the period of tribulation are

permitted to join them as a

permanent part of the church. This

series of events is called the first

resurrection simply because it has

to do with believers being raised to

eternal life whilst the second

resurrection concerns only

unbelievers, who will be raised to

eternal judgment. The resurrection

of believers is completed prior to

the millennium, whilst the second

resurrection, for unbelievers, takes

place after the 1000 years has

finished.

Those who reign with Christ are

blessed and holy, for they have

previously received Him as their

Lord and Saviour. Blessed be the

God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who has blessed us with

every spiritual blessing in the

heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3)

They are made holy by his sacrifice,

to stand forever perfect before the

throne of God. For by one offering

He has perfected forever those who

are being sanctified. (Heb. 10:14)

Jude tells us that Christ will present

us faultless before the presence of

His glory with exceeding joy (Jude

1:24)

To Christ’s redeemed people, God

will give the position of judges

during the Millennial reign. The

word judgment in v4 refers not to

eternal judgment, but to the

judiciary, or the law courts. Christ’s

people will decide the matters of

life and law in His millennial

kingdom. It seems clear from this

Revelation 20

Events at the End of

the World

Truth for Today

A brief extract from our forthcoming book.

By Mathew Bartlett

Image © Pidiyath100

7

chapter that there will be those left

alive of the unsaved nations who

will be permitted to live on the

earth during the reign of Christ. So

whilst the earthly kingdom of Christ

will be wonderful we should

remember that it is not a perfect

paradise, nor will it be a permanent

residence for God on earth.

Yet we should not underestimate

it’s vital purpose. Since Christ’s

sufferings for our sin were real and

literal, so his entering into glory will

be real and literal, and it will begin

with his earthly reign. The scripture

says He will be great, and will be

called the Son of the Highest; and

the Lord God will give Him the

throne of His father David. (Luke

1:32)

This will literally be fulfilled during

the millennial reign of Christ, as he

shall reign over the nations from

Jerusalem itself. It will be a golden

age, for during it, the prophecy of

Habakkuk will be fulfilled, For the

earth will be filled With the

knowledge of the glory of the Lord,

As the waters cover the sea. ( Hab.

2:14)

This glory will be nothing less than

God’s immediate presence with us

on earth in the person of our Lord

Jesus Christ. It will be a time of

peace, when Isaiah says He shall

judge between the nations, And

rebuke many people; They shall

beat their swords into ploughshares,

And their spears into pruning hooks;

Nation shall not lift up sword

against nation, Neither shall they

learn war anymore. (Isa 2:4)

Even the animal kingdom will be

affected by our Lord’s kingly rule,

for the curse shall be lifted. "The

wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,

The leopard shall lie down with the

young goat, The calf and the young

lion and the fatling together; And a

little child shall lead them. The cow

and the bear shall graze; Their

young ones shall lie down together;

And the lion shall eat straw like the

ox. The nursing child shall play by

the cobra's hole, And the weaned

child shall put his hand in the viper's

den. They shall not hurt nor destroy

in all My holy mountain, For the

earth shall be full of the knowledge

of the Lord As the waters cover the

sea.( Isa. 11:6-9)

Daniel foresaw this golden age in a

vision, for he saw all the kingdoms

and rulers of the earth portrayed as

a statue. Then he saw a stone cut

without human hands which struck

the statue and destroyed it and the

stone became a mountain which

filled the whole earth. That stone

was Christ, and his rule will bring

the reign of peace.

However, this will be a divinely

enforced peace. Christ will rule the

nations with a rod of iron, putting

down all rebellion to bring about

obedience by compunction. We

might have thought that men would

want a king like this to reign over

them forever, sadly such will not be

the case. For whilst Christ’s

millennial reign will demonstrate

His power and ability to rule, and

what the world can be like when he

does rule, not even that will be

enough to persuade unregenerate

hearts to willingly submit to him.

Hence even though, as Derek

Williams puts it, ‘For a thousand

years the earth will be free from all

strife and enjoy the blessings of

God’, yet to quote Frederick

Tatford, ‘amid all the tokens of

God’s goodness, amid prosperity

and fruitfulness, human nature will

remain unchanged’.

This is the reason why, at the end of

1,000 years, God permits Satan to

be released from his prison. The

devil wastes no time in raising an

army of millions (Gog and Magog,

the number as the sand of the sea)

from among the still unchanged,

rebellious nations. They all, without

exception, gather to destroy the

camp of the saints in Jerusalem. Yet

the saints have no need to defend

themselves, as God’s fire descends

from heaven and consumes their

enemies. This event will be the final

episode of the end of the world and

even of the universe. The devil is

taken by force and thrown into the

lake of fire, an irreparable

separation from God where in

God’s plan of things he can do no

more harm.

Immediately after this event, John

sees the Great White Throne of

God, and before the face of him

who sat on it, heaven and earth fled

away and there was found no place

for them. Peter speaks of this event,

when he says, But the day of the

Lord will come as a thief in the

night, in which the heavens will pass

away with a great noise, and the

elements will melt with fervent

heat; both the earth and the works

that are in it will be burned up.

Therefore, since all these things will

be dissolved, what manner of

persons ought you to be in holy

conduct and godliness, looking for

and hastening the coming of the

day of God, because of which the

heavens will be dissolved, being on

fire, and the elements will melt with

fervent heat? (2 Peter 3:10-12)

What do you think will be the time

and place of the final judgment?

Time will have ceased to be. There

will be no specific place, for the

universe has passed away and our

ideas of time and space will hold no

more meaning. We can identify the

place only as being before the

8

throne of God. His throne is

described as great and white as a

symbol of his absolute holiness and

unswerving justice; for justice

rather than mercy will decide the

judgment. The picture of God on His

great white thrown brings to my

mind a judge wearing a black cap,

for however merciful the judge may

be, his duty is not to pardon the

guilty but to condemn them.

We have already noted that the

unbelieving dead shall be raised (in

their corruptible bodies (Matt.

10:28) to stand before God.

Whether they were buried or

cremated or buried at sea will make

no difference. There is no way to

hide or escape from this last great

judgment. The great books (or

records) of God were opened. Did

you know that God has a book on

every individual and that each book

contains a record of every one of

your sins - your whole life story, for

nothing is hidden from God’s eyes?

Everything we have ever said,

thought or done is recorded in

those books. The dead were judged

according to what was written in

these books.

As the tragedy unfolds, another

book was opened, the book of life.

Its opening reveals the woeful state

of the lost, for it is opened only to

show that their names are not in it.

They had the chance to accept

Christ as Saviour during their lives,

but had failed to do so. All hope is

now gone, for no further

opportunity will be given. What

remorse they will feel, as an awful

doom awaits them. The day of

grace is over, and they are cast,

quite rightly, where the devil has

already gone, into the lake of fire.

The words ‘second death’ are

clarified, to show that they do not

refer to annihilation. At no time will

the unbelieving ever cease to

exist. They will remain in

conscious torment forever, the

unspeakable torment of a soul

banished from the presence of

God.

But perhaps John ends the

chapter with a more joyful

thought, for text of verse 14 is

very significant for believers.

When death and hell are cast

into the lake of fire, no one will

ever die again and no one will

ever be separated from God

again. God’s strange work of

judgment has been

accomplished and now the

eternal age of blessedness

begins, as the very first words

of Rev 21 indicate ‘I saw a new

heaven and a new earth... God

himself shall be with them and

be their God.’ How wonderful

that will be, greater than the

millennium, for it will never be

spoiled nor interrupted

forever.

The challenge which chapter

20 brings to you, the reader,

must be to ask where you

would stand, if you were

summoned tonight to appear

before God, would your name

be written in the Lamb’s book

of life because you have

received the Lord Jesus Christ

as your Saviour? Or would it be

your fate to spend eternity

forever separated from God?

The truth which must be

applied to your heart today is

this: you have the chance

offered to you by God to

receive Christ today. Do not

put it off, tomorrow may be

too late, for there is no

opportunity after death.

Where will you spend eternity? This question comes to you and me! Tell me, what shall your answer be? Where will you spend eternity? Eternity! Eternity! Where will you spend eternity?

Many are choosing Christ today, Turning from all their sins away; Heav’n shall their happy portion be; Where will you spend eternity? Eternity! Eternity! Where will you spend eternity?

Leaving the straight and narrow way, Going the downward road today, Sad will their final ending be, Lost thro’ a long eternity! Eternity! Eternity! Lost thro’ a long eternity!

Repent, believe, this very hour, Trust in the Saviour’s grace and power, Then will your joyous answer be, Saved thro’ a long eternity! Eternity! Eternity! Saved thro’ a long eternity!

Elisha Hoffman (d. 1929)

9

The Communion of the Church

The church is a group of people who

are ‘called out ones’, ‘sanctified

ones’. The Scripture calls us saints,

that is holy ones, called out of the

world to be set apart for God. We

are not a group like a bowling club

or a political party, but a spiritual

fellowship.

You cannot join the church by filling

in a membership card, but by union

with Christ in his death and

resurrection. For those who are

joined with Christ is this way share

hi s life and nature. We are born

again, and have become children of

God. The joint agents of our birth

are the incorruptible seed of the

word of God, and the Holy Spirit of

God. So we are joined with Christ to

share one eternal destiny

(Predestined).

In the words of Ephesians, the

church is one body and shares one

hope, one Lord, one faith, one

baptism, and one God and Father of

all, who is above all and through all

and in all. (see Ephesians 4:4-6

NRSV)

So our membership of the church is

sealed by our union with Christ, and

that union may be outwardly

demonstrated in two main ways.

Our union with Christ is evidenced

in baptism, which is the outward

confession of an inward reality.

When we came to know Christ as

Saviour, our ‘old man’ (what we

were outside of Christ) died, and

was buried with Him. Our going

down into baptismal water signifies

our oneness with Christ in his death

and burial, declaring that in our new

life with Christ, old things have

passed away. Coming up out of the

water is symbolic of the fact that by

faith in Christ we have been raised

with Him to walk in newness of life,

for we are new creations in Christ,

all things have become new.

Therefore we were buried with Him

through baptism into death, that

just as Christ was raised from the

dead by the glory of the Father,

even so we also should walk in

newness of life. (Romans 6:4 NKJV)

Furthermore, our union with Christ

is evidenced in communion, for

here we rehearse the method by

which the church was brought into

existence, and which it continues to

exist, and by which we have all

become part of it. Communion is

our enacted statement that Christ

died for our sins and is risen, and

that by his saving action we are

joined to him in eternal life. Every

time we take communion we

reaffirm our relationship with him, a

relationship we have only because

of what he did for us.

In terms of its communion the

church is describes as the bride of

Christ. This word emphasises the

union of the body to Christ and her

mutual love for her Lord. Christ's

love for the church cannot be

doubted. He loved her and gave

himself for her (Eph 5:25). Christ's

possession of the church cannot be

doubted that she might be his,

redeem her (5:26,27). The

relationship between husband and

wife is so closely bound by God

himself that he describes them as

being one flesh, who can only be

separated by death. Yet those who

are Christ's are one spirit with him,

and that is an indivisible and eternal

unity; indeed, it is indestructible

unity. When Jesus said, ‘inasmuch

as you have done it to one of the

least of these my brethren, you

have done it to me,’ he was

showing that a believer cannot be

separated from his Lord; ‘he who

receives you receives me’ said

Jesus. How grateful we are that

‘nothing can separate us from the

love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’

We belong to Him, being holy and

set apart as his. In the scripture

every individual believer is referred

to as holy. Or do you not know that

your body (singular) is the temple of

the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom

10

you have from God, and you are not

your own? (1 Cor. 6:19) and also the

whole church of God corporately is

described as holy: Do you not know

that you (plural) are the temple of

God and that the Spirit of God

dwells in you? (1 Cor. 3:16)

Whoever maligns, belittles or

insults the church does these things

to Christ, for we are one with him.

He who touches the church touches

Christ, for we are the apple of his

eye.

The church's communion is an

expression of our union with Christ.

But our union with him leads

necessarily to our union with each

other. And this requires

commitment.

The Commitment of the Church

The church's commitment is a

commitment to ministry.

The church of Jesus Christ is

described as a body, with Christ as

the head. Christ possess his church

(indwells it) and expresses himself

through it in the world. All the life

of God resides in the body of Christ,

and yet all the life of God resides in

every individual part of the body of

Christ. Now each part of the body

has a different function, for every

part is different, but all these

functions are worked in us by the

same Holy Spirit. Thus diversity in

the body is never division. There

may be many different kinds of

people in the church of Jesus Christ,

but we are all born of God. There

are many different ministries and

administrations but all are the work

of one and the self-same Spirit, with

God as the master overseer, Christ

the head of his church.

God's blessing flows over all his

body and that which you or I do is

important and valuable in the

kingdom of God. God's purpose is

that through our prayers, teaching

and evangelism and so on we might

become mature in our faith, and

become more like Jesus

to equip the saints for the work of

ministry, for building up the body of

Christ, until all of us come to the

unity of the faith and of the

knowledge of the Son of God, to

maturity, to the measure of the full

stature of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13

NRSV)

A building. It is still under

construction, but one day praise

God it will be completed, for being

confident of this very thing, that He

who has begun a good work in you

will complete it until the day of

Jesus Christ; (Philippians 1:6 NKJV)

Hence the church's commitment is

to ministry, but for us to be

effective in ministry there must be a

complete surrender to Christ's

Lordship. Whatever our role in

ministry this challenge is the same:

in order for us to minister

effectively to the body of Christ

there must be complete yieldedness

to the Lord: I beseech you therefore,

brethren, by the mercies of God,

that you present your bodies a living

sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,

which is your reasonable service.

(Romans 12:1 NKJV)

The Consummation of the

Church

Let me ask you a question. If you

had all resources, and if nothing

was impossible to you, what kind of

building would you make to dwell in

for all eternity? What kind of

comforts would it have? The church

is destined to be the dwelling place

of God throughout all eternity. The

glories of it cannot adequately be

put into words.

Glorious things are spoken of you, O

city of God! Selah (Psalms 87:3

NKJV)

The Bible describes it as the New

Jerusalem, coming down from

heaven, that is with a heavenly

nature. It is described in terms of

precious stones and gold, indicative

of its spiritual glories, for the

glorified church of Christ is

possessed of the glory of God, for

God dwells within her. If you can

tell the glory of God then you can

tell the glory of the church. God is

her glory, dwelling in and with her

forever.

Praise God that the building will

soon be finished. When the temple

was built at Jerusalem, there was to

be no noise of work on the temple

site. Building materials were to be

prepared elsewhere and then

transported to the site. There will

be no further building work in

heaven. The building work goes on

here. When it is finished the church

will be the showcase of God's glory

and grace. To prepare us for that

place God is working in us each day

to change us into the likeness of the

Lord Jesus Christ that His church

might be without spot or wrinkle or

any such thing. Jesus said I go to

prepare a place there for you, so

that we will be changed in the

twinkling of an eye into his likeness

and be forever with the Lord. O

what a change.

Conclusion

The living church has a vital

communion with her Lord and with

each other. We have a commitment

to serve Christ by our ministry to his

body, and we look forward to a

heavenly consummation, which will

be the eternal state of the church

Rev 21:11 "having the glory of God."

11

There is a small shrub called

dictamnus albus that grows in

Israel (as well as many other

places). It is also known as the

“gas plant” or “burning bush,”

because it emits a flammable

vapour and has been said to

spontaneously combust if it

gets hot enough in the desert

sun. Some Bible commentators

believe the dictamnus albus

might be the very species of

bush Moses encountered.

And the angel of the Lord

appeared unto him in a flame of

fire out of the midst of a bush:

and he looked, and, behold,

the bush burned with fire, and

the bush was not consumed.

And Moses said, I will now turn

aside, and see this great

sight, why the bush is not burnt.

And when the Lord saw

that he turned aside to see, God

called unto him out of the

midst of the bush, and said,

Moses, Moses. And he said,

Here am I.—Exodus 3:24

This is where Moses received his

divine call and discovered God’s

will for his life. But there is an

interesting detail recorded here

that many people miss. First of

all, it’s important to note that

Moses was not impressed

because a bush was on fire. He

had lived in the wilderness for

forty years. I’m sure he had

encountered many dictamnus

albus bushes before, and

perhaps he had even seen them

spontaneously combust. But this

one was unique because it kept

burning and burning and

burning, and yet, “The bush was

not consumed.”

I don’t know how long the bush

burned before Moses realized

something extraordinary was

going on. Maybe it burned for a

day or a week or a month before

he decided to investigate the

phenomenon. The Scriptures

don’t tell us. But one thing is

certain. God never shouted out

to Moses from the bush, “Hey,

you—Moses! Come over here. I

have something I want to say to

you!” Instead God waited until

verse 4. It says when the Lord

saw that Moses turned aside to

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12

see, then and only then did God

call out to him from the midst

of the bush.

I have often been

asked, “Why doesn’t

God speak to me?” I

think many times the

reason is so simple—

we aren’t listening!

We are often so busy and in

such a hurry that we rush right

past the Lord and never stop to

give Him our attention. I

wonder how often we miss an

encounter with God or a word

from heaven simply because we

are too busy to take the time to

“turn aside.” I have met some

Christians who feel very sorry for

themselves because it seems

they are always being forgotten

and passed over. While others

have burning bush experiences

and receive great revelations

from God, they seem to always

be left out. They ask, “Is God

angry with me? Doesn’t He love

me? Aren’t I special to Him?”

My friend, perhaps

God has just been

waiting for you to

slow down and “turn

aside.”

Several years ago I ministered in

a church where a powerful move

of the Holy Spirit caused

tremendous growth because

people were being saved and

discipled. After one of the

powerful services I saw a new

convert talking to a deacon of

the church. I was curious to

know what they could be

discussing, so I moved closer to

listen. I heard the young man

saying, “I’ve only been saved for

a short time, and I struggle with

prayer.” The deacon said,

“Young man, prayer is easy. It’s

just talking to God. Talk to Him

like you would talk to a friend.”

“Yes, I do that,” the young man

said, “but after about five

minutes I’ve said everything I

know to say. Yet I hear other

people saying they pray for

hours. How can someone pray

for so long? What do they talk

about?” The deacon began to

explain. “First,” he said, “you

need to make a list of all your

friends and relatives on a piece

of paper. Then you need to list

everything you need from God.

Then you need to list everything

you can be thankful for . . . ” And

the catalog of things to talk with

God about went on and on.

After the deacon

finished giving his

advice, I pulled the

young man aside and

said, “Do you really

want to know the

secret to prayer?”

“Yes” he said, “please

tell me.” I said, “I can

give it to you in one

word: listen.”

My friend, as sincere as that

deacon was, his advice to the

young convert was terrible. If

that young man had done what

he was told to do, I’m sure his

prayer life would have been

exhausted within a week. Prayer

is not about making lengthy

lists of requests for God and

continually chattering for as

long as possible.

Sometimes the best

thing you can do is to

be quiet and listen!

When I am in the presence of

someone who is full of wisdom

and who has many years of rich

life experience, I make it a point

to keep my mouth shut and

listen to what he has to say,

because I know that what he has

to say is more important than

what I have to say.

Do you think for one second that

what you have to say is more

important than what God has to

say? François Fénelon said, “A

humility that is still talkative

doesn’t run very deep.” Learn to

become quiet in the presence of

the Lord, in a posture of

humility and awe, and tune

your spiritual ears to His voice.

God will speak to you

in this place, and you

will encounter His

presence as Moses

did—when you turn

aside and listen.

13

The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles.

Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will benefit from using Faith-builders studies.

Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand.

Each chapter has thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided.

Below is an extract from the study notes for Mark chapter 9.

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Do Not Trust in Earthly Things

13:1 Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!’

As Jesus was leaving the temple one of his disciples was very impressed by its greatness and splendour and drew his attention to it. This was the second temple which by this time had been rebuilt and enlarged by Herod the Great. In Luke 21:5 we are told that it was adorned with shapely and magnificent stones. The Jews were very proud of it and this disciple was too.

13:2 Jesus said to him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!’

However, if he thought to make an impression on Jesus he was greatly mistaken; Jesus was not taken up

with the temporary things of this world, not even the temple. He directed this disciple’s thoughts away from the temporal to the eternal (2 Cor. 4:18) by warning that what seemed so magnificent would not endure. The temple would be completely destroyed, with every stone thrown down; this took place AD 70 when the Roman legions besieged and captured Jerusalem.

The temple belonged to the old covenant; but when Jesus died and rose again this was the beginning of the new covenant. The continual animal sacrifices made in the temple were no longer required, as Jesus had made his once and for all sacrifice on the cross (Heb. 10:9-12). Jesus wanted to prepare his disciples for the day when the external regulations for worshipping God would be done away with and they would instead worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24). Believers today must also be careful

not to be so caught up with the external observances of Christianity that they become distracted from Christ himself (Col. 3:2).

Signs of the End of the World

13:3-4 So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ‘Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?’

As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple with just four of his disciples (Andrew is an addition to the usual three), they asked him what signs would indicate the time when these things would happen.

13:5-6 Jesus began to say to them, ‘Watch out that no one misleads you. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and they will mislead many.

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The signs given in these verses were to be fulfilled from the time of the first disciples right up to the time of Jesus' return. The first was the appearance of false Christs and false teachers (claiming to represent Christ). Believers must be very careful not to be deceived by anyone (2 Thess. 2:3). The best way to safeguard ourselves is to walk close to Jesus every day, reading his word and taking it into our hearts.

Down through the centuries right up to the present time there have been many false teachers and false Christs. Their numbers will continue to increase as a sign of the near return of Jesus (1 John 2:18).

13:7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Jesus next refers to wars and rumours of wars; the latter being a reference to civil unrest, or acts of terrorism. Christians are not to be alarm by these events, for we are not like those who have no hope (Luke 21:25-26); they are signs that our Lord’s coming is getting nearer! But, says Jesus, these events do not mean that the end will come at once.

13:8 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.

Whole nations shall make war against each other and earthquakes will occur in all sorts of places, even where they had previously been unknown. There will be constant famines and catastrophic happenings throughout the world. All this is but the beginnings of the sufferings that are to happen (Rom. 8:22-23).

13:9 ‘You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before

governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.

Another sign of the coming end of the age is the persecution of the church. Jesus warns that his followers would be turned over to the local governing authorities to be beaten, and even appear on trial before rulers, such as when Paul appeared before Caesar (Acts 25:11-12); though this would become an opportunity for the believers to testify of Christ. Such persecution has continued throughout the Christian era and will do so until Jesus comes again. As with all the signs of the end of the age, the persecution will get worse as the end approaches.

13:10 First the gospel must be preached to all nations.

God has purposed that the message of salvation must be declared to all nations before the second coming of Christ.

13:11 When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gave these instructions to his disciples concerning how they should conduct themselves when they were delivered to those in authority for the gospel’s sake. These instructions hold good for believers facing persecution today. We are not to be anxious about what we are to say or try to prepare our defence beforehand, for when the time comes the Holy Spirit will speak through us.

13:12 Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise against parents and have them put to death.

Jesus further warns that close family members would betray Christians, even if that meant them being put to death.

13:13 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one

who endures to the end will be saved.

The time would come when all Christians would be hated and detested by the whole world for Christ's sake. Once again, the picture Jesus gives implies that this hatred would increase toward the end of the age. Nevertheless, “those who patiently endures to the end shall be made a partaker of the salvation of Christ and delivered from spiritual death' [Amp. N. T.] The Christian “must hold fast to the very end: and if he be truly Christian he will hold fast, because God holds him fast” (Alan Cole). Jesus said “remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself” (Rev. 2:10).

A Time of Great Trouble

13:14-18 ‘But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house. The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter.

Remember that Jesus was replying to his disciples’ question about the signs of the end of the age when he spoke of this “abomination of desolation” (Daniel 9:27). It is difficult to see how Jesus’ words could be taken as a reference to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, for many of the events depicted in later verses did not coincide with the Roman siege. Perhaps the “abomination” is a reference to the image of “the beast” - a world-ruling opponent of Christ who would appear toward the end of time, and erect a statue of himself in the temple, proclaiming himself to be God (Revelation 13:12-15; 2 Thess. 2:4). Similar profanities had defamed the temple previously. During the period of Antiochus Epiphanes a statue was erected of

15

him in the temple and pigs were sacrificed there. But Jesus was clearly speaking here of a future day that would be worse than the time of Antiochus.

Jesus’ words were given as a warning to those alive at the time of this “abomination”. When they saw these things happen it would be vital for them to escape from Jerusalem and the surrounding area as quickly as possible and head for the Judean Mountains. There would be no time to take any possessions, just enough time to flee for their lives.

13:19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen.

Although the days of the Roman siege were dreadful they did not come up to what Jesus foretold here. He was warning about a time of affliction that would be more dreadful than anything ever seen on earth, and which would never be witnessed again. This can only be a reference to the end of the age, a time which is spoken of in more detail in the book of the Revelation.

13:20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short.

The word “elect” (chosen) is often used of believers in Christ (1 Pet. 1:2). Yet the word is also used to denote the nation of Israel. In context, Jesus has been addressing a localised situation (“let those who are in Judaea”) at a particular time. It is possible that he simply means only a few will be saved alive at this time; he does not elucidate as to whether they are Christians or Jews. But given their locality, they would more likely be Jews.

13:21-22 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe him. For false messiahs and false

prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect.

During these days of suffering many false prophets will appear professing to be the Christ. Many will follow and support these false prophets. They will be able to show signs and work mighty miracles (Rev. 13:11-14). These signs and miracles will be such a good counterfeit that if it was at all possible even those chosen by God would be deceived by them.

13:23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.

It is because Jesus has forewarned us of this that we can be on our guard and not taken in by what is false.

Second Coming of Christ

13:24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light; the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Immediately after these days of suffering are completed, awesome signs from God will appear in the heavens to announce the end of the world. Even the sun, moon and stars, together with the powers of heaven (e.g. gravity) will be shaken.

It is noteworthy that the signs given in this verse seem to correspond with those in Revelation 6:12-13, which occur at the opening of the sixth seal. Just before this, in Revelation 6:10-11 many Christians who had been martyred ask Jesus how long it will be until they are avenged. The Lord answers that it will not be until more of their fellow servants have been killed as they were. This might suggest that up until the opening of the sixth seal the church is present on the earth, whilst after the sixth seal comes the day of wrath (V17). On the other hand, some commentators believe the church will be removed before the great trouble occurs and “the

beast” is revealed. Certainly, at some time between the sixth and seventh seal being opened the tribes of Israel are sealed (Rev. 7:1-8) and the redeemed of the Lord are in heaven (Rev. 7:9-17).

13:26-27 Then everyone will see the Son of Man arriving in the clouds with great power and glory. Then he will send angels and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

After these signs appear in the heavens, Jesus himself will be revealed, coming in the clouds of the sky with great power and glory. Then shall be gathered in from all over the earth to the utmost limits of heaven all those who belong to him (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

Parable of the Fig Tree

13:28 ‘Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

This is a simple parable taking an object of nature that response to the seasons as a matter of course. It cannot do anything else but respond. As summer approaches the young shoots appear and its leaves begin to bud. This is invariably taken as a sign that summer has arrived.

13:29 So also you, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, right at the door.

So it is with the signs the Lord gave to his disciples: they herald that his coming is near, even on the threshold

13:30 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

The generation here certainly does not mean that of the twelve disciples. It may refer to the generation that is alive at the time when all these signs have been accomplished. Jesus is emphasising

16

by this and the following verse that an end will come to the world.

13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Yet although heaven and earth will perish and pass away (2 Pet. 3:10), there are some things, which, according to the eternal word of God will endure forever.

The Time of His Coming

13:32 ‘But as for that day or hour no one knows it — neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son — except the Father.

This verse has always presented a real difficulty in as much as if Christ is the divine son of God, how can he speak of not knowing the day of his return? Yet this difficulty might be explained if we remember that Jesus was also a man, and as a child he grew in wisdom, and in his humbles state as a man he might claim to not know something.

The point of what Jesus is saying, however, is that if he and the angels do not know the time or date of his coming, no man should presume to know it.

13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time will come.

Instead of guessing the time for the Lord’s coming, Christians should be constantly on the alert, on our guard spiritually by watching our lives and praying, so that we might be ready when he comes.

13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. he left his house and put his slaves in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert.

Jesus likens himself to a master who goes on a journey and puts his servants in charge of particular tasks. We are all his servants, and

we are also all like the doorkeeper who was commanded to remain alert, watching for his master's return (Luke 19:13; 1 Cor. 15:58).

13:35-37 Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return — whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn — or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!’

Jesus repeats his warning that since we do not know when he will return we must be watchful at all times; keeping our minds on him and doing the work he has entrusted to us. Otherwise when he comes he may find us asleep like the unbelievers; that is, in a state of spiritual apathy and dull to the things of God (Rom. 13:11; 1 Thess. 5:6). That is why he addresses his warning to all; it is not only his existing followers which must learn to be awake and watching. The teaching of Christ’s second coming has led many to personal faith in him.

Discussion Questions for Chapter 13

1. vv. 5-6. Why can the reader be assured that any one on earth claiming to be Christ is false? In answering this question, consider also how Jesus describes His own return in 13:26.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. vv. 3-25. List some of the signs of Jesus’ coming given in this chapter.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. vv. 14-22. Describe the time of great trouble which Jesus refers to in these verses.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. vv. 28-31. What is Jesus teaching through the parable of the fig tree?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. vv. 32-37. Why can no one correctly predict the time of Jesus’ coming?

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17

Vision Four: The Cleansing of the

High Priest vv. 1-7

3:1 Next I saw Joshua the high priest

standing before the angel of the

LORD, with Satan standing at his

right hand to accuse him.

Joshua the high priest was among

those who had returned from exile

in Babylon to Jerusalem. Zechariah

sees him in vision form standing

before the angel of the Lord with

Satan making accusations against

him. The devil had done the same

to God’s servant Job (Job 1:6-12),

and presumably does so to all God’s

servants, since he is known as ‘the

accuser of the brothers’ (Rev.

12:10).

3:2 The LORD said to Satan, "May

the LORD rebuke you, Satan! May

the LORD, who has chosen

Jerusalem, rebuke you! Isn't this

man like a burning stick snatched

from the fire?"

Joshua stands in front of the Lord as

one who is justified in his sight, and

so the Lord rebukes Satan for daring

to bring an accusation against God’s

servant (Rom. 8:33); for if God be

for us, who can be against us (Rom

8:29-31)?

3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in

filthy clothes as he stood there

before the angel.

The dirty clothes which Joshua wore

were symbolic of his own sin and

possibly (since the high priest

represented the nation) that of all

Israel. The scripture had already

declared all people to be sinners,

and all human righteousness is as

filthy rags (Isa. 64:6).

3:4-5 The angel spoke up to those

standing all around, "Remove his

filthy clothes." Then he said to

Joshua, "I have freely forgiven your

iniquity and will dress you in fine

clothing." Then I spoke up, "Let a

clean turban be put on his head." So

they put a clean turban on his head

and clothed him, while the angel of

the LORD stood nearby.

But in a picture of cleansing,

forgiveness and justification, the

angel ordered Joshua’s soiled

clothes to be removed and that he

be clothed instead with clean robes.

Joshua also received a clean turban,

the sign of high priestly office,

which bore a gold plate engraved

with the words HOLINESS TO THE

LORD (Exodus 29:6; 39:30).

For the Jews, this would have been

an indication that God would

honour his covenant. The sin of the

people was to be removed, and

they would once again be seen as

the nation belonging to God, with a

renewed and cleansed priesthood

and rebuilt temple. Their enemies,

represented in the vision by Satan,

would be unable to overcome them

or thwart God’s purposes.

The early church realised that this

vision provided an illustration of

what Christ has done for Christian

believers. Christ has carried our sin

away in his own body on the cross

(1 Peter 2:24) so that our filthy

garments might be taken away and

our sins are forgiven (1 John 2:12).

Subsequently, Christ clothed us

with the garments of his

righteousness and salvation (Isaiah

61:10). By faith in Christ we are

justified in God’s sight (Gal. 2:16);

that is, we are accepted as part of

God’s covenant people, in a right

relationship with God. Christ has

cleansed us in order to make us

holy; we are a kingdom of priests (1

Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6) that we might

serve God acceptably with

reverence and godly fear (Heb.

12:28) offering spiritual sacrifices to

the Lord (1 Peter 2:5).

3:6-7 Then the angel of the LORD

exhorted Joshua solemnly: "The

LORD who rules over all says, 'If you

live and work according to my

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requirements, you will be able to

preside over my temple and attend

to my courtyards, and I will allow

you to come and go among these

others who are standing by you.

Having cleansed and justified

Joshua, the Lord next gave him a

solemn commission. The Lord’s

charge to Joshua was for him to

perform the duties of high priest,

the vision thereby ordained Joshua

as high priest in the eyes of the

people.

But more than that; for the return

of the nation of Israel to the

Promised Land was a re-establishing

of their God-given call to be

witnesses to the nations; and this

was to be inaugurated by the

consecration of their high priest as

much as by the rebuilding of the

temple.

Having been made holy, Joshua was

to serve God in holiness of life’

keeping his commandments

blamelessly. This is always to be the

result of consecration to God’s

service. Like Joshua, it is only once

we have been cleansed that we can

be consecrated to serve the Lord;

just as in Exodus 29:20 Aaron and

his sons had to have the blood of

the sacrifice applied to them before

they could minister. The result of

our cleansing and consecration is to

be obedience (Rom. 6:1-2); for the

deeper our appreciation of our

forgiveness, the deeper will be our

devotion to God (Luke 7:47).

The Greater High Priest to Come

vv. 8-10

3:8 Listen now, Joshua the high

priest, both you and your colleagues

who are sitting before you, all of

you are a symbol that I am about to

introduce my servant, the Branch.

God sends a message to Joshua and

his contemporaries about the

servant of God who was one day to

appear, whom Isaiah and Jeremiah

had already identified as ‘the

Branch’ (Isa. 11:1 and Jer. 23:5). It

was important to note that this

branch was to be of the line of

David; yet Joshua the high priest is

set forth as a picture of him in order

to indicate that he would also be a

priest, bearing the sin of many (Isa.

53:10-11). Of course, Israel knew

that this could never be – priests

only came from the tribe of Levi; yet

as the writer to the Hebrews

explains, the priest God spoke of

was appointed after the order of

Melchisedec, not the order of

Aaron,; that is, according to the

power of an endless life. Jesus

Christ is the branch born of the seed

of David, who because of his

endless life remains a priest of God

forever (Rev. 1:18; Heb. 6:20).

3:9 As for the stone I have set

before Joshua -- on the one stone

there are seven eyes. I am about to

engrave an inscription on it,' says

the LORD who rules over all, 'to the

effect that I will remove the iniquity

of this land in a single day.

It is uncertain whether an actual

engraved precious stone was placed

before Joshua during his

consecration; at least in this vision

of his consecration. If so, it would

have served as a perpetual

reminder before the people of

God’s promise in this verse – to

remove the sin of the people

through the ministry of ‘the

branch’.

The Lord Jesus Christ is again and

again referred to as a ‘stone’ in the

scriptures. He is a chosen and

precious stone (1 Peter 2:4), yet he

is the stone which the builders

rejected (Psalm 118:22; Acts 4:11)

and the one who became a trap and

snare to those who did not believe

(Isaiah 8:14; 1 Peter 2:7). On this

stone, the Lord says, are seven eyes

(originally, possibly seven facets1), a

symbol speaking of the all-

knowledge of God. The servant who

is anointed with the sevenfold Holy

Spirit (Rev 4:5; Isa. 11:2) will also

possess such all-knowledge.

Engraved on the stone, which is

Christ, is the sign that God would

remove the iniquity of the people in

a single day - the dreadful day when

Christ hung on a cross at a place

called Calvary and God laid on him

the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6).

3:10 In that day,' says the LORD

who rules over all, 'everyone will

invite his friend to fellowship under

his vine and under his fig tree.' "

The result of Christ’s removing the

iniquity of the people is described

vividly in terms of fellowship,

abundance and peace; a message

which would have been welcomed

by the fearful exiles. Moreover, the

fact that everyone would have his

own supply and could sit in peace,

suggests that they would be no

more slaves or servants (as they had

been in Babylon). Through Christ we

enjoy fellowship with God (1 Cor.

1:9) and one another (1 John 1:7).

Through Christ we have peace with

God (Rom. 5:1) and with each other

(Eph. 2:14). Through Christ we have

abundance (Rom. 8:32). Through

Christ we are no longer slaves or

servants but sons and friends (Gal

.3:26; John 15:15).

1 Baldwin, p. 116-117

19

From ‘Meet These

Men: Character Studies

in the Bible’

A forthcoming book based on

studies by the late Haydn O.

Williams. Image © Dvest

Gaius the prosperous soul 3 John 1

The name Gaius is mentioned five

times in the New Testament. The

apostle Paul baptised one of his

Corinthian converts by this name (1

Corinthians). Later, he became one

of Paul’s travelling companions

(Acts 19:29). Another Gaius was

from Derby (Acts 10:4). In the book

of Romans 16:23 Paul received

hospitality of Gaius. However, there

is a doubt as to which of these if

any was the Gaius of John.

We may not be sure who he was,

but more importantly, we know

what kind of man he was. A study of

his character and conduct reveals

him to be a prosperous soul, a

beloved brother, a faithful servant

and a charitable man. If we are not

sure where he came from ewe can

be sure to where he was going. We

are only given six verses about him

but they are all gold. He was a

consistent Christian brother.

Although we are not told when or

how Gaius found Jesus Christ as his

Lord and Saviour, it is obvious that

he did have a real encounter with

the Lord. He was also well known to

John, who looked upon him as his

son in the faith, and who was

delighted to find him growing in the

truth. It may be that John had led

Gaius to Jesus and was his Pastor.

John was always thrilled to see

spiritual growth.

He was loved by John, the great

apostle of love. He had been close

to Jesus and leaned on his breast.

He wrote much about love (e.g.

John 3:16). God is love. John knew

real love and he wrote so much

about it. John loved Gaius truly. To

be worthy of John’s love makes

Gaius a very special person to John.

He was loved by others. The word

beloved conveys the idea that he

was loved by other people also.

Having a good testimony, he was

well spoken of because of his love

for others. He was a prosperous

soul indeed, an apt description for

him. His love made him prosper.

Walking in the Truth

Our text speaks of the truth in Him

and that he walked in the truth.

Pontius Pilate asked Christ, “What is

Truth?” But truth was standing

before him. Jesus said “I am the

way, the Truth ad the Life.” (John

14:6) John said, “The law was given

by Moses, but grace and truth by

Jesus Christ.” Walking means living

in harmony, in fellowship with

truth, practising and obeying the

word of the Lord and the Spirit of

God. Gaius was walking in the truth

because he was living in Christ and

Christ was living in Him. No wonder

his soul flourished.

Waited on Brethren

His condition

It would appear that he was not

enjoying the best of health or

material wealth. If this was true

then he’s bigger than we think. He

did not make sickness or anything

else an excuse to prevent his soul

from prospering. Affliction or

poverty doesn’t mean you are out

of the will of God. We can still grow

in grace and truth.

His Charity

Gaius was commended for his love,

concern, charity and ministry to the

saints. He was given to hospitality

(REF). Be not forgetful to entertain

strangers. (REF). He was unselfish

and without respect of persons. He

was big hearted man, He did it

faithfully, prosperous soul.

Conclusion

Many starve their souls while they

prosper materially and positionally.

What a difference between Gaius

and Diotrephes who loved the pre-

eminence, to be the boss, selfish

proud, arrogant, he was not a

prosperous soul - but Gaius was a

prosperous soul.

20

Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett

Living Word Magazine and Bible Studies

Online are ministries of Sharon Full

Gospel Church. UK Reg. Charity No.

1050642 www.sharonchurch.co.uk

Tel: (+44) 01495 753561 Lines open 9am-5pm

Mon to Fri with answerphone.

Living Word digital magazine is available free

of charge. Print copies also available at cost

price from: www.biblestudiesoline.org.uk

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