This month ’s art i c les f rom Chris

Palmer , Kar l Ayl ing , Mathew

Bart lett , P iet er Lal leman & more

John 6:9 There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves, and

two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

Going Deeper into God’s Word Issue 53 Summer 2016

Living Word Magazine

2

In this issue:

3. The Lion and the Lamb Dr Pieter Lalleman

6. Living Bread Mathew Bartlett

9. Romans 8 v 31–39: The Victory of Righteousness Mathew Bartlett

13. Pastoral Training for Timothy Dr Chris Palmer (OMS)

15. The Christian Life - Psalm 17 Mathew Bartlett

18. This Soap is Good! Doreen Harrison

19. Massive Power Massive Love Karl Ayling

Back: Britain’s’ Cheapest Gospel Tracts Bible Studies Online

www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk

Living Word is published in the UK by Sharon Full Gospel Church, 7 Park View, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd, Pontypool, NP4 8LP Editor: Mathew Bartlett

©Photos - above: Mihai-bogdan Lazar. Cover: © © Photowitch. Wooden background: Dave Bredeson

Back Cover: © A. J. Cotton

3

Chapter One: The Risen Lord

(Revelation 1)

Introduction

The part of the Bible that we will

discuss is often referred to as ‘the

Revelation of John’, but the author

himself calls it ‘the Revelation of

Jesus Christ’. It is the risen Lord

Jesus who appears to John and

then gives him insight into ‘what

must soon take place’ (1:1). John is

instructed to write down what he

has seen and heard (1:19; cf. the

emphasis on the written form of

the text in 22:6–11, 18–19).

The book begins slowly because it

has a number of introductions:

first there is chapter 1, then

chapters 2 and 3 on the situation

in the seven cities, and chapters 4

and 5 on the situation in heaven.

The next main part of the book

only begins in chapter 6.

Background Information

In the Introduction I explained the

kind of book Revelation is. By

order of the risen Lord Jesus, John

is writing this book to seven

named local congregations in Asia

Minor, the area which is now

Turkey (1:11). He is himself on the

island of Patmos, off the Turkish

coast (1:9). He may have been

sent there in exile by the Roman

authorities, but Patmos was not

known as a prison island; hence it

is more likely that John was there

merely to preach the gospel.

In John’s time the Roman Empire

included the whole territory from

Spain and England to Egypt and

Syria. There was peace throughout

this area and Asia Minor,

moreover, was also prosperous

thanks to trade and industry. The

inhabitants of Asia Minor were

therefore very satisfied with the

Roman rule and they participated

enthusiastically in the worship of

the many Roman gods. Religion

played a large role in many social

activities. In addition to traditional

gods, the living emperor was

worshiped as a god and the cities

of Asia Minor competed to be

allowed to build a temple for the

emperor. It is important to be

aware that severe persecution of

the Christians only began in the

third century and that John

mentions the name of only one

martyr, Antipas (2:13). The

present problem is that Jesus's

followers were expected to

participate in society like everyone

else, including the worship of the

emperor—and that many did so!

The book of Revelation is meant to

prevent them from this

'automatic' idolatry. As Nick Page

writes, 'Revelation is not written

to console those going through

trouble: it is written to make

trouble.'

It is characteristic of the book of

Revelation that John makes much

use of the Scriptures of Israel, our

Old Testament. However, he never

quotes them literally and he does

not refer to them either; it is up to

us as readers to find out where

and how he works with the Old

Testament. The Old Testament

sources of Revelation are found

especially in the prophets Isaiah,

Ezekiel, and Daniel; in second

place we have Genesis 1–2,

Exodus 7–15, the Psalms, and the

other prophetic books. In the

present chapter John describes his

call in a way that recalls the call

narrative of Ezekiel, and this book

also plays a role in the structure of

Revelation.

Explanation of the Text

Verses 1–3 Preface

Verse 1a. John calls his book a

'revelation' (apocalypse, see the

Introduction) of the Lord Jesus

Christ. His 'servants' are in the first

place the first hearers of the book,

the members of the seven

churches to which it will be sent,

but in the second place all

Christians. For all of us there is a

blessing from God (1:3).

Verses 1b and 2. Angels play a role

in the transmission of the

revelation and they appear in

almost every chapter of this book;

but it is especially the Lord Jesus

who reveals himself and his plan

to John. John modestly calls

himself a servant of the Lord

(1:1b).

Verse 3. At the time of the New

Testament, most people could not

read, so the letter which

contained the revelation had to be

read out to them. Yet in every

town and village at least some

would be able to read.

Prophecy is not merely

information, it is a message that

we must 'take to heart' or 'keep'

(NRSV).

4

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6

The Lord Jesus Christ had just fed

5,000 men besides women and

children with five loaves of bread

and two fish. He had sent his

disciples away by boat to

Capernaum before dismissing the

crowds who would have wanted

to take him and make him king by

force. Jesus withdrew to the

mountain alone where he spent

part of the night in prayer before

re-joining his disciples by walking

to them on the water of the Sea of

Galilee. The crowds who had

eaten the loaves and fish search

for Jesus and find him in

Capernaum, teaching in the

synagogue. On their arrival Jesus

challenges them, for they were

not seeking Him for what they

could receive from God, but only

for what they could receive for

their bellies. They wanted food

free of charge, and perhaps

thought of Jesus as a first century

Food Bank. The Lord Jesus Christ

teaches us that we are not to

labour and seek for food which

spoils, but for food which endures

to eternal life. He spells this out

clearly by declaring “I am the

Bread of Life”. This is:

Bread to be Sought

In v26 Christ rebukes the crowds

for seeking to have their bellies

filled, or to put it another way,

seeking the things of this world.

Jesus said “Do not worry about

what you eat or drink or about

clothing, but seek first the

kingdom of God and his

righteousness, and all these things

shall be given you as well.” To seek

the kingdom of God is to seek the

things which belong and pertain to

God. These are lasting things - for

they are eternal. Jesus describes

the bread to be sought by

comparing it with manna. The

people, still thinking of their

bellies, bring this point up to the

Lord Jesus Christ. On their journey

with Moses through the

wilderness on the way to the

Promised Land, God provided

them with manna to eat every day

for forty years. So by comparing

the True Bread with manna Jesus

is able to teach them that the True

bread:

It is Heavenly not Earthly

Because of the way it appeared,

manna was often referred to as

bread from heaven, but such was

not the case. The Lord Jesus Christ

makes clear that it had no spiritual

identity. By contrast the Living

Bread, the Lord Jesus Christ, came

down from heaven to earth. As

the Son of God he was always one

with his father in heaven. But at

the incarnation, that first

Christmas, he took on our flesh

and blood and was born as a baby

in Bethlehem that he might give

his life for the world, and by giving

his life for the world, he would

give his life to the world.

Since this bread is heavenly it is

also eternal. How sad it is today,

as then, many people including

professing Christians, are seeking

earthly satisfaction, not the

fullness from heaven. Paul writes

of these people: For many walk, of

whom I have told you often, and

now tell you even weeping, that

they are the enemies of the cross

of Christ: whose end is destruction,

whose god is their belly, and

whose glory is in their shame--who

set their mind on earthly things.

For our citizenship is in heaven,

Living

Bread Image © Lightkeeper

7

from which we also eagerly wait

for the Savior, the Lord Jesus

Christ. Philippians 3:18-20

By contrast, the Christian is called

upon to seek things above, that is,

heavenly things.

If then you were raised with Christ,

seek those things which are above,

where Christ is, sitting at the right

hand of God. Set your mind on

things above, not on things on the

earth. Colossians 3:1-2

It is Spiritual not Carnal

Jesus is not saying that the manna

in the wilderness was not

supernaturally provided, but

rather that its effect was natural.

That is, it fed their bodies and

sustained them physically. It made

absolutely no difference to their

spiritual life. It fed their bodies,

not their souls and it was only for

a time. The people fed on manna

every day, but they still died, it

could not give eternal life as Christ

can. The True Bread brings a

supernatural element to life, that

we might eat it and live forever.

V35 This food is completely

satisfying, just as God’s covenant

with us is ‘arranged and secure in

every part’. It is bread which

satisfies the need of the whole

person—for Christ makes us

whole.

Seeing that Christians have been

supplied with spiritual life, it is sad

that many are still seeking for

what is natural, living as carnally

minded Christians. Paul, writing to

the Corinthians had to tell them:

And I, brethren, could not speak to

you as to spiritual people but as to

carnal, as to babes in Christ. 1

Corinthians 3:1 John warns us that

all that is in the world--the lust of

the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and

the pride of life—is not of the

Father but is of the world. 1 John

2:16

V27 Do not work for food which

spoils but for food which endures

to eternal life which the son of

man will give you. If we want to

seek for what is spiritual then

Christ tells us how to get it.

Bread to be Bought

Bread has to be bought, or

obtained. Yet as Isaiah says, it is to

be bought ‘without money and

without cost’ Where do we get

this bread from and how? Of

course, we receive it from Christ,

for Christ has it. In fact Christ IS it.

He will GIVE it. For it is freely given

as a gift of God to the world. You

can buy it on your knees at Calvary

without money and without price

but freely with a broken & contrite

heart.

He WILL give it. It is his will to do

so. As Christ makes clear in this

chapter. E.g. "And this is the will of

Him who sent Me, that everyone

who sees the Son and believes in

Him may have everlasting life;

John 6:40

Christ makes all this available to us

for God the Father has sealed Him,

with the Holy Spirit. It is through

the Holy Spirit that we receive,

flesh counts for nothing v63.

It is the Holy Spirit who does the

work of regeneration. It is through

the Spirit we have access to the

Father. It is by the Spirit we know

and enjoy a foretaste of the all

things which are freely given us by

God. It is all through the Spirit.

V37 A supernatural God provides

us with a supernatural gospel, as

Jesus made clear when he said

“you must be born again, or born

from above.” It is only God who

can bring men to the Lord Jesus

Christ. We cannot do so ourselves.

We did not bring ourselves and we

cannot bring others. V45 all taught

by God. The evangelist is used, but

God teaches, draws and calls us to

himself. It is God who moves on

our hearts, through his word and

by his spirit to bring us under

conviction, then repentance to

salvation. He gives faith to believe.

You and I need to humbly confess

that we can do nothing of

ourselves—and when we do we

must be willing to believe on the

Lord Jesus.

So to sum up, we obtain this bread

from Christ, through the Holy

Spirit and by faith.

So we have sought the bread and

bought the bread, but we haven’t

finished yet. Bread it no good to

you unless you eat it. And having

sought and bought (or obtained)

the bread The Lord Jesus Christ,

we must eat or partake of it.

Christ explains in v51–58 what it

means to eat of this bread, to

partake of him. It was on the cross

that He gave his body to be broken

and His blood shed for us, so we

might have eternal life. To eat

bread and drink blood means to

appropriate what Jesus has done

for us in his sacrifice on the cross.

Christ is not specifically referring

to the communion in these verses.

In communion, we take the

emblems, but when we partake of

Christ, we are partaking of the

reality of what he has done for us.

Bread to Be Eaten

By partaking of Christ, we go from

having no life to having eternal

life.

Jesus said to them, "Most

assuredly, I say to you, unless you

eat the flesh of the Son of Man

and drink His blood, you have no

life in you. John 6:53

8

By God’s grace we are saved!

Before we came to Christ we were

dead in our trespasses and sins,

but through what Christ has done

for us in his death and

resurrection we have been made

alive together with Christ. We

share his life - the life of God in

our very being, this is what eternal

life is. In fact Jesus, praying in John

17 said “This is eternal life, that

they might know you, the only

True God, and Jesus Christ whom

you have sent.” We know that we

have passed from death to life,

because we love the brethren. 1

John 3:14

Remain in me (kept)

He who eats My flesh and drinks

My blood abides in Me, and I in

him. John 6:56

Not only do we begin our new life

with Christ, we must continue it in

the same way. As you have

therefore received Christ Jesus the

Lord, so walk in Him rooted and

built up in Him and established in

the faith, as you have been taught,

Col 2:6, 7

We remain in the Lord Jesus by

partaking of Him every day. We

partake of his grace which is

sufficient for every need; we

partake of his comfort when

things get rough, receive his

strength when we are weak, and

his joy when we are down. We

could go on and on telling of ways

in our Christian lives in which the

Lord keeps and sustains us by

imparting of himself.

Raise him up (glorified)

I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:54

The impartation of Christ to us will

be fully realized when we “Awake

with his likeness.” In the

resurrection of the last day of

which our Lord speaks here, not

only will believers receive a new

body like unto his body, but they

shall be like him forever. Beloved,

now we are children of God; and it

has not yet been revealed what we

shall be, but we know that when

He is revealed, we shall be like

Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

1 John 3:2 God’s purpose is that

every child of God shall become

like the Lord Jesus Christ. For

whom He fore knew, He also

predestined to be conformed to

the image of His Son, that He

might be the firstborn among

many brethren. Romans 8:29

Not only shall we be like Christ, we

shall be with him. For if we believe

that Jesus died and rose again,

even so God will bring with Him

those who sleep in Jesus. For this

we say to you by the word of the

Lord, that we who are alive and

remain until the coming of the

Lord will by no means precede

those who are asleep. For the Lord

Himself will descend from heaven

with a shout, with the voice of an

archangel, and with the trumpet of

God. And the dead in Christ will

rise first. Then we who are alive

and remain shall be caught up

together with them in the clouds

to meet the Lord in the air. And

thus we shall always be with the

Lord. 1 Thess 4:14-17

We shall be like Jesus, be with

Jesus and nothing shall ever

separate us from Him.

I am persuaded that neither death

nor life, nor angels nor

principalities nor powers, nor

things present nor things to come,

nor height nor depth, nor any

other created thing, shall be able

to separate us from the love of

God which is in Christ Jesus our

Lord. Romans 8:38-39

This is the completeness of the

salvation procured for us by

Christ’s death on Calvary.

Conclusion

Jesus said “I am the Bread of Life”

Will you accept and receive the

Bread of Life from the Lord Jesus,

through the Spirit, by faith? If so

you will be saved, kept and

glorified... If you receive him he

will receive you. You can receive

Him, will you receive Him today?

The Prophet of Messiah

The encouragement which Zechariah's prophecies brought to the Jews at the time of their return from exile helped them to rebuild not only their temple but also their national identity. Yet Zechariah's message of hope pointed beyond the glory of the temple to one greater than the temple: the Anointed One (Messiah) who would become both priest and king forever over all nations.

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9

In his letter to the Roman church,

Paul has considered how the

righteousness of God is revealed in

our salvation. God’s righteousness

is: required, revealed, reckoned,

received and recognized. Paul has

traced man’s experience from guilt

through grace to glory, ending

with verses 29–30 where we

found that from God’s viewpoint

the glorification of every child of

God has been completed. This is a

truly breath-taking statement, and

the verses Paul goes on to pen in

Romans 8:31–39 have been

described as among the most

beautiful in the Bible, but that

beauty is as practical as it is poetic.

By using a series of questions and

answers, Paul shows how Christ’s

salvation silences every voice

which opposes believers.

The Voice of Opposition

V31 What then shall we say to

these things? If God is for us, who

can be against us?

Righteousness is revealed by the

reality of God’s love.

V32. He who did not spare His own

Son, but delivered Him up for us

all, how shall He not with Him also

freely give us all things?

God’s love was revealed by the

sacrifice of His Son—he did not

spare him. We know the story of

Abraham, where God told him to

offer his Son Isaac as a sacrifice.

We read of Abraham gathering the

wood to burn the offering, binding

Isaac with rope, laying him on the

wood and then lifting the knife to

kill his son in sacrifice. Then God

calls to him from heaven:

‘Abraham, Abraham, do not lay a

hand on the boy. Now I know that

you fear God, for you have not

withheld your son, your only son

from me.’ Do you think that having

offered his son to God in this way,

Abraham would have held back

anything else from God? And

could God go so far as to give us

his only Son and after that refuse

to with him freely give us all

things?

God’s love is revealed in the

sufficiency of God’s son. By giving

His Son, God gave all things, or

literally the all things. All that Paul

has spoken of as being ours in

Christ through this epistle—a right

relationship with God by which we

call him father, the peace of

acceptance with God, the love and

joy this relationship brings and any

other blessing we could name are

all ours when we take Christ.

John Phillips tells a story of a

Roman centurion who had a

rebellious son, and a faithful

servant. As the time approached

for the old soldier to die, he wrote

his will. Calling his son to him he

said, ‘Son, I’ve disinherited you and

left everything to Marcellus. But

you are my son, so before I die I

want to make sure that you have

just one thing from among my

possessions. You can take

whatever you want. What will it

be?’ ‘I’ll take Marcellus’ replied the

boy, for in taking Marcellus, he

was taking all things.

To receive Christ is to receive all

things. Christ’s sacrifice &

sufficiency silences the voice of

opposition.

The Voice of Accusation

V33 Who shall bring a charge

against God's elect? It is God who

justifies.

Righteousness is reckoned by the

eternity of God’s love.

Believers are referred to as ‘God’s

elect’. Paul has already explained

the foreknowledge of God, and

that our election is not ascribed to

ourselves but God. We look back

to God’s choice of us and forward

to the fulfilment of that choice, for

it is God who justifies.

In Zechariah 3 we read of Joshua

the high priest, standing in God’s

presence with Satan stood

vehemently accusing him. The

Lord clothes Joshua with clean

garments and says “THE LORD

rebuke you Satan.” Satan the

accuser of the brethren is silenced

by the Lord Jesus our advocate.

The vision illustrates what

justification means. When we trust

Romans 8 v 31–39: The Victory of Righteousness

© Joseph Sedmak

10

Jesus we are clothed with His

righteousness - not the result of

our good works, but the gift of

Christ who died and rose again to

make it available for each one of

us.

In this way God’s justification

silences every voice of accusation.

The Voice of Condemnation

V34 Who is he who condemns? It

is Christ who died, and

furthermore is also risen, who is

even at the right hand of God, who

also makes intercession for us.

Righteousness is received by the

activity of God’s love. God’s love is

not only real and eternal but

active. God’s love was

demonstrated as he brought His

plan of salvation into action. Here

God’s salvation is shown in its

four-fold aspect:

Christ our sin bearer - Christ died

for our sins. So that we could have

peace with God, Christ satisfied all

the demands the law, both by

keeping it perfectly and taking its

punishment. No wonder the cross

was central to Paul’s life and

message. In Corinth he said: I

determined not to know anything

among you except Jesus Christ and

Him crucified. 1 Cor 2:2

For the message of the cross is

foolishness to those who are

perishing, but to us who are being

saved it is the power of God. 1 Cor

1:18

We preach Christ crucified, to the

Jews a stumbling block and to the

Greeks foolishness 1Cor 1:23

In Galatians he cries God forbid

that I should glory, save in the

cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal

6:14

Christ our Saviour - by raising Jesus

from the dead, God confirmed

that his death is sufficient to atone

for our sins. Christ was raised

again for our justification (Rom

4:25) that we might receive

everlasting life.

Christ our Sovereign - Christ is not

in the tomb, but sat at the right

hand of God. All the priests in the

OT are spoken of as ‘standing’ to

minister, for their job is never

over. The fire was always kept

burning on Jewish altars,

reminding us that animal sacrifices

can never take away sins. A fire

shall always be burning on the

altar; it shall never go out. Lev

6:13 That is no doubt why

Proverbs says There are three

things that are never satisfied,

Four never say, "Enough!" The

grave, The barren womb, The

earth that is not satisfied with

water—And the fire never says,

"Enough!" (Prov 30:15–16). The

fire of God’s judgment could never

be satisfied by the blood of bulls

and goats. This is a great theme of

Hebrews. It is not possible that the

blood of bulls and goats could take

away sins (Heb 10:4).

But Christ by his death on the

cross has consumed the fire of

God’s wrath once and for all crying

“It is finished” - and he sat down in

heaven. And every priest stands

ministering daily and offering

repeatedly the same sacrifices,

which can never take away sins.

But this Man, after He had offered

one sacrifice for sins forever, sat

down at the right hand of God,

(Heb 10:11-12).

In the OT no one was allowed to

be both priest and king. Priests

came from the tribe of Levi and

the kings from Judah. But the

writer to the Hebrews tells us that

Jesus is made a high priest forever

“after the order of Melchizadec”

(Heb 6:20). He goes on to explain

that Melchizadec was at the same

time priest of God and King of

Salem (Heb 7:1–2). So now we see

Christ our great high priest, sat

down on the throne of God, our

exalted King forever.

Christ our Succourer - Though

Christ’s work as sin bearer has

been completed once and for all,

He continues His Office of High

Priest, for not only does our High

Priest make atonement for us, he

makes intercession for us. This is

an important theme in the NT. Not

only did Christ die, he lives that he

might intercede for us in the

presence of God. For Christ is not

entered into the holy places made

with hands, which are the figures

of the true; but into heaven itself,

now to appear in the presence of

God for us: (Heb 9:24). Therefore

He is also able to save to the

uttermost those who come to God

through Him, since He always lives

to make intercession for them

(Heb 7:25).

In the OT the high priest bore two

precious stones on his shoulders

and a breastplate on his chest.

Both of these were symbolic of

him upholding the nation of Israel

before God. They were to be a

memorial before God (Exod 28:12,

29). As Christ appears in God’s

presence he upholds all his people

by his prayers. He is able to

succour - that is help, support and

relieve those who are suffering

temptation and trial. Christ is our

compassionate High Priest As

Matthew Henry says, “The

remembrance of his own sorrows

and temptations makes him

mindful of the trials of his people,

and ready to help them.”

Paul has already written about an

intercessor on earth - the Holy

11

Spirit who intercedes in and for us

- so we also have an intercessor in

heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ who

feels for us in our infirmities. His

intercession brings us strength for

every circumstance of life. The

crucifixion, resurrection, ascension

and intercession of Christ brings us

tremendous security, which is why

Paul ends by dealing with:

The Voice of Separation

V35 Who shall separate us from

the love of Christ?

Righteousness is realized by the

security of God’s love. Paul takes a

string of enemies both physical

and spiritual and he parades them

all before us to show that nothing

can ever separate us from Christ's

love. Let’s deal with them one at a

time:

Extremes of Condition

Tribulation

There are a host of afflictions

which are common to God’s

people in every age. Many are the

afflictions of the righteous.

Illnesses, joblessness, accidents

and problems would be just the

start of a huge list. But none of

these things can separate us from

the love of Christ.

Distress

The word means to be in a narrow

position - in straights or dilemmas.

There are times when we just

don’t know what to do. In such

times our distress cannot separate

us from the love of Christ

Persecution

Throughout the church age

believers have been persecuted by

men’s tongues and by men’s

swords.

Jesus said “Remember the word

that I said to you, 'A servant is not

greater than his master.' If they

persecuted Me, they will also

persecute you.” John 15:20

But persecution cannot separate

us from the love of Christ

Famine

Christians are among those who

are experiencing famine in many

countries today. They are not

immune. Paul himself had this

experience when he said I have

learned both to be full and to be

hungry, both to abound and to

suffer need. I can do all things

through Christ who strengthens

me. Phil 4:13

Paul had found that famine cannot

separate us from the love of

Christ.

Nakedness

Christians are not immune to

poverty. Many in the early church

had to run to deserts and hide in

caves from their persecutors. They

were no strangers to nakedness.

Paul recounts his experience “ in

weariness and toil, in sleeplessness

often, in hunger and thirst, in

fastings often, in cold and

nakedness- 2 Cor 11:27 But, says

Paul, it can’t separate us from the

love of Christ.

Perils

Paul had abundant experience of

perils. He says “I was in journeys

often, in perils of waters, in perils

of robbers, in perils of my own

countrymen, in perils of the

Gentiles, in perils in the city, in

perils in the wilderness, in perils in

the sea, in perils among false

brethren;” 2 Cor 11:26

Sword

The night Jesus was betrayed was

perhaps the first time a sword had

been held up to him. Since then

many saints have been put to the

sword, including James the

brother of John. Pictures from

countries such as Indonesia show

modern day examples of

Christians publicly beheaded by

the Islamic militia and their heads

carried around on poles. Even

today God’s people are like sheep

driven to slaughter.

As it is written: "For Your sake we

are killed all day long; We are

accounted as sheep for the

slaughter." But in all these things

we are “more than conquerors”.

This Greek word has no simple

translation in English. It literally

means Hyper/super conquerors.

We are already on the winning

side, we are over all and above all

for Christ has won the victory for

us. Stephen Olford says, “This is an

entirely new order of victory,

every attack is a means by which I

show them who’s the winner!”

Extremes of Spiritual Powers

Angels

If Paul means bad angels then we

recall that Lucifer was hurled from

heaven to earth and that Christ

has given us power to trample on

the works of the enemy. No evil

angel can separate us from the

love of Christ. If he means good

angels, if it were possible at some

future time that these would rebel

and oppose our favored position

in heaven, they shall never be able

to separate us from the love of

Christ.

12

Principalities

These are the spirits of high rank

mentioned in Eph 6. With all their

wiles and force of darkness they

cannot separate us from the love

of Christ.

Powers

These wicked sinister powers are

responsible for the witchcraft,

Spiritism, idolatry and Satan

worship in the world today,

something which is made more

popular by such films as Harry

Potter and Lord of the Rings.

These things are real and

powerful, but mighty as they are

cannot separate me from the Love

of Christ.

More Extremes of State

Death

Death has been called the King of

Terrors. Man is instinctively afraid

of death and rightly so, for “it is

appointed unto man once to die

and after this the judgment”. Only

those who are in Christ need have

no fear of death, for nothing can

separate us from the love of God

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Life

Life can be more dangerous than

death. Many things can happen in

life. Men are filled with

tremendous anxiety about what

life may bring. There are

thousands of conditions we may

find ourselves in life but none of

these can ever separate us from

the love of God which is in Christ

Jesus our Lord.

Extremes of Time & Space

Neither present no future - the

past is already dealt with. But

nothing now or in the future. No

height nor depth. Consider how

vast the universe is. Christ has

filled all these things. He

descended to the depths of hell

before rising triumphantly to the

highest place in heaven. Nothing

in the heavens can separate me

from Christ’s love.

The breadth length depth and

height of the love of God were

revealed at the cross and Jesus

death is enough to send me clean

into his very presence.

In case he’s left anything out, Paul

concludes with the words “nor any

other created thing,” This eternal

security is as resounding as it is

reassuring.

God has included you in the

reality, eternity and activity of his

love, and he gives you an

opportunity to be secure forever

in his love which nothing can

separate us from. This security will

be yours as you receive the Lord

Jesus as your Saviour, for in

receiving him, you receive all

things.

Let’s Talk About Prayer

Though prayer is 'the Christian's vital breath' it raises many questions: if God is in control of everything what's the point of praying? How is prayer related to healing? What about 'unanswered' prayer?

In this remarkable book Dr Tom Holland (Union School of Theology) uses a series of conversations between a pastor and members of his congregation to help us think through these and other questions in the light of biblical teaching.

Available from all good Christian bookstores

13

In this Bible study I would like to

share four aspects with you. The

Bible tells us that these are,

amongst others, signs of the

impending return of Jesus.

1. All things will continue as

they were from the beginning.

The disciples asked Jesus what

these signs would be. He warned

them not to consider disasters as

such since they would always

come – wars, rumors of war,

nation against nation,

earthquakes, and famines. Life

would be normal not abnormal –

people marrying, eating, drinking,

sleeping, or working. All these

things would go on right up to the

day of His coming, just as they

have to this day.

1 Timothy Chapter 1

It is important for our purposes to

always examine the role of the

pastor as outlined in the Pastoral

Epistles; however it must not be

the sole purpose of the

investigations, as there is much in

each chapter which is relevant to

the whole of the Christian Church.

v.1–2 Paul had a particularly good

relationship with Timothy; Acts

shows that he was a companion of

Paul during his missionary

journeys. Here he refers to him as

‘son in the faith’, which is most

probably a reference to his

conversion under Paul’s ministry

(Acts 16:1–3). We have a

responsibility for others who come

under our spiritual influence; and

Paul wanted to pass on beneficial

instructions to the younger man

whom he regarded as his spiritual

‘son’. It is vital that we never think

that we have or know all the

answers; it is important to seek

good godly advice from those

whom we respect in spiritual

matters.

v.3–11 Beware of false teachers; a

pastor’s heart is here revealed

through a concern for the

protection of the congregation of

which he has spiritual

responsibility; the pastor must

watch over the people as a

shepherd with the flock. But how

do we recognise false teaching?

The safest course is to be sure of a

knowledge of the truth of the

biblical narrative and the theology

contained within; as the pastor

knows the truth so too this can be

passed to the congregation hence

preparing all to recognise what is

false and unbiblical. The pastor

should:

1. Know the true word.

2. Pray for direction.

3. Remember you have a

responsibility to self and others.

4. Never teach out of selfish gain.

v.5 What is the correct motivation

for all our work and service for

God? It is love! If in our ministries

we concentrate on the love of God

which is expressed in his word then

there will be blessing. Paul

highlights this in 1 Cor. 13 the

famous chapter on love sadly so

often kept for weddings and

funerals; however contained in its

verses is essential help on

understanding love and its impact

upon the individual.

v.11 The gospel is the gospel of the

glory of the blessed God—it is

God’s gospel, his mission and his

love (2 Cor. 4:4–6). It is imperative

to remember that the whole

message revolves around God not

us! The pastor must never be a

self-centred individual but one

who’s primary role is the spiritual

care of those in the community

both inside and outside the church.

Pastoral Training for Timothy by Dr Chris Palmer (OMS) Image © Curaphotography

14

v.12 Why are you here? This is a

vital question to examine (take a

few minutes to think around this

question and consider your true

reasons for attending Bible College

or the role you currently have in

the local church). Paul here

recollects his call to ministry and

despite the difficulties faced he is

full of gratitude towards God for

choosing him to be a bearer of the

good news of the gospel. There

will be periods of hardship as you

serve the Lord; doubts; fears;

criticism; questions and despair;

however at those times remember

who has called you to his service:

the Lord ‘kurios’ the supreme

authority!

Are you thankful that God has

chosen you to serve him in his

ministry in the world?

If you are going to serve in a

manner that is in line with God’s

plans, then you will require:

1. Strength from God.

2. Work for God.

3. Goal is God himself.

v.17 Here we see a picture of the

God whom we serve; this is known

as a Doxology—an ending of

praise to the God we know and

serve. In this verse we see that God

is:

1. King.

2. Eternal.

3. Immortal.

4. Invisible.

5. Wise/ all knowing.

(see also Rev. 15:3; Rom.1:23; Col.

1:15; Rom. 16:27).

Church discipline

v.20 To be handed over to Satan

means to be put out of the church

into the realm of Satan (i.e. the

world outside the church); possibly

set apart from the church to ‘learn

a lesson’ and understand that God

can forgive their misdemeanour.

Church discipline is an important

issue for the Pastor/leader; how

we deal with matters of discipline

in the church can affect the whole

body of Christ. It is therefore

necessary to be firm, fair and

biblical in one’s approach to

disciplinary matters.

Quality Control in the Church:

How are disciplinary matters dealt

with by leaders?

There will be times when you will

have to deal with serious matters,

such as immorality or financial

impropriety, and it is essential that

you deal with them in the biblical

way. The Bible lays down principles

for dealing with problematic

church members.

Community discipline is essential,

and all churches should have a

disciplinary procedure in place as

part of its constitution. If this is the

case, all members should be aware

of this policy and therefore will not

be able to object when a decision

is made.

What is the Framework for

Discipline?

1. Brother to brother (Matt.

5:22–24; 1 Cor. 5–6).

2. Two/three witnesses speak to

the erring member (Matt.

18:15–16).

3. Pastor/elders speak to the

erring member (Matt. 18:17, 1

Cor. 1:11).

4. Excommunication for the

unrepentant member (Matt.

18:17, 1 Tim. 1:20, 3 John 1:9).

5. What about being accepted

back, after genuine

repentance? (Jm. 5:19-20)

(See also, Ezra 10:1–18; John 9:22,

34; 2 Thess. 3:6–15; Titus 3:10–11;

1 Tim. 5:20; 1 Cor. 11:30; Rev.

2:20–22).

Serious Issues

Serious matters of discipline will be

few and far between, be sure that

no one ‘lords’ it over a

congregation, making rules for the

most insignificant matters and

taking the joy out of discipline. Our

preaching and teaching should be

enough to encourage people to

live as Christians, the emphasis

should be placed on good solid

biblical instruction, allowing the

convicting power of the Holy Spirit

to work on people’s lives to change

them in God’s time. Enforced

restrictions can sometimes prove

negative.

The whole matter of discipline

needs to be treated with the

respect it deserves; remember not

to discuss the ‘issues’ openly when

other people’s lives are involved—

we are not to be gossips.

Discernment is essential in all such

matters, for judging others can be

a big problem (Matt. 7:3ff.) See

also 1 Cor. 4:5; 6:1; 1 Pet. 4:15;

Eph. 4:32; Gal. 6:1.

Be prepared to act but don’t go

looking for trouble!

QUESTIONS

1. What issues might a

pastor/leader face in the Church

which might require disciplinary

intervention?

2. Discuss how a leader might deal

with:

- Sexual immorality?

- Physical abuse?

- Malicious gossip?

- Open criticism of leaders?

15

This Psalm is one of only four in

scripture that is given the title “a

prayer of David.” The

circumstance that has occasioned

the prayer is of a serious nature as

David’s life is threatened unjustly,

for he had not wronged those who

were persecuting him. He turns to

God in prayer, knowing that God is

both righteous and merciful and

will see his innocence and deliver

and vindicate his servant.

In this Psalm I would like us to

notice the conflict, continuance,

cost and consummation of the

Christian Life.

The Conflict of the Christian

Life

In verse 3 David is not claiming

sinless perfection when he says,

You have tested my heart; You

have visited me in the night; You

have tried me and have found

nothing.

He is merely claiming to be

innocent in the matter that he is

praying about, that he has not

wronged his persecutors. He is not

suggesting to God that there is no

sin in his heart. If he did he would

be a liar.

If we say that we have no sin, we

deceive ourselves, and the truth is

not in us. If we say that we have

not sinned, we make Him a liar,

and His word is not in us. 1 John

1:8,10.

There is no one who could ever

claim to be absolutely free from

sin in thought word or deed and

that was the Lord Jesus Christ. We

cannot attain sinless perfection in

this life. The conflict that a

believer has with sin is a major

conflict of the Christian life.

Paul did not claim to be perfect:

Not that I have already attained,

or am already perfected; Phil

3:12.

He goes into great detail in the 7th

chapter of Romans to explain the

conflict of the Christian life.

Paul is not describing the

experience of an unconverted

person, for unconverted persons

are at enmity with God, and so

cannot delight after the law of

God after the inward man. Neither

is he speaking of how he used to

be before he had the victory and

found a position of sinless

perfection. For as we said , he

never claimed to be perfect. Paul

is explaining the conflict which is

experienced by all believers,

including himself, between the

new nature, which is born again of

God’s Spirit and delights to do

God’s will, and the old nature,

often referred to as the flesh,

which cannot conform to the law

of God.

In the work of regeneration, God

the Holy Spirit does not change or

renew the old nature. Instead, He

The Christian Life - Psalm 17 Image © Lensonfocus

16

creates a new nature within us in

the likeness of Christ. As the new

nature develops and grows, and

we allow it to have the upper

hand, so we have greater victory

over sin than we had experienced

before. But this process and

progress will never end while we

live in a fallen world. There will

always be occasions when the old

nature gains the upper hand. This

is by no means an excuse for us to

sin wilfully. But it is nevertheless

the honest experience of every

Christian who has ever lived. Paul

concludes his theme on a note of

victory, for since the old nature is

counted as God as being dead,

crucified with Jesus Christ, and

since we have the new nature

living within us, the old nature

cannot drag us back under its

absolute control. Therefore we are

forever free from condemnation,

the new life of the Spirit which we

enjoy in Christ Jesus have sets us

free from the demands of law of

sin and death.

The Continuance of the

Christian Life

v4 David tells us that it is by the

inward power of the word of God,

revealed to him and acted upon by

him with God’s help has kept him

safe, walking in the ways of the

Lord. So he prays that the Lord will

keep him in the right way, obeying

his word. He leads me in the

paths of righteousness For His

name's sake. Ps 23.3

This is the secret of Continuance in

the Christian life, and a

tremendous lesson for us. Rom 8

says that as many as are led by the

Spirit of God are the sons of God.

How does this leading work out in

practice?

How can a young man cleanse his

way? By taking heed according to

Your word. Psalms 119:9

It is only through the word of God,

delivered to us through expository

preaching, received into our

hearts and acted upon that we can

be divinely enabled to know and

to do the will of God.

Through his word God is doing an

eternal work in us. Let us never

underestimate the eternal

importance of the ministry of

God’s word in our lives. Jesus said

“Sanctify them through Your truth,

Your word is truth.” John 17.17.

We must also appreciate the

terrible eternal consequences of

neglecting God’s word.

God’s ordained way of making his

will and counsel known is through

the preaching of his word. Let us

dwell on that thought for a

moment. Not just his word but the

preaching of it.

John the Baptist came preaching..

John came baptizing in the

wilderness and preaching a

baptism of repentance for the

remission of sins Mk 1:4

Jesus preached the good news of

the kingdom... Now after John was

put in prison, Jesus came to

Galilee, preaching the gospel of

the kingdom of God, Mark 1:14

And God has chosen to reveal his

word through preaching. Titus

1.2,3

in hope of eternal life which God,

who cannot lie, promised before

time began, but has in due time

manifested His word through

preaching, which was committed

to me according to the

commandment of God our Savior;

Titus 1:2-3

Paul told Timothy to preach the

word. There are a number of ways

that preaching is important. For

example,

1. In scripture we are told that the

greatest gift of the Sprit is

prophecy. Why? We might have

though the gift of healings or the

working of miracles were the

greater gifts, but we would be

wrong, for these gifts generally

minister to individuals in their

body, not directly to their soul.

Whereas prophecy ministers to

the soul and builds up the whole

congregation of the church at

once. Even through it is through

imperfect channels, it is God

speaking to man.

2. In relation to the lost,

How then shall they call on Him in

whom they have not believed? And

how shall they believe in Him of

whom they have not heard? And

how shall they hear without a

preacher? And how shall they

preach unless they are sent?

Romans 10:14-15 No one ever got

saved without hearing about

Jesus.

3. When Paul told Timothy to

preach he word, he was saying the

same as Jesus said to Peter. “Feed

my sheep”. Peter told other elders

to “feed the flock of God”. We are

fed spiritually when God’s person

and will are made known to us

through the preaching of his word.

So great was the importance

attached to this by the apostles

that they refused to be distracted

from it by any menial task,

however important. If the church

meal for widows needed someone

to run it, fine, but it would not be

them.

as newborn babes, desire the pure

milk of the word, that you may

grow thereby, 1 Peter 2:2

Have you ever seen

undernourished children? They

are not fed properly. If only they

were given a well-balanced diet.

But what of our spiritual lives. Did

we realise that we can be

undernourished and ill formed in

17

our Christian lives for want of

good Bible teaching?

The early church continued

steadfastly in the apostles

teaching. They never missed a

Bible study. They regularly and

conscientiously attended

whenever the apostles gave Bible

teaching, so that they might grow

in their Christian faith and improve

their usefulness to the Lord and

his church.

He Himself gave some to be

apostles, some prophets, some

evangelists, some pastors and

teachers, for the equipping of the

saints for the work of ministry, for

the edifying of the body of Christ,

Eph 4:11-12

The Cost of the Christian Life

That David’s life was threatened

we have already established and in

verses 9 -12 of this Psalm he gives

us a picture of his persecutors,

which we will not go into this

morning. Enough for our purposes

to say that he was persecuted.

This is the Cost of the Christian

life. "We must through many

tribulations enter the kingdom of

God."

As David knew too well, there are

times when the wicked rise up

against the children of God. Only

this week, the minibus was

attacked and its tyres slashed

causing over £200 of damage.

At this present time the Lord has

not permitted them to harm our

persons. Yet we are reminded that

there will always be those who will

oppose and hate the Christian

church.

If the world hates you, you know

that it hated Me before it hated

you. If you were of the world, the

world would love its own. Yet

because you are not of the world,

but I chose you out of the world,

therefore the world hates you.

Remember the word that I said to

you, 'A servant is not greater than

his master.' If they persecuted Me,

they will also persecute you. John

15:18-20

They will put you out of the

synagogues; yes, the time is

coming that whoever kills you will

think that he offers God service.

John 16:2

Then they will deliver you up to

tribulation and kill you, and you

will be hated by all nations for My

name's sake. Matt 24:9

So Jesus answered and said,

"Assuredly, I say to you, there is no

one who has left house or brothers

or sisters or father or mother or

wife or children or lands, for My

sake and the gospel's, who shall

not receive a hundred fold now in

this time--houses and brothers and

sisters and mothers and children

and lands, with persecutions--and

in the age to come, eternal life.

Mark 10:29-30

We must be prepared for this to

happen. And yet God has

promised to hide us under the

shadow of his wing. David tells us

that God will keep us as the apple

of his eye - the pupil, the most

sensitive part.

As we consider these and other

scriptures it is hard for us to

appreciate them in the context of

the killing, torture and

imprisonment which is the daily

experience of millions of Christian

around the world. How can we be

certain that God is keeping his

promise to protect us, when all

around the world Christians are

persecuted and tortured?

I think a story by Corey Ten Boon

illustrates this point.

A little boy was out walking with

his father and it became dark. On

returning home they had to cross

a very fierce river by a narrow

bridge. The little boy was

frightened. He could not see the

river, but he could hear its angry

swelling. He was too frightened to

cross the bride unless he should

fall into the water and be carried

away. So his father lifted him up

and carried him. He could still hear

the raging water, but knew that he

was safe in his father’s hands. So

he fell asleep, trusting his dad.

Next morning he woke up

peacefully to a beautiful morning

in his own bed at home with his

father. That is what will happen

when we pass though persecution.

Although we may hear and

experience the hate and even

abuse and martyrdom at the

hands of our enemies, our dying

will only be a falling asleep in the

arms of Jesus, and we will wake up

all together, safe and sound with

him at home. This is the..

The Consummation of the

Christian Life

David’s greatest desire was to

dwell in the house of the Lord

forever. He was like Paul who said

to depart and be with Christ is far

better. Here David says I will be

satisfied when I wake with your

likeness. One day we shall wake

up from this earth's dark night,

and see Jesus face to face, 1 JN 3.2

“when we see him we shall be like

him” Fear, sorrow, guilt for our

failings, sickness and pain will all

be passed forever and we will

never remember them. Lois said to

me last night, I wish I could sing

like I used to. Well I don’t know if

you’ll ever sing like you used to

but I do know that you will sing

like you have never sung before in

those mansions bright - and

wonder of wonders - none of the

Lord’s children will be missing. We

shall all be there! And so shall we

ever be with the Lord.

The Prophecy of Amos

The virtually unknown prophet Amos bursts onto the pages of history with a warning relevant to his time. He confronts the nation of Israel with the unchanging nature of God and warns them to repent before judgment falls. As we study a period in the history of a nation that had turned its back on God, we draw disturbing parallels with our own time.

18

We met a gentleman in Africa

who told us, "There is only one

thing I cannot provide for

myself! My food grows or I

catch it. I built my house with

the materials I found in the

forest. The river washes me

and my clothes—but to get

really clean, I need SOAP."

I have a memory of arriving late

one evening at a Missionary

Compound to be greeted by

the Watchman, who was taking

the opportunity to wash in the

river. He rose up out of the

water, covered in white soapy

bubbles. "This soap is good!"

he said.

We take soap for granted. It

comes in all colours,

fragrances, degrees of oiliness,

sizes, and shapes. Its one

purpose is to make us clean.

This is an adequate description

of religion!

Religion is a system which is

presented in a number of

different ways with the one

purpose: to make us clean.

Humanity’s grubbiness can be

described in various words but

one word suffices for all the

others. That word is Sin.

Sin disfigures every society, and

every single soul. All faiths have

one intention: to clean up

humanity and appease a

righteous God. But how can

human effort appease God?

How can sinful man deal with

his own sinfulness?

The Christian faith provides the

only answer! God placed Jesus

on planet earth to identify with

humanity. When Jesus was

crucified he paid the penalty

for the sin and guilt of the

entire human race. When we

identify with Jesus he cleans us

up.

Faith in Jesus is heavenly soap!

A convicted prisoner, in a

maximum security jail, put it

like this "When I accepted

Jesus as my Saviour, I was still

inside—but inside, I was clean."

On the first Easter Day Jesus

rose from the dead, and this

indicates that God accepted his

sacrifice. Personal Spring

cleaning is available through

faith in Jesus Christ.

We all need to pray: “Remove

my sin, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter

than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)

© Paul Prescott | Dreamstime.com

This Soap is Good!

An Extract from A Garland of Grace by Doreen Harrison

19

MASSIVE POWER

Massive power, massive

love, healed and saved

From above

By a love I did not earn

That holds me near both

night and day.

Through the ups and downs,

when feeling down

And burdened by my

tarnished crown;

It’s always there come rain

or shine,

Through a promise true that

makes it mine.

A love so true I cannot say a

word or thing to lose its way.

Massive power, massive

love, healed and saved

From above

By my Father’s love—

Abba Father’s love.

ANGEL LIGHT

Angels can fly because they

take and hold everything

lightly.

Light breathes life into

everything.

Is this why they visit us at

night, delivering Daddy’s

blessings and lessons at the

quietest time?

Could you cope with a single

touch at any other time?

Would your mind

comprehend— their touch is

so light as to be

imperceptible?

Would this rescue you from

calamity of work, calamity of

family, calamity of spouse,

calamity of life?

Have we missed the glory,

the mercy, the joy, the love

of His tender touch by the

breadth of a hair?

Have I blinked out of

synchronisation with the

Creator’s rhythm?

Does my heart not jump

elatedly when the angel’s

delivery finds its target?

Lord provide me an angel’s

light.

Massive Power Massive Love

Shocking… heart-rending… inspiring… compulsive

reading.

Healed and saved from above! The autobiographical

book of Psalm-like poems charting the journey of one abuse survivor to salvation

and healing through the mercy of Jesus Christ.

Karl Ayling’s honest and at times heart-rending poetry

tells the story of his life, and allows the reader to journey with him from the darkness of despair towards salvation

and eventual healing.

Available from all good Christian bookstores

Massive Power Massive Love

Paperback: £7.99 & free UK delivery. KINDLE: £3.99

Available as an ebook in most formats.

Karl Ayling has a unique way of sharing his amazing testimony—through a book of moving psalm-like poetry. Here are two of his poems.

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Contact us for details:

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

Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett

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