living word may 2012
DESCRIPTION
The free Bible study magazine for those wanting to go deeper into God's Word.TRANSCRIPT
I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
Going Deeper into God’s Word
Issue 10 May 2012
Bible Studies by: Daniel Kolenda, Ken Legg, Mathew Bartlett, Derek Williams, Edwin & Lillian Harvey & more!
London Olympics 2012
Are you ready?
Liv
ing W
ord
Magazin
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1
PSA 107:29 HE MAKETH THE STORM A CALM, SO THAT THE WAVES THEREOF ARE STILL. (AV) IN THIS ISSUE
©Photos above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov
In this month’s issue: 2. The Forgiving Nature of God Lewis Armstrong (USA)
3. Rebuilding the Walls Part 3 Arfon Lloyd Thomas (UK)
5 The Countdown has Begun Mathew Bartlett (UK)
7. Pressing Toward the Finish Line Mathew Bartlett (UK)
9. Forward to Glory Ken Legg (Australia AG)
10. Man’s Strange Reluctance Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)
11. The Prophecy of Amos Part 1 Mathew Bartlett (UK)
14. Standing Firm Through the Storm Mathew Bartlett (UK)
17. The Runaway Prophet (Jonah Part 3) Derek Williams (UK)
20. In Depth Study – Revelation Chapter 15 Derek Williams (UK)
22. Guest Article: Prayer that Brings Heaven to Earth (2)
Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)
©Photos Above © Photoquest. Cover: © Rob Wilson 39.. Left © from top:Enjoylife25, Jeff Schulz, [email protected]; ShariffC, and Eleandra.
Bible Studies Online International
www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk
2
The Forgiving Nature of God WRITE IN THE GAPS
Lev. 4:26. What was done to receive forgiveness of sin?
_________________________
Lev. 4:31 What created a sweet Aroma for God? _________________________
Lev. 4:35.What was done with the offering?
_________________________
Lev. 5:10 What did the priest do for the individual?
_________________________
Lev. 5:13 What did the priest receive?
_________________________
Lev. 5:16 How was the trespass offering accomplished?
_________________________
Lev. 5:18 What kind of animal was required in this verse?
_________________________
Lev. 6:7 Can an individual be forgiven and how?
_________________________
Lev. 19:22What could a priest do?
__________________________
Num. 14:19 How long had God forgiven the people?
_________________________
Num. 15:25 How are a group of people forgiven?
_________________________
Num. 15:28 Was an intentional sin forgiven?
_________________________
Josh. 24:19 What brought on this harshness from God?
_________________________
II Chron. 7:14 God will hear from where and do what? ____________________________________________________________
I Kings 8:30 For the people, what does he want God to do?
1. ________________
and 2. _________________
I Kings 8:34 What is the plea to God?. _________________________
1 Kings 8:36 Not only a plea to forgive but teach them what?
_________________________
1 Kings 8:39 Give to everyone according to what?
_________________________
1 Kings 8:50 What is this prayer about?_
_________________________
Psalm 34:17-19 When the righteous cry out, God does 1._______ 2._______
3.________
Psalm 86:5 Why is ready to forgive is so important to man? ___________________________
Jer. 33:8 What two things will God do? _________________________
Dan. 9:9What comfort do we draw know what God has available for His people rebel against Him?
1. __________ 2. ____________
Mark 3:29 What will never be forgiven?
_________________________
Mark 11:25 How important is forgiving others?
_________________________
Acts 5:31 Why is Christ exalted in this verse?
_________________________
Acts 13:38 What do we receive through Christ? _________________________
Acts 26:18 We need to turn from
1. ________________ 2._________________
To receive what? ___________________________
Ephes. 1:7. What do we have through Christ's blood?
___________________________
And this is according to what? ___________________________
Col. 1:14 We have redemption through what?
___________________________
May Reader’s Article By Lewis Armstrong USA
3
Many of the local inhabitants
responded to Nehemiah’s
challenge – and the first to get
their hands dirty were the
Priests! They could have pleaded
their calling to undertake the
sacred things, but they took the
lead in the rebuilding plan. What
an amazing sight that must have
been, when the men of God got
going for Him!
Nehemiah was aware of each
group and the areas that best
suited them. Today the Pastor’s
task is to help the people to
discover their spiritual gifts and
then use them in the allocated
areas. I wonder have you
discovered yet where you belong
in the Body of Christ? It seems
obvious to me that each one of
us has at least one basic spiritual
gift and we should use it or we
will be discouraged. Whenever
we are serious about spiritual
growth and undertake the task of
building and rebuilding we need
to search our hearts to develop
the gift – otherwise we may
become square pegs in round
holes.
The important fact is that we
must be aware of and have an
understanding of that the gift is –
otherwise we go through our
spiritual walk with minimum
effectiveness and maximum
weariness, whereas, it should be
the other way around.
We discover one negative note
here in this chapter. The Nobles
of Tekoa would not put their
shoulders to work under
supervisors. Their problem was
pride. This is the sin that
changed the Angel into the Devil.
Thus there will be little spiritual
progress where pride gets in the
way.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father,
Am I a square peg in a round
hole? Help me to be remoulded
by your hand so that I might
discover my basic gift and be
effective in my work for You. If I
am proud then help me to
humble myself and live for You.
Amen.
Nehemiah was obviously an
expert at getting people to co-
operate. Even the daughters of
one of the officials assisted their
father. He did this by being
inspiring in leadership as he
shared with them the vision and
then encouraged them in their
task. We may look at this list of
names as being tedious, but
everyone needs to know that
MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK NEHEMIAH chapter 3 verses 1-32
By Arfon Lloyd Thomas
Photo © Paul Prescott
4
they count for something and it
encourages us to know that we
are appreciated.
Nehemiah arranged the people
to work as close to their homes
as possible – this brought a sense
of family belonging. This of
course is where the real work of
God must always begin and be
anchored. An alarming trend in
the Church today is to only come
along but not be truly committed
to the family.
Perhaps a question that we need
to ask is, “What are the walls like
around your own home?” Are we
cemented together with fervent
prayer, faithfulness, integrity,
oneness and a deep concern for
each other? Nehemiah co-
ordinated the efforts of each
worker and inspired them by
setting them a clear vision and
then commended them for their
sacrificial effort.
I believe the main point to our
story and text today is
“communication.” This involved
the whole family being
committed to each other and
looking out for each other. The
instruction to each part of the
family is so that we might know
what to do and where and when
to do it. So, let us prepare to co-
ordinate, co-operate and
communicate, because, as the
Chinese Proverb says, “May
hands make light work.
PRAYER: Dear Heavenly
Father, we want our home
to be Your home. Help us to
rebuild any walls that have
fallen down in the Body of
this Church. Help us to be
fully committed and
dedicated to Your calling.
Lord, teach us the principles
of governing and spiritual
success as we obey Your
bidding. Amen.
Building the Walls Worldwide
Pastor Arfon Lloyd Thomas is an experienced minister with the Baptist church in the UK and is willing and available to conduct short term mission trips and revival schools both in Great Britain and overseas.
If you would like to invite Pastor Arfon Lloyd Thomas to your church or conference anywhere in the world, we would be pleased to hear from you.
Contact the Bible Studies Online International office at:
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5
The Countdown has Begun!
Get ready for a Royal visitor!
By Mathew Bartlett
Photo © Miluxian
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Here in the UK thousands of people have been geeting ready for the greatest event to hit London for many years - the Olympic games!
When it was announced that the Queen would officialy open the games on 27th July, I bgean to recall a Wednesday afternoon about twenty years ago when the queen came to visit my own workplace.
I can clearly remmeber that day, being a student in Cardiff when her majesty the Queen of England came to inspect the Physics department at our University. All over the building was the smell of fresh paint, and a new red carpet was rolled out in the foyer for the Rotal guest’s arrival. Unfortunately, her Majesty had only been scheduled to meet with some of our best postgradute students in two of the upstairs laboratories, which I think it were the astrophysics lab and the student’s lab where we did our experiments with radium and uranium.
As we walked through the campus, one of my lecturers (who was also a Christian) said to me 'Look at all this fuss they are making about the coming of the Queen, but they are making no prepartion for the coming of Jesus Christ who the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!'
And that was certainly true. Most of my felow students were entirely unconcerned about their souls’ salvation, although I had tried, in my own small way, to reach out to them with the gospel. I had spoken of Christ to
a number of tehm in the campus canteen, and I has even posted gospel message posters on various notice boards around the University building, but they were invariably torn down by a rather irate Iranian postgraduate who seemed to follow me about, replacing them with veres from the Koran. To me, this was a strange thing todo, since I was not actively evangelising his fellow moslems;; and indeed, in those days there were not that many of them in our part of the University campus.
I wondered how would these students ever be ready for the coming of the King?
Jesus said:
Rev 16:15 Behold, I am going to come like a thief! Blessed (happy, to be envied) is he who stays awake (alert) and who guards his clothes, so that he may not be naked and [have the shame of being] seen exposed! (AMPNT)
This verse speaks ogf being ready for the coming of Christ. Jesus said 'Be ye also ready for the son of man is coming at an hour when you do not expect him’ (Matt. 24:44). Those who are not ready will be shut out of God’s presence of God to endure everlasting destruction:
2Th 1:8-9 With flaming fire he will mete out punishment on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will undergo the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his strength,
So it certainly pays to be ready!
Jesus is coming soon, and I can’t wait to meet him, whom having not seen, I love!
When her Majesty Queen Elizabeth came to visit our University, I was given the choice either to stay and wave to the royal party from a distance, or to go home. So I thought, well, why should I stay? I am not going to personally meet the Queen. I may not even see her among the great crowds that will gather to wave Union Jacks for her. One thing that is certain is that she isn’t coming here to see me personally – in fact, she doesn't even know of my existence!
But the wonderful thing about Jesus coming again is that he is coming personally to meet me. I have been on his heart and on his mind for all eternity, and he is longing for me to be with him even more than I desire to be with him.
That Wednesday afternoon in 1992 I decided to go home and join our afternooon prayer meeting for revival. In that meeting, I could meet with the Lord Jesus, the King of Kings! It is the same today – I can come to meet the Lord at any time without any appointment being necessary. Yet how wonderful it will be when I finally see Jesus face to face and remian eternally with him.
'Forever with the Lord'!
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With the London 2012 Olympics approaching, it is inspiring to once again consider the athleticism displaye din teh life and service of teh aposlte Paul. As committed to his mission as a top athlete is to his training. His eyes were constantly on teh prize or goal of his whole life -nt an olympic gold medal, but to be approved of Christ in life and finally to be united with Christ in death.
Nothing, not even legitimate passtimes, family or firends could deter Paul from fixing his whole personality on becoming what Christ had predsestined him to be.
3:10 My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death,
Paul has made is clear that his chief desire in life was to know Jesus Christ. He eplains the way in which we can know Christ now - by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, which has been made available to through Christ's resurrection. Yet Paul realised that in order to know Christ's life, he must understadn the heart and mind of Jesus, and that he
could only do so as he shared in His sufferings. After all, no one can honestly say 'I understadn how you feel' when they have not experienced what you have! If we would have a deeper felloship with Christ, tehn we too must come to know him by sharing in his sufferings.
Resurrection always follows death; Christ died before being raised to life by the Holy Spirit, and similarly to know the power of Christ's resurrection we must first suffer for Christ. It is not our determination or fortitude that shall help us withstand in times of uffering, it is the power of Christ's resurection power which enables us to endure joyfully. Since Paul's desire was not only to know Jesus, but to be like Jesus., he rejoiced that by becoming like Him in His death he would also becoem like him in resurrection.
3:11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
What Paul means here by "the resurrection of the dead" is not that he may become worthy of the resurrection to immortal life, for this gift of sternal life has already been secured for all believers by Christ's
own death and resurrection. Rather, what Paul desires is that in this present life he might know God's power working in him - teh power that raised Christ from death. Paul wanted to experience the fullness of Christ's life dwelling within and flowing out from him. Do we share the same desire? True, as believers we all have the life of Christ in us, but teh measure of our daily experience of it will depend very much on how much we desire it!
3:12 Not that I have already attained this -- that is, I have not already been perfected -- but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.
Even a mature apostle like Paul recognised that there was still room in his life for spiritual growth. He had not yet attained to the final perfection for which Christ has saved us and that will be ours only when we see Him face to face. Until then, the law of sin will continue to work in our bodies. Only when Christ comes again will our bodies, which He has redeemed, be changed that there might be a complete absence of sin. When we see Him, we shall be like Him (1 John 3:2). Until then, we should follow Paul's example. He was like a runner in a race, pressing on with his eyes on the finish line, which is perfection. And that perfection is none other than Christ Himself. To be with Jesus and to be liek Jesus was Paul's all consuming desire.
3:13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead,
If Paul, that man of God, could say he was not yet perfect, let us beware of thinking that we are (1 John 1:8). Paul ran with all his
Pressing Toward the Finish Line
By Mathew Bartlett Photo © ShariffC
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energy to obtain the prize - which was not a gold medal. The reward at the end of our race is Christ Himself. Christians should not view the image of running in a race to mean that only one can win the prize. We are all running in the same race, and the prizes are for everyone - all of us will win, provided that we all finish the race we have begun.
Christians running in teh raceof life acan learn important lessons from athletics. The runner who keeps looking behind him will lose valuable time; and similarly, whatever has happened before in our lives, whether good or bad, are now gone into eternity. It is no good for us to look back or dwell on them. Looking back in this way will only hinder us from running in the race. So, we are to FORGET those things that are behind.
Also, any serious runner will tell you that it is important to keep your eyes on the finish line, lest anything distract you from winning the race. We too must keep our eyes on our finish line, which is Jesus (Heb. 12:2).
3:14 with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Finally, when running a race, we are not to stop running until we have crossed the finish line. The Christian race is a life long commitment. It never stops till the day we die. Even though Paul was in prison, even though he was getting old, he never "eased up" in his commitment to Christ. Instead he was pressing forward. He was reaching forth to obtain, for by faith he could see the prize that was before him. He could already see the finish line, and anticipated crossing the line to receive the prize - being with Christ.
3:15 Therefore let those of us who are "perfect" embrace this point of view. If you think otherwise, God will reveal to you the error of your ways.
All those who are mature in the Christian faith should take the same view of their lives as Paul did. If we are prepared to listen, God will reveal to us the things that hinder us, so that we may act on this knowledge and cast off the hindrance.
3:16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard that we have already attained.
Whether we are old or young in the faith, we are all to have this same attitude since we are all running in the same race.
Heaven our Home
3:17 Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.
Sometimes in athletics races, a 'pacemaker' runs ahead to set the correfct pace for the runners coming behind. He is like an exampel for the others to follow. Paul and those who live like him have been given by God as examples, showing us how we should live our Christian lives. Paul was eager for the Philippians to follow his example and not the bad example of others.
3:18 For many live, about whom I have often told you, and now, with tears, I tell you that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Many who professed to know Christ as Saviour were in fact His enemies - "enemies of the cross of Christ".
3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, they exult in their shame, and they think about earthly things.
Rather than accept the cross of Christ and surrender to its implications, these people lived according to their own sensual appetites. Their minds and desires were completely fixed on earthly things- not spiritual things. There can be no other end for such people than eternal misery (Mark 8:34-37).
3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven -- and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
The Christian's desires are to be fixed on what is eternal and spiritual for these things are of Christ (Col. 3.1). They come to us from heaven, our true home, where the Lord Jesus is at present. We eagerly and patiently wait for His return.
3:21 who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.
When He comes, He will transform our mortal bodies to be like his own glorious resurrection body by exerting His divine power to which all things must submit. When we compare the prize before us with a paltry gold medal, let us exert all our energy to run with endurance, fight the good fight, and finish the coure which God has laid out for us!
Prayer: God our Father, thankyou that by your grace we are running, stretchign forward to reach the prize to which your grace has called us!
.
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Image: © Eleandra
The string holds the kite to its owner AND keeps it in the sky!
Probably the most common objection people raise in connection with the teaching of grace is that it just gives people a license to sin. Even Paul was “slanderously reported” as teaching this (Romans 3:8). In Romans 5:20 he says that the law can never deal with sin. In fact, it causes sin to abound even more (see Rom.7:5&8). The strength of sin is the law, because not only does it place in our minds thoughts that were not previously there, the law also touches the point of our rebellion.
Sin will always ‘out-sin’ the law. But where sin abounds God’s grace abounds much more. You can never out-sin grace. Now that’s the sort of language legalists cannot handle. And they accused Paul of actually teaching: “Let’s sin more so that grace might abound!” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said that if a preacher has never been accused of teaching that, or something similar to it, he has probably never preached the true gospel of grace. A faithful presentation of grace will al ways lead people to conclude that you are saying that sin is OK because grace has got it covered.
In fact, Paul taught the opposite. He said that grace is the only thing that can deliver us from the power of sin.
Sin will not have dominion over us because we are not under law but under grace. That’s what he meant when he said that where sin abounds God’s grace abounds more.
But the question in the minds of many is, “But what if someone hears the message of grace and uses it as an excuse to continue in sin?” Before we look at Paul’s response to that in the second half of Romans 6, let me say two things. First, it is not only some who are under grace who choose to live in sin. There have been many examples of legalistic preachers who have secretly committed the very sins they preach against. Secondly, just because someone chooses to abuse the message of grace by using it as an excuse to live in sin, this doesn’t mean that we should stop preaching the gospel of grace. That's what the enemy wants, because grace is the only thing that can empower against sin!
Paul says that anyone who chooses to live in sin will experience three consequences:
Bondage (Rom.6:16). Sin always takes us much further than we want to go. That’s the deceptive power of sin. It makes you think you are getting what you want. In fact, you lose control the moment you give yourself over to its power. Jesus said, “Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin” (Jn.8:34). Whenever a person chooses to sin he is no longer in control of what will take place.
Shame (Rom.6:21a). Probably most of us has done shameful things in our past, which nobody knows
about because we have been too ashamed to speak of them. Thankfully God has forgiven and forgotten those things! One of the wonderful things about our salvation is that shame is replaced with glory. We have been saved in hope of the glory of God. Then why, like a dog ret urning to its vomit, would we want to go back to those shameful things God has delivered us from? The grace of God does not take us back to shame, but forward to glory.
Death (Rom.6:21b&23). Sin and death are inseparable. Sin kills joy, peace, dreams, relationships, ministries, etc. Let’s be clear, it is not that God brings judgment upon sin for the believer because their sin has already been judged. But, the law of sowing and reaping reminds us that there are always consequences for sin.
In contrast to sin’s fruit of slavery, shame and death the blessings of righteousness are freedom, glory and life. The Christian’s freedom does not mean that we are free to do what we want to do. That’s the bondage we are saved from! Real freedom does not exist outside of being one with Christ. It is like flying a kite. The kite’s freedom to fly is related to the string to which it is tied. The very thing that holds the kite to its owner is what keeps it i n the sky. If the string is cut the kite will crash to earth. The string, which seems to bind it, gives it the ability to fly. Our freedom is being held tightly in the grip of God’s grace. We, who once were slaves to sin, by God’s grace are now slaves of righteousness. That’s the outworking of our true identity; and that’s true freedom!
Forward to Glory By Ken Legg
10
Adam and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the LORD God (Gen.
3:8).
The LORD looked down from heaven
upon the children of men, to see if
there were any that did understand,
and seek God. They are all gone aside
(Psa. 14:2, 3).
If prayer is so marvellous a privilege,
why is man so loath to enter into his
rich heritage? The observation of this
reluctance has puzzled many believers.
The answer can only be found in the
story of Adam’s lost communion in the
garden. Disobedience brought
departure; obedience means
communion. The Old Adam, the flesh,
does not delight in God. In the
following quotation, A. W. Tozer makes
it clear that it is only the enthroned
Spirit within the believer who can enjoy
fellowshipping with the Father:
“That first picture of God and man at
the time of the creation shows them in
close and open-hearted communion.
Adam listens while God explains how it
is to be with him in his Eden home and
lays down a few easy rules for his life on
earth. The whole scene is restful,
relaxed, and altogether beautiful. “But
the communion did not last. Adam’s
very likeness to God, viz., his freedom to
choose, permitted him, though it did
not compel him, to make a choice
contrary to the will of God. So sin
entered and the wondrous fellowship
was broken.
“Seen from our human standpoint,
redemption must rank first among all
the acts of God. No other achievement
of the Godhead required such vast and
precise knowledge, such perfection of
wisdom, or such fullness of moral
power. To bring man into communion
with Himself God must deal effectively
with the whole matter of justice and
righteousness; He must dispose of sin,
reconcile an enemy, and make a rebel
willingly obedient. And this He must do
without compromising His holiness or
coercing the race He would save.
“How two wills set in opposition to each
other, and both free, could be
harmonized was God’s problem and His
alone; and with infinite wisdom and
power He solved it through the
redemptive work of Jesus Christ our
Lord. Because Christ is God and man He
can properly represent each before the
other. He is the Days man Who can
stand between the alienated man and
the offended God and lay His hand upon
them both. ‘For there is one God, and
one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus’ (I Tim. 2:5).
“All this is such a familiar part of
evangelical theology that it may safely
be assumed that the majority of my
readers know it already. That is, they
know it theoretically, but the
experiential aspect of the truth is not so
well-known. Indeed large numbers of
supposedly sound Christian believers
know nothing at all about personal
communion with God; and there lies
one of the greatest weaknesses of
present day Christianity.
“The experiential knowledge of God is
eternal life (John 17:3), and increased
knowledge results in a correspondingly
larger and fuller life. So rich a treasure
is this inward knowledge of God that
every other treasure is as nothing
compared with it. We may count all
things of no value and sacrifice them
freely if we may thereby gain a more
perfect knowledge of God through Jesus
Christ our Lord. This was Paul’s
testimony (Phil. 3:7-14), and it has been
the testimony of all great Christian souls
who have followed Christ from Paul’s
day to ours.
“To know God it is necessary that we be
like God to some degree, for things
wholly dissimilar cannot agree and
beings wholly unlike can never have
communion with each other. It is
necessary therefore that we use every
means of grace to bring our souls into
harmony with the character of God.”*
*Excerpted from “The Increasing Knowledge of
God,” in That Incredible Christian, by A. W.Tozer.
Christian Publications, Inc., Harrisburg, Pa. 1964.
Used by permission.
Photo © Keeweeboy
Man’s Strange Reluctance to Commune
An extract from “Kneeling we Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey
ISBN 1-932774-08-4. 128 Pages Price $6.00. Image © Margaret M. Stewart
Reproduced by kind permission of Harvey Publishers. www.harveycp.com
11
The Prophecy of Amos –
A Warning for Today
An extract from our top- selling book.
Introduction. v1.
1. The words of Amos, who was among
the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw
concerning Israel in the days of King
Uzziah of Judah and in the days of King
Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel, two
years before the earthquake.
Very little is known about the prophet
Amos other than what is written here;
that he worked "among the sheep
breeders" in the area of Tekoa. The
word translated "sheep breeders" can
refer to various kinds of livestock and it
is by no means clear whether Amos was
the owner of the livestock or just a
hired hand. Not much is known of
Tekoa, either, except that is was a town
in Southern Judah, near Bethlehem. It
was fortified by Rehoboam (2
Chronicles 11:6) and surrounded by
rocky desert (2 Chronicles 20:20).
God's choice of Amos shows how God
calls the weak and ordinary instead of
the wise and strong. (1 Corinthians 1:26
- 27). Amos was a nobody, but God
revealed Himself to Amos through His
word, just as today He reveals Himself
to all who put their faith in His Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ.
The vision Amos received warned of
God's judgment on many nations, but
especially Israel, which by the time of
Amos' ministry had already been split
into two kingdoms - Israel and Judah.
This happened when ten tribes of Israel
rebelled against Solomon's son
Rehoboam and made Jeroboam king
over them, taking for themselves the
name Israel. Only Judah and Benjamin
remained faithful to Rehoboam, David's
grandson, and his realm then adopted
the name Judah. That is why the two
kingdoms are referred to separately
throughout the book of Amos, who
prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah
king of Judah and Jeroboam II king of
Israel (who, according to Thiele, reigned
between 782 and 753 BC). This made
him a contemporary of Isaiah and
Hosea. The exact time when his
message was given is said to be "two
years before the earthquake". This must
have been an event of some significance
to be used as a date marker by the
compiler of Amos' prophecies.
Unfortunately today we cannot be
certain as to its exact date.
God's Judgment Imminent. v2.
2. And he said: The LORD roars from
Zion, and utters his voice from
Jerusalem; the pastures of the
shepherds wither, and the top of Carmel
dries up.
Amos warns his hearers of impending
judgment. A lion does not roar unless it
has a prey. Israel is the prey that God is
about to take in judgment. The picture
of God making his voice heard from
Jerusalem, the place which He had
appointed for worship, is significant,
since under the leadership of Jeroboam
I, Israel had forsaken this place of
worship and instead worshipped the
golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
Jeroboam had even appointed his own
priests, contrary to God's command.
This entire system of idolatry was
designed by Jeroboam to prevent his
subjects being reunited with Judah. He
reasoned, quite shrewdly, that if the
people had the same religion and
worshipped in the same place, then a
national reunion, based on repentance
toward God, would be more likely to
occur. (1 Kings 12:26 - 33). Although
God had given ten tribes to Jeroboam as
a punishment on David's family because
of their idolatry in the days of Solomon,
He was further angered when Jeroboam
began to follow the same ways as the
King who was ousted before him. God's
judgment on the idolatrous nation was
sure to come, and would initially take
the form of a drought, which would
result in a lack of pasture for sheep.
Israel was known as a nation of
shepherds, but as a consequence of the
drought, even the lush pasture of
Carmel would wither, for God had
warned Israel that if they were
unfaithful to Him then: The LORD will
change the rain of your land into
powder, and only dust shall come down
upon you from the sky until you are
destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:24).
Judgments Against: Syria. v3 - 5.
3. Thus says the LORD: For three
transgressions of Damascus, and for
four, I will not revoke the punishment;
because they have threshed Gilead with
threshing sledges of iron.
Amos now begins to pronounce
judgment on the five nations
surrounding Israel. The formula "for
three... for four" shows how these
nations continued obstinately in their
evil ways, for if a nation had seen it's
error, they may have repented and God
would not need to speak of judgment.
But the verses reveal an absence of
repentance. As a result of the nations'
persistent sin, God says to each one, "I
will not turn away" - judgment could no
longer be withheld.
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First to be dealt with is Syria. Damascus,
the capital of Syria, represents the rule
of the nation and therefore denotes the
nation as a whole. Gilead was near Syria
and seems to have been a regular target
for Syrian troops. (See 2 Kings 10:32 -
33). Although it is true that God had
used Syria to chastise unfaithful Israel,
they would not be excused for their
inhumanity. The Israelites which the
Syrians captured in battle were literally
threshed to death with farming
implements of sharpened metal
("threshing sledges of iron"). For this
war crime God would judge the whole
Syrian nation.
4. So I will send a fire on the house of
Hazael, and it shall devour the
strongholds of Ben-hadad.
Hazael and Ben-Hadad had both been
kings of Syria and so represent the
rulers of that nation. As Tatford points
out, the name "Ben-Hadad" was
adopted by many Syrian kings in honour
of their god "Hadad", the god of storms
("Ben-Hadad" means "son of Hadad").
The fire, symbolic of God's judgment,
would come to destroy their rule and
ruin their nation. Throughout Amos'
prophecy, it is the fire of war. Many
towns and cities were literally burned to
the ground by invading armies.
5. I will break the gate bars of
Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants
from the Valley of Aven, and the one
who holds the scepter from Beth-eden;
and the people of Aram shall go into
exile to Kir, says the LORD.
The capital, Damascus, would be
besieged before eventually being
captured (this is symbolised by the
broken gate bar) and there would be no
one left in the whole country of Syria,
from "the Valley of Aven to Beth Eden"
indicates that the conquest would be all
inclusive. In Britain we might use the
phrase "from Lands’ End to John
O'Groats", meaning the whole nation.
In days when Assyria was not
considered big enough to pose a threat
to the surrounding countries, Amos
accurately predicted the Assyrian
invasion of Syria. The victorious
invaders literally deported the whole
Syrian nation, rulers and subjects (that
is, "the inhabitants" and "he that holds
the scepter"), and resettled them
elsewhere, as was their usual policy
with prisoners of war. The place of their
resettlement is named as Kir. There is
considerable debate among scholars as
to which city is meant, for the word
"Kir" simply means "a walled enclosure"
and more than one city of that time was
named "Kir". However, what is clear is
that only thirty years after Amos
uttered his prophecy, it was fulfilled. (2
Kings 16:9).
Philistia. v6 - 8.
6,7,8. Thus says the LORD: For three
transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I
will not revoke the punishment; because
they carried into exile entire
communities, to hand them over to
Edom. So I will send a fire on the wall of
Gaza, fire that shall devour its
strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitants
from Ashdod, and the one who holds the
scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my
hand against Ekron, and the remnant of
the Philistines shall perish, says the Lord
GOD.
Philistia is next to come under Divine
sentence and is symbolised by its chief
city of Gaza. The Philistines were to be
judged for their part in the deporting of
an entire population, possibly from a
region of Israel. Those they took as
captives were, says Tatford, presumably
sold as slaves to the Edomites. (Edom
was a nation which traded in slaves; see
2 Chronicles 28:17). The judgment of
God coming upon the wall indicates that
there would be no protection for the
city from its high towers and
fortifications, which would be
destroyed. Philistia was not in fact a
nation but a federation of city
kingdoms, each with its own king. All
but one of these cities (Ashdod,
Ashkelon, Ekron and Gaza) are named
here, each city and king receiving their
share of the judgment. Only Gath is not
mentioned, though it is not excluded,
since God makes clear that the whole
population (remnant - whoever is left)
of the Philistines would perish.
Tyre. v9 - 10.
9,10. Thus says the LORD: For three
transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I
will not revoke the punishment; because
they delivered entire communities over
to Edom, and did not remember the
covenant of kinship. So I will send a fire
on the wall of Tyre, fire that shall devour
its strongholds.
Tyre was a shipping port in Phoenicia. It
is unlikely that they captured men as
slaves, but rather that they traded in
the Jewish slaves which were captured
by the Philistines. They were
middlemen, selling the slaves on to
Edom. God's case against them is that
they should not have shut their eyes to
the suffering of these Jews, but they
should have remembered the peace
treaty which their nation, under king
Hiram, had made with Israel at the time
of King Solomon. (1 Kings 5:12). As was
the case with Gaza, walls and
fortifications could provide no
protection from the judgment of God.
This is why the Psalmist sang, "Unless
the Lord guards the city, the guard
keeps watch in vain." (Psalm 127:1).
Today in Western Countries we pride
ourselves in our ability to wage high
tech warfare and for security we trust
our "nuclear deterrent". The message of
Amos abides that men ought not to
trust in defences, but in God, who is
able to make any defence as naught
before His judgment.
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Edom. v11 - 12.
11,12 Thus says the LORD: For three
transgressions of Edom, and for four, I
will not revoke the punishment; because
he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity; he maintained his
anger perpetually, and kept his wrath
forever. So I will send a fire on Teman,
and it shall devour the strongholds of
Bozrah.
Next comes judgment on Edom. The
Edomites were descendants of Esau,
Jacob's older brother, and should have
shown some affection for their relatives
the Jews. The opposite was true. They
manifested continual hostility to Israel,
an unreasonable hatred which allowed
no mercy or pity, a cruel anger which
was never satisfied by any amount of
vengeance. Like the men Paul describes,
they were "without natural affection."
(2 Timothy 3:3). Since no further
elaboration is made about Edom's
judgment, the "fire in Teman" that
would "devour Bozrah" must refer to
events similar to those depicted in the
previous prophecies - that is, Assyrian
and later Babylonian invasions
decimating the entire nation.
Ammon. v13 - 15.
13. Thus says the LORD: For three
transgressions of the Ammonites, and
for four, I will not revoke the
punishment; because they have ripped
open pregnant women in Gilead in order
to enlarge their territory.
The Ammonites were a very cruel
people. Their soldiers deliberately
targeted pregnant woman and cut them
open in order to kill mother and child.
They had no mercy in their lust to gain
more land. Gilead, an extensive and
mountainous region of Israel, which was
close to the Ammonite border, was
seized by them in this way.
14,15. So I will kindle a fire against the
wall of Rabbah, fire that shall devour its
strongholds, with shouting on the day of
battle, with a storm on the day of the
whirlwind; then their king shall go into
exile, he and his officials together, says
the LORD.
The same fate of defeat in battle and
subsequent captivity awaited Ammon
and its rulers as did Syria and its rulers,
coming suddenly and irresistibly like a
whirlwind. Ray Beeley says, "According
to Poole, (this) judgment was eventually
completed by the Babylonians." (c/f
Ezekiel 25:1 - 4).
Moab. Ch. 2 v 1 - 3.
1. Thus says the LORD: For three
transgressions of Moab, and for four, I
will not revoke the punishment; because
he burned to lime the bones of the king
of Edom.
Such was the violent nature of the
Moabites that they were not content
merely to kill the king of Edom; they
dissolved his bones in lime. No respect
was shown for man, who is created in
the image of God, not even for the
human body after death. This crime
may have had special significance if, as
Tatford suggests, it was done as an
offering to one of their gods.
2,3. I will send a fire on Moab, and it
shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth,
and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid
shouting and the sound of the trumpet; I
will cut off the ruler from its midst, and
will kill all its officials with him says the
LORD
Kerioth was the capital city of Moab.
War and violent destruction would
overtake the land (advancing armies are
indicated by the sound of the trumpet)
and all the leaders, whether judges or
princes, would be killed.
So ends Amos' pronunciation of
judgment on the heathen nations
surrounding Israel. These were people
who neither knew God nor worshipped
Him. God nevertheless held them
accountable for their actions. The
apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans
points out that such people will be
judged according to the light which they
have received, in particular that
revelation of God's eternal power and
Godhead which is self-evident in
creation. This is so sufficient and
compelling evidence as to leave those
who do not have the scriptures without
any excuse for their rejection of God.
For what can be known about God is
plain to them, because God has shown
it to them. Ever since the creation of the
world his eternal power and Divine
nature, invisible though they are, have
been understood and seen through the
things He has made. So they are without
excuse; (Romans 1:19-20)
The God who was at work in Amos' day
to bring judgment on the heathen is still
in charge of world affairs today,
governing the nations. All nations
would do well to realise that it is not
through strength of arms, nor use of
force, but in dependence on God that
true national security lies.
God is not only the God of nations, but
of every individual. The day is coming
when God shall judge every person for
their own sins. (Acts 17:31). The verdict
of this future and final judgment will
depend on whether or not a person has
received the Lord Jesus Christ as their
Saviour. Only those who do so will
escape the wrath of God (John 3:36; 1
Thessalonians 1:10) and eternal
punishment (Hebrews 6:2). If those who
did not know God and did not have His
word were judged just as Amos
foretold, what would happen to those
who knew God's word and yet rejected
it? Amos next turns his attention to
those who were privileged to possess
God's word yet were failing to obey it -
Israel and Judah.
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When the Thessalonians came to
know Christ as their Saviour they
immediately faced a tremendous
storm of opposition and
persecution. The young church
suffered harassment, arrest and
even confiscation of their goods.
One such incident is recorded in the
above reading from the book of Acts
17, especially v 5-9.
The result was that Paul was forced
to flee for his life, leaving the young
church to face the on-going
situation alone. It is clear that this
incident was not isolated. Paul
writes to them, For you, brethren,
became imitators of the churches of
God which are in Judea in Christ
Jesus. For you also suffered the
same things from your own
countrymen, just as they did from
the Judeans, who killed both the
Lord Jesus and their own prophets,
and have persecuted us; (1Th 2:14-
15)
Paul knew more than most what
that persecution involved, having
been on both sides of it. So,
although he had been torn away
from them by circumstances, he
he writes to encourage them. He
sent Timothy to see how they were
getting on, and was overjoyed to
learn that they were standing firm
through the storm. As believers we
will have persecution and face
opposition. Paul says we are
appointed to this. In acts he
"strengthened the souls of the
disciples, exhorting them to
continue in the faith, and saying,
"We must through many tribulations
enter the kingdom of God." (Act
14:22)
Jesus said this too. 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. If they kept My word,
they will keep yours also (John
15:20) But thank God the young
believers in the town of
Thessalonica were standing firm
through the storm, and young
believers in Pontypool can do the
same. Let's see how they stood firm.
They had a strong foundation
When Paul came to Thessalonica he
preached the gospel of Christ's
death and resurrection, which they
believed. Their faith was founded on
sound teaching. For they themselves
declare concerning us what manner
of entry we had to you, and how you
turned to God from idols to serve the
living and true God, and to wait for
His Son from heaven, whom He
raised from the dead, even Jesus
who delivers us from the wrath to
come. (1Th 1:9-10) When they
received the word, it was with all
readiness of mind. They knew God's
word was true. For this reason we
also thank God without ceasing,
because when you received the word
of God which you heard from us, you
welcomed it not as the word of men,
but as it is in truth, the word of God,
which also effectively works in you
who believe. (1Th 2:13)
So when the storm of persecution
comes, you can know that your faith
is founded on the truth of sound
teaching. No matter what men say,
Standing Firm through the Storm For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. (1Th 3:8)
Today, persecuted believers can stand firm through the storm, just as the persecuted Thessalonians did.
Acts 17:1-15 by Mathew Bartlett
Images: Above © Enjoylife25 Overleaf: [email protected]
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you have no need to abandon it, for
it is the word of God.
They had a Solids Conviction
For our gospel did not come to you
in word only, but also in power, and
in the Holy Spirit and in much
assurance, as you know what kind of
men we were among you for your
sake. (1Th 1:5)
The Thessalonians were able to
believe God's word for they had
experienced a deep conviction of
the Holy Spirit in their lives. Jesus
said it is the work of the Holy Spirit
to convict the world of sin,
righteousness and judgment. He did
this work for the Thessalonians
which led to their genuine
conversion. Those of us with
experience of this conviction know
that the man with an experience is
never at the mercy of a man with an
argument. Men may try to
undermine our faith, but we know
whom we have believed. Our
conviction is solid, and we can stand
firm through the storm.
They stood firm in the storm
because they had a strong
foundation, but also because they
had a simple vocation.
They had a Simple Vocation.
Having received the Lord Jesus
Christ they had one simple aim in
life - to do his will. Everything else
was let go of for this. Before we
come to Christ, our interests may be
many and varied. But when we
come to Christ, this all surpassing
interest possesses us. People cannot
understand what change has come
over us. My Grandma used to say to
me "you need to get a life." But I
had found the best life any one
could have with Jesus. I still have
interests, I enjoy sport, I surf the
internet, I play with my daughter,
visit family and sometimes, rarely,
go out for meals but nothing
compares to knowing Jesus as my
Saviour and without him, life would
be empty and lifeless.
They had a Sound Conversion.
Their sound conversion was
evidenced by their faith, love and
hope: 1 Thess. 1v3,4 work of faith,
labor of love, and patience of hope
in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight
of our God and Father; they had a
faith that was doing. Not merely a
mental assent but an involvement of
the heart. James says that faith
without works is dead. Show me
your faith without works, he says,
but I'll show you my faith by my
works. The unsaved in their
community could see that these
Thessalonian believers were Christ's
not just because of what they said,
but because of how they lived their
lives.
The whole world knew that "they
turned to God from idols" 1 Thess. 1
v 10. As persecution came, only a
sound conversion could enable
them to hold on to their faith. Paul
had been concerned about them. He
said "For this reason, when I could
no longer endure it, I sent to know
your faith, lest by some means the
tempter had tempted you, and our
labor might be in vain. (1Th 3:5)
The devil wanted the young church
to abandon its faith in the face of
persecution. All over the world
Christians are experiencing this. In
many countries they say "If you will
stop following Jesus we will make it
easier for you, we will stop
persecuting you, we will let you
live." Don't listen to the devil's lie: it
will lead to you losing your soul.
No man can take my life unless the
lord allows it, so my life is not in
their hands, but in God's. So the
threat to kill is an idle threat.
Holding on to my faith in Christ is
certain proof that I have eternal life.
Jesus said "Do not fear those who
can kill the body but who cannot kill
the soul. Rather fear him who is able
to destroy both soul and body in
hell." If you are suffering
persecution for your faith, don't be
afraid, you are not on your own.
Peter says "The same things are
happening to your brothers who are
in the world". We have all
experienced persecution from
family and friends.
Don't let go of your faith, be like the
Thessalonians. By the grace of God
they held on to their faith and were
victorious.
Their labour was motivated by
genuine love for the Lord and his
people. The Bible says "having not
seen him you love him." And "love
one another as I have loved you". If
you do not love your brother whom
you can see, how can you love God
whom you cannot see? How
wonderful to know that love is a
doing word. God's love is always
giving and doing. God loved the
world and gave his son. The son
loved me and gave his life for me.
He demonstrated his love on the
cross. A love that does nothing is no
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love at all John writes But whoever
has this world's goods, and sees his
brother in need, and shuts up his
heart from him, how does the love
of God abide in him? (1Jn 3:17)
And so brother, sister, if you are
going through persecution for faith
in Christ, you are not alone, for we
love you. We are concerned for you.
We will pray and if possible we will
help you. This is our labour of love,
together we can stand firm through
the storm.
They Enjoyed a Saving Presence.
Thank God that in times of
persecution or trouble, we have the
presence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit is described by Jesus as the
comforter, someone who comes
along side us to help, encourage and
strengthen us in the face of trouble
and opposition against our faith. The
Thessalonians had "received the
word in much affliction, with joy of
the Holy Spirit" (1Th 1:6)
Just like the apostles, they were able
to suffer affliction because of the
presence of the Holy Spirit, who
supernaturally gave them joy. For
the believer the Holy Spirit is:
An Indwelling Power Jesus said "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 comes to live in
believers through the baptism of the
Holy Spirit. This is his indwelling
presence, and none can ever take
him away - he will be with you
forever. As the Holy Spirit dwells in
us he gives us a longing for heaven.
We, who have the first fruits of the
Spirit, groan within ourselves,
eagerly waiting for the adoption, the
redemption of our body. (Rom 8:23)
And in times of trouble he helps us
to pray, for he perfectly knows and
understands our needs and God's
will. Likewise the Spirit also helps in
our weaknesses. For we do not
know what we should pray for as we
ought, but the Spirit Himself makes
intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered.(Rom 8:26)
An all sufficient helper Jesus called
the Holy Spirit the helper. Whatever
situation we face, the Holy Spirit is
able to impart to us the victory that
is ours in Christ. And He said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for
My strength is made perfect in
weakness." (2Co 12:9) We can stand
firm in the storm as we know the
Saving Presence of the Holy Spirit
They Enjoyed a Living Hope
The hope that carries the believer
through times of persecution is that
Jesus is coming come again. The
Thessalonians waited for this hope-
His son from heaven 1 Thess. 1v10.
In the midst of persecution they
were encouraged by looking for that
blessed hope and glorious appearing
of the great God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ. Nothing could trouble
them for long -for Jesus is coming. It
is the hope that sustains us. How
often have we cried and groaned
under a wait of sorrow "O Lord Jesus
How long?"
When Jesus comes again he will
bring with him all the Christians who
have died before his coming. The
dead saints will be raised, the living
ones changed, and we shall all be
caught up to meet the Lord in the
air and so shall we be forever with
the Lord. Comfort one another,
writes Paul with these words.
Are you standing through the
storm? You are not alone. I wrote
this message because I know some
of you are experiencing opposition
and persecution for your faith. We
want to help you. You can stand firm
through the storm by having a
strong foundation in God's word; a
simple vocation - seeking to do
God's will; a sound conversion
evidenced by faith and love;
experience the indwelling, all
sufficient presence of the Holy Spirit
who will come to be your helper and
look for that blessed hope - the
coming of our Lord Jesus to receive
us to himself. You can stand through
the storm as we stand together with
Jesus. Amen.
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They went even further for they not only believed but they did something about it. First of all they called a "fast" which is a universal sign of a spirit of repentance. Secondly they put on sackcloth - a sign of mourning or sorrow for their sins (2 Cor. 7:9 - 10).
V6. The message even reached the ears of the king and in response he steps down from his throne, he humbled himself under the hand of God, acknowledging that He is Lord of all (Acts 10:36). He took off his robe, that is, he laid aside his authority and power as sovereign of the people. He replaced it with sackcloth and added sat in ashes - in Godly sorrow for his sins and in a spirit of repentance.
V7 - 8. He called the whole city to deny themselves food and drink, also their animals, and pray and turn from their wicked ways. V9. They did not do all this believing that if they did God had no other choice but to forgive and spare them – but in the
The Runaway Prophet
The Book of Jonah
Chapters Three and Four A brief Bible study by Derek Williams.
Photos this page: © Jeff Schulz. Bottom Right: © Fotogeek
Nineveh was indeed a great city it is said that its walls were wide enough for three chariots to ride abreast. It was approximately 60 miles across, thus requiring 3 20-mile travel days. V4. Jonah went a third of the way into the city before he began to preach the short but powerful message of warning from God. He was mightily anointed and did not beat about the bush but gave it to them straight so the people knew that it was a message from God and they feared (Deut. 18:22).
The People's Response 5-10
V5. It is amazing that this heathen, idolatrous, wicked people, who didn't know Jonah from Adam should listen to what he had to say! It is remarkable that they recognized that it was God’s voice! But the fact that they "believed" can only be attributed to the grace and mercy of God in opening their hearts and minds to Him.
Jonah's Obedience 1 - 4.
V1 - 2. Although Jonah had been disobedient and failed God does not cast him off but gives him another opportunity. The Lord re-commissions Him by speaking in almost the exact words of verse one, chapter one. The only difference being that in chapter one He tells him to "'cry against"' the city and here he is instructed to "preach to it", or rather the inhabitants. To cry against implies condemnation without hope, whereas preach means this but also includes the hope that if there is repentance then forgiveness may be given. This was the full message that God entrusted to Jonah. V3. Jonah who had himself repented of his disobedience this time did what God asked him to do in the beginning - he learnt the hard way. If he had not opposed God he could have saved himself a lot of trouble.
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hope that He would in his mercy accept their repentance and forgive and spare their lives.
V10. God saw that they were sincere in their contrition and in accordance to His nature and in response to their action He changed His mind. This is not to say that God is inconsistent, for He is completely consistent in His intention to bless everyone everywhere. Thus if anyone truly repents, (even Ahab 1 Kings 21:29), God will have mercy.
3. Jonah's Anger and Resentment 1 - 5.
V1. Although Jonah had reluctantly been God's messenger to warn the Ninevites of impending doom, he did not really want them to repent. As they were the enemies of his people he wanted them destroyed for their many sin (contrary to the teaching of Jesus Matt. 5:44-45). It is not for us to discourage repentance when an enemy decides to repent V2. Jonah knew the character of God; he had received of His grace and mercy personally and knew the history of God's dealings with Israel. But he could not reconcile this to God’s dealings with the Ninevites. Jonah's view of God was limited, therefore he could not imagine how great His grace is even to the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:14). He states the reason why he disobeyed God in the first place was because he knew that in His love He would change His mind. V3. Jonah would rather die than admit that he had a wrong attitude or allow God to change his unforgiving spirit. (Matt. 6:14-15). V4. God desires to teach Jonah his final lesson concerning the value of souls and the extent of Divine mercy He asks him "Is it right for you to be angry?" V5. In reply Jonah leaves the city and sits down with a resentful spirit to wait and see what would happen.
4. God's Kindness
v6. In spite of Jonah's attitude and behavior in isolating himself from God and the Ninevites, God in His wisdom and knowledge sees that Jonah has put himself in a very dangerous position in more ways than one. So in loving kindness and concern for His prophet He caused a plant to grow in order to protect him from the fierce heat of the sun. God had another reason for doing this for apart from Jonah's physical welfare He was concerned for his spiritual wellbeing.
5. God teaches Jonah about Compassion 7 -11.
V7 - 8. In His grace God had given Jonah protection, now He takes it away so that Jonah may learn about compassion. In the state that he was in both physically and spiritually, brought on himself, Jonah could only see death as the way out. V9 God asks him of it concerning the plant. Jonah still holds on to his anger and resentment. This time he
answers God "It is right", "I am right because I want to be right and no one will change my mind!"
V10. Jonah could have pity on a plant that he had done nothing to create V11. This is the central challenge of the book. There were 120,000 lost souls in Nineveh who were deserving of hell, but ignorant of how to escape their plight. God had created them and provided all they needed to live. Has He not the right to have mercy and pity upon them?
God went to an awful lot of trouble to bring salvation to the world, it cost Him a lot "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting Life" (John 3:16). We are not told whether Jonah got the point or if he responded to God and repented.
Have you got the point?
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Prelude to the Final Judgments. v1 - 8. It is to be noted that the series of visions given to John in Revelation do not follow each other in strictly chronological order. The events in chapters fifteen and sixteen actually precede those in chapter fourteen.
1. "Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete."
John sees another great and wonderful sign in heaven - seven angels holding seven bowls containing the seven last plagues to be poured out in judgment on the world. These are the last to be poured out for with them God's wrath is complete.
2. "And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God."
Before the particulars of the seven bowls are given, another vision is seen. John sees what seemed to be a sea of glass blended with fire, representing God's holy and righteous judgments. Standing on the sea are those who have not bowed down and worshipped the beast or his image or received his mark. These are the victorious ones. They have harps in their hands, which were given them by God that they might worship Him.
3. "They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are
Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!"
Accompanying themselves with these harps they sing the song of Moses and the Lamb. These are not two different songs but one, a song of praise and thanksgiving such as that Moses gave the Israelites to sing after their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus chapter 15). It is sung in honour of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our mighty deliverer (Rev. 5:9 - 13). Their song:
Exceedingly great and wonderful is the work of God, especially evidenced in the redemptive work of Christ. He is just and true in all that He does and is Lord of those He has redeemed.
4. "Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested."
There will be no one who will not revere His Name, bow down to Him, honour and praise Him (Phil. 2:9 - 11; Rom. 14:11). He alone is perfectly and to the highest degree, holy. All nations will pay Him homage for His righteous acts have been seen. Ps. 86:9.
5. "After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened."
After this John saw that the way into the presence of God; the dwelling place and throne of God (the heavenly holy of holies) was opened.
6. "And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands."
John's attention returns to the seven angels bearing the plagues coming out from the presence of God. They are dressed in pure bright linen and have a golden sash across their chest, a mark of the divine authority which is given them (Rev. 1:5).
7. "Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever."
One of the four living creatures gave to each one of the angels a golden bowl filled with the wrath of God i.e. the seven plagues. "Who lives forever and ever." "The particular object in referring to this attribute here appears to be, that though there may seem to be delay in the execution of his purposes, yet they will be certainly accomplished, for he is the ever-living and unchangeable God" (Barnes).
8. "The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed." When this was done the sanctuary was filled with a smoke because of the glory of God's presence and by His mighty power (Ex. 40:34). Because of this no one was able to enter until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed. Most commentators agree that during this time no intercessions can be made..
From The Revelation of Jesus Christ by Derek Williams (paperback £6.99)
Our In Depth Study. Revelation 15. By Derek R. Williams. Photo © Godfer
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Copies of our latest Gospel tract are available at www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk/Gospel-tracts.html
Where will you go when you die?
When you die, is that the end of your existence? Or is there a life after death? The Bible teaches that the soul shall live on after death.
The Bible says ‘people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment’ Heb. 9:27
Jesus made very clear that there are only two possible destinations for the soul after death. The one is heaven, and this is for all who believe in him. The one who believes in the Son (Jesus) has eternal life. John 3:36
In heaven, ‘God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more’. Rev. 21:4
The only alternative for those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is a place called hell. Jesus said, ‘The one who rejects the Son (Jesus) will not see life, but God's wrath remains on him’. John 3:36
Jesus warned ‘It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God than to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched’. Mark 9:47-48
Once a soul enters hell, there is no way of ever getting out. In hell your soul will be awake and fully conscious of the torment it is suffering, and this torment will continue forever and ever.
‘And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and there is no rest day or night’. Rev. 14:11
A final Judgment Day is coming in which everyone will give an account of their lives to God. Only those who have trusted Jesus Christ as their Saviour have their names written in the Lamb’s book of Life so that they might enter eternal life.
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,
according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Rev. 20:12-15
In order to go to heaven when you die you must repent of your sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour.
Jesus paid the price on the cross at Calvary so that your sins might be forgiven; He died and rose again that you might be saved from the wrath to come.
‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life’. John 3:16
Will you trust him to save you today?
‘I have set before you life and death, therefore choose life’. Deut. 30:19 ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved’. Acts 16:31
My Decision From this date:- ............................... I have received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Saviour. I believe Jesus died and rose again to save me from all my sin and now I belong to Him, saved by His grace. Signed ..................................
21
The Divine Alliance
“Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven.” Matthew
6:10
This Bible Study has been taken
from Chapter VI of Daniel
Kolenda’s new book “Your
Kingdom Come” and is for those
who desire to enter into a divine
partnership with God and His
purposes by joining the prayer
revolution.
Charles Finney (1792-1875) is
considered by many people to
have been one of the greatest
revivalists in American history.
When Finney preached in a city,
the entire region was powerfully
impacted by the holy presence
of God, which seemed to
descend like a cloud. The
tangible presence of God would
be felt for miles around and
multitudes of people would
come to Jesus as if being drawn
by a mysterious, magnetic force.
Churches would be
overwhelmed with new
converts. Crime rates would
plummet, and jails would empty
because of the numbers of
people who had come to Jesus.
The moral nature of cities and
regions would be impacted for
decades to come because of the
supernatural work that was
done by the Holy Spirit through
this man of God.
Interestingly, approximately 80
percent of those people who
came to Jesus in Finney’s
meetings were still actively
serving the Lord twenty-five
years after their initial salvation
experience16 – an extraordinary
statistic.
The amazing revivals that
followed the ministry of Charles
Finney were much more than
just the result of the eloquent
preaching of this evangelist.
There was an atmosphere that
followed Charles Finney that
reflected the holiness of God.
When people encountered that
atmosphere, their testimony
was much the same as the
prophet Isaiah who,
encountering the holiness of
God, cried out in despair, “Woe
is me! for I am undone…” (Isaiah
6:5).
People were stricken by the
horrors of their sins and the
deep offense that sin caused in
the heart of God. A reverential
fear of the Lord was experienced
by many that caused them to
turn to the Lord with true,
heartfelt repentance, and they
were never the same again.
Much has been written about
the amazing ministry of Charles
Finney, but very little is known
about another man named
Daniel Nash who was an
associate of Finney.
Very few people even knew that
he existed. He was very quiet by
nature and rarely, if ever,
attended any of the revival
meetings where Finney
preached. Though he had been a
pastor early in his life, he had
been wounded by some church
leaders who had fired him from
his church thinking he was too
old. He was forty-six at the time.
This breaking of Nash’s heart
was only a part of the
preparation for a much greater
work that God had prepared for
him to do.
Nash’s ministry was a ministry of
prayer and intercession.
Because of his hurt, he withdrew
from public ministry but became
a man of mighty prevailing
prayer!
God brought Daniel Nash and
Charles Finney together to form
a team that was to be used by
God in a most phenomenal way.
Nash would precede Charles
Finney’s arrival in a city for
revival meetings. He would go to
the city and check into a
boarding house and begin
praying for the meetings that
were coming. Sometimes he
22
wouldn’t come out of his room
for days at a time as he devoted
himself totally to intercession.
Sometimes people reported
hearing weeping and groaning
coming from this man’s room as
he prayed for the Holy Spirit’s
power to be released and a
mighty harvest to be reaped
when Charles Finney came to
preach.
Daniel Nash would pray for days
before he felt that the work had
been done in the spirit for the
meetings to convene. Other
times he would pray for three to
four weeks in advance of
Finney’s arrival, but he would
not quit until he felt in his spirit
that the preparation through
intercession was complete. Nash
prayed until he felt that the
spiritual atmosphere had been
prepared, and once he felt a
release, he would send word to
Charles Finney that the town
was ready for him to come.
Finney would follow, preach the
Gospel, and the tidal floods of
God’s holy, convicting, and
saving glory would overwhelm
the town and people would
come to Jesus to be saved as a
result.
The greatest moves of God in
American history occurred
during this season of time. Entire
regions were changed as a result
of Finney’s ministry. Historians
point to those meetings as
having such a profound impact
upon people and societies that
the effects could still be seen a
century or more later! The
powerful preaching of Charles
Finney that saw hundreds of
thousands of people saved
would have never had the
impact it did had it not been for
the spiritual partnership with
the intercessory ministry of
Daniel Nash.
It is interesting to note that only
four months after Daniel Nash’s
death, Charles Finney left the
itinerate revival ministry to
pastor a church. The powerful
revivals that characterized his
ministry and changed a nation
began to wane.
Daniel Nash is buried in a simple
grave in an obscure cemetery
behind a farmer’s barn in
upstate New York. It was lost in
history for many decades. On his
small, well-worn tombstone are
these words: “Daniel Nash –
Prayer minister for Charles
Finney.” Though he was virtually
unknown to the masses, God
used Nash in a most profound
way to birth the revivals of
Charles Finney which touched
multitudes.
Surely, Daniel Nash enjoys the
same fruit of reward as Charles
Finney in Heaven today because
of the role he played in
intercession and prayer! I
believe that there are many
Daniel Nash’s in the earth today.
They are known only to God
(and maybe a few family
members or friends). They may
never write a book. They may
never have a television program.
They may never have a large
public ministry that draws
money, popularity, and acclaim
of the masses, but their unseen
labours in the spirit through
intercessory prayer are resulting
in the work of God moving
forward in the earth.
They may be strangers while
here, but one day they will be
champions in Heaven.
The next great move of God will
come as a result of Prayer &
Obedience by the body of Christ.
Discover how God made us
partners with Him for the
fulfilment of His purposes in the
earth.
Don't miss your opportunity to
purchase the first book released
by Author and Evangelist Daniel
Kolenda.
GET THE BOOK NOW!
http://bit.ly/A0OmSW
Be Blessed,
Daniel Kolenda, Evangelist
To find out more, or to support the
work of CfaN visit their website:
http://us.cfan.org/?lang=en-US
Article reproduced with the kind
permission of Christ for all Nations.
23
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