CHRIST TO THE NATIONS BIBLE COLLEGE:

CERTIFICATE IV IN PRACTICAL MINISTRY

AND THEOLOGY
By

Rev. Dr Jeffry David Camm

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CONTENTS
DEDICATION: .................................................................................. 6
COPYRIGHT: .................................................................................... 7
FOREWORD: .................................................................................... 7
CTTNBC – 001: “THE CALL OF GOD”:.................................................. 8
UNIT 1- WHAT IS THE “CALL OF GOD”? ............................................... 8
THE CALL OF GOD UPON NOAH [Genesis 6] [4289] .............................. 9
ABRAM [ABRAHAM] – THE SPIRITUAL PILGRIM [15] & [4290] .............. 10
GIDEON – THE RELUCTANT GENERAL................................................ 10
UNIT ONE ASSIGNMENT .................................................................. 11
UNIT 2: EXAMPLES OF THE CALL OF GOD .......................................... 12
CASE STUDY 1: MOSES [4307] ........................................................ 12
UNIT 2 - ASSIGNMENT .................................................................... 16
CASE STUDY # 2 – SAUL OF TARSUS................................................. 17
THE EPISTLE of PAUL the APOSTLE to the LAODICIEANS ..................... 24
UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT ...................................................................... 26
UNIT ONE & TWO ........................................................................... 27
UNIT 3 – CALL OF THE DISCIPLES .................................................... 27
UNIT 3 – ASSIGNMENT – Part 1 ....................................................... 39
UNIT 3 ASSIGNMENT – part 2 .......................................................... 39
UNIT 4 – PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD ................................................... 40
UNIT 4 ASSIGNMENT: ..................................................................... 40
UNIT 5 – THE CALL TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE ...................................... 40
UNIT 5: ASSIGNMENT: .................................................................... 41
CTTNBC – 002: PRINCIPLES OF MINISTRY ......................................... 43
LESSON ONE: SAUL THE PHARISEE, BECOMES PAUL THE APOSTLE OF OUR
LORD - JESUS CHRIST .................................................................... 45
LESSON TWO: JOHN WYCLIFFE – TRANSLATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE....... 48
John Wycliffe ................................................................................. 49
Wycliffe’s Relation to the English Bible............................................... 57
LESSON THREE: william TYNDALE, TRANSLATOR EXTRAORDINAIRE ...... 61
William Tyndale .............................................................................. 62
LESSON FOUR: MARTIN LUTHER – THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH ...... 65
LESSON FIVE: JOHN NEWTON: THE TRANSFORMATION: SLAVE TRADER TO
HYMN WRITER ............................................................................... 70

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LESSON SIX: RICHARD JOHNSON: THE FIRST CHAPLAIN TO THECOLONY
OF NEW SOUTH WALES ................................................................... 72
LESSON SEVEN: SAMUEL MARSDEN: THE SECOND CHAPLAIN TO NSW,THE
WOOL FARMER AND EDUCATOR4 ...................................................... 75
LESSON EIGHT: WATCHMAN NEE: SUFFERED FOR CHRIST IN CHINA,
USHERED IN THE CHINESE REVIVAL ................................................. 90
LESSON NINE: RICHARD WURMBRAND – TORTURED FOR CHRIST IN WWII
.................................................................................................... 95
CTTNBC – 003: PROPHETIC MINISTRY: ........................................... 100
UNIT ONE: WHAT IS PROPHETIC MINISTRY?.................................... 101
1. The Gift of Prophecy .............................................................. 102
2. Prophetic Worship ................................................................. 103
3. Prophetic Prayer ................................................................... 104
4. The Office of the Prophet ....................................................... 105
UNIT TWO: SAMUEL THE PROPHET ................................................. 106
1. Who were they and how did God call them? ............................. 106
2. What were they told to do for the Lord? ................................... 107
3. Were they successful in carrying out their tasks? ...................... 108
4. Were they imprisoned, tortured or killed for obeying God’s calling
upon their lives? ........................................................................... 108
5. What was the impact upon the nation of Israel (and the surrounding
nations) as a result of their Prophetic Ministry? ................................ 108
Unit Two Assignment .................................................................... 109
UNIT THREE: ELIJAH THE PROPHET ................................................ 110
Unit Three Assignment .................................................................. 110
UNIT FOUR: ELISHA THE PROPHET ................................................. 110
Unit Four Assignment .................................................................... 111
UNIT FIVE: AGABUS THE PROPHET ................................................. 111
Unit Five Assignment .................................................................... 111
UNIT SIX: ARE THERE PROPHETS IN THE WORLD TODAY?................. 111
Unit Six Assignment ...................................................................... 112
APPENDIX 2: Elijah and Elisha the Prophets ..................................... 113
ELIJAH AND ELISHA ...................................................................... 140
THE END OF KING AHAB................................................................ 149
APPENDIX 3: THE NEW GENERATION OF PROPHETS ......................... 155
APPENDIX 4: JOHN THE BAPTIST - THE GREATEST PROPHET ........... 155

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CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 162
CTTNBC – 004: THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM ................................... 163
LESSON: 1. BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM ......................................................... 163
BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM – PART 2. THE MEANING OF
EVANGELISM. .............................................................................. 166
Case Study: The Spirit of Evangelism in Apostle Peter, on the Day of
Pentecost. ................................................................................... 168
BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM – PART 3 .............................. 170
Lesson One Assignment................................................................. 173
Lesson 2: The Good News .......................................................... 174
LESSON 3: ASK GOD .................................................................... 176
LESSON: 4. PREPARATION POINTS TO SALVATION ........................... 180
LESSON: 5. LIFESTYLE OF THE EVANGELIST .................................... 184
LESSON 6. BY ALL MEANS - WINNING OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ...... 187
LESSON 7. EQUIPPED FOR THE MINISTRY ....................................... 191
LESSON 8. SIGNS AND WONDERS .................................................. 194
LESSON 9. HEAL THE SICK ............................................................ 197
LESSON 10: CASTING OUT DEMONS ............................................... 201
CASTING OUT DEMONS – PART 2 ................................................... 203
LESSON ELEVEN: THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM IN FAMOUS PEOPLE .... 204
LESSON TWELVE: TWO IN-COUNTRY EVANGELISM OUTREACH PROJECTS
.................................................................................................. 205
LESSON THIRTEEN: THIRD IN-COUNTRY OUTREACH PROGRAM: [PLANNED
BY THE STUDENTS] ...................................................................... 205
LESSON FOURTEEN: EVANGELISM TO PEOPLE OF OTHER RELIGIONS . 206
CHAPTER 1: THE PEOPLE OF ISLAM ................................................ 207
MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY ............... 208
WHAT THE QURAN SAYS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST ............................... 211
THE FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF ISLAM – AS WRITTEN IN THE QURAN 214
QURANIC SCRIPTURES REVEALED .................................................. 214
CHAPTER TWO: EVANGELIZING TO BUDDHISTS ............................... 220
APPENDIX.................................................................................... 221
THE STAGES OF SPIRITUAL DECLINE AND GROWTH ......................... 221
CTTNBC-005 THE WRITINGS OF JOHN ............................................ 223
Overview of New Testament Timeline: ............................................ 224
OVERVIEW OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN .............................................. 226

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DETAILED STUDY OF SEVERAL CHAPTERS ....................................... 242
JOHN CHAPTER 4: ........................................................................ 242
JOHN CHAPTER 11 - STEPS OF FAITH ............................................. 253
JOHN CHAPTER 17: THE PRAYER OF JESUS ..................................... 262
Outline History of the Apostles ....................................................... 272
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN: ........................................................ 273
THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN ........................................................ 286
THE BOOK OF REVELATION ........................................................... 290
OVERVIEW: ................................................................................. 290
WHO WROTE THIS BOOK? ............................................................. 291
THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION ...................... 294
SPIRITUAL CHECK LIST. ................................................................ 315
REVELATIONS CHAPTERS 4 (ONWARDS) ......................................... 319
The opening of the 6 seals (Chapter 6) ............................................ 320
The 144,000 Israelites: ................................................................. 321
Class Assessment for the Book of Revelation.................................... 331
APPENDIX.................................................................................... 331
“THE EPISTLE of PAUL the APOSTLE to the LAODICEANS” .................. 332
WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE.............................................................. 334
LESSON ONE: INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP LIFESTYLE .................... 341
LESSON TWO: THANKSGIVING ...................................................... 341
LESSON THREE: INTRODUCTION TO PRAISE.................................... 342
LESSON FOUR: LIFESTYLE OF PRAISE 1 .......................................... 342
LESSON SIX: INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP .................................... 343
LESSON SEVEN: ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY OF WORSHIP ........................ 344
LESSON EIGHT: INTRODUCTION TO WARFARE ................................ 344
LESSON NINE: HEALING AND WORSHIP ......................................... 345
LESSON TEN: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WORSHIP ............................... 345
LESSON ELEVEN: GLORY AND WORSHIP ......................................... 346
LESSON TWELVE: GIVING AND WORSHIP ....................................... 347
LESSON THIRTEEN: RESTORATION OF THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID . 347
LESSON FOURTEEN: MUSIC AND GOD’S CREATION .......................... 348
LESSON FIFTEEN: CREATING MUSICAL LYRICS ............................... 351
LESSON SIXTEEN: CREATING MUSIC FOR LYRICS ............................ 372
SERMON PREPARATION & DELIVERY ............................................... 374

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LESSON ONE: METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF A SERMON ........ 375
JESUS IN ACTION ......................................................................... 379
AUSTRALIAN CHURCH HISTORY ..................................................... 382
UNIT ONE: THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION ................................... 384
UNIT TWO: THE PENTECOSTAL REFORMATION ................................. 388
UNIT THREE: THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT: .................................. 392
Charismatic Movement: Advanced Information ................................. 393
UNIT FOUR: THE APOSTOLIC RENEWAL15 ........................................ 401
[Apostolic Strategies for Kingdom Reformation by Israel Onoriobe: [ISBN
1-920135-19-4] [Apostles Today, by Paul Galligan] ....................................... 401
UNIT FIVE: THE FIRST CHAPLAIN TO THE COLONIES I N NEW SOUTH
WALES ........................................................................................ 401
Development of Towns in New South Wales21 ................................... 404
APPENDIX: .................................................................................. 410
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG ....................... 410
PRINCIPLES & CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP ........... 414
LESSON ONE: WHAT MAKES GOOD LEADERS IN THE CHURCH TODAY? 415
IN CONCLUSION: WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER? ........................... 420
THE BRIDEGROOM COMES ............................................................. 423
The Seven (7) Pillars of Christianity ................................................ 423
FIRST PILLAR: THE DIVINE WORD OF GOD ...................................... 424
SECOND PILLAR: THE OLD COVENANT – BLOOD SACRIFICES ........... 427
THIRD PILLAR: THE NEW COVENANT ~ THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST 431
FOURTH PILLAR: HOLY SPIRIT REVELATION..................................... 435
FIFTH PILLAR: DIVINE LEADERSHIP ORDER ..................................... 439
The Rise of the Apostolic Ministry ................................................... 442
Sixth Pillar: Unity in the Body......................................................... 446
SEVENTH PILLAR: ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST .......... 452
APPENDIX: 1................................................................................ 454
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF OUR AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL FLAG ....... 454
List of published Books & Bible Course Notes: with links. ................... 458

DEDICATION:
This commentary is dedicated to my wife, Rani, who has been my soulmate
and my encouragement for these last 39 years, as we have travelled and
preached in many nations. There have been many good experiences, (and

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some not so good ones), but throughout these travelling adventures for the
Lord, He has always been faithful; He is a person we have come to trust,
in ALL situations ~ in the good, the bad and the ugly.
COPYRIGHT:
The contents of this book remain the copyright property of the author, Rev.
Dr Jeffry David Camm, and his estate, in succession. Permission is given
for the use of parts of this document for Bible Study Groups, Evangelism,
or Private Study. Permission is given for the whole of this document to be
reproduced by Christian organizations for evangelistic and/or Bible College
reference purposes, provided it is not sold for profit.
FOREWORD:
This book is a copy of the ten (10) fully accredited subjects for the
Certificate IV in Practical Ministry & Theology course, approved by ACOM in
Australia in 2010, to line up with the newly legislated AQF standards for
Vocational Training Courses.
This course also incorporates, a “practical” segment, where each student
must pray and then select 12 people that he/she is to teach, what they
have just learnt, subject by subject. Then these 12 people are to each
pray & select 12 people each, and teach them what they have just
learnt. The original Bible Student is to mentor and monitor the progress of
this teaching, therefore making the Bible Student responsible for teaching
156 people in all.
At the time of writing in 2021, there are presently more than 1,000 Bible
Students in 40 nations undergoing this course. This means that more than
156,000 people have received FREE teaching about Jesus Christ, to glorify
His name ~ IN THIS YEAR ALONE.
Please pray for this message to continue to reach people, who have never
heard, or been taught, the scriptures to this level of teaching.

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 CALLED TO THE NATIONS
BIBLE COLLEGE
CERTIFICATE IV
IN
PRACTICAL MINISTRY & THEOLOGY

CTTNBC – 001: “THE CALL OF GOD”:

MODULE CONTENT
UNIT 1: WHAT IS “THE CALL OF GOD”
Unit 1 assignment 600-to-800-word essay.

UNIT 2 – BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

Unit 2 assignment – short answer class test
[For Online students – open book test]

UNIT 3 – STUDY OF THE DISCIPLES

Unit 3 assignment – Short written paragraphs to discuss thesteps of progression.

UNIT 4 – PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD

Unit 4 assignment – Group research, with group presentation to the whole
class – with a group mark assigned to each member of that specific
group.
UNIT 5 – EVALUATING OUR CALL
A confidential report between the student and the teacher, of the student’s
own individual “experiences”. The student will undertake an evaluation of
their personal “Call of God” – using the criteria of the previous units of this
Module.
Each of the Unit assignments will accrue 20% of the whole mark for
this Module.

UNIT 1- WHAT IS THE “CALL OF GOD”?

DEFINITION: The “Call of God” is a series of events, situations, thoughts,

or ideas, implemented by God Almighty, into the mind or surroundings of
a particular person, which singularly (or collectively) “calls” that person
out for a specific service for the Lord. The person is nothing special,
“until God puts a call on a person’s life.”

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 THE CALL OF GOD UPON NOAH [GENESIS 6] [4289]1
God spoke to Noah and revealed to him that He planned to destroy the
earth and all of creation, because mankind had become depraved beyond
redemption.
God said to Noah: Build a safe house for your own salvation”.
It takes Noah and his family 120 years to build the ark and catch all-of the
animals demanded by God Almighty:
• Of every bird of the air 7 pairs.
• Of every unclean animal 1 pair
• (Notice no fish of the sea !!!)
• During this time, his whole family has to suffer ridicule and harassment
from the local surrounding villages and tribes.
• It was an indeed and enormous test of faith – both in his understanding
of technical designs, which he received from the Lord, to build the ark,
and that his family would be protected from the local tribes, until the ark
was completed.
• Boat designers say that the design of the ark is the most stable design
of any boat – it will not capsize, even in the most stormy seas.
When the rains came – there was NO MERCY for the sinners!!!
When the next judgement comes, - there will be NO MERCY for the
sinners either!
– For 120 years Noah had been telling the people to change their ways but
they refused, so now God’s judgement comes upon them.
– God’s mercy is limited – after several warnings, (in mercy) comes the
judgement!!!
– It rained 40 days and 40 nights: a second time of testing for Noah and
his family. The water remained on the earth for a further 150 days before
it commenced to recede (Gen. 7:24)
• 14 months and 27 days after the rains started God told Noah to go out of
the ark and start afresh.
• Next day (exactly 15 months after the rains started) Noah and his family
left the ark with the animals.
• This event took place on the first day of the Jewish calendar – a
new beginning in a New Year for the nations of the earth.
• Despite all the evil people being drowned – Satan and sin were not
drowned!
• Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed upon it one of every clean
animal and bird. (Gen. 8:19)
• God made a covenant with Noah which is still in operation today. God
promised He will never again destroy the whole earth with a flood. [Gen.
9:13]
• From Noah and his children (8 people in all) a new beginning
commenced, with the authority originally given to Adam being transferred
to Noah.
• He now had authority over the animals and the forest and was allowed to
eat anything - except the blood of any animal (Gen 9:4)
• God also held mankind responsible for the life of each and every

1
Numbers inside Brackets [4289] indicate the Strong’s Concordance number for that task, or person.

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 human being (Gen. 9:6)
• Despite being such a righteous man, Noah still fell into sin, by getting
drunk and lying naked in his tent. (Gen. 9:21)

Characteristics of Noah
1. A righteous man
2. A man of faith
3. A man of long patience and long suffering
4. An extraordinary carpenter
5. A father who brought up his children in the knowledge and respect
of the Lord

ABRAM [ABRAHAM] – THE SPIRITUAL PILGRIM [15] & [4290]

• The study of the life of Abraham is of great importance because he was
chosen by God, to become the father of a new spiritual race.
Religious seeds were planted in his heart from which was to spring
wonderful results in the church over 4,000 years into the future.
• The Divine Call – The Call of God: While living at home with his
family (in his father’s house) he received a message from the Lord
(Gen. 12:1) to leave his family and go into a land that the Lord would
show to him.
• Whenever there is a call from God upon a person’s life there is
always a cost !!! – but also manifested rewards.
• Abram obeyed the call and so started a special relationship
between man and God. Obedience is better than sacrifice !!!
• God makes a covenant with Abraham. No obedience – no
covenant!!
• Through Abraham, God wants to re-introduce the creation kingdom –
but now to be obtained through a redemptive process.
• “By you all the families of the earth will bless themselves”.

GIDEON – THE RELUCTANT GENERAL

At this time, Israel had rebelled against God and had been given over into
the hands of the Medianites for a period of seven (7) years, to teach them
a lesson (Judges. 6: 1-5)
Whenever the Jews are in trouble, it seems that then (and only then) do
they cry out to the Lord for help (Judges. 6:6)
God sends them a prophet (no name) who tells them what they don’t
want to hear. (Judges. 6: 7-10). NOTICE: You don’t have to be a “big
named prophet” to be used by God.
Notice that God always gives us a chance to redeem ourselves
from our past sins.
The Angel of the Lord appears and summons him to leadership (Jud.
6:11-12) [refer to extra notes about the “Angel of the Lord”]
He was the son of Joash, of the tribe of Manasseh (Judges. 6:11)
He was the youngest son, of the poorest family, in the lowest ranked, of

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all the 12 tribes of Israel.
From a secular viewpoint, the most unlikely person to choose for a leader.
From a spiritual standpoint, this is to show the nation of Israel (and us
today) that God can call anybody into His service, irrespective of your social
standing in the community.
Gideon, like Moses, makes excuses that he is not good enough to do what
God wants. (Judges. 6:13)
Note: If God calls us into His service, He will equip us with whatever
we need, to do/and/or put into effect, for His purposes.
All we have to do is say: “Yes Lord – I am ready to serve You. What
must I do?”
Are you ready to answer the call?
Once assured by the Lord that God is with him, to guide him, he is no longer
afraid ~ as his subsequent actions prove.
Gideon destroys the altar dedicated to Baal, and builds an altar to God
(Judges. 6:24-28)
He is threatened with death by the Baal worshippers, but is rescued by his
father. On assembling the host of enemies, Gideon blows the trumpet to call
the nation together. His faith is strengthened by the sign of the fleece (3
times).
His faith is severely tested by the Divine reduction of his army of 32,000
down to just 300 soldiers – without any weapons!!!
This is to prove to Gideon, and to the whole nation of Israel, that the victory
of the battle belongs to the Lord. After this victory, he is offered the crown
of all Israel, which he refuses, and gives the glory to God. (Judges. 8:22-
23)
But despite all-of this ~ he still makes mistakes!
He makes a golden ephod, which becomes a problem for all of Israel
(Judges. 8:24-27)
He judges Israel wisely, in accordance with God’s laws, for 40 years, and as
a result, there is peace in the nation for 40 years.

UNIT ONE ASSIGNMENT

The students will work in small groups to research and write a combined
group essay on “The Call of God”, using the guidelines below as a basis
(600 – 800 words)
1. Identify, and discuss, verses or passages of Scripture, that assists
with understanding “The Call of God”.
2. Identify and discuss “The Call of God” upon at least three (3)
significant Biblical Characters.
3. Discuss what you understand and believe to be:-
• The functions,
• Purposes, and
• Characteristics of “The Call of God”
Each group will make a combined submission, for a Group Assessment Mark
– which will be assigned to each member of that specific group.

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For online students:
You will have to do this research by yourselves, using whatever reference
material you can find, online, or at the library. You will receive an individual
mark for your assessment tasks.

UNIT 2: EXAMPLES OF THE CALL OF GOD

CASE STUDY 1: MOSES [4307]

The number [4307] is the Strong’s Bible Reference number for Moses. These
numbers will appear throughout this subject, and in fact the whole course.
Family:
• Father: Amram (Ex. 2:1, 6:20)
• Mother: Jochebed (Ex. 2:1, 6:20)
Both of the Tribe of Levi (Ex. 2:1)
• Brother: Aaron (Ex. 4:14)
• Sister: Miriam (Ex. 15:20)

His Early Life:

• His birth in turbulent times
• The edict of the Pharaoh
• Jochebed’s trust in the Lord – the child cast upon the waters.
• They launched the ark (basket) not only onto the Nile, but onto God’s
providence. He would be the captain, steer-man, and convoy escort,
of this little craft.
• Miriam stood to watch its path and report back to her mother. There
was no fear of fatal consequences, only the quiet expectancy that God
would do something worthy of Himself.
• They reckoned on God’s faithfulness, and they were amply rewarded,
when the daughter of their greatest enemy became the babe’s
patroness. (Ref. F. B. Meyer. Through the Bible Day by Day)
• The daughter of the Pharaoh recovers the ark from the Nile and
recognizes that he is a Hebrew child, but has compassion and takes it
for her own child.
• She called his name MOSES because “she drew him out of the
water”.
• God intervenes and allows Jochebed to be involved in the early years
of Moses’ life. She is hired by the Pharaoh’s daughter to be the
nursemaid for her own son. This is God’s blessing to the mother for
her trust in God – but Moses did not know his true birthright.
Youth and Young Manhood
• Moses was educated in the palace, by the best brains in the land.
(Acts 7:22).

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• At age 40 (# 40 – a time of testing), Moses visits the Hebrews and
sees the major injustices being done against them. As a result, he
kills an Egyptian and then has to flee from Egypt into the desert of
Midian.
• Ruel (Ex. 2:17-18) [also called Raquel and/or Jethro], the priest of
Midian had 7 daughters, who were sheep-herders and Moses defends
them against the men who attack them at the well. Moses successfully
drove them off, and then provided water for the 7 daughters and their
flocks.
• Ruel (Jethro) is a priest, who fears God, and is of the descendants of
Ishmael, who has a good knowledge of the scriptures, and how
Abraham sent his servant to his relative’s house, to secure a bride for
his son.
• Seeing he has no sons he would recognize the similarity of these
situations which has occurred here.
Abraham’s servant prays for a woman to draw water for himself and his
flock, as a sign that he has chosen the correct lady for Isaac.
On the other hand, Jethro has 7 daughters and this man has drawn
water for his 7 daughters; he needs a son-in-law, who will protect his
daughters, and provide for their flocks – Moses looks like he is the right
man for the job!
• Jethro offers Moses his oldest daughter - Zipporah (as per custom) as
a wife, thus making him second in charge of all his belongings and
responsible for the household, when Jethro is not present. By this
marriage, the line of Isaac, and the line of Ishmael are re-
united into one line once again, as the line of Abraham.
• Moses lives in the desert, being re-moulded by God, for another 40
years (another time of testing) [Acts 7:30] Moses is now 80 years old
and still the Lord has not called him – or has he?

THE TESTING OF MOSES:

• Moses leaves Egypt as a prince, and God gives him the desert as his
kingdom, with Zipporah, a God-fearing woman, as his queen.
• They have to deal with the hardships of the desert – with no
servants or riches, like he had in Egypt.
• Moses has to learn to lean on and to put his trust in the God of the
Hebrews – the God of Abraham, whom Jethro & Zipporah would have
told him about, as they sat around the campfires together at night –
or whilst they were out minding the sheep together.
• For 40 years this moulding and re-shaping took place. Moses was
placed “On the Potter’s Wheel” but did not really know it.
• F.B. Meyer, in his book “Moses, the Servant of God” says this: “It was
true heroism, when Moses stepped down from Pharaoh's throne, to
share the burdens of his brethren. But it would take 40 long years of
lonely waiting and trials before this strong, radiant nature could be
broken down, re-shaped into the vessel fit for the Master’s hands, and
prepared for every good work”
• “One blow struck when God’s time is fulfilled is worth more
than 1,000 blows struck in premature eagerness.”

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 THE CALL OF GOD UPON MOSES [Ex. 3:2-10]
1. “The Angel of the Lord”1 appears in the form of a flame, coming
out of the midst of the bush. As Moses looks, he can see the flames –
but the bush is not burning. Moses decides to go closer and
investigate, because he cannot believe what he is seeing.
2. When the LORD saw that Moses had turned aside, God called to
Him (not an angel) but God Himself. (Ex. 3:4) “Moses, Moses” and
Moses replied: “Here I am”.
3. God says to Moses: “Do not come near; put your shoes off your
feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.” God
wants to make a covenant with Moses.
4. God makes His presence and His identity very clear, when He says: “I
AM the God of your father, the God of Abraham, and the God of
Jacob”.
5. Upon hearing this Moses hid his face from the presence of Lord,
because he
was afraid that he would die if he saw God’s face.
6. The Lord continues: “I have surely seen the afflictions of My people in
Egypt, and I have heard their cry, because of their taskmasters and
oppressors; for I know their sorrows, sufferings and trials. And I have
come down (to earth) to deliver them out of the hand and the power
of the Egyptians, to bring them up out of that land (Egypt) to a land
good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of plenty;
to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite,
the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Now behold the cry of the Israelites is
coming to Me, and I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them”.

• V 10: “Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh,

that you may bring forth My people, the Israelites, out of
Egypt”.
• God never sends you on a journey for Him, unless He tells you what
you are expected to do! Nor does He send you without the necessary
equipment and supplies to fulfil the tasks. God’s task was simple:
1. Go to Egypt,
2. Confront the Pharaoh, and tell him that the “God of Joseph” has
said to: “let the Israelites go”!
3. Bring them out of Egypt to this new land, which God has already
identified to Moses
• Moses makes excuses and God answers: [Ex. 3:11-4:17]
• Who am I that you would choose me and send me to Egypt?
• God replies: “I will surely be with you & this shall be a sign to you
that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of
Egypt, you shall worship Me on this mountain”. (called Mt. Horeb,

1
Whenever you see the words “Angel of the Lord” mentioned in scripture, be aware that it is
referring to Jesus, appearing in His “Spiritual Form”

14
 or Mt. Sinai).
• When I come to the Israelites and tell them, the God of your fathers
has sent me to you, and they say to me, what is His name? What
shall I say to them?
• God Replies: “I AM WHO I AM, and WHAT I AM, and I WILL BE
WHAT I WILL BE: and He said: You shall say this to the
Israelites, I AM has sent me to you!”.
• V 15: “This shall you say to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your
fathers, of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob, has sent me to you! This is
My name forever, and by this name, I AM to be remembered to all
generations.”
• V 16: Go gather the elders of Israel together [the mature teachers & tribal
leaders] and say to them. The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying: I have surely visited you,
and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.
• V 17: And I have declared [a covenant pledge] that I will bring you out of
the affliction of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite,
the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, and to a land flowing with milk
and honey.
• V 18: And (the elders) shall believe you and obey your voice: and you shall
go, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to
him: The Lord God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now let us go we
beseech you, three day’s journey, into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice
to the Lord our God.
• V 19: And I know that the King of Egypt will not let you go [unless forced
to do so] no, not by a mighty hand.
• V 20: So, I will stretch out MY hand, and smite Egypt with all-of the wonders
which I will do in it; and after that he will let you go.
• V 21: And I will give this people favour and respect in the sight of the
Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.
• V 22: But every woman shall (insistently) solicit her neighbour, and of her
that maybe residing at her house, jewels and articles of silver and gold, and
garments, which you shall put on your sons and daughters: and you shall
strip the Egyptians. [of their belongings due to you – for your wages as
slaves in Egypt for 407 years]
“What if they don’t believe me, or listen to my voice, and they
say that God did not appear to me?”
God now provides the proof of His power to Moses, and confirmation that
He really is the God of Abraham, who is speaking to him.

THE THIRD SIGN:

V 9: “But, if they will also not believe these two (2) signs, or heed your
voice, you shall take some water out of the river [Nile] and pour it
onto dry land; and the water which you take out of the river [Nile]
shall become blood on the dry land”
Moses continues to make excuses!!! Excuse # 4
V 10: “Oh Lord, I am not eloquent, or a man of words, neither before nor since
you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and have a
heavy and awkward tongue”

15
V 11: And the Lord said to Him: “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who
makes the dumb or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not
I, the Lord?
V 12: Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and will
teach you what you shall say”.

Excuse # 5:
Moses says to God: “Oh Lord, I pray you, send by the hand of [some
other] whom you will send”
[God please send somebody else!!!]
GOD GETS ANGRY WITH MOSES!!!
V 14: “Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know he can speak
well. Also, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you,
he will be overjoyed.
V 15: You must speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will
be with his mouth and with your mouth, and will teach you what
you shall do.
V 16: He will speak for you to the people, acting as a mouthpiece for
you, and you shall be as God to him.
V 17: And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall work
the signs [that prove that I sent you].”
THE RESPONSE OF MOSES TO THE CALL OF GOD
1. Moses returns to his camp after his encounter on the mountain and
requests permission from his father-in-law to return to Egypt to see
if his relatives are still alive.
2. There is no recorded mention that Moses tells Jethro of the
encounter with God Almighty on the mountain – or the tasks that
Moses has been sent to undertake, but Jethro give Moses his
blessing and permission to return to Egypt, together with his wife
and his sons. (Ex. 4:20)
3. Now a battle did occur to decide which “first born” will be delivered
or die. The “first-son” of God – (the whole nation of Israel), or the
“first son” of Egypt – (the first son of the pharaoh).
4. Both sons could have lived – but only one son can die!!! (see
v 21-23)

Conclusion:
Despite his complaining, Moses eventually reacts positively to “the call
of God” on his life. He learns to listen to God and to trust God’s wisdom
to fulfil the tasks set before him.
Because of his disobedience Moses was not allowed to enter the
Promised Land – only to see it from afar.
However, as a reward we know that Moses has a place in heaven.

UNIT 2 - ASSIGNMENT
• In 500 words (or more), write what you have learned and
understood from this case study and the “Call of God” on the life of
Moses.
16
• The areas to be considered are:-
– The faith of his family,
– His early life and how it affected his thinking,
– The events which caused him to flee,
– His time in the desert,
– His confrontation with God Almighty,
– His return to Egypt,
– The miracles and their effects on:
• The Egyptians,
• The Jews,
• The surrounding nations,
– The Exodus,,
– His further trials in the wilderness,
– The giving of the Law (the first time),
– The pleas for the people,
– The giving of the law (the second time),
– His plea to go into the Promised Land and its result,
– Appointment of his successor,
– Proof that God, finally allowed him into heaven,
– His effects on your own personal life.

CASE STUDY # 2 – SAUL OF TARSUS

❑ References in Thompson’s Chain Reference Bible as below:
➢ Paul [2697]
➢ Miracles of Paul [2371]
➢ Persecution of Paul [3482]
➢ Preaching of Paul [2087]
➢ Tree of his life [4309]
➢ Apostleship [202]
➢ Bonds [3479]
➢ Care for the church [732]
➢ Examples by Paul [1178]
➢ Paul’s Missionary Journeys [2382]
➢ Portrait of Jesus Christ [4304]
➢ Self-support for missionaries [2097]
➢ Thorn in his side [4080]

His Family and early life:

• His father was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6) and a Roman citizen (Acts
22:25- 28).
• His mother is unknown.
• He was of the Tribe of Benjamin, born in Tarsus and named Saul,
17
 (which means “asked for”) (Acts 23:3).
• He had a sister, who later lived in Jerusalem and his nephew helped
Paul in his later life (Acts 23:16).
• As is required by all Jews, he learnt a trade, as a tentmaker (Acts
18:3).
• He studied in the synagogue under Gamaliel, acknowledged the
greatest Rabbinical Scholar of his time (Acts 22:3).
His Early Manhood:
• The crucifixion of Jesus Christ, His resurrection and the events of
that particular Passover and Pentecost period, must have had some
remarkable effects upon his life, because he becomes very anti-
Christian.
• All that has taken place, is against all that he has been taught.
• At this stage in his life, he cannot reconcile what has happened, to
God’s redemptive promises of salvation.
• At this stage in his life there is confusion and turmoil, because what
has happened, contradicts all he has been taught from the Law and
the writings of the prophets.
• He just does not understand that God Almighty is involved in what
has just happened.
Saul is an instrument of God, even before his conversion: set
apart for God’s work (Gal. 1:15)
• Saul was present at the stoning of Steven (Acts 7:58)
• Saul consented to Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1 a)
• The execution of Stephen was a signal for an increased campaign
of repression and persecution against the “followers of the way”.
• The large community of believers in Jerusalem fled the city for their
safety and for their own lives and the lives of their children. (Acts
8:1-3)
• Many were caught and sent to the pits for participation in various
deadly sporting fixtures to please the Romans.
• They fled to all parts of Palestine (Judea and Samaria) and to other
places outside these areas, even as far north as Syrian Antioch.
• When they went, they took the Good News with them, the fulfilment
of Acts 1:8 was now being implemented in Acts 8:1
• A light from heaven flashed all around him”. He fell to the ground
and he heard a voice from heaven saying to him.
• “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME? [ Why are you harassing,
troubling and molesting Me?]
• “Who are you, Lord?” And the voice replies: “I am Jesus, whom you
are persecuting. It is dangerous and it turns out badly for you, to
keep kicking against the goad – that is to offer vain and perilous
resistance”.
• Trembling and astonished Saul asks: “Lord, what do you desire me to
do?” The Lord answered: “Arise and go into the city and you will be
told what you must do”. (Notice Jesus did not ask Saul a difficult
thing to do at first – just go into the city and wait for instructions.)
18
• When Saul got up from the ground he was blind – so the people with
him, who had heard the same
voice, led him by the hand into the city.
• The first test of obedience that Jesus gave to Saul was simple: Go
into the city of Damascus and wait!
• Saul fasts and prays for 3 days and nights – in complete darkness,
(just like Jonah, who had also rebelled against the Lord.)
• While Saul is fasting and praying, in the house of Judas, in a street
called Straight (still there today – but called “Darb-al-Mustaqim” –
which means “He has seen.”)
• God starts to put the next step of Saul’s conversion into place, by
appearing to Ananias, in a vision and commanding him to go to
Saul and pray for his healing and for him to receive the Holy
Spirit.

THE CALL OF ANANIAS:

Acts 9:10: “And there was in Damascus a disciple (a believer – an
ordinary man – but somebody very special) whose name was Ananias.”
The Lord said to Him: “Ananias” and he answered: “Here I am, Lord.”
V 11 “Get up (straightaway) and go to the street called Straight, and
ask at the house of Judas, for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for
behold he is praying there.
V 12 And he has seen in a vision, a man named Ananias, enter and lay
hands on him, so that he may regain his sight.
• Ananias was confused by this instruction from the Lord, so he
explains what he knows of Saul to the Lord, just to make sure he
understands this commandment from the Lord properly.
V 13 “Lord, I have heard many people tell about this man, especially how
much evil and what great suffering he has brought on Your saints in
Jerusalem;
V 14 Now he is here and has authority from the high priests to put in chains
all who call upon Your name”.
V 15 “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name
before the Gentiles and kings and the descendants of Israel.
V 16 For I will make clear to him how much he will be afflicted and
must endure and suffer for My Name’s sake”.
• Once assured by the Lord that Ananias has understood the Lord’s
instructions correctly, he immediately went into the house, laid
hands upon Saul and said: “Brother Saul, (fellow believer) the Lord
Jesus, who appeared to you along the way by which you came
here, has sent me that you may recover your sight and be filled
with the Holy Spirit”.
V 18 And instantly scales fell of his eyes ad he recovered his sight. He
arose and was baptised.
Note: Paul received his healing, then received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, BEFORE he received the baptism in water. This is different
to the Samaritans. We must recognise that God is in control and
He can give the Holy Spirit to His believers, any way He chooses.

19
SAUL’S RESPONSE TO THE CALL OF GOD:
• Paul commenced to preach Jesus Christ as the Messiah, in the
Synagogues in Damascus, causing all sorts of confusion and mistrust,
because they knew he had letters from the High Priest in Jerusalem
and the believer’s thought he was trying to trap them into identifying
themselves.
• The followers of Judaism (the Jews) decided to kill him, but their plan
was made known “supernaturally” to Saul and he was helped by
the disciples to escape, being let down over the city walls in a basket.
[confirming to Saul that God would protect him while he undertook
the tasks set out before him]
• He returned to Jerusalem, and tried to preach in the Synagogues
there – but again the believers did not believe that he was really
converted.
• Barnabas took him to meet the Apostles, where he testified about
meeting the Lord on the way to Damascus and how he had been
preaching about Jesus in Damascus, how the Lord revealed a plot to
kill him and how the disciples had helped him escape over the city
wall.
• After this testimony, he was able to go about preaching freely among
the believers – but again there was a plot to kill him, so the believers
took him to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus (till things settled
down and peace could be restored.)
• Saul, now spends 3 years in Arabia, in communion with the Holy
Spirit, undertaking a “Holy Spirit Bible School”, re-learning all the
things of the Old Testament – with new revelation and understanding,
about the promises of the Messiah, and how they had come to pass
and be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. After 3 years he returns to Tarsus.
• Meanwhile, the effects of the dispersion, was having miraculous
result right across the whole area. Men from Cyprus and Cyrene who
had heard the Gospel, spoke to Greeks in Antioch. The presence of
the Holy Spirit was with them and many believed and were saved.
The news of these conversions reached the Apostles in Jerusalem,
who selected a dedicated, proven man to go to Antioch and
investigate this news and to set up a church there. His name was
Barnabas.
Acts 11:24: “For he was a good man, full of, and controlled by the
Holy Spirit, and full of faith”. As a result, a large company was
added to the Lord.
• The church became so big that it was too much for one man to
handle, (so Barnabas prayed to the Holy Spirit for guidance) and He
was directed to go to Tarsus to find Saul and to bring him back to
Antioch (as a teacher) to help him with the work there. This work
continued in Antioch for a whole year.
• This is where the gathering of believers was first called Christians.
• It was here that Agabus – a recognised Christian Prophet of the
New Testament, prophesied under the anointing of the Holy Spirit

20
 that there was to be a great famine in Jerusalem and that the people
in Jerusalem would be affected.
• This congregation in Antioch took up the first recorded “Love
offering” and sent it with Barnabas and Saul to the people of Judea.
When they returned to Antioch from Judea, they brought John Mark
with them.
THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH & THE SEPARATION FOR NEW
SERVICE:
The leaders of the church at Antioch were:
1. Apostles (under the Apostleship of Jerusalem)
2. Prophets (un named – except Agabus)
3. Teachers [Barnabas, Symeon, Lucius, Manaen & Saul]
• While they were “praising the Lord and fasting” the Holy Spirit
spoke to them: “SEPARATE NOW FOR ME, Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have called them”. Notice the order
of calling: first Barnabas, THEN Saul.
• So up until this point, we have had 3 instructions for Saul:
– Go into Damascus and wait for further instructions.
– Go out into the Arabian desert and be trained by the Holy Spirit.
– Go out and teach the Good News, under the authority of the Holy
Spirit and Barnabas.
• At this time, the role of Saul/Paul is still that of a teacher, He is
yet to be raised up into the office of an Apostle.
• It was not until later on his first missionary journey that Saul (now
called Paul) exercises his authority under the anointing of the Holy
Spirit to his full rank of an Apostle, and performs the miracle of
making the false prophet blind.
• This results in Sergius Paulus, the Roman Consul believing on the
Holy Power of Jesus Christ and he becomes a Christian.
• The next 30 years of Paul’s life is spent spreading the Gospel of
Jesus Christ in many countries, being imprisoned at least twice in
Rome, as well as Jerusalem and in Caesarea.
• Paul undertook 5 documented journeys:
1. Tarsus,
2. Caesarea,
3. Jerusalem, Damascus,
4. Arabian Desert, Damascus, Jerusalem,
5. Caesarea, Tarsus, Antioch.
• People already believed and were saved under His ministry at this
time – before what is now referred to as his “First Missionary
Journey”. See maps on the next pages, copied from the
Thompson’s Chain Reference Bible.

21
Acts chapters 8-11
[ 46-48 AD] It is on this journey that his name is changed from Saul to
Paul (which means “little” [Acts 13:9]).

22
[Acts 15:40 – 18:22] [50 – 52 A.D.]
It is on this journey that Paul has a vision of the “Man from Macedonia”
saying: “Come over to Macedonia and help us”.

23
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey [54-58 AD] [Acts 18:22 – 21:20]

Paul’s Trip to Rome [59 - 60 AD] [Acts 24-28]

• He travelled from Jerusalem to Caesarea, where he was imprisoned
for 2 years, then Tyre, Sidon, Myra, Cinidus, Fair Havens, He was
shipwrecked at Melita, then to Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli, Apii
Forum, Three Taverns, then Rome.
• He spent the remaining years in either house arrest, or in fixed
prisons, where he wrote most of his Epistles to the churches he had
founded (including an Epistle to the Church in Laodicea, referred to in
Colossians chapter 4:16) He was beheaded in Rome in Approximately
67 A.D.

THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE LAODICIEANS

Points to ponder: (v 1) He salutes the brethren, (v 3) exhorts them to

persevere in good works, (v 4) and not be moved by vain speaking. (v
6) Rejoices in his bonds, (v 10) desires them to live in fear of the Lord.

24
1. Paul an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ,
to the brethren which are at Laodicea.
2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
3. I thank Christ in every prayer of mine, that ye may continue and
persevere in good works, looking for what is promised in the day
of judgement.
4. Let not the vain speeches of any trouble you who pervert the
truth, that which may draw you aside from the truth, of the
Gospel which I have preached.
5. And now may God grant, that my converts, may attain to a perfect
knowledge of the truth of the Gospel, be beneficent, and doing
good works which accompany salvation.
6. And now my bonds, which I suffer in Christ, are manifest, in which
I rejoice and am glad.
7. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation forever, which shall
be through your prayer, and the supply of the Holy Spirit.
8. Whether I live or die; (for) to me to live shall be a life to Christ, to
die shall be joy.
9. And our Lord will grant us His mercy, that ye may have the same
love, and be likeminded.
10. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have heard of the coming of the
Lord, so think and act in fear, and it shall be unto you, life eternal;
11. For it is God who works in you;
12. And do all things without sin.
13. And what is best, my beloved, rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and avoid all filthy lucre.
14. Let all your requests be made known to God, and be steady in the
doctrine of Christ.
15. And whatsoever things are sound and true, and of good report,
and chaste, and just, and lovely, these things do.
16. These things which ye have heard, and received, think on these
things, and peace shall be with you.
17. All the saints salute you.
18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen.

25
Cause this Epistle to be read to the Colossians, and the Epistle to
the Colossians to be read among you.
This Epistle was still being used, and included in the Bible, translated by
John Wycliffe in 1384. It is sad that the “so-called scholars”, appointed
by King James, decided to leave this Epistle out of the King James Bible,
(First Edition which was confiscated and most destroyed), and the
Second Edition, which most Protestant churches use today.

UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT
In a minimum of 500 words, write what you have learned and
understood from the case study and the “Call of God” on the life of Saul
(Paul). The areas to be considered are:
– His family, early life and early manhood
– His early religious teaching and how it affected his attitude to God
Almighty, and his idea of the Messiah.
– What was his early impression of Jesus Christ?
– How was this changed?
– The importance of people being available to hear and obey God’s

26
 word (Ananias)
– Saul’s response to the “Call of God”
– His re-learning process,
– Saul as a teacher
– Saul & his relationship problems
– His name being changes.
– The miracles under Paul’s ministry
– The churches he personally pioneered on his missionary journeys
– Paul supported himself by making tents, so that he was not a
burden on the church body. Do you believe that this is the scriptural
basis and scriptural template for missions today? Please give your
reasons.
– What have you learned from the life of Paul, that will challenge how
you respond to God Almighty?

UNIT ONE & TWO

ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION.
This is an “Open Book examination” and you will be allowed to refer to
your class notes and any reference that you have with you.
Time allowed for this examination is one hour, and the mark will be out
of 100.
Please place your Name and Student number on the top of each page,
before you submit your examination for assessment.

Question One: Explain in your own words what is “The Call of God.”
Question Two: Name 5 people, mentioned in the Old Testament, who
received a “Call of God” upon their lives.
Question Three: What do you believe was the specific “Call of God” that
was placed upon the life of Gideon?
Question Four: Briefly explain the Abrahamic Covenant promised by
God, if Abraham was obedient to His calling.
Question Five: Name somebody from the Old Testament who you
believe did not follow the “Call of God” upon his life and state your
reasons for this view.

UNIT 3 – CALL OF THE DISCIPLES

[Reference John Mac Arthur’s Bible Studies: The Master’s Men
(Moody Press) ISBN 0-8024-5106-3]
The words defining their call [Matt. 10:1 (a)]
➢ “And when He had called them unto Himself - His twelve
disciples”
➢ The Greek word for “the call” is proskaleomia
➢ “Kaleo – to call, “pros” – towards; meaning to call to oneself.
➢ This same word is used in Acts 13:2, “to separate out Barnabas &
Saul” – “to call them to oneself”.

27
 ➢ Notice in verse 10:1 they are called as disciples: (Greek: “mathetes”,
meaning “a learner, (or an apprentice).
➢ After they have received proper instructions, they were referred to
as apostles; (Greek apostolos; meaning “to be sent”)
➢ They were originally sent out as missionaries “to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel. (Matt. 10:6) and to preach that “The kingdom
of heaven is at hand”. (Matt. 10:7)
THE PHASES OF THEIR CALLING:
1. Conversion: In John 1:35-51 we have an account of their initial
calling to conversion (salvation – First Phase) in the lives of the
12 disciples.
2. Ministry: Second Phase” (Matt. 4:18-22) is where Jesus calls them
to leave their secular jobs and to follow Him exclusively.
3. Internship: Third Phase: They were initially sent out in two’s
(Mark 6:7). At this stage of their development, they were not ready
to be on their own. Jesus is acting like a mother eagle, watching over
her little eaglets, watching them begin to fly. After their initial (“trial
missionary journeys”) they returned to be with Jesus, for more
advanced teaching – having now experienced first-hand, some of the
problems of being a missionary.
4. Final Sending: The fourth phase in the calling of the disciples, is
after the resurrection and Jesus, who breathes the Holy Spirit upon
them, inside the locked room. This is confirmed after the ascension
of Jesus Christ, when they all receive the empowerment of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost.

Outline History of the Apostles:

After considerable time in prayer, Jesus selected 12 disciples from
among his followers, to become apprentices, to work with Him, and learn
from Him. These people were as below:
1. The Inner Circle:
1. Simon bar Jonas (Simon Peter)
2. James (the elder)
3. John (the beloved disciple)
2. The Quiet Workers:
1. Andrew bar Jonas (brother of Simon Peter)
2. Philip
3. Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael)
4. Thomas (Didymus)
5. Matthew (Levi)

3. The Little Known:

1. James (the lesser)
2. Jude
3. Simon (the Zealot)
4. The Traitor:

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 1. Judas (Iscariot)
5. Added later:
1. Matthias (to replace Judas Iscariot) [ Acts 1:23-26]
2. Saul/Paul [Acts 13:9]
The first 12 people selected by Jesus, were the “eye witnesses” to all the
events, which are recorded in the New Testament Gospels. The following
study will endeavour to establish what effects the “encounter with Jesus
Christ had upon their lives”.
WHO ARE THE APOSTLES?
– The Apostles are the Foundations of the Church, with Jesus
Christ Himself, being the Chief Corner-stone. (Eph. 2:20)
– They were foundational in terms of leadership & authority.
– In terms of Divine Revelation (Eph. 3:5) they were responsible for
writing most of the New Testament.
– They were responsible for framing most of the early church
theology.
– [“The Apostle’s Doctrine”] (Acts 2:42)
– Apostles were called and given by God to the Body of Christ for the
following reasons:
• For the Perfecting of the saints,
• For the Work of the Ministry,
• For the Edifying of the Body of Christ,
• For Raising up the Body of Christ to a level of full
maturity, as stated in Eph. 4:11-12.
Identity of the Apostles: [Matt. 10:2-4]
– Simon bar Jonas (called Peter)
– Andrew bar Jonas (Peter’s brother)
– James bar Zebedee
– John bar Zebedee (James's brother)
– Philip
– Bartholomew (also called Nathanael)
– Thomas
– Matthew (the Tax Collector)
– James bar Alpheus
– Simon, the Canaanite (the Zealot)
– Judas Iscariot (the betrayer)
Throughout time, God Almighty has chosen, what appears to us (in
secular terms) as “unqualified men and women” to serve Him, and to
execute His purpose throughout mankind. As we continue with “The Call
of God” let us reflect on the people we know who God has “called” and
used.

1. Noah: Got drunk and conducted himself in a lewd manner –

yet he served God faithfully, all the days of his life.

29
2. Abraham: Doubted God, lied about his wife, and committed
adultery.
3. Isaac: Sinned as his father had taught him, lying about his
wife to Abimelech
4. Jacob: Extorted his birthright from his brother Esau, deceived
his father and raised a family of immoral children.
5. Joseph: Was called by God to save a nation, but was hated by his
own brothers.
6. Moses: Was a murderer, acting in pride. He tried to steal the glory
from God, by striking the rock to get water from it, instead of
obediently speaking to it as God had commanded him to ~ (the
second time).
7. Aaron: The first high priest, led Israel to worship the golden calf
and the accompanying orgy and destruction, which prevented the
first copy of the Law being delivered to the people of Israel.
8. Joshua: Was so deceived by the Gibeonites that he made a treaty
with them, instead of destroying them, as God had told him to do.
Because of his disobedience, Israel was troubled endlessly by them.
9. Gideon: Had no confidence in himself and even less confidence in
God’s plan to defeat an enemy of over 300,000 men with just 300
men and no weapons.
10. Samson: Was God’s clown - marked as a man with a lustful love
for a wretched woman.
11. Ruth: Was in the Messianic line of Jesus Christ, yet she was
an accursed Moabitess.
12. Samuel: Was only a child, when he began to faithfully serve the
Lord.
13. David: Was a ladies’ man, an adulterer, a murderer, a poor father,
and a man with innocent bloody upon his hands, so God wouldn’t
allow him to build the Temple.
14. Solomon: Was the world’s leading polygamist, but built God’s first
temple.
15. Isaiah: He put his trust in a “human” king, instead of God.
16. Ezekiel: Was a brash, tough, strong-minded, crusty, say-what-
you- think, type of priest.
17. Daniel: Was educated in a pagan country and taught the wisdom
of the bitter and hasty Chaldeans.
18. Hosea: Was commanded by God to marry a prostitute and then
later to divorce her and later still, to marry her again.
19. Jonah: Defied God in direct disobedience, and got horribly upset
when the gentile city of Nineveh was converted and not destroyed.
20. Habakkuk: Questioned God’s Divine Plan.
21. Elijah: Was able to handle 850 false prophets, but ran like a
frightened maniac, from just one woman – under the spiritual
influence of Jezebel.
22. Saul/Paul: Was a former Christian killer.

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23. Timothy: Was ashamed of Christ and had to be rebuked by Paul.

CONTRASTS IN TEMPERAMENT:

Among the 12 disciples, there are extreme contrasts in temperament,

for example:
1. Peter & John:
Peter: A man of action, impulsive and eager to please. He is known as
the Apostle with the “foot-shaped mouth”, because he was always
opening his mouth and putting his foot in it. He was always
blurting out, speaking before putting his mind into gear – always
in a hurry, charging ahead, sometimes even ahead of God.
John: A quieter contemplative man, a man of prayer, a man who knew
how to get close to Jesus – to have a personal relationship with
Him. He is reported to have rested his head on the chest of Jesus
Christ Himself at the Last Supper.
2. Nathanael & Thomas:
1. Nathanael: A man who was always ready to believe. In John 1, he
just accepted the facts. He didn’t seem to doubt anything. He was
willing to receive it all – without question.
2. Thomas: A complete opposite to Nathanael. He would not believe
anything, unless he could read it, see it, or touch it for himself.
3. Matthew & Simon (the Zealot):
1. Matthew: Worked with the Roman Government, extorting taxes
from the locals, and from the Jews, a much-hated man by the Jewish
community.
2. Simon (The Zealot): A zealot was a revolutionary (today we call
them terrorists) whose main goal was to overthrow the Roman
occupation of their homeland. Note: If Simon had met Matthew
anywhere else - except in the presence of Jesus Christ, he
would have stuck a knife into him.
4. SEE HOW POWERFUL JESUS IS!!!

THE CALL OF SIMON (PETER) BAR JONAS

• His name: (Simon) was a common name – a native of Bethsaida,
a little village in Galilee.
• His profession: Fisherman, with more than one fishing boat. He
was a businessman.
• By nature: He was a “shifty” person.
• Brought to Jesus Christ: by his brother (Andrew bar Jonah).
• Received his calling: at the same time as Andrew.
• He was married: (Because the Lord healed his mother-in-law in
Luke 4:38), and he took his wife with him on his missionary
journeys (1 Cor. 9:5).
• Jesus changed his name to Peter (Greek “Petros” meaning
“pebble”, “Cephas” in Aramaic.)
• Jesus referred to him in three ways:

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– Peter: 100% spiritual
– Simon: 100% carnal
– Simon Peter: a mixture of the two.
Each time Jesus addressed him, he received a different message
• Jesus called him to be a leader.
• How does God make him a leader?
• What are the essential ingredients for good leadership?
1. The right raw material:
• Inquisitive
• Initiative
• Involvement
2. The right experiences:
• His great revelation
• His great reward
• His great remission
• His great rejection
• His great re-commissioning
• His great realisation of salvation
3. The right lessons:
• Submission
• Restraint
• Humility
• Sacrifice
• Love
• Courage

THE CALL OF ANDREW BAR JONAS

• His name” means “manly” – a native of Bethsaida, a little village
in Galilee.
• Profession: Fisherman
• Prior to following Jesus: Andrew had been a pious godly, God-
fearing Jew. He was a disciple of John the Baptist, who said to
Andrew & John: “Behold, the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). When
they heard this, they immediately followed after Jesus.
• They stayed with Jesus for one day and then Andrew went straight
away to call his brother (Simon – (John 1:36 b), as Andrew wanted
to immediately share the good news with his brother.
• After this encounter, they went back to their fishing nets to catch
more fish. They now have “belief” – they are saved, but they have
yet to be “called”.
• In Matt. 4:18-20 we see Jesus goes to them, at their boats, to call
them to Himself, to become “fishers of men”.
• Characteristics of Andrew:
– His proclamation about Jesus
– His position among the Apostles

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 – His portrait in John’s Gospel
The incidental circumstances
• A) John 1:40-42 a
• B) John 6:8-9
• C) John 12:20-22
The identified characteristics
• A) His openness (Matt. 10:6) He brought anybody to Jesus
– Jews and Gentiles alike.
• B) His simple faith. He brought the boy with the 5 loaves and
2 fishes to Jesus, to feed the 5,000.

THE CALL OF JAMES BAR ZEBEDEE

• The third name, in the first group – or innermost group of Apostles

with Jesus.
• He does not appear in any Gospel except his brother’s (John) and
his name appears before that of his brother, indicating leadership –
not age – but also indicating the humility of John, who never
mentions himself in his own Gospel.
• He was also a fisherman, but from a wealthy family, who employed
servants in their business (Mark 1:20)

Characteristics of James: Jesus called James and John “Boanerges”,

which
means: “Sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17)
– He was: Passionate, zealous, fervent, wild-eyed, ambitious,
aggressive,
– Jesus rebuked him for being zealous, without sensitivity. (Lu.
9:51- 56)
– [Being zealous is good, but without sensitivity it can cause
damage].
– James wanted a position of power and authority. Jesus told him he
would get a crown – but not the way he expected. (Matt. 20:25-28)
“Before you get your crown you will have to suffer, for the
way to the throne is always through the cross”.
– 14 years later, he was the first martyr – having his head chopped
off by King Herod (Acts 12:1-4 a)
– He wanted a crown – Jesus gave him a cup (of suffering)
– He wanted power – Jesus gave him servant-hood
– He wanted to rule – Jesus gave him a martyr’s grave (from which
he will
rule in glory forever).

THE CALL OF JOHN BAR ZEBEDEE

• Apostle John had all the same characteristics as his brother
(James), yet he was:
• Sectarian, narrow-minded, unbending, ridiculously intolerant
(Mark 9:38)
• Jesus changed his character ~ to become one of uncompromising

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 love.
• John’s character is best described in 2 words: LOVE, WITNESS.
• John was for many years (after the death of Paul) was the Apostle
in Ephesus, and was later banished to the Isle of Patmos, because
he refused to stop preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• He is credited with writing the following New Testament Books:
– The Gospel of John
– 1, 2, 3 John, and
– The Book of Revelation
• Apostle John was the only apostle to die a natural death

THE CALL OF PHILIP – THE APOSTLE

• Philip is a Greek name meaning: “Lover of horses” and he is not to
be confused with “Philip the Deacon”, who is referred to in Acts
chapter 6.
– All the Disciples were Jews – so Philip must have also had a Hebrew
name, but there is no record of it.
– Philip was from Bethsaida, the same village as Simon Peter and
Andrew, and they were probably friends, before they followed Jesus
– all being fisherman.
• Philip is always mentioned as the leader of the second group.
– When Greeks went to see Jesus, they always approached Philip first.
He was the person who had the responsibility of welcoming and
introducing people to Christ.
• The first 3 Gospels don’t tell us anything about Philip – just his
name, yet he gets mentioned 4 times in John’s Gospel, so we can
get a snapshot of what type of person he was.
• Philip is the first disciple to be directly called by Jesus. (Jn. 1:43-
46)
• Philip was a person with a receptive heart, who straightway went
and found Nathanael after the Lord told him to “Follow Me”.
• Philip is tested by Jesus in Jn. Chapter 6, after seeing Jesus, change
water into wine, (Jn. 2:1-11) and miracles and healings all day.
– Knowing that Philip has studied the Prophets, Jesus challenges him
with the question: “Philip, where shall we buy bread, that
these may eat?”
– He should have known that God is able to provide in abundance by
multiplication (2 Kings 4:42-44)
– He should have also realised that Jesus was “the bread of life”. In
this situation Philip was looking at the questions from Jesus in a
purely secular manner.
– Jesus was trying to teach Philip about “Faith” (the evidence of
things unseen) – but alas, Philip fails this test.
– Despite this failure, Jesus does not reject him or send him from
their midst. A wonderful lesson to learn for all of us, when we fail
God’s tests – He still loves us anyway!!!
– That should be enough to encourage us to get up when we fall
and continue to serve God, as best we can, learning from our
mistakes.

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THE CALL OF NATHANAEL (BARTHOLOMEW)
• His first name is Nathanael, which means “Gift of God” and his
family name is Bartholomew, which means “son of Tolmai”.
• Nathanael is a direct contrast to Philip. Here is a man full of faith,
a student of the Scriptures, and very much in awe of the
supernatural.
• He came from Cana in Galilee and there is only one passage in the
Bible which tells us anything about him (Jn. 1:45-51)
• Unfortunately, he exhibits the sin of prejudice; (v. 46) “Can
anything good come out of Nazareth?”
• However, despite his prejudice, he still comes to seek out Jesus, and
Jesus does not hold his statement against him (v. 47). As they
approached, Jesus said: “Here comes an honest man – a true son of
Israel”.
– [Check out Rom. 2:28-29 for the difference between a “true Jew”
and a person from Israel.]
• When Jesus reveals how He knows Nathanael, (check additional
references for the explanation of the significance of the fig tree.)
• Then Nathanael makes a confession of faith about who Jesus really
is.
• Nathanael is promised that he will see mighty things and that he
will see the heavens opened and angels coming in and out of
heaven. In fact, Jesus promises Nathanael that his spiritual eyes will
be opened, and that he will be able to see into what we call “the
supernatural”.
• Let us all pray to receive this promise from the Lord, so we also can
“see” into the supernatural and hear clearly from the Lord.

THE CALL OF MATTHEW – THE TAX COLLECTOR

• Matthew is mentioned in all 4 lists of the Apostles – always in the
same group, but very little is said about him as a person, except in
one incident which is reported in Matt. 9:9-13, Mk. 2:14-17 and Lu.
5:27-32.
• Matthew is the only disciple who is identified by his profession.
• Throughout the whole Gospel, Matthew:
– Never asks a question which is worth recording.
– Never makes a comment which is worth recording.
– Never appears in any other incident.
• Matthew was a much-hated person (find the reasons)
• His calling by Jesus:
– When Matthew left the tax collector’s table, he left his employer
forever. The other disciples could go back to their nets and to
fishing, if things did not work out – but to leave the Romans meant
that they would quickly replace you, so the job continued and the
taxes kept getting collected.
– Matthew made a “total commitment to Jesus” – there was no going
back for him. He put his life and his well-being into the hands of
Jesus

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 – Matthew holds a feast at his house, so that Jesus could preach to
the outcasts.
– Matthew has a heart for the lost.
– Matthew is credited with writing the Gospel of Matthew.
– A “Gospel of Life” to the Jews – written by a person that they
hated.
– Matthew returned love for hate.
– A MIGHTY LESSON FOR US ALL TO LEARN!!!
THE CALL OF THOMAS – THE DOUBTER
• History records him as “the Doubter”. Unfortunately, they fail to
identify his “Good Points”.
• He was devoted to Jesus Christ (Jn. 11:16)
• He was slow to comprehend the Words of Jesus. (Jn. 14:1-14) yet
it is Philip
(Not Thomas), in this account, who asks for further proof.
• He was absent when Jesus appeared in the locked room on the day
of His resurrection. (Jn. 20:24)
• He received irrefutable proof eight (8) days later, when Jesus
commanded him to: “Put your fingers into My hands. Put your
hands into My side. Don’t be faithless any longer – Believe”.
(Jn. 20:27)
• His reply to Jesus in verse 28, sums up the rest of his life.
• The Church of South India (Mathoma) is a living testimony to his
dedication, as this church has been continually active, ever since he
went there in the first century to plant churches in India, where he
was killed, and where his remains are still buried to this day. In
fact, with the exception of the churches referred to in the New
Testament, it is one of the oldest church organizations in the world,
as it started in about 70 A.D.

THE CALL OF JAMES, THE SON OF ALPHAEUS

• The only thing that the Bible tells us about him is his name.
• His “inferred characteristics” are as below:
– In Mark 15:40 he is called “James the lesser”. The Greek word used
is “mikros”, meaning “little”. [Little James]
– He could have been small in stature, or Young in age, or of “Little
influence”.
• Irrespective of any of these things, Jesus chose him to be an
Apostle, and as such he would have taught the truth of the kingdom,
healed the sick, and cast out demons.
• He was among the first order of kingdom preachers after Christ
Himself, and he will reign on a throne, ruling over the 12 tribes of
Israel, in the new millennium (after the return of Jesus Christ).
• Here is another example that the Lord uses “ordinary people” to
do “extra-ordinary things” – silent, unknown soldiers of the
kingdom, who we won’t know about until Jesus returns for His
bride and all is revealed.
• He is a clear example of the “nameless people” who are referred to
in Heb. 11:33-38, who through faith, subdued kingdoms, wrought
righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions,

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 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out
of weakness were made strong, became valiant in fight, turned to
flight, the armies of the aliens.
• Women received their dead raised back to life, other were tortured,
not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better
resurrection.
• Others had trials of cruel mockings, and scourging’s, bonds of
imprisonments, being stoned, sawn in two, were tested, slain by the
sword, wandering around in sheepskins or goatskins, being
destitute, afflicted, torment, all for Christ’s sake.
• His implied family: This possibility makes him Matthew’s brother and
the cousin of Jesus Christ Himself.

• IMPORTANT LESSONS:
– Learn not to concentrate on the people Jesus Christ used, their
methods, or their techniques – but concentrate on Jesus Christ
Himself!!!
– Learn that what is important – is to be AVAILABLE TO HIS CALL!!!
– Don’t say: I’M NOT PERFECT – I CAN’T DO IT!!!
– If Jesus calls you – He will equip you, to undertake the tasks you
have been selected to accomplish, for God’s glory.
• DON’T LET JESUS DOWN! – HE DID NOT LET YOU DOWN,
WHEN HE WENT TO THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS!!!
THE CALL OF LEBBAEUS, SON OF THADDAEUS
• He is named in Matt. 10:3 as Lebbaeus, whose surname was
Thaddaeus.
• He is also referred to in Lu. 6:16, and Acts 1:13, as “Judas, the son
of James in Jn. 14:21 and as Judas (not Iscariot) – hence the same
person crops up in the scriptures with two (2) names – one his
Hebrew birth name, and the other his Hebrew “nicknames”.
• His Hebrew birth name means: “Jehovah leads.
• “Thaddaeus” comes from the Hebrew root “thad” meaning “female
breast” – hence he was nicknamed the “breast-child” probably
because he was the baby of the family, or because he was cherished
by his mother.
• “Lebbaeus” comes from the Hebrew root “leb” meaning “heart”, so
he was the “heart-child”, a man of courage.
• In Jn. 14:21 there is a statement made by Jesus which Thaddaeus
questions.
• “The one who obeys me is the one who loves me; and
because he loves me, My Father will love him also; and I will
too, and I will reveal Myself to him”.
• Judas (not Iscariot, but His other disciple with that name) said to
Him: “Sir, why are you going to reveal yourself only to us disciples,
and not to the world at large?”
• Jesus explained this to him and the rest of the disciples again: “I
can only be revealed to people who are tuned into Me”. [If we are
not tuned in to Jesus, then He cannot reveal Himself to us!!!]
– He came into the world (which He created) but the world received
Him not.

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 – Because the king of this world has blinded their eyes to the truth
about Jesus Christ.
– Even the Jews – who knew the promises of the Messiah down
through the ages, as told to them by the prophets, did not recognise
him in great numbers.
• Early Church Tradition: States that Thaddaeus was a gifted healer
and healed many people, including the king of Syria, name Agar,
who became a Christian.
• His historical symbol in the early church was a big club, as tradition
depicts that he was beaten to death with a club. If any part of this
legend is true, it shows that he was a courageous man, faithful to
the Lord to the very end.

THE CALL OF SIMON – THE ZEALOT

• His proper title appears in Matt. 10:4 as “Simon – the Canaanite”.
– Unfortunately, this maybe a mistranslation of the Greek word
“Kananios” which refers to a geographical area located in Canaan.
– A more accurate translation is from the Hebrew word “Quanna”,
which means “to be jealous” and referred to those people who were
“jealous of the Law”.
– In Lu. 6:15, Simon is referred to as “Simon, called Zelotes”. This
Greek word has the same meaning as the Hebrew word “Quanna”
referred to above – a man “jealous of the Law”.
– He may have also been a member of the political party in Judaism
called the “Zealots” who had, as part of their policies, the protection of
the Jewish state, its heritage, and to rid itself of the oppression of the
Romans.
• As a follower of Christ, he must have continued to manifest that
same fiery zeal, as when has was a zealot – but he did not kill
Matthew (the Tax collector) showing that Jesus had a direct
influence on his immediate life after salvation.
– Read the History of the zealots and marvel at how Jesus changed
Simon, so that he did not participate in these activities any longer.
– Notice the comment about his partner in ministry [Judas Iscariot]
– Simon “the jealous one” was changed by Jesus. Judas
Iscariot (the traitor) was not.

THE CALL OF JUDAS ISCARIOT – THE TRAITOR

• Judas, a common name, was the Greek for “of Judah” - the land
of God’s people. Many scholars indicate that “Judas” comes from
the root which means “Jehovah leads”, while others think it comes
from the root word which means “one who is the object of praise”.
– In each case it’s a paradox. If it means “Jehovah leads” there
was never an individual who was more obviously lead by Satan
than was Judas.
– If it means “one who is the object of praise” there is never a
man who is more unworthy of praise than Judas Iscariot.
• Iscariot comes from the Hebrew word “ish” which means “man”
and “Kerioth” meaning the name of a town. In fact Judas Iscariot
was a “man from Kerioth” – the only man to be named among the
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 disciples by his geographical origin.
• This is important, because he was a Judean Jew – the only
“non-Galilean Jew”. Since all the rest of the disciples came from
Galilee, he was separate right from the beginning, – always left out
– the outsider.
• 23 miles south of Jerusalem, and 7 miles from Hebron, are a cluster
of villages, one of which is called Kerioth. Out of this small town
came a child who was to become the most hated man on earth –
hated even more than Hitler.
• Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot?
– Jesus knew that Judas would betray Him.
– Read Ps. 41:9, Ps. 55:12-14, 20 b-21, Zechariah 11:12-13.
– The prophets clearly told that one of His chosen family would
betray Him for 30 pieces of silver.
– Matt. 26:14-16 simply records the fulfilment of these prophecies.
– In Jn. 17:12 Jesus in praying to His Father reminds Him that He
has kept all that has been given to Him – except the son of
perdition – that the scriptures maybe fulfilled.
– Jesus chose Judas to fulfil God’s plan for the salvation of mankind.
• Because Judas helped Jesus to fulfil God’s plan for the salvation of
the world, will he be accepted into Heaven?
• NO! because after he realised his deeds, He could have asked for
forgiveness, and been forgiven - instead of hanging himself.

UNIT 3 – ASSIGNMENT – PART 1

• The students will gather into small groups of 2-3 people, and
undertake the following group research, on the 12 disciples.
• All facilities of the College Library, outside book sources, Internet,
etc. maybe used to gather the necessary relevant information.
1. The students will identify, and record, how each of the disciples were
called by (or introduced to) Jesus Christ.
2. What was the profession of each disciple before he was called by
Jesus?
3. What differences (if any) did it make in their lives, after they were
called by Jesus?
4. What did Jesus teach them which was so important to the rest of
their lives?
5. How were these disciples “equipped” by Jesus?
1. Before His crucifixion and resurrection.
2. After His resurrection.
6. What was the result of the command by Jesus that they were to be
the “sent ones” – to go and preach the Gospel to all nations?
7. In your opinion, what was the individual contribution (s) of each
Apostle to the Body of Christ?
8. Explain how and where you believe each of the Apostle died.

UNIT 3 ASSIGNMENT – PART 2

The students will prepare a written group presentation of at least 1,000 words,
explaining the results of their research and addressing the 8 points mentioned
above.

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 A group mark will be assigned to each group presentation, and each student in
their respective groups will receive their group’s mark.
For Online students, you need to do this research on your own.
You will receive and individual mark for your assessment.

UNIT 4 – PARTNERSHIP WITH GOD

Looking back over the last three (3) units, we have examined many people who
have received “The Call of God” upon their lives.
Some like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Gideon, went on to trust God for their
whole existence – they were “In partnership with God” as they went about
their daily lives.
They had to learn to pray to God – to actually set up a dialogue with Him,
explaining their desires, their hurts, their fears, their frustrations, etc. and then
listening to God point them in the right direction they should go. These people
had a “Good Partnership with God”.
On the other hand, we have Samson; a man called by God, but who was
a person who kept letting the “flesh” get in the way of his calling. When
he was scripturally in line with God’s Word and God’s purposes for his
life, he did mighty things, which have not been replicated in scripture
since. However, when he allowed the “flesh” to take over, then God’s
people were made to suffer.
• [Notice: when a man called by God is disobedient to his calling,
other people around him will suffer]. This was a “Bad Partnership
with God”.
When we look at these men who were called by God, both in the Old Testament
and in the New Testament, they all received provisions from God, whilst they
were performing tasks for Him. With the exception of Paul (who made tents to
support his ministry) the “called people of the Bible” were unable to work
for most of their lives – but God’s provisions for them was more than enough!
Today, we have to look at famous “men and women of God” and learn from
them, because what we learn, we must then put into practise in our own,
individual (and collective) lives, so that our lives bring glory and honour to Him.

UNIT 4 ASSIGNMENT:
The students will break up into small groups and discuss the relevance of the
concepts mentioned above, and then make a presentation to the whole class
about their group findings.
For Online students. You can make your presentation a written
presentation, or you can make a video and send it to me for
assessment.

UNIT 5 – THE CALL TO CHRISTIAN SERVICE

• Biblically there is a:
– Call to Salvation (Rom. 1:6, Rom. 8:28)
– Call to sanctification, completion & maturity (1 Cor. 1:9)
– Call to full-time Christian Service (Heb. 5:4, Acts 13:2)
• “Commands” are for all Christians, “Calls” are for a particular
few.
• The “Call of God”:

40
 – Begins with a burden
– Involves desire (Jer. 20:9)
– Is evidenced by fruit (Jn. 15:16)
• Some people are called:
– Immediately when converted (The Apostles)
– Suddenly and clearly (1 Sam. 3:10)
– Gradually
• There are at least three (3) tests of a Genuine Call of God.
– Compulsion, in the form of conviction
– Competence in Evidence (2 Tim. 2:24)
– Church’s observation of your fitness to serve
• Some Questions about the “Call of God”.
– Are you genuinely converted?
– Are you growing in maturity in your Christian life?
– Pure motives – requires rigid self-examination
– Possess physical & mental abilities to serve?
– Love for people?
– Love for the Church of Jesus Christ?
– Love for Jesus?
– What evidence of burden for the lost?
– Successful fruit in past Ministry?
– Preparedness?
– Willingness to become prepared?

• God’s Calling is God’s Enablement (Matt. 16:18)

• A call to full-time service, is a call to prepare. (The disciples spent 3
years in
“preparation” before they were “commissioned to serve”.)
• Sometimes God calls through another person, or a vision (Come
over to Macedonia and help us).
• A need alone is not a call!!!
• Enter a call – not for what you can get out of it – but what
God can get out of you!
• Many are “called”, but only a few are “chosen” – but all are bound
to glorify and serve God. Every disciple is a minister, and an
evangelist, if they give their testimonies in public. That is why we
are all challenged to be always willing to give our testimonies, “in
season” and “out of season”.
• A calling is an undeserved honour.
• Gather information, weigh the pros. & cons, pursue wisdom & single
mindedness, decide in faith.
• The Word of God must confirm a “calling” (1 Tim.
Chapter 3)

UNIT 5: ASSIGNMENT:
EVALUATING OUR CALL:
The students will review the evidence of the “Call of God” upon the
lives of the people studied in all of the previous units, with a view to
directing their findings inwardly towards their own personal lives.

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Romans 8:28 b: states that God calls us each by name and each
according to His divine plan and according to His divine purposes.
Therefore, the students will examine their own lives, based upon the
evidence mentioned above, and prepare a Confidential Report, which
will only be read by the student and their respective Teacher. This report
will detail the student’s “own experiences”.
Based upon these experiences, and the criteria above, the student will:
1. Identify the “Call of God” upon their own lives.
2. How that call was made.
3. How that call was confirmed.
4. Define the specific steps the student has taken (or will now
take) to put that “Call of God” into effect in their lives.

UNIT 6: DISCIPLES MAKING DISCIPLES

This is a Practical Ministry and Theological Course.
You now have the “Head Knowledge”, and now it is time to put that head
knowledge into practical use ~ by “teaching others.”
Jesus prayed to His Father and the He selected 12 disciples to teach, so that is
the model we will use here.
The is not between you and God Almighty. You are not evaluated by the College
on this task. You are making a personal commitment to the Father, to Jesus
Christ, and to the Holy Spirit, in answering your “CALL OF GOD”.

FIRST: Now that you have learnt this subject, pray and select 12 people to
teach them, all that you have learnt, in all 5 units of this subject. [12 people].
SECOND: Upon completion of this teaching task for these 12 people, get them
to EACH PICK 12 PEOPLE, that they are now required to teach, what you have
taught to them. [ 144 people].
RESPONSIBILITY: You are now responsible for teaching 12 people, and
mentoring these 12 people, while they in turn, teach 144 people. [156 people
in all]. These are YOUR DISCIPLES, for the whole course.
As you learn each subject, so you teach the 12, and mentor them teaching
their 144 people.
At the completion of the whole Bible College Course, you will have taught 12
people to assist you, to run 12 Home Church Groups, [each with at least 12
people in each], which will eventually become 12 new churches, in your
location and the surrounding districts.
BE BLESSED IN YOUR ENDEAVOURS FOR JESUS CHRIST.

Note: at the time of compiling this booklet form of the Bible College Course in
2021, there are over 1,000 Bible College Students, in 40 nations, which means
that over 156,000 people are being taught this course material, FREE OF
CHARGE, in 40 nations. This means a possibility of 12,000 new churches being
established in the next couple of years, if every Bible College student completes
his individual commitment to Jesus Christ.

42
CTTNBC – 002: PRINCIPLES OF MINISTRY
Course Duration: 20 hours face to face + Research Hours &
assignments = 60 hours
Course Outcomes:
The aim of this module is to clearly identify the Principles of Ministry, based
upon the following 10 subject headings:

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

Methods of Delivery:

43
1. The students will examine these 10 core principles in the lives of
the following Men of God and identify how those traits help build
up their lives and how it gave glory to God.
2. The students will use whatever resources are available to them,
namely the College Reference Library, Internet Services, etc.
a. Saul (Apostle Paul)
b. Wycliffe
c. Tyndale,
d. Martin Luther
e. John Newton
f. Richard Johnson
g. Samuel Marsden
h. Watchman Nee
i. Richard Wurmbrand
3. The students will then examine these principles above, in relation
to their own lives, and the Call of God upon their lives.
4. The students will undertake in-class discussions about the practical
application of these principles:
a. In the Family home
b. In secular ministry – in the workplace
c. Walking with God – your relationship to others
i. In the workplace
ii. In the church
d. As a Servant of God (in the Ministry)

Assessment Criteria:
a. The students will map out a strategy framework of how they will
apply the principles learned in this module upon their own lives, and
submit it to the teacher for individual private discussion.
b. The student will then write a 1,000-word strategy statement for
assessment, identifying how they plan to:
i. Confirm this strategy before God.
ii. Confirm this strategy in the work that they do for God.
iii. The fruit of the Spirit that this strategy will improve, within their
own spiritual lives.
iv. How this strategy will impact the lives of others.

44
 LESSON ONE: SAUL THE PHARISEE, BECOMES PAUL THE
APOSTLE OF OUR LORD - JESUS CHRIST

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

a. His early life
We know from the scriptures that Paul was a Pharisee, of the tribe of
Benjamin and that he was a Roman Citizen, who was raised up to learn
all the Old Testament writings, the Talmud and all the Biblical books of
that time, which means all the Old Testament writings we have today,
plus the Apocryphal books and the 3 books of Enoch.
He was taught the Jewish teachings by Gamaliel, the foremost
teacher of the law at this time, a well-respected member of the
Sanhedrin. As was the requirement for all Jewish men, he was
taught a trade, which in his case, was tent-making. He later used
this trade to support his ministry on his missionary journeys.
In addition, he was schooled in Greek and Roman literature, so He was
an academic by today’s standards, and his character was developed by
the traditions of the Jewish temple and his Roman upbringing.
b. At the Time of John, the Baptist and Jesus Christ.
At the time of John, the Baptist and Jesus Christ’s ministries on earth, Saul
was a person about 33 years of age, who did not agree with any teachings
which seemed to contradict the teachings of the Jews and challenged the
power of the priests and the Judaic philosophies. Hence, he was against the
teachings of Jesus Christ, because they seemed to be so far away from
where the Jews were with their religion and their teachings at that time.
The Priests were more concerned about their “positions” and their “power”
than about bringing the nation back to a place of repentance and holiness
before God.
It is believed that at the stoning of Steven, Saul may have been
already inducted into the Sanhedrin, so he was in agreement with
what was being done to Steven, because this teaching by “People
of the Way” was having a direct effect on the tithes and offering
revenues which were being brought into the Temple. The temple
priests had turned the Jewish religion into a “money-making
A person’s character is moulded by teachings and examples at home and the
environment in which a person lives and works.

business”.
c. After the Experience on the Damascus Road
After the experience of meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus,
Saul’s character had to change, so he could be a vessel, ready to
be used by the Master’s hand. So the remoulding started and
was to continue for the rest of his life.
2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE
Even in the situations mentioned above, Saul had a desire to serve God, that
is why he went about catching “people of the way” and putting them into
prison, because at that time, he believed that what he was doing, was serving
45
 God.
This is why he obtained letters of authority from the Chief Priest to go to
Damascus and capture any persons who were teaching or preaching the
words of Jesus.

A person can have a desire to serve God, but they can be unknowingly serving
the wrong master. The only way to be sure is to test the words of God and
see if they line up with what you are doing. If they don’t line up, then reject
what you are doing, because it means that Jesus is not your master.

Before Saul could be of service to Jesus Christ, he had to undergo a change

in his spiritual life. We know that Ananias came and laid hands upon Saul,
the scales fell off his eyes and he received his sight back again. We also know
that at this time, he was baptised by Ananias and he received the in-dwelling
of the Holy Spirit.
But a more fundamental change had to take place; he had to re-learn all that
he had been taught in the Old Testament teachings, recognising now that all
of the things he had been previously taught were in fact pointing to Jesus
Christ. He was the Messiah.
Saul was no longer looking for a “future” Messiah, because now he
understood that the Messiah had already come; had ministered upon the
earth, and had been raised up to glory.
All of these things had been prophesied, but Saul had not recognised the day
of his visitation, until he was confronted by Jesus on the Damascus Road.
This is why it is recorded that Saul went to “Holy Spirit Bible School” in
the Arabian Desert for a period of 4 years. Here, under the anointing and
revelation of the Holy Spirit, Paul re-learnt all his teachings and now he
understood the reason why Jesus came to earth, so that the sin of mankind
could be permanently erased from the face of the earth and covered by the
blood of Jesus Christ. He started to understand the reason why Jesus
came.

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

Once Paul got the revelation that “God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not
perish, but shall have everlasting life” (John 3:16) then his whole life
The important thing to understand here is that Paul got this revelation long
before the Gospel of John was written.

changed.

Whereby in the past (before his conversion) Saul hated the “Christians”;
now his whole spiritual attitude undergoes a radical change. He
recognised that Jesus loved Him so much that He even came to
personally confront him on the Damascus Road. He now wanted to show
that love to others; but how? There was so much distrust about him in
Jerusalem.

46
 After the 4 years in the Arabian (Saudi) Desert, Paul returns to Tarsus
and waits upon the Lord. The Lord prompts Barnabas to go and search
out Paul and invite him back to Ephesus to become a teacher of the word
there.
Here we have person who is well-grounded in the Word, opening up the
Old Testament Scriptures to new converts and showing them who Jesus
really is. This is an opportunity for Paul to start becoming the “hands
and feet” of Jesus here on the earth, displaying His love to others,
through his acts of kindness. This continued for about 18 months, until
a night when the disciples were praying and fasting, when the Holy Spirit
clearly told the group “to separate out Barnabas & Saul for the
work I have called them to do”. Notice that Barnabas is called out
first.
When both are sent on their first missionary journey, the church at
Ephesus had to be prepared to “sacrifice” their leader and their teacher,
to be used for God’s service.

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

Throughout all of the writing of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of
Paul, we see that for Paul to minister, there was hardship and sacrifice. There
were plots to kill him, he was whipped, he was shipwrecked, he was bitten
by snakes, he was imprisoned twice and finally he was beheaded in Rome.

These are the things which we today must be prepared to

endure. To minister for Christ is a sacrifice; but the rewards are
eternal!!!
5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION
Right from the beginning, Saul had learnt to respect authority. Even before
his conversion, there was submission to the authority of the High Priests, of
his teacher and of his God. When He became a Christian, this submission
took on a deeper level, as he started to understand the path the Lord was
leading him on. He submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to such a
degree that he was able to be directed to specific towns, to spread the word

Paul learnt the basic truth. Obedience is better that sacrifice.

To be obedient to God is better than all the riches of this world.
of God.

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

Throughout Paul’s ministry, he reminds us that he is serving Jesus for
the glory of God. He did not go into this task with the view to make a
“name for himself”. No! He went into his ministry, as a way of giving
back to God, the rest of his life, to make up for the people he had
captured, tortured and had killed. This was forever on his mind.
To bring people to the feet of Jesus Christ was his only aim, so that
Jesus maybe glorified.

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

47
 We see throughout Paul’s ministry a continuous reference to prayer and
the Word of God. That was foremost in his mind as he started to write
the Epistles to the various churches, starting with the Epistle to the
Church in Galatia.

Try to imagine the situation Paul was in at that time. Try to put yourself
into a similar position today, and imagine that YOU have to write an Epistle
to your Local Church.

When we come to this position, we recognise that we cannot do this

alone. We must be in constant prayer and fasting before the Lord, so
that what we write, lines up with the Word of God, of all the previous
authors and does not contradict any of them, because God’s Word is
divinely inspired from beginning to end.

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

Paul recognised that after his conversion there was much, he had to
learn. There was enormous spiritual growth in his life, as he went from
one level of faith to a higher level, and each time this took place, his
maturity was increased and his love and truth for the Lord went to new
If you have no spiritual growth, you cannot teach others
heights. the way.

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

Right throughout his whole ministry life, whether in the church at
Ephesus as a teacher, on the road in his 3 missionary journeys, or in
prison, Paul was continually sustained and given power and wisdom by
the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity.
We have to recognise that without having the power of the Holy Spirit
in your life, you are just ministering out of the flesh, and Jesus does not
get any glory from this whatsoever.

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

Throughout Paul’s ministry, Jesus was always the example that he used
at all times. Jesus went out into the highways and byways “to meet all
those who were afflicted by the evil one.” Paul was not afraid to be
seen with these people, because he had heard from eyewitnesses that
Jesus was not ashamed of them, so neither should he be.
We should never be ashamed of any person who we come in contact with,
because Jesus was not ashamed, so neither should we be!!! Jesus came to
find and save the Lost. That should be our goal also.

LESSON TWO: JOHN WYCLIFFE – TRANSLATOR

EXTRAORDINAIRE
The students will break into small groups and research the topics
identified below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will
prepare their reports and present them to the class, so that all groups

48
can have the same notes for this section after the presentations are
completed.

FOR THE ONLINE STUDENTS, YOU HAVE TO DO THIS YOURSELF.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

JOHN WYCLIFFE

The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced

in 1380's AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian.
Wycliffe, (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known throughout
Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he
believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called
the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes,
Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the
scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate Bible, which was
the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his
teachings and his translation of the Bible into English that 44 years after
Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and
scattered in the river!

John Wycliffe (1320-1384) was a theologian and early proponent of

reform in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. He
initiated the first translation of the Bible into the English language. HE
INCLUDED THE EPISTLE TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA IN HIS
TRANSLATION IN 1384.
He is considered the main precursor of the Protestant Reformation.
Wycliffe was born at Ipreswell (modern Hipswell), Yorkshire, England,
between 1320 and 1330; and he died at Lutterworth (near Leicester)
December 31, 1384.

The Early Life of John Wycliffe:

His family was of early Saxon origin, long settled in Yorkshire. In his day
the family was a large one, covering a considerable territory, and its
49
principal seat was Wycliffe-on-Tees, of which Ipreswell was an outlying
hamlet. 1324 is the year usually given for Wycliffe's birth. Wycliffe
probably received his early education close to home. It is not known
when he first went to Oxford, with which he was so closely connected till
the end of his life. He was at Oxford in about 1345, when a series of
illustrious names was adding glory to the fame of the university--such
as those of Roger Bacon, Robert Grosseteste, Thomas Bradwardine,
William of Occam, and Richard Fitzralph.

Wycliffe owed much to Occam; he showed an interest in natural science

and mathematics, but applied himself to the study of theology,
ecclesiastical law, and philosophy. Even his opponents acknowledged the
keenness of his dialectic. His writings prove that he was well grounded
in Roman and English law, as well as in native history. A family whose
seat was in the neighbourhood of Wycliffe's home-- Bernard Castle-- had
founded Balliol College, Oxford to which Wycliffe belonged, first as
scholar, then as master. He attained the headship no later than 1360.

The Early Career of John Wycliffe

When he was presented by the college (1361) with the parish of
Fylingham in Lincolnshire, he had to give up the leadership of Balliol,
though he could continue to live at Oxford. His university career followed
the usual course. While as baccalaureate he busied himself with natural
science and mathematics, as master he had the right to read in
philosophy. More significant was his interest in Bible study, which he
pursued after becoming bachelor in theology. His performance led Simon
Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury, to place him at the head of Canterbury
Hall in 1365.

Between 1366 and 1372 he became a doctor of theology; as such he

had the right to lecture upon systematic divinity, which he did. In 1368
he gave up his living at Fylingham and took over the rectory of
Ludgershall in Buckinghamshire, not far from Oxford, which enabled him
to retain his connection with the university.

Roots of Wycliffe's Reformation Activities

It was not as a teacher or preacher that Wycliffe gained his position in
history; this came from his activities in ecclesiastical politics, in which
he engaged about the mid-1370’s, when his reformatory work also
began.
In 1374 he was among the English delegates at a peace congress at
Bruges. He may have been given this position because of the spirited
and patriotic behaviour, with which in the year 1366 he sought the
interests of his country against the demands of the papacy. It seems he
had a reputation as a patriot and reformer; this suggests the answer to
the question how he came to his reformatory ideas. Even if older
evangelical parties did not exist in England before Wycliffe, he might
easily have been influenced by continental evangelicals who abounded.
It is highly probable that the older type of doctrine and practice
50
represented by the Iro-Scottish Christians of the pre-Roman time
persisted till the time of Wycliffe and reappeared in Lollardism.

The root of the Wycliffe’s reformation movement must be traced to his

Bible study and to the ecclesiastical-political lawmaking of his times. He
was well acquainted with the tendencies of the ecclesiastical politics to
which England owed its position. He had studied the proceedings of King
Edward I of England, and had attributed to them the basis of
parliamentary opposition to papal usurpations. He found them a model
for methods of procedure in matters connected with the question of
worldly possessions and the Church.
Many sentences in his book on the Church recall the institution of the
commission of 1274, which caused problems for the English clergy. He
considered that the example of Edward I should be borne in mind by the
government of his time; but that the aim should be a reformation of the
entire ecclesiastical establishment. Similar was his position on the
enactments induced by the ecclesiastical politics of Edward III, with
which he was well acquainted, which are fully reflected in his political
tracts.

Political Career of John Wycliffe

The Reformer's entrance upon the stage of ecclesiastical politics is

usually related to the question of feudal tribute to which England had
been rendered liable by King John, which had remained unpaid for thirty-
three years until Pope Urban V in 1365 demanded it.

Parliament declared that neither John nor any other had the right to
subject England to any foreign power. Should the pope attempt to
enforce his claim by arms, he would be met with united resistance.
Urban apparently recognized his mistake and dropped his claim. But
there was no talk of a patriotic uprising. The tone of the pope was, in
fact, not threatening, and he did not wish to draw England into the
maelstrom of politics of western and southern Europe.

Sharp words were bound to be heard in England, because of the close

relations of the papacy with France. It is said that on this occasion
Wycliffe served as theological counsel to the government, composed a
polemical tract dealing with the tribute, and defended an unnamed monk
over against the conduct of the government and parliament. This would
place the entrance of Wycliffe into politics about 1365-66. But Wycliffe's
more important participation began with the Peace Congress at Bruges.
There in 1374 negotiations were carried on between France and England,
while at the same time commissioners from England dealt with papal
delegates respecting the removal of ecclesiastical annoyances. Wycliffe
was among these, under a decree dated July 26, 1374. The choice of a
harsh opponent of the Avignon system would have broken up rather
than furthered the peace negotiations. It seems he was designated
purely as a theologian, and so considered himself, since a noted
51
Scripture scholar was required alongside of those learned in civil and
canon law. There was no need for a man of renown, or a pure advocate
of state interests. His predecessor in a like case was John Owtred, a
monk who formulated the statement that St. Peter had united in his
hands spiritual and temporal power--the opposite of what Wycliffe
taught. In the days of the mission to Bruges Owtred still belonged in
Wycliffe's circle of friends.

Wycliffe was still regarded by the Roman Catholic Church as trustworthy;

his opposition to the ruling conduct of the Church may have escaped
notice. It was difficult to recognize him as a heretic. The controversies
in which men engaged at Oxford were philosophical rather than purely
theological or ecclesiastical-political, and the method of discussion was
academic and scholastic. The kind of men with whom Wycliffe dealt
included the Carmelite monk John Kyningham over theological questions
(utrum Christus esset humanitas), or ecclesiastical-political ones (De
dominatione civili; De dotatione ecclesiae).
Wycliffe regarded it as a sin to incite the pope to excommunicate laymen
who had deprived wicked clergy of their temporalities, his dictum being
that a man in a state of sin had no claim upon government.

Wycliffe blamed the Benedictine and professor of theology at Oxford,

William Wynham of St. Albans (where the anti-Wycliffe trend was
considerable) for making public controversies which had previously been
confined to the academic arena. Wycliffe himself tells (Sermones, iii.
199) how he concluded that there was a great contrast between what
the Church was and what it ought to be, and saw the necessity for
reform. His ideas stress the perniciousness of the temporal rule of the
clergy and its incompatibility with the teaching of Christ and the
apostles, and make note of the tendencies which were evident in the
measures of the "Good Parliament”.

Wycliffe’s Public Declaration of his Ideas

Wycliffe was among those to whom the thought of the secularization of

ecclesiastical properties in England was welcome. His patron was John
of Gaunt. He was no longer satisfied with his chair as the means of
propagating his ideas, and soon after his return from Bruges he began
to express them in tracts and longer works--his great work, the Summa
theologiae, was written in support of them. In the first book, concerned
with the government of God and the ten commandments, he attacked
the temporal rule of the clergy--in temporal things the king is above the
pope, and the collection of annates and indulgences is simony. But he
entered the politics of the day with his great work De civili dominio. Here
he introduced those ideas by which the good parliament was governed-
- which involved the renunciation by the Church of temporal dominion.
The items of the "long bill" appear to have been derived from his work.
In this book are the strongest outcries against the Avignon system with
its commissions, exactions, squandering of charities by unfit priests, and

52
the like. To change this is the business of the State. If the clergy misuses
ecclesiastical property, it must be taken away; if the king does not do
this, he is remiss. The work contains 18 strongly stated theses, opposing
the governing methods of the rule of the Church and the straightening
out of its temporal possessions. Wycliffe had set these ideas before his
students at Oxford in 1376, after becoming involved in controversy with
William Wadeford and others. Rather than restricting these matters to
the classroom, he wanted them proclaimed more widely and wanted
temporal and spiritual lords to take note. While the latter attacked him
and sought ecclesiastical censure, he recommended himself to the
former by his criticism of the worldly possessions of the clergy.

Wycliffe’s Conflict with the Church

Wycliffe wanted to see his ideas actualized--his fundamental belief was

that the Church should be poor, as in the days of the apostles. He had
not yet broken with the mendicant friars, and from these John of Gaunt
chose Wycliffe's defenders. While the Reformer later claimed that it was
not his purpose to incite temporal lords to confiscation of the property
of the Church, the real tendencies of the propositions remained
unconcealed. The result of the same doctrines in Bohemia--that land
which was richest in ecclesiastical foundations--was that in a short time
the entire church estate was taken over and a revolution brought about
in the relations of temporal holdings. It was in keeping with the plans of
Gaunt to have a personality like Wycliffe on his side. Especially in London
the Reformer's views won support; partisans of the nobility attached
themselves to him, and the lower orders gladly heard his sermons. He
preached in city churches, and London rang with his praises.

The first to oppose his theses were monks of those orders which held
possessions, to whom his theories were dangerous. Oxford and the
episcopate were later blamed by the Curia, which charged them with so
neglecting their duty that the breaking of the evil fiend into the English
sheepfold could be noticed in Rome before it was in England. Wycliffe
was summoned before William Courtenay, bishop of London, on Feb. 19,
1377, in order "to explain the wonderful things which had streamed forth
from his mouth." The exact charges are not known, as the matter did
not get as far as a definite examination. Gaunt, the earl marshal Henry
Percy, and a number of other friends accompanied Wycliffe, and four
begging friars were his advocates. A crowd gathered at the church, and
at the entrance of the party animosities began to show, especially in an
angry exchange between the bishop and the Reformer's protectors.
Gaunt declared that he would humble the pride of the English clergy
and their partisans, hinting at the intent to secularize the possessions
of the Church.

Most of the English clergy were irritated by this encounter, and attacks
upon Wycliffe began, finding their response in the second and third
books of his work dealing with civil government. These books carry a

53
sharp polemic, hardly surprising when it is recalled that his opponents
charged Wycliffe with blasphemy and scandal, pride and heresy. He
appeared to have openly advised the secularization of English church
property, and the dominant parties shared his conviction that the monks
could better be controlled if they were relieved from the care of secular
affairs.

The bitterness occasioned by this advice will be better understood when

it is remembered that at that time the papacy was at war with the
Florentines and was in dire straits. The demand of the Minorites that the
Church should live in poverty as it did in the days of the apostles was
not pleasing in such a crisis. It was under these conditions that Pope
Gregory XI, who in January, 1377, had gone from Avignon to Rome,
sent, on May 22 five copies of his bull against Wycliffe, despatching one
to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the others to the bishop of London,
Edward III, the chancellor, and the university; among the enclosures
were 18 theses of his, which were denounced as erroneous and
dangerous to Church and State.

The reformatory activities of Wycliffe effectively began here: all the

great works, especially his Summa theologiae, are closely connected
with the condemnation of his 18 theses, while the entire literary energies
of his later years rest upon this foundation. The next aim of his
opponents--to make him out a revolutionary in politics--failed. The
situation in England resulted in damage to them; on June 21, 1377,
Edward III died. His successor was Richard II, a boy, who was under the
influence of John of Gaunt, his uncle. So, it resulted that the bull against
Wycliffe did not become public till Dec. 18. Parliament, which met in
October, came into sharp conflict with the Curia. Among the propositions
which Wycliffe, at the direction of the government, worked out for
parliament was one which speaks out distinctly against the exhaustion
of England by the Curia.

Wycliffe tried to gain public favour by laying his theses before

parliament, and then made them public in a tract, accompanied by
explanations, limitations, and interpretations. After the session of
parliament was over, he was called upon to answer, and in March, 1378,
he appeared at the episcopal palace at Lambeth to defend himself. The
preliminaries were not yet finished when a noisy mob gathered with the
purpose of saving him; the king's mother, Joan of Kent, also took up his
cause. The bishops, who were divided, satisfied themselves with
forbidding him to speak further on the controversy. At Oxford the vice
chancellor, following papal directions, confined the Reformer for some
time in Black Hall, from which Wycliffe was released on threats from his
friends; the vice-chancellor was himself confined in the same place
because of his treatment of Wycliffe. The latter then took up the usage
according to which one who remained for 44 days under
excommunication came under the penalties executed by the State, and
wrote his De incarcerandis fedelibus, in which he demanded that it

54
 should be legal for the excommunicated to appeal to the king and his
council against the excommunication; in this writing he laid open the
entire case and in such a way that it was understood by the laity. He
wrote his 33 conclusions, in Latin and English. The masses, some of the
nobility, and his former protector, John of Gaunt, rallied to him.

Before any further steps could be taken at Rome, Gregory XI died

(1378). But Wycliffe was already engaged in one of his most important
works, that dealing with the truth of Holy Scripture. The sharper the
strife became, the more Wycliffe had recourse to Scripture as the basis
of all Christian doctrinal opinion, and expressly proved this to be the
only norm for Christian faith. In order to refute his opponents, he wrote
the book in which he showed that Holy Scripture contains all truth and,
being from God, is the only authority. He referred to the conditions under
which the condemnation of his 18 theses was brought about; and the
same may be said of his books dealing with the Church, the office of
king, and the power of the pope--all completed within the space of two
years (1378-79).

Wycliffe wrote, “The Church is the totality of those who are predestined to blessedness. It
includes the Church triumphant in heaven… and the Church militant or men on earth. No
one who is eternally lost has part in it. There is one universal Church, and outside of it there
is no salvation. Its head is Christ. No pope may say that he is the head, for he cannot say
that he is elect or even a member of the Church.”

Statement Regarding Royal Power

It would be a mistake to assume that Wycliffe's doctrine of the Church-
-which made so great an impression upon John Hus, who adopted it
literally and fully--was occasioned by the great schism (1378-1429). The
principles of the doctrine were already embodied in his De civili dominio.
The contents of the book dealing with the Church are closely connected
with the decision respecting the 18 theses. The attacks on Pope Gregory
XI grow ever more extreme.

Wycliffe's stand with respect to the ideal of poverty became continually

firmer, as well as his position with regard to the temporal rule of the
clergy. Closely related to this attitude was his book De officio regis, the
content of which was foreshadowed in his 33 conclusions: One should
be instructed with reference to the obligations which lie in regard to the
kingdom in order to see how the two powers, royal and ecclesiastical,
may support each other in harmony in the body corporate of the Church.

The royal power, Wycliffe taught, is consecrated through the testimony

of Holy Scripture and the Fathers. Christ and the apostles rendered
tribute to the emperor. It is a sin to oppose the power of the king, which
is derived immediately from God. Subjects, above all the clergy, should
pay him dutiful tribute. The honours which attach to temporal power
hark back to the king; those which belong to precedence in the priestly
office, to the priest. The king must apply his power with wisdom, his

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laws are to be in unison with those of God. From God laws derive their
authority, including those which royalty has over against the clergy. If
one of the clergies, neglects his office, he is a traitor to the king who
calls him to answer for it. It follows from this that the king has an
"evangelical" control. Those in the service of the Church must have
regard for the laws of the State. In confirmation of this fundamental
principle the archbishops in England make sworn submission to the king
and receive their temporalities. The king is to protect his vassals against
damage to their possessions; in case the clergy through their misuse of
the temporalities cause injury, the king must offer protection. When the
king turns over temporalities to the clergy, he places them under his
jurisdiction, from which later pronouncements of the popes cannot
release them. If the clergy relies on papal pronouncements, it must be
subjected to obedience to the king.

This book, like those that preceded and followed, had to do with the
reform of the Church, in which the temporal arm was to have an
influential part. Especially interesting is the teaching which Wycliffe
addressed to the king on the protection of his theologians. This did not
mean theology in its modern sense, but knowledge of the Bible. Since
the law must be in agreement with Scripture, knowledge of theology is
necessary to the strengthening of the kingdom; therefore, the king has
theologians in his entourage to stand at his side as he exercises power.
It is their duty to explain Scripture according to the rule of reason and
in conformity with the witness of the saints; also, to proclaim the law of
the king and to protect his welfare and that of his kingdom.

Wycliffe and the Pope

The books and tracts of Wycliffe's last six years include continual attacks
upon the papacy and the entire hierarchy of his times. Each year they
focus more and more, and at the last pope and Antichrist seem to him
practically equivalent concepts. Yet there are passages which are
moderate in tone; Lechler identifies three stages in Wycliffe's relations
with the papacy. The first step, which carried him to the outbreak of the
schism, involves moderate recognition of the papal primacy; the second,
which carried him to 1381, is marked by an estrangement from the
papacy; and the third shows him in sharp contest. However, Wycliffe
reached no valuation of the papacy before the outbreak of the schism
different from his later appraisal. If in his last years he identified the
papacy with anti-Christianity, the dispensability of this papacy was
strong in his mind before the schism.

Wycliffe's influence was never greater than at the moment when pope
and antipope sent their ambassadors to England in order to gain
recognition for themselves. In the ambassadors' presence, he delivered
an opinion before parliament that showed, in an important
ecclesiastical political question (the matter of the right of asylum in
Westminster Abbey), a position that was to the liking of the State. How

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Wycliffe came to be active in the interest of Urban is seen in passages
in his latest writings, in which he expressed himself in regard to the
papacy in a favourable sense. On the other hand, he states that “it is
not necessary to go either to Rome or to Avignon in order to seek a
decision from the pope, since the triune God is everywhere. Our pope is
Christ.” It seems clear that Wycliffe was an opponent of that papacy
which had developed since Constantine. He taught that the Church can
continue to exist even though it has no visible leader; but there can be
no damage when the Church possesses a leader of the right kind. To
distinguish between what the pope should be, if one is necessary, and
the pope as he appeared in Wycliffe's day was the purpose of his book
on the power of the pope. The Church militant, Wycliffe taught, needs a
head--but one whom God gives the Church. The elector [cardinal] can
only make someone a pope if the choice relates to one who is elect [of
God]. But that is not always the case. It may be that the elector is himself
not predestined and chooses one who is in the same case--a veritable
Antichrist. One must regard as a true pope one who in teaching and life
most nearly follows Jesus Christ and Saint Peter.
Wycliffe distinguished the true from the false papacy. Since all signs
indicated that Urban VI was a reforming and consequently a "true" pope,
the enthusiasm which Wycliffe manifested for him is easily understood.
These views concerning the Church and church government are those
which are brought forward in the last books of his Summa, "De simonia,
de apostasia, de blasphemia." The battle which over the theses was less
significant than the one he waged against the monastic orders when he
saw the hopes quenched which had gathered around the "reform pope;"
and when he was withdrawn from the scene as an ecclesiastical politician
and occupied himself exclusively with the question of the reform of the
Church.

WYCLIFFE’S RELATION TO THE ENGLISH BIBLE

The Bible ought to be the common possession of all Christians, and

needed to be made available for common use in the language of the
people. National honour seemed to require this, since members of the
nobility possessed the Bible in French. Wycliffe set himself to the task.
While it is not possible exactly to define his part in the translation--which
was based on the Vulgate--there is no doubt that it was his initiative,
and that the success of the project was due to his leadership. From him
comes the translation of the New Testament, which was smoother,
clearer, and more readable than the rendering of the Old Testament by
his friend Nicholas of Hereford. The whole was revised by Wycliffe's
younger contemporary John Purvey in 1388. Thus, the mass of the
people came into possession of the Bible; even as the misguided cry of
Wycliffe’s opponents stated: "The jewel of the clergy has become the
toy of the laity."

In spite of the zeal with which the hierarchy sought to destroy it, there
still exist about 150 manuscripts, complete or partial, containing the

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translation in its revised form. From this one may easily infer how widely
diffused it was in the fifteenth century. For this reason, the Wycliffeites
in England were often designated by their opponents as "Bible men."

Just as Luther's version had great influence upon the German language,
so Wycliffe's, by reason of its clarity, beauty, and strength, influenced
English.

Wycliffe’s Activity as a Preacher

Wycliffe aimed to do away with the existing hierarchy and replace it with
the "poor priests" who lived in poverty, were bound by no vows, had
received no formal consecration, and preached the Gospel to the people.
These itinerant preachers spread the teachings of Wycliffe. Two by two
they went, barefoot, wearing long dark-red robes and carrying a staff in
the hand, the latter having symbolic reference to their pastoral calling,
and passed from place to place preaching the sovereignty of God. The
bull of Gregory XI. impressed upon them the name of Lollards, intended
as an opprobrious epithet, but it became a name of honour. Even in
Wycliffe's time the "Lollards" had reached wide circles in England and
preached "God's law, without which no one could be justified."

The Anti-Wycliffe Movement

In the summer of 1381 Wycliffe formulated his doctrine of the Lord's

Supper in twelve short sentences, and made it a duty to advocate it
everywhere. Then the English hierarchy proceeded against him. The
chancellor of the University of Oxford had some of the declarations
pronounced heretical. When this fact was announced to Wycliffe, he
declared that no one could change his convictions. He then appealed--
not to the pope nor to the ecclesiastical authorities of the land, but to
the king. He published his great confession upon the subject and also a
second writing in English intended for the common people. His
pronouncements were no longer limited to the classroom, they spread
to the masses. The followers of John Wycliffe, the Lollards, grew greatly
in number throughout the land.
"Every second man that you meet," writes a contemporary, "is a
Lollard!" In the midst of this commotion came the Peasants' Revolt of
1381. Although Wycliffe disapproved of the revolt, he was blamed. Yet
his friend and protector John of Gaunt was the most hated by the
rebels, and where Wycliffe's influence was greatest the uprising found
the least support. While in general the aim of the revolt was against the
spiritual nobility, this came about because they were nobles, not
because they were churchmen. Wycliffe's old enemy, Courtenay, now
Archbishop of Canterbury, called (1382) an ecclesiastical assembly of
notables at London. During the consultations an earthquake occurred
(May 21); the participants were terrified and wished to break up the

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assembly, but Courtenay declared the earthquake a favourable sign
which meant the purification of the earth from erroneous doctrine.
Of the 24 propositions attributed to Wycliffe without mentioning his
name, ten were declared heretical and fourteen erroneous. The former
had reference to the transformation in the sacrament, the latter to
matters of church order and institutions. It was forbidden from that time
to hold these opinions or to advance them in sermons or in academic
discussions. All persons disregarding this order were to be subject to
prosecution. To accomplish this the help of the State was necessary;
but the commons rejected the bill. The king, however, had a decree
issued which permitted the arrest of those in error. The citadel of the
reformatory movement was Oxford, where Wycliffe's most active helpers
were; these were laid under the ban and summoned to recant, and
Nicholas of Hereford went to Rome to appeal. In similar fashion the poor
priests were hindered in their work.
On Nov. 18, 1382, Wycliffe was summoned before a synod at Oxford;
he appeared, though apparently broken in body in consequence of a
stroke, but nevertheless determined. He still commanded the favour of
the court and of parliament, to which he addressed a memorial. He was
neither excommunicated then, nor deprived of his position.

Last Days of John Wycliffe

Wycliffe returned to Lutterworth, and sent out tracts against the monks
and Urban VI, since the latter, contrary to the hopes of Wycliffe, had not
turned out to be a reforming or "true" pope, but had involved in
mischievous conflicts. The crusade in Flanders aroused the Reformer's
biting scorn, while his sermons became fuller-voiced and dealt with the
imperfections of the Church. The literary achievements of Wycliffe's last
days, such as the Trialogus, stand at the peak of the knowledge of his
day. His last work, the Opus evangelicum, the last part of which he
named in characteristic fashion "Of Antichrist," remained uncompleted.
While Wycliffe was in the parish church on Holy Innocents' Day, Dec. 28,
1384, he again suffered a stroke, and was carried out the side-door of
his church, in his chair. John Wycliffe died on the last day of the year,
three days later. The Council of Constance declared Wycliffe (on May 4,
1415) a stiff-necked heretic and under the ban of the Church. It was
decreed that his books be burned and his remains be exhumed. This last
did not happen till twelve more years later, when at the command of
Pope Martin V, they were dug up, burned, and the ashes cast into the
river Swift which flows through Lutterworth.
None of Wycliffe's contemporaries left a complete picture of his person,
his life, and his activities. The pictures representing him are from a later
period. One must be content with certain scattered expressions found
in the history of the trial by William Thorpe (1407). It appears that
Wycliffe was spare of body, indeed of wasted appearance, and not
strong physically. He was of unblemished walk, in life, says Thorpe, and

59
was regarded affectionately by people of rank, who often consorted with
him, took down his sayings, and clung to him.
Thorpe continued, "I indeed clove to none closer than to him, the wisest
and most blessed of all men whom I have ever found. From him one
could learn in truth what the Church of Christ is and how it should be
ruled and led." John Hus wished that his soul might be wherever that of
Wycliffe was found.
One may not say that Wycliffe was a comfortable opponent to meet.
Thomas Netter of Walden highly esteemed the old Carmelite monk John
Kynyngham in that he "so bravely offered himself to the biting speech
of the heretic and to words that stung as being without the religion of
Christ." But this example of Netter is not well chosen, since the tone of
Wycliffe toward Kynyngham is that of a junior toward an elder whom
one respects, and he handled other opponents in similar fashion. But
when he turned upon them his roughest side, as for example in his
sermons, polemical writings and tracts, he met the attacks with a tone
that could not be styled friendly.

Wycliffe's Doctrines

Wycliffe's first encounter with the official Church of his time was
prompted by his zeal in the interests of the State, his first tracts and
greater works of ecclesiastical-political content defended the privileges
of the State, and from these sources developed a strife out of which the
next phases could hardly be determined. One who studies these books
in the order of their production with reference to their inner content finds
a direct development with a strong reformatory tendency. This was not
originally doctrinal; when it later took up matters of dogma, as in the
teaching concerning transubstantiation, the purpose was the return to
original simplicity in the government of the Church. But it would have
been against the diplomatic practice of the time to have sent to the
peace congress at Bruges, in which the Curia had an essential part, a
participant who had become known at home by heretical teaching.
Wycliffe earned his great repute as a philosopher at an early date. Henry
Knighton says that in philosophy, Wycliffe was second to none, and in
scholastic discipline incomparable. If this pronouncement seems hard to
justify, now that Wycliffe's writings are in print, it must be borne in mind
that not all his philosophical works are extant. If Wycliffe was in
philosophy the superior of his contemporaries and had no equal in
scholastic discipline, he belongs with the series of great scholastic
philosophers and theologians in which England in the Middle Ages was
so rich--with Alexander of Hales, Roger Bacon, Duns Scotus, Occam and
Bradwardine. There was a period in his life when he devoted himself
exclusively to scholastic philosophy: "when I was still a logician," he
used later to say. The first "heresy" which "he cast forth into the world"
rests as much upon philosophical as upon theological grounds.

Wycliffe on Philosophy

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Wycliffe's fundamental principle of the pre-existence in thought of all
reality involves the most serious obstacle to freedom of the will; the
philosopher could assist himself only by the formula that the free will
of man was something predetermined of God. He demanded strict
dialectical training as the means of distinguishing the true from the false,
and asserted that logic (or the syllogism) furthered the knowledge of
catholic verities; ignorance of logic was the reason why men
misunderstood Scripture, since men overlooked the connection--the
distinction between idea and appearance. Wycliffe was not merely
conscious of the distinction between theology and philosophy, but his
sense of reality led him to pass by scholastic questions. He left aside
philosophical discussions which seemed to have no significance for the
religious consciousness and those which pertained purely to
scholasticism: "we concern ourselves with the verities that are, and
leave aside the errors which arise from speculation on matters which are
not."

Wycliffe on Scripture

The Bible alone was authoritative and, according to his own conviction
and that of his disciples, was fully sufficient for the government of this
world (De sufficientia legis Christi). Out of it he drew his comprehensive
statements in support of his reformatory views--after intense study and
many spiritual conflicts. He tells that as a beginner he was desperate to
comprehend the passages dealing with the activities of the divine Word,
until by the grace of God he was able to gather the right sense of
Scripture, which he then understood. But that was not a light task.
Without knowledge of the Bible there can be no peace in the life of the
Church or of society, and outside of it there is no real and abiding good;
it is the one authority for the faith.
These teachings Wycliffe promulgated in his great work on the truth of
Scripture, and in other greater and lesser writings. For him the Bible was
the fundamental source of Christianity which is binding on all men. From
this one can easily see how the next step came about: the furnishing
of the Bible to the people in their mother tongue. Wycliffe was called
"Doctor evangelicus" by his English and Bohemian followers.
Of all the reformers who preceded Martin Luther, Wycliffe put most
emphasis on Scripture: "Even though there were a hundred popes and
though every mendicant monk were a cardinal, they would be entitled
to confidence only in so far as they accorded with the Bible." Therefore,
in this early period it was Wycliffe who recognized and formulated the
formal principle of the Reformation-- the unique authority of the Bible
for the belief and life of the Christian.

LESSON THREE: WILLIAM TYNDALE, TRANSLATOR

EXTRAORDINAIRE

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The students will break into small groups and research the topics
identified below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will
prepare their reports and present them to the class, so that all groups
can have the same notes for this section.

THE ONLINE BIBLE STUDENT WILL HAVE TO RESEARCH THIS

TOPIC ON THEIR OWN.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY, IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY, IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY, IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY, IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY, IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY, IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE, PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY, IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY, IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY, IS JESUS CHRIST

English Bible History

WILLIAM TYNDALE

William Tyndale was the Captain of the Army of Reformers,

and was their spiritual leader. Tyndale holds the distinction of
being the first man to ever print the New Testament in the
English language. Tyndale was a true scholar and a genius, so
fluent in eight languages that it was said one would think any
one of them to be his native tongue. He is frequently referred
to as the “Architect of the English Language”, (even more so
than William Shakespeare) as so many of the phrases Tyndale
coined are still in our language today.

William Tyndale (1494-1536) Biblical translator and martyr; born most

probably at North Nibley (15 miles south-west of Gloucester), England,
in 1494; died at Vilvoorden (6 miles north-east of Brussels), Belgium,
Oct. 6, 1536. Tyndale was descended from an ancient Northumbrian
family, went to school at Oxford, and afterward to Magdalen Hall and
Cambridge.

William Tyndale Overview

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Tyndale was a theologian and scholar who translated the Bible into an
early form of Modern English. He was the first person to take advantage
of Gutenberg’s movable-type press for the purpose of printing the
scriptures in the English language. Besides translating the Bible, Tyndale
also held and published views which were considered heretical, first by
the Catholic Church, and later by the Church of England which was
established by Henry VIII. His Bible translation also included notes and
commentary promoting these views. Tyndale's translation was banned
by the authorities, and Tyndale himself was burned at the stake in 1536,
at the instigation of agents of Henry VIII and the Anglican Church.

The Early Years of William Tyndale

Tyndale enrolled at Oxford in 1505, and grew up at the University. He

received his Master’s Degree in 1515 at the age of twenty-one! He
proved to be a gifted linguist. One of Tyndale’s associates commented
that Tyndale was “so skilled in eight languages – Hebrew, Greek, Latin,
Spanish, French, Italian, English, and German, that whichever he
speaks, you might think it his native tongue!” This gift undoubtedly
aided him in his successful evasion of the authorities during his years of
exile from England.

Early Controversy Surrounding Tyndale

Around 1520, William Tyndale became a tutor in the family of Sir John
Walsh, at Little Sodbury in Gloucestershire. Having become attached to
the doctrines of the Reformation, and devoted himself to the study of
the Scriptures, the open avowal of his sentiments in the house of Walsh,
his disputes with Roman Catholic dignitaries there, and especially his
preaching, excited much opposition, and led to his removal to London
(about Oct., 1523), where he began to preach, and made many friends
among the laity, but none among church leaders.
A clergyman hopelessly entrenched in Roman Catholic dogma once
taunted Tyndale with the statement, “We are better to be without
God’s laws than the Pope’s”. Tyndale was infuriated by such Roman
Catholic heresies, and he replied, “I defy the Pope and all his laws. If
God spare my life ere many years, I will cause the boy that drives the
plough to know more of the scriptures than you!”

William Tyndale First Prints, “The Scripture in English”

He was hospitably entertained at the house of Sir Humphrey Monmouth,

and also financially aided by him and others in the accomplishment of
his purpose to translate the Scriptures into the commonly spoken
English of the day. Unable to do so in England, he set out for the
continent (about May, 1524), and appears to have visited Hamburg and
Wittenberg. The place where he translated the New Testament, is
thought to have been Wittenberg, under the aid of Martin Luther. The

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printing of this English New Testament in quarto was begun at Cologne
in the summer of 1525, and completed at Worms, and that there was
likewise printed an octavo edition, both before the end of that year.
William Tyndale’s Biblical translations appeared in the following order:
New Testament, 1525-26; Pentateuch, 1530; Jonah, 1531.
His literary activity during that interval was extraordinary. When he left
England, his knowledge of Hebrew, if he had any, was of the most
rudimentary nature; and yet he mastered that difficult tongue so as to
produce from the original an admirable translation of the entire
Pentateuch, the Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second
Samuel, First and Second Kings, First Chronicles, contained in Matthew's
Bible of 1537, and of the Book of Jonah, so excellent, indeed, that his
work is not only the basis of those portions of the Authorized King James
Version of 1611, but constitutes nine-tenths of that translation, and very
largely that of the English Revised Version of 1885.
In addition to these he produced the following works. His first original
composition, A Pathway into the Holy Scripture, is really a reprint, slightly
altered, of his Prologue to the quarto edition of his New Testament, and
had appeared in separate form before 1532; The Parable of the Wicked
Mammon (1527); and The Obedience of a Christian Man (1527-28).
These several works drew out in 1529 Sir Thomas More's Dialogue, etc.
In 1530 appeared Tyndale's Practyse of Prelates, and in 1531 his Answer
to the Dialogue, his Exposition of the First Epistle of St. John, and the
famous Prologue to Jonah; in 1532, An Exposition upon the V. VI. VII.
Chapters of Matthew; and in 1536, A Brief Declaration of the
Sacraments, etc., which seems to be a posthumous publication. Joshua-
Second Chronicles also was published after his death.
All these works were written during those mysterious years, in places of
concealment so secure and well chosen, that neither the ecclesiastical
nor diplomatic emissaries of Wolsey and Henry VIII., charged to track,
hunt down, and seize the fugitive, were able to reach them, and they are
even yet unknown. Under the idea that the progress of the Reformation
in England rendered it safe for him to leave his concealment, he settled
at Antwerp in 1534, and combined the work of an evangelist with that of
a translator of the Bible.

The Betrayal and Death of William Tyndale

Tyndale was betrayed by a friend, Philips, the agent either of Henry, or

of English ecclesiastics, or possibly of both. Tyndale was arrested and
imprisoned in the castle of Vilvoorden for over 500 days of horrible
conditions. He was tried for heresy and treason in a ridiculously unfair
trial, and convicted. Tyndale was then strangled and burnt at the stake
in the prison yard, Oct. 6, 1536. His last words were, "Lord, open the
king of England's eyes." This prayer was answered three years later, in
the publication of King Henry VIII’s, 1539 English “Great Bible”.
Tyndale's place in history has not yet been sufficiently recognized as a
translator of the Scriptures, as an apostle of liberty, and as a chief

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promoter of the Reformation in England. In all these respects his
influence has been singularly under-valued. The sweeping statement
found in almost all histories, that Tyndale translated from the Vulgate
and Luther, is most damaging to the reputation of the writers who make
it; for, as a matter of fact, it is contrary to truth, since his translations
are made directly from the originals, with the aid of the Erasmus 1516
Greek-Latin New Testament, and the best available Hebrew texts. The
Prolegomena in Mombert's William Tyndale's Five Books of Moses show
conclusively that Tyndale's Pentateuch is a translation of the
Hebrew original.

LESSON FOUR: MARTIN LUTHER – THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY

FAITH

The students will break into small groups and research the topics identified
below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will prepare their
reports and present them to the class, so that all groups can have the same
notes for this section. Like in all sections of this course, online Bible
Students, will have to do this research on their own.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

Martin Luther

Martin Luther had a small head-start on Tyndale, as Luther

declared his intolerance for the Roman Church’s corruption on
Halloween in 1517, by nailing his 95 Theses of Contention to
the Wittenberg Church door. Luther, who would be exiled in
the months following the Diet of Worms Council in 1521 that
was designed to martyr him, would translate the New
Testament into German for the first time from the 1516 Greek-
Latin New Testament of Erasmus, and publish it in September
of 1522. Luther also published a German Pentateuch in
1523, and another edition of the German New Testament
in 1529. In the 1530’s he would go on to publish the entire
Bible in German.

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Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 - February 18, 1546) was a Christian
theologian and Augustinian monk whose teachings inspired the
Protestant Reformation and deeply influenced the doctrines of Protestant
and other Christian traditions. Martin Luther was born to Hans and
Margaretha Luder on 10 November 1483 in Eisleben, Germany and was
baptised the next day on the feast of St. Martin of Tours, after whom he
was named. Luther’s call to the Church to return to the teachings of the
Bible resulted in the formation of new traditions within Christianity and
the Counter-Reformation in the Roman Catholic Church, culminating at
the Council of Trent.
His translation of the Bible also helped to develop a standard version of
the German language and added several principles to the art of
translation. Luther's hymns sparked the development of congregational
singing in Christianity. His marriage, on June 13, 1525, to Katharina von
Bora, a former nun, began the tradition of clerical marriage within
several Christian traditions.

Martin Luther's early life

Martin Luther’s father owned a copper mine in nearby Mansfeld. Having

risen from the peasantry, his father was determined to see his son
ascend to civil service and bring further honour to the family.
To that end, Hans sent young Martin to schools in Mansfeld, Magdeburg
and Eisenach. At the age of seventeen in 1501 he entered the University
of Erfurt. The young student received his Bachelor's degree after just
one year in 1502! Three years later, in 1505, he received a Master's
degree. According to his father's wishes, Martin enrolled in the law
school of that university.
All that changed during a thunderstorm in the summer of 1505. A
lightning bolt struck near to him as he was returning to school. Terrified,
he cried out, "Help, St. Anne! I'll become a monk!" Spared of his life,
but regretting his words, Luther kept his bargain, dropped out of law
school and entered the monastery there.
Luther's struggle to find peace with God
Young Brother Martin fully dedicated himself to monastic life, the effort
to do good works to please God and to serve others through prayer for
their souls. Yet peace with God escaped him. He devoted himself to
fasts, flagellations, long hours in prayer and pilgrimages, and constant
confession.
The more he tried to do for God, it seemed, the more aware he became
of his sinfulness.
Johann von Staupitz, Luther's superior, concluded the young man
needed more work to distract him from pondering himself. He ordered
the monk to pursue an academic career. In 1507 Luther was ordained
to the priesthood. In 1508 he began teaching theology at the University
of Wittenberg. Luther earned his Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies on
9 March 1508 and a Bachelor's degree in the Sentences by Peter
66
Lombard, (the main textbook of theology in the Middle Ages) in 1509.
On 19 October 1512, the University of Wittenberg conferred upon Martin
Luther the degree of Doctor of Theology.
Martin Luther’s Evangelical Discovery
The demands of study for academic degrees and preparation for
delivering lectures drove Martin Luther to study the Scriptures in depth.
Luther immersed himself in the teachings of the Scripture and the early
church. Slowly, terms like penance and righteousness took on new
meaning. The controversy that broke loose with the publication of his 95
Theses placed even more pressure on the reformer to study the Bible.
This study convinced him that the Church had lost sight of several
central truths. To Luther, the most important of these was the doctrine
that brought him peace with God.
With joy, Luther now believed and taught that salvation is a gift of God's
grace, received by faith and trust in God's promise to forgive sins for the
sake of Christ's death on the cross. This, he believed was God's work
from beginning to end.
Luther’s 95 Theses
On Halloween of 1517, Luther changed the course of human history
when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door at Wittenberg, accusing
the Roman Catholic church of heresy upon heresy. Many people cite this
act as the primary starting point of the Protestant Reformation… though
to be sure, John Wycliffe, John Hus, Thomas Linacre, John Colet,
and others had already put their life’s work and even their lives on the
line, for the same cause of truth, constructing the foundation of Reform
upon which Luther now built.
Luther's action was in great part a response to the selling of indulgences
by Johann Tetzel, a Dominican priest. Luther's charges also directly
challenged the position of the clergy in regard to individual salvation.
Before long, Luther’s 95 Theses of Contention had been copied and
published all over Europe.
Here I Stand
Luther's Protestant views were condemned as heretical by Pope Leo X in
the bull Exsurge Domine in 1520. Consequently, Luther was summoned
to either renounce or reaffirm them at the Diet of Worms on 17 April
1521.
When he appeared before the assembly, Johann von Eck, by then
assistant to the Archbishop of Trier, acted as spokesman for Emperor
Charles the Fifth.
He presented Luther with a table filled with copies of his writings. Eck
asked Luther if he still believed what these works taught.
He requested time to think about his answer. Granted an extension,
Luther prayed, consulted with friends and mediators, and presented
himself, before the Diet the next day.
When the counsellor put the same question to Luther the next day, the
reformer apologized for the harsh tone of many of his writings, but said
that he could not reject the majority of them, or the teachings in them.
Luther respectfully but boldly stated, "Unless I am convinced by proofs
67
from Scriptures, or by plain and clear reasons and arguments, I can and
will not retract, for it is neither safe nor wise to do, anything against
conscience. Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen."
On May 25, the Emperor issued his Edict of Worms, declaring Martin
Luther an outlaw.

Luther in Exile at the Wartburg Castle

Luther had powerful friends among the princes of Germany, one of
whom was his own prince, Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony. The
prince arranged for Luther to be seized on his way from the Diet by a
company of masked horsemen, who carried him to the castle of the
Wartburg, where he was kept about a year. He grew a wide flaring
beard; took on the garb of a knight and assumed the pseudonym Jörg.
During this period of forced sojourn in the world, Luther was still hard at
work upon his celebrated translation of the Bible, though he couldn't rely
on the isolation of a monastery. During his translation, Luther would
make forays into the nearby towns and markets to listen to people
speak, so that he could put his translation of the Bible into the language
of the people.
Although his stay at the Wartburg kept Luther hidden from public view,
Luther often received letters from his friends and allies, asking for his
views and advice. For example, Luther’s closest friend, Philipp
Melanchthon, wrote to him and asked how to answer the charge that
the reformers neglected pilgrimages, fasts and other traditional forms of
piety. Luther's replied: "If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach
an imaginary, but the true mercy. If the mercy is true, you must
therefore bear the true, not an imaginary sin. God does not save those
who are only imaginary sinners. Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong,
but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ, who is the
victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are
here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says
Peter (2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new
earth where justice will reign." [Letter 99.13, To Philipp Melanchthon, 1
August 1521.]
Martin Luther's German Bible
Martin Luther was the first person to translate and publish the Bible in
the commonly-spoken dialect of the German people. He used the recent
1516 critical Greek edition of Erasmus, a text which was later called
textus receptus. The Luther German New Testament translation was first
published in September of 1522. The translation of the Old Testament
followed, yielding an entire German language Bible in 1534.

Luther is also known to have befriended William Tyndale, and given

him safe haven and assistance in using the same 1516 Erasmus Greek-
Latin Parallel New Testament that had been the source text for his
German New Testament of 1522, as the trustworthy source text for
Tyndale’s English New Testament of 1525-26.
Luther's Writings

68
The number of books attributed to Martin Luther is quite impressive.
However, some Luther scholars contend that many of the works were at
least drafted by some of his good friends like Philipp Melanchthon.
Luther’s books explain the settings of the epistles and show the
conformity of the books of the Bible to each other. Of special note would
be his writings about the Epistle to the Galatians in which he compares
himself to the Apostle Paul, in his defence of the Gospel. Luther also
wrote about church administration, and wrote much about the Christian
home.
Luther's work contains a number of statements that modern readers
would consider rather crude. For example, Luther was known to advise
people that they should literally “Tell the Devil he may kiss my ass.” It
should be remembered that Luther received many communications from
throughout Europe from people who could write anonymously, that is,
without the spectre of mass media making their communications known.
No public figure today could write in the manner of the correspondences
Luther received or in the way Luther responded to them. Luther was
certainly a theologian of the middle-ages. He was an earthy man who
enjoyed his beer, and was bold and often totally without tact in the blunt
truth, he vehemently preached. While this offended many, it endeared
him all the more to others.
He was open with his frustrations and emotions, as well. Once, when
asked if he truly loved God, Luther replied “Love God? Sometimes I hate
Him!” Luther was also frustrated by the works-emphasis of the book of
James, calling it “the Epistle of Straw, and questioning its canonicity.
Also irritated with the complex symbolism of the Book of Revelation, he
once said that it too, was not canon, and that it should be thrown into
the river! He later retracted these statements, of course. Luther was a
man who was easily misquoted or taken out of context. While a brilliant
theologian, and a bold reformer, he would not have made a good
politician. But then, he never aspired to any career in politics.
Martin Luther and Judaism
Luther initially preached tolerance towards the Jewish people, convinced
that the reason they had never converted to Christianity was that they
were discriminated against, or had never heard the Gospel of Christ.
However, after his overtures to Jews failed to convince Jewish people to
adopt Christianity, he began preaching that the Jews were set in evil,
anti-Christian ways, and needed to be expelled from German politics. In
his On the Jews and Their Lies, he repeatedly quotes the words of Jesus
in Matthew 12:34, where Jesus called them "a brood of vipers and
children of the devil"
Luther was zealous toward the Gospel, and he wanted to protect the
people of his homeland from the Jews who he believed would be harmful
influences since they did not recognize Jesus as their Saviour. In
Luther's time, parents had a right and a duty to direct their children's
marriage choices in respect to matters of faith. Likewise, Luther felt a
duty to direct his German people to cling to the Jesus the Jews did not
accept. It should be noted that church law was superior to civil law in
Luther's day and that law said the penalty of blasphemy was death.
69
When Luther called for the deaths of certain Jews, he was merely asking
that the laws that were applied to all other Germans also be applied to
the Jews. The Jews were exempt from the church laws that Christians
were bound by, most notably the law against charging interest.

Martin Luther's Death

Martin Luther escaped martyrdom, and died of natural causes. His last
written words were, "Know that no one can have indulged in the Holy
Writers sufficiently, unless he has governed churches for a hundred
years with the prophets, such as Elijah and Elisha, John the Baptist,
Christ and the apostles... We are beggars: this is true."

LESSON FIVE: JOHN NEWTON: THE TRANSFORMATION: SLAVE

TRADER TO HYMN WRITER

The students will break into small groups and research the topics identified below, each
group taking a different subject heading. They will prepare their reports and present
them to the class, so that all groups can have the same notes for this section. Like in
all sections of this course, online Bible Students, will have to do this
research on their own.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

John Newton - (1725-1807), Evangelical divine and hymn writer

Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of
a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven,
he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before
the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a
man-of- war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board
intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged
and demoted from midshipman to common seaman.
Finally at his own request, he was exchanged into service on a slave
ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the
servant of a slave trader, and was brutally abused. Early in 1748, he

70
was rescued by a sea captain, who had known John's father. John
Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the
slave trade.
Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother,
who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any
religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was
attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced
what he was to refer to later as his "great deliverance." He recorded in
his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he
exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon us." Later in his cabin he reflected
on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him
through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him.
For the rest of his life. he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as
the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his
will to a higher power. "Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, I have
already come; 'tis grace has bro't me safe thus far, and grace will lead
me home." He continued in the slave trade for a time after his
conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were
treated humanely.
In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for
many years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring
forever. During his days as a sailor, he had begun to educate himself,
teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760
Newton was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know
George Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic
preacher, and leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton
became Whitefield's enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also
met and came to admire John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton's
self-education continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew.
He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York
for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted
in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln
and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton's church
became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He
preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767
the poet William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became
friends.
Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to
other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but
also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was
to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions
of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition,
published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton.
Among Newton's contributions which are still loved and sung today are
"How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds" and "Glorious Things of Thee
Are Spoken," as well as "Amazing Grace." Composed probably between
1760 and 1770 in Olney, "Amazing Grace" was possibly one of the
hymns written for a weekly service. The origin of the melody is unknown.
Most hymnals attribute it to an early American folk melody. The Bill
71
 Moyers special on "Amazing Grace" speculated that it may have
originated as the tune of a song the slaves sang.
Newton was not only a prolific hymn writer, but also kept extensive
journals and wrote many letters. Historians accredit his journals and
letters for much of what is known today about the eighteenth-century
slave trade. In Cardiphonia, or the Utterance of the Heart, a series of
devotional letters, he aligned himself with the Evangelical revival,
reflecting the sentiments of his friend John Wesley and Methodism.
In 1780, Newton left Olney to become rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, St.
Mary Woolchurch, in London. There he drew large congregations and
influenced many, among them William Wilberforce, who would one day
become a leader in the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Newton
continued to preach until the last year of life, although he was blind by
that time. He died in London December 21, 1807. Infidel and libertine
turned minister in the Church of England, he was secure in his faith that
amazing grace would lead him home.
In 1787, John Newton prayed for Rev. Johnson, before He
embarked from England to the colony of New South Wales, as
the chaplain of the colonies. The prayer he prayed is below:
It was said by John Newton (the composer of the famous hymn Amazing
Grace) about Richard Johnson: “The seed you sow in the Settlement
may be sown for future generations and be transplanted in time far and
near. I please myself with the hope that Port Jackson may be the spot
from whence the Gospel light may hereafter spread in all directions”.
This hope outlined above is what actually happened. The Gospel of Jesus
Christ went out from Sydney Cove to New Zealand, New Guinea, to the
South Sea Islands and to most parts of Asia and Africa within the next
100 years3.

LESSON SIX: RICHARD JOHNSON: THE FIRST CHAPLAIN TO THE

COLONY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

The students will break into small groups and research the topics
identified below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will
prepare their reports and present them to the class, so that all groups
can have the same notes for this section.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

3
Refer to the Coastal Pioneers. [see the list of books at the end of this book for the links]

72
 7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

His Early Life and Appointments

Reverend Richard Johnson (1753-1827)
Reverend Richard Johnson, 1787,
by G. Terry. Engraving P1: Johnson,
Rev. Richard.
The Reverend Richard Johnson was appointed
the first Church of England chaplain to the
colony of New South Wales in 1787, and his
stipend was paid from the Royal purse.

He held this appointment until 1800, when he returned to England with

his family and Governor John Hunter on HMS Buffalo.
Johnson owed his appointment to friends within the London Eclectic
Society: a group of evangelical clergy and laymen, interested in mission
and prison reform. William Wilberforce, John Newton and John and
Henry Thornton were among its leaders.
On 3 February, 1788 he conducted the first divine service in Sydney
'under some trees' or 'a great tree' and preached from the text 'What
shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me' (Psalm
116:12).
For six years, Johnson carried out all the clerical duties in the colony,
conducting services out in the open or in storehouses in Sydney and
Parramatta and presided over all the baptisms, marriages and burials in
the colony. He worked with dedication amongst the convict population,
along with ministering to condemned men at executions. He supported
Governor Phillip's policy of be-friending the Indigenous population in
Sydney by having Abaroo, an Indigenous girl live with his family.
In November 1788, Richard Johnson wrote to Henry Fricker of
Portsmouth, England, a friend of the Johnson family. Henry Fricker was
one of a group of Portsmouth and Lymington friends of the Reverend
Johnson, and acted as a channel for English news once Johnson and his
wife Mary had left on the First Fleet convict transport
Amongst personal news, Johnson describes the arrangements for
religious observances at Rose Hill, the Governor's reluctance to build a
church and the irreligious lives of the convicts. The letter is from a series

73
of correspondence from Richard Johnson to Henry Fricker between May
30, 1787 to August 10, 1797.

The letters were presented to the Mitchell Library in 1917.

TRANSCRIPT: REVEREND RICHARD JOHNSON - LETTER TO HENRY FRICKER, 9
APRIL 1790

Sydney Cove, Port Jackson,

In the Country of Cumberland,
New South Wales, Novr. 15th, 1788.

My dear Friends,

Am happy that another opportunity offers of writing to you to inform you

of our health & welfare. Have already given you at least two Letters since
our arrival at Port Jackson, & hope that before I write again, shall be
favoured with a long letter from you among the rest of my der fds in
England. I most sincerely & anxiously wish & desire to hear from you, to
hear how you do, how you go on, how my fds Hausty & Miles do -what
success in fishing [indecipherable].
'Tis now near Ten Months since we first arrived at this part of the world.
I travel much about home; wish much Labour & no small cost we have
got our little Cabbage tree Cottage -no small curiosity it is, I assure
you, & cd it be placed on Bonfire Corner but one day, I dare say it wd
have as many spectators & admirers as ever had Lunardy's Balloon.
Am happy, however, that it in some measure answers our purpose,
though now and then in excessive Rains, we are all in a swim within
doors. —My little Garden also begins to flourish & supplies us daily with
either one kind of vegetable or other. As to the Country in general, I
confess I have no very great opinion of nor expectation from it. The
greatest part of it is poor & barren & rocky & requires a great deal of
labour to clear it of trees, roots, &c, & to cultivate it, & after all, the
corn that has been sown hitherto looks very poor & unpromising. I
think I can say none have given it a fairer trial than myself. Have been
at work in my little farm for a day together, burning wood, digging,
sowing, &c, but do not expect to reap anything nearly adequate to my
labour. Others seem to be in the same predicament & all almost, at
least with but few exceptions, are heartily sick of the expedition, & wish
themselves back safe in old England. I hope I have said enough to
diswade you from ever emigrating to this part of the world. You will act
more wisely to stay at Bonfire Corner & (one thing excepted) I shd be
most heartily glad again to see you on that side of Southern & Atlantic
Seas - and what without? Why the pity and concern I feel for these poor
people with whom I am here connected. Happy would I be were I to
live upon Bread & water and to suffer the most severe hardship, did I
but see some of those poor souls begin to think about their latter end.
Am sorry to see so little good yet done amongst them. They neither see
nor will be persuaded to seek the Lord of Mercy and Compassion of God.

74
They prefer their Lust before their Souls, yea, most of them will sell
their souls for a Glass of Grogg, so blind, so foolish, so hardened are
they.
The Colony begins already to be a good deal dispersed. About seventy
or eighty are gone to settle in New Norfolk. This took place soon after
our arrival. Ships have been backward & forward, & the last particularly
brings us a flattering promising account of that island as to wood,
garden stuff, &c. Others have been lately sent
to the top of this harbour to cultivate the ground. Understand that I am
sometimes to go thither to perform Divine Services. The distance is 12
or 14 miles by water, which will make it very inconvenient &
unpleasant. Mrs. J. was delivered on the 10th [indecipherable] of a man
child, but my Babe was still born & my dear Partner, for some time, was
in the utmost danger. Through Mercy, however, she was at length
safely delivered & continues to recover though but very slowly.
I am yet obliged to be a field Preacher. No Church is yet begun of, & I
am afraid scarcely thought of. Other things seem to be of greater Notice
& Concern & most wd rather see a Tavern, a Play House, a Brothel -
anything sooner than a place for publick worship.
Please to present our most cordial respects to Mr. Hausey & family, &
tell his little girl that Miss Puss has lately behaved so ill & made such
bad work in my garden that I was obliged to have a Court Martial
upon her; that after frequent threatenings I was at length resolved she
shd be transported & accordingly have shipped her off to New Norfolk.
Give our respects likewise to Miss Wickenden, and tell her that Mr. Tom
Puss is come to high preferment -tired of such poor fare as I cd give
him, he took himself off to the publick stores, where he feeds upon the
richest dainties of the country. Our united love and [Chri]stian respects
to all other inquiring fds.
Accept the same Yourselves from
Your sincere fds, &c., Rich´d & Mrs Johnson Our particular respects to
Dr Milly and family. Mr. Hen. Fricker,
Bonfire Corner, Portsmouth Common, Hants

3
http://www.cammbooks.com.au/books/the-coastal-pioneers.pdf (page 31)

LESSON SEVEN: SAMUEL MARSDEN: THE SECOND CHAPLAIN TO

NSW,THE WOOL FARMER AND EDUCATOR4

The students will break into small groups and research the topics identified
below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will prepare their
reports and present them to the class, so that all groups can have the same
notes for this section.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

75
 2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

SAMUEL MARSDEN

The Reverend Samuel Marsden (25 June 1765 –

12 May 1838) was a prominent member of the
Church Missionary Society, who introduced
Christianity to New Zealand. He was a prominent
figure in early New South Wales history, not only for
his ecclesiastical offices, but also for his employment
of convicts for farming and his role as a judge, both
of which have attracted contemporary criticism.

Early life
Marsden was born in Farsley, near Pudsey, Yorkshire, the son of a
Wesleyan blacksmith turned farmer. After attending the village school,
he spent some years assisting his father on the farm. In his early
twenties, he won a scholarship from the Elland Clerical Society to train
as an Anglican priest. After two years at free grammar school he
attended Magdalene College, Cambridge,[1] where he was associated
with the reformist William Wilberforce. While still studying, Marsden was
offered the position of second chaplain to Rev. Richard Johnson's
ministry to the British colony of New South Wales, on 1 January 1793.
He married Elizabeth Fristan on 21 April 1793 and the following month
was ordained by the Bishop of Exeter, (having abandoned his degree).
He travelled by convict ship to Australia, his eldest child Anne being born
en route. Shortly after arrival in 1794 set up house in Parramatta, 15
miles outside the main Port Jackson settlement.

4
http://www.cammbooks.com.au/books/the-coastal-pioneers.pdf
(page 31)

76
 In
In 1800 he succeeded Johnson, and remained
Australia:
the senior Anglican minister in New South Wales
Protestant until his death. Marsden was given grants of land
Missions to by the colonial government, and bought more of
the Pacific his own, which were worked, as was customary
Islands. in Australia in the period, with convict labour. By
1807 he owned 3000 acres. Successful farming
ventures provided him with a secure financial
base, although attracting criticism for his
becoming over involved in non-church affairs. He
was appointed to the Bench of Magistrates at
Parramatta, a role which attracted criticism
within his own life. History has remembered
Marsden as the "Flogging Parson" because, even
Background
by the standards of his day, he inflicted severe
Christianity punishments. This view is disputed in some
Protestantism circles as part of an anti-clerical writing of
Missions timeline history, in turn attributed to a dislike of Roman
Missionaries Catholics and the Irish.
South Pacific Joseph Holt, an Irish priest and activist, left an
Hawaii account of a flogging ordered by Marsden:[2] The
Missionary unfortunate man had his arms extended round a
agencies tree, his two wrists tied with cords, and his breast
London pressed closely to the tree, so that flinching from
Missionary the blow was out of the question, for it was
impossible for him to stir. Father Harold was
Society
ordered to put his hand against the tree by the
American Board hands of the prisoner, and two men were
Church appointed to flog, namely, Richard Rice, a left-
Missionary handed man, and John Johnson, the hangman
Society Baptist from Sydney, who was right-handed.
Missionary They stood on each side of Fitzgerald; and I never
Society saw two threshers in a barn move their flails with
Christianity more regularity than these two man-killers did,
portal unmoved by pity, and rather enjoying their horrid
employment than otherwise. The very first blows
made the blood spout out from Fitzgerald's shoulders; and I felt so
disgusted and horrified, that I turned my face away from the cruel sight.
I have witnessed many horrible scenes; but this was the most appalling
sight I had ever seen. The day was windy, and I protest. that although I
was at least fifteen yards to leeward, from the sufferers, the blood, skin,
and flesh blew in my face as the executioners shook it off from their cats.
Fitzgerald received his whole three hundred lashes, during which Doctor
Mason used to go up to him occasionally to feel his pulse, it being
contrary to law to flog a man beyond fifty lashes without having a doctor
present. I never shall forget this humane doctor, as he smiled and said,
“Go on; this man will tire you both before he fails!” During the time
Fitzgerald was receiving the punishment he never uttered a groan; the
only words he said were, “Flog me fair; do not strike me on the neck!”

77
When it was over, two constables took him by the arms to help him into
the cart. He said to them,” Let my arms go,” and struck each of them in
the pit of the stomach with his elbows, and knocked them both down;
he then stepped into the cart unassisted as if he had not received a
blow. The doctor remarked, “That man has strength enough to bear two
hundred more.”
The next prisoner who was tied up was Paddy Galvin, a young lad about
twenty years of age; he was also sentenced to receive three hundred
lashes. The first hundred were given on his shoulders, and he was cut to
the bone between the shoulder-blades, which were both bare. The doctor
then directed the next hundred to be inflicted lower down, which reduced
his flesh to such a jelly that the doctor ordered him to have the remaining
hundred on the calves of his legs. During the whole time Galvin never
even whimpered or flinched, if, indeed, it had been possible for him to
have done so. He was asked, “where the pikes were hidden?” Galvin
answered, that he did not know, and that if he did, he would not tell.
“You may hang me,” said he, “if you like; but shall have no music out of
my mouth to others dance upon nothing.” He was put the cart and sent
to the hospital. According to Holt, two days later Marsden sent orders to
the hospital that "Gavin is to be sent immediately to work at the cayenne
pepper mill."
In 1822 Marsden, along with several other magistrates at Parramatta,
was dismissed for exceeding his jurisdiction. Early in 1804, Marsden
christened the one-year-old George Lilly in Sydney's St. John's
Parramatta church. Lilly later became the noted pioneer of Melbourne,
Portland and Auckland. In 1809, he was the first to ship wool to
England from Australia, and is believed to have introduced sheep to
New Zealand where he has a gentler reputation.
The Anglican Mission to New Zealand
Marsden was a member of the Church Missionary Society and its New
South Wales agent. New Zealand, had been discovered by Europeans
for the first time in the 1640’s but by the early 19th century, there had
still been little contact between Māori and European, except through
whalers and sealers. A small "outlaw" community of Europeans had
formed in the Bay of Islands and Marsden was concerned they were
corrupting the Māori, and became determined to found a mission station
in New Zealand.
Mardsen lobbied the Church Missionary Society successfully to send a
mission to New Zealand. Lay missionaries John King, William Hall and
Thomas Kendall were chosen in 1809, but it was not until 14 March 1814
that Marsden took his schooner, the “Active” (Captained by Thomas
Hansen), on an exploratory journey to the Bay of Islands with Kendall
and Hall, during which time he claimed to have conducted the first
Christian service on New Zealand soil. He met Māori Rangatira, or chiefs
from the iwi or tribe Ngapuhi, who controlled the region around the Bay
of Islands, including the chief of the Ngapuhi, Ruatara, and a junior war
leader, Hongi Hika, who had helped pioneer the introduction of the
musket to Māori warfare in the previous decade. Hongi Hika returned
with them to Australia on 22 August.
78
At the end of the year Kendall, Hall and King returned to start a mission
to the Ngapuhi under Ruatara's (and, later, Hongi Hika's) protection in
the bay of Islands. Hongi Hika returned with them, bringing a large
number of firearms from Australia for his warriors.
A mission station was founded with a base at Rangihoua Bay, later
moved to Kerikeri, (where the mission house and stone store can still be
seen), and ultimately a model farming village at Te-Waimate. The
mission would struggle on for a decade before attracting converts, in
competition with Wesleyan and Catholic missions. Thomas Kendall
abandoned his wife for the daughter of a Māori tohunga or priest, also
flirted with Māori religion, as well as funding the mission in part through
helping to arm Hongi Hika's Ngapuhi.
For refusing to stop trading arms, Kendall was dismissed by the Church
Missionary Society in 1822. Marsden, who knew of Kendall's affair,
returned to New Zealand in August 1823 to sack him in person. Marsden
later went to some trouble talking to all Australian printers to prevent
Kendall from publishing a Māori grammar book, apparently largely out of
spite.
At Kendall's instigation, Hongi Hika visited England, met King George IV
and armed with the sometimes reluctant assistance of CMS missionaries,
rampaged across a large area of the North Island during the Musket
Wars.
Despite this, Marsden is generally remembered favourably in New
Zealand, which he visited seven times. The Anglican school, Samuel
Marsden Collegiate School in Karori, Wellington and also (more recently)
in Whitby, Porirua was named after Marsden. A house at Corran School
for Girls (Marsden) is also named after him.
In 1819 Samuel Marsden introduced wine-growing to New Zealand with
the planting of over 100 different varieties of vine in Kerikeri, Northland.
"New Zealand promises to be very favourable to the vine as far as I can
judge at present of the nature of the soil and climate". Nearly two
hundred years later, the New Zealand wine industry is at an all-time
high, and is especially praised for its Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.The
first New Zealand biography of Marsden's efforts, 'Samuel Marsden:
‘Altar Ego', appeared in September 2008. It takes a much less benign
view of Marsden's 'missionary' efforts and offers insights into how and
why he became regarded as a double apostle in New Zealand.
“Altar Ego” details Marsden's role in gun running and his ongoing
negligence that caused the first missionaries to resort to it in an effort to
gain food for their families. It also suggests that Marsden, whilst not
clinically insane, may have suffered from a fatal and incurable
psychological impairment.
Later life
Marsden died at Windsor, New South Wales, and is buried beside his old
church at Parramatta.
A portrait of Marsden based on Robert Hughes' The Fatal Shore appears
in Patrick O'Brian's book The Nutmeg of Consolation.

79
Reggae band 1814 took their name from the year that Marsden held
the first sermon in the Bay of Islands.[3]

References

• An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand 1966. Entry on MARSDEN,

Samuel
• Yarwood, A. T. (1967). "Marsden, Samuel (1765 - 1838)".
Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National
University.
http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A020176b.htm.
Retrieved 2008-04-07.
• Serle, Percival. "Marsden, Samuel (1764 - 1838)". Dictionary of
Australian Biography. Project Gutenberg Australia.
http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogMa-
Mo.html#marsden1. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
• Quinn, Richard. Samuel Marsden: “Altar Ego”. Dunmore
Publishing, Wellington, September, 2008
• Marsden, Rev. J. B. (Ed.). Memoirs of the Life and Labours
of the Rev. Samuel Marsden of Paramatta. The Religious
Tract Society, London, 1858.
• Reed, A. H. Samuel Marsden; Greatheart of Maoriland, Pickering
and Inglis, London, 1939 (Children's book)
Notes
1. ^ Marsden, Samuel in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses,
Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
2. ^ Joseph Holt, Thomas Crofton Croker (ed.), Memoirs of Joseph
Holt: General of the Irish Rebels, in 1798 (London: H. Colburn,
1838), vol II, at pp. 119-122.[1]
3. ^ 1814 - Reggae runnings in Aotearoa, New Zealand niceup.org.nz

Samuel Marsden: Bearer of Good Tidings in

New Zealand: from Giants of the Missionary
Trial by Eugene Myers Harrison.
In December, 1814, the Active dropped anchor at
Whangaroa, near the Bay of Islands, New Zealand.
Would the missionary dare to land among the thousands
of savages who lined the shore?

At this very place sometime earlier, an English ship, the Boyd, had
anchored. Swarms of fierce natives in war canoes had come out and
captured it; and, of the crew of seventy people, two women and a boy
were sold into slavery while the other sixty-seven were killed and eaten
in horrible cannibal orgies. The missionary knew all about this dreadful
incident and realized that, if he landed, his life would be in extreme
jeopardy. Nevertheless, he did land. He talked with some of the chiefs
and mingled among the swarthy natives. Moreover, he spent the night

80
on shore, sleeping in the open among the warriors whose innumerable
spears were stuck upright in the ground.
Who was this man with the dauntless heart, and what was the secret of
his gallant spirit? He was Samuel Marsden, and the secret of his
mountainous courage is to be found in a mountainous text -- Luke 2:10.
"I was under no apprehension of fear," he says. "We prepared to go
ashore to publish for the first time in New Zealand the glad tidings of
the gospel."
"Fear not," says the text.
"I was under no apprehension of fear," says Marsden.
"I bring you good tidings," says the text.
"We prepared to publish good tidings," says Marsden.
"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people."
Like the angel in Luke 2:10, Samuel Marsden was the messenger of a
mighty declaration, the bearer of good tidings of incomparable import,
the herald of good news from heaven to earth.
1. He Was the Bearer of Good Tidings to All People
Samuel Marsden was born at Farsley, Yorkshire, England [other sources
give place of birth as Horsforth, near Leeds, Yorkshire, England], July 28,
1764, of pious parents who were attached to the Wesleyan Methodist
denomination. After a grammar school education, Samuel joined his
uncle, a tradesman at Horsforth. But he was not satisfied to follow a
business career; he had discovered the sublimities of redeeming grace,
and he was yearning to devote his life to the Christian ministry, that he
might make known to others the "good tidings" so precious to his own
soul.
He became a student at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he came
under the influence of Charles Simeon, seraphic preacher of an
impassioned evangelicalism and of missionary outreach.
Though bitterly assailed, Simeon's fervent preaching and conversation
circles at Cambridge exerted an enormous influence upon successive
generations of students, and, through their lives, issued in a stream of
evangelical doctrine and devotion that reached the very ends of the
earth. One of the students thus influenced, at a later date, was the
sainted Henry Martyn who, upon reaching India, fell on his knees in a
deserted temple and prayed, "Now, my Lord, let me burn out for Thee!"
Under the influence of Charles Simeon's life and ministry, Samuel
Marsden came to a profound conviction of the need of all mankind for
the saving gospel and the responsibility of all Christians to "speed away
with the message of light to the lands that are lying in darkness and
night." When, therefore, he was offered a chaplaincy in what was
then designated "His Majesty's Territory of New South Wales," he
accepted, convinced that the appointment would enable him to herald
in distant dark regions the "good tidings" which as his great text
expressly declares, "shall be to all people."
2. He Was the Bearer of Good Tidings of Salvation

81
Marsden was ordained early in the year 1793 and proceeded to Hull,
where he was to take passage in a convict transport, the only conveyance
then available for the far distant colony. "Young as he was," says Dr.
Mason Good, "he was remarkable for firmness of principle and intrepidity
of spirit, a strong judgment, and, above all, a mind stored with
knowledge and deeply impressed with religious truth, which promised
the happiest results." On April 21, of that year he was married to Miss
Elizabeth Tristan, who proved to be a very devoted wife and a
companion singularly qualified to share his aspirations and to inspire his
highest endeavours.
Marsden was aware that the "good tidings" of which he was a herald had
salvation as their object. The angelic voice specifically delineated the
content of the "good tidings" by declaring: "Unto you is born a Saviour."
This evangelical and evangelistic note was vibrant alike in the
announcement of the angelic visitor and in the proclamations that fell
from the fervent lips of Samuel Marsden. This is forcibly and beautifully
illustrated by an incident that took place on the Isle of Wight. At that
time England and France were at war, and Marsden's ship was waiting
at Portsmouth for the arrival of the fleet with which it was to sail to New
South Wales. During this period of waiting Marsden preached a sermon
in the parish church at Brading on the Isle of Wight. To discover the
far-reaching consequences of that sermon, under the operation of the
Holy Spirit, it will be instructive to witness a touching incident that took
place five years later.
In the year 1798, Legh Richmond, the recently arrived minister on the
Isle of Wight, was called to the bedside of a young woman who had not
long to live.
Her name was Elizabeth Wallbridge, though she came to be known as
"the dairyman's daughter," and the rare loveliness of her Christian piety
was a source of wonder to all the islanders. The members of the family
were assembled in the room when the minister arrived.
"Oh, sir," said the dairyman's daughter as she looked up at the minister,
"I have such a wonderful Saviour. I am in His hands, and I do believe
that He will never leave, nor forsake- me. In this hope I live and in it I
wish to die."
"Sir," sobbed the girl's mother, "we were sinful and miserable until dear Betsy,
this dear girl, brought Christ Jesus home to her poor father and mother and
sister."
"No, dearest mother," said the girl, "say rather, Christ Jesus brought
your poor daughter home to tell you what He had already done for her
soul and could do for your soul." Then turning to the minister, she
inquired, "Would you like to know, sir, how this remarkable change in
our lives came about?" She began,
About five years ago, Mr. Samuel Marsden, who was about to embark
for New South Wales, as a chaplain and missionary, was announced to
preach at Brading. Out of curiosity and a desire to show off my new
gown, I attended the service.
He took as his text, 'Be ye clothed with humility.' When he came to
describe the garment of salvation, I felt powerfully aware of the
82
nakedness of my own soul. I looked at the minister, and he seemed to
be a messenger sent from heaven to open my eyes. I looked at my gay
dress and blushed for shame on account of my pride. I looked at my
heart, and it appeared full of iniquity. Mr. Marsden represented Christ as
Wisdom; I felt my ignorance. He held Him forth as Righteousness; I was
convinced of my own guilt. He proved Him to be Sanctification; I saw
only corruption. He proclaimed Him as Redemption; I felt my slavery to
sin. He concluded with a fervent plea to sinners to put on Christ and flee
from the wrath to come. Oh, sir, I shall rejoice evermore for that day
and that dear man's sermon and that I did put on Christ, though I made
no outward confession at the time.
"Christ as Wisdom -- I felt my ignorance." "Christ as Righteousness -- I
was convinced of my guilt." "Christ as Sanctification -- I saw my
corruption."
"Christ as Redemption -- I felt my slavery to sin.""I shall forever rejoice
for that dear man's sermon and that I did put on Christ."
Sometime later the dairyman's daughter passed away, still witnessing
for her Lord. "The Lord deals very gently with me," she murmured.
"Blessed Jesus, Precious Saviour, His blood cleanses from all sin. His
name is Wonderful. Thanks be to God who giveth the victory."
When Samuel Marsden dismissed the service and left the pulpit that
Sunday in September, 1793, he knew nothing of how the Spirit of God
had used the message to the salvation of Elizabeth Wallbridge. He may
have felt discouraged by the lack of visible results. What a joy it will be
for him, on the day of Christ's appearing, to discover an entire family
saved as the fruitage of one sermon stressing the good tidings of
salvation.
O ministers, Sunday school teachers, personal workers, whatever the
text and whatever the occasion, point people to Christ!
Join Samuel Marsden in publishing "glad tidings" of free, abundant,
endless salvation. Then you, too, will receive a "crown of rejoicing" --
the soul-winner's crown -- on the day of Christ's appearing.
3. He Was the Bearer of Good Things of Liberty to Captives
Marsden's ship sailed with the fleet on September 30, 1793. His Journal
reveals the depression of his spirit, as he contrasted the warm fellowship
of devout Christian friends at Cambridge and the irreligiousness in
evidence on a ship bearing convicts to their distant place of banishment.
He writes: "Once I could meet the people of God and assemble with
them in the place of prayer and praise; but now I hear nothing but oaths
and blasphemies." He was eager to point the crew and the convicts to
the Lamb of God and asked the captain for permission to hold services
on board. At first this was refused, but prayerful persistence eventually
won out, and thereafter Marsden conducted services regularly
throughout the long voyage. His zeal for souls is indicated by the
following entry in his Journal:
Thursday, December 12, 1793. I have been reading of the success of
David Brainerd among the Indians of North America. How the Lord
owned and blessed his labours to the conversion of the heathen. The

83
same power can effect a change upon those hardened, ungodly sinners
to whom I am about to carry the words of eternal life.
When a person goes forth as a missionary, he is making a momentous
experiment. He is literally putting his faith into the fire to see whether it
is gold or stubble, for if he does not witness souls saved, lives
transformed, and social evils ameliorated, he is bound to question the
adequacy of his gospel and the validity of his Christ. It was well for
Samuel Marsden, and for those to whom he was to minister, that he
carried the true gospel, that he had abounding confidence in its power
and that he kept before him the miraculous success of Brainerd among
the idolatrous, besotted Indians of the Susquehanna.
In March, 1794, he and Mrs. Marsden settled in Paramatta, near Port
Jackson, New South Wales, and entered upon their trying labours. The
population consisted almost entirely of criminals banished from England.
The state of morals was utterly depraved; oaths ribaldry and audacious
lying were well-nigh universal. "I am surrounded," says Marsden, "with
evil-disposed persons, thieves, adulterers and blasphemers." He was not
dismayed by the welter of wickedness that surrounded him. He was
persuaded that the message he was privileged to transmit was equal to
the needs of the vilest and most depraved, and he announced with
confidence the "good tidings" proclaimed by Christ in the synagogue at
Nazareth concerning "deliverance to captives." He thus describes his
first Sunday in the colony:
I preached the gospel of deliverance from the captivity of sin ... As I was
returning home a young man followed me into the wood and told me
how he was distressed for the salvation of his soul. I hope the Lord
will have many souls in this place.
Marsden usually arose about five o'clock and spent the early morning
hours in prayer and study. On Sundays he preached first at Sydney,
then walked fifteen miles to Paramatta to preach again. His preaching
was plain, fervent, and very much to the point. In order to arouse a
fitting appreciation of the "good tidings" of deliverance he laid much
emphasis upon man's fallen nature and the tragic realities of sin. This
led some to conviction and conversion, while others rejected his
message and denounced him bitterly.
One day while walking along the bank of a river, he saw a convict plunge
into the water. Marsden immediately plunged in after him and
endeavoured to bring him to land.
The convict, however, contrived to hold Marsden's head under water and
a desperate struggle for life ensued. Eventually Marsden succeeded in
getting safely to shore and also in dragging the convict with him,
whereupon the wretched man, overcome with remorse, confessed his
reprehensible design. Having been incensed by the preacher's
emphasis upon sin, he had determined upon revenge.
He knew that the sight of a drowning man would summon the instant
help of one who would defy any danger in the discharge of duty.
Accordingly, he had thrown himself into the stream confident of
drowning Marsden and then of making good his own escape. This convict

84
came penitently to the Saviour, became a faithful Christian, and
zealously made known to others the "good tidings" of the great
deliverance which had so graciously visited his own soul.
4. Marsden Was the Bearer of Good Tidings of Comfort to the
Broken-Hearted
Marsden's plain gospel of sin and salvation was tempered by a tender
solicitude. His capacity to sympathize with others in their suffering was
doubtless enhanced by certain desolating sorrows which visited his own
household. Mrs. Marsden took their first-born son, a promising child
two years of age, with her one day in the gig on a round of calls among
the sick and suffering. As a result of a sudden jump by the horse, the
child was thrown out of the mother's arms and instantly killed. Another
painful stroke was to follow. Determined not to hazard the safety of
another child, Mrs. Marsden left her babe at home in the charge of a
domestic while she went out to make some necessary calls. The little
one strayed into the kitchen unnoticed, fell backwards into a pan of
boiling water, and soon died. It was fortunate that the parents knew
Him who is the source of all comfort who said that He came "to heal the
broken-hearted."
While hating and denouncing sin Marsden's heart was drawn out in
sympathy toward the wretched convicts, especially the women and
children. By various methods he sought to alleviate their distresses and
to communicate to them the comfort of the Divine Heart.
Monsieur Perron, on a mission for the French government, wrote
concerning Marsden:
He generously interfered in behalf of the poor sufferers in their
distresses, established schools for their children, and often relieved their
necessities; and to the unhappy culprits, banished from their native soil,
he ministered alternately exhortation and comfort.
Marsden was grieved at the forlorn condition of the female convicts who
were thrust into frightful immoralities by the current standards of the
colony and by the necessity of finding lodging wherever they could. He
sought to relieve their hapless plight by the establishment of a suitable
home in which they would no longer be exposed to such insidious
temptations and where they could receive Christian instruction.
Hundreds of these outcast women came to know the reality of divine
comfort through the human comfort extended to them in their
wretchedness by Samuel Marsden.
Although he was bitterly maligned by certain officials and his motives
impugned, he continued his efforts, which eventually gained the support
of the government at home and the hearty approval of such
distinguished Christian philanthropists as William Wilberforce, Elizabeth
Fry, and Lord Cambier.
With the help of these friends, he was able, upon returning to England
in 1807, to induce the home government to send out three additional
clergymen, three school teachers, and four men to give instruction in
mechanics and manufacturing.

85
He was introduced to King George III and received a gift of five Spanish
sheep from the King's flock to take to New South Wales. In these and
other projects Marsden was a pioneer in the development of Australia as
a great commonwealth.
His transcendent design, however, was always spiritual and the work for
which he most deserves to be remembered did not directly concern the
colony in which he had so zealously laboured. "I believe," he said, "that
God has gracious designs toward New South Wales and that His gospel,
taking root there, will spread amongst heathen nations to the glory of
His grace." He was thinking particularly of New Zealand and the Friendly
Islands, into which no ray of gospel light had as yet penetrated.
5. He Was the Bearer of Glad Tidings of Peace
New Zealand is the name given to a group of two large and several small
islands located just at the Antipodes. The extreme length exceeds one
thousand miles and the mean width is 120 miles. The area is about the
same as that of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1642 the Dutch navigator
Tasman anchored off shore. Several of his men who ventured to land
were killed by the savages. In 1769 Captain Cook made the first of seven
visits to New Zealand, in the course of which he obtained much
information concerning the country and conferred no small benefit on the
inhabitants by the seeds, roots and animals he gave them. In 1772
Marion du Fresne anchored his two ships in the Bay of Islands. The
captain and a boatful of his crew were captured, killed and eaten by the
natives. In 1809 sixty- seven members of the crew of the Boyd were
killed and eaten at Whangaroa. In 1816 the brig Agnes, with fourteen
men on board, was stranded at Poverty Bay and all the crew except one
were devoured. A whale ship was cast ashore at Wanganul in 1820 and,
excepting two persons, all were committed to the ovens and then eaten.
Dr. Thompson states:
It is difficult to convey an idea of the terror in which New Zealanders
were held in these early days. Sailors groaning under scurvy and in sight
of a country covered with vegetables the specific for that dire disease,
preferred toothless gums to contact with cannibals. As a deer dreads the
tiger so do all men dread the eaters of men.
The aborigines of New Zealand were the Maoris. In common with all
Polynesians, they were firm believers in the power of magic, witchcraft,
sorcery, and the evil eye. They lived under the cruel and unalterable law
of tabu, which means something set apart as sacred and therefore not
to be touched. Every calamity was traced to some violation of the tabu
and called forth penalties. When a person died it was through the anger
of Whiro whose tabu had been violated, and commonly the man's family
would be stripped of whatever they had. If a canoe upset, it was because
Tawhirimatea was offended, and the same penalty was exacted. When
they were defeated in war, it was because Tu, the god of war, had been
outraged by some infringement of tabus related to him. Dead bodies
were tabu. Those persons whose special business it was to officiate in
funeral obsequies could not handle food for a designated period of time,
so they would gnaw their food from sticks fixed in the ground.

86
Life was very cheap in New Zealand. The Maoris engaged in war on the
slightest provocation. They were cold-blooded and cruel. They often
obtained revenge by punishing persons entirely innocent. They would
kill, roast and devour men, women and even little children and "glory in
their shame." The sick, infirm and aged were heartlessly abandoned to
perish. Chastity was rare, if known at all. Conversation was obscene.
The people were given to sorcery, murder, cannibalism and
indescribable obscenities.
The Maoris differed from other Polynesians in that, besides feasting on
enemies slain in battle, they specially fattened slaves for their feasts. A slave
girl would be commanded by her master to fetch fuel, light a fire and heat
an oven, whereupon she would be knockedin the head, cooked and eaten.
Such were the Maoris -- unspeakably degraded and yet a people of
superior intelligence. On a number of occasions some of their most
enterprising men traversed a thousand miles of water to visit New South
Wales. Marsden made friends with them, entertained them in his home
and formed the holy resolution to seek the salvation of a race for whom
Christ died.
One of Marsden's daughters wrote: My father had sometimes as many
as thirty New Zealanders staying in his home. On one occasion a young
lad, the nephew of a chief, died, and his uncle immediately made
preparation to sacrifice a slave to attend his spirit into the other world.
My father was away at the moment and our family was only able to
preserve the life of the young New Zealander by hiding him in one of the
rooms. When my father returned, he reasoned with the chief, who
consented to spare the slave's life.
While in England in 1807 and 1808 on his first and last furlough, Marsden
stirred up many in the homeland, to a serious concern for the
evangelization of New Zealand. The Church Missionary Society and the
Methodists were induced to inaugurate plans which eventuated in
missionaries being sent out several years later. Since no ordained
clergymen of the Church of England were ready to volunteer, it fell to
the honour of three consecrated laymen -- William Hall, John King and
Thomas Kendall -- to join with Marsden in opening up New Zealand to
the gospel of peace, peace on earth based on peace within the human
heart, peace among men erected on the foundation of "peace through
the blood of His cross."
Marsden was at first inclined to believe that the savages had to be
somewhat civilized before they would be able to receive the gospel. He
later changed his mind on this point and declared: "Civilization is not
necessary before Christianity. You will find civilization follows
Christianity more easily than Christianity follows civilization." The
Church Missionary Society specifically instructed its missionaries:
Do not mistake civilization for conversion. While you rejoice in
communicating every other good, think little or nothing done till you see
those dead in trespasses and sins quickened together with Christ.
While returning from England, Marsden became acquainted with a sickly,
emaciated New Zealander named Ruatara who happened to be on the
same ship. He had been cruelly treated by English sailors, who, under

87
 delusive promises, had induced him to sail with them to England and
then, after having almost worked him to death, had left him in poverty
and sickness to get back to his native land as best he could. Marsden
nursed him back to health and won his aid in the grand design of
Christianising his people.
He kept Ruatara in his home in Paramatta for six months under
Christian instruction, then sent him to New Zealand with assurance that
he would follow just as soon as possible.
It was not until his arrival in Paramatta following his furlough to England
that Marsden learned of the massacre of the crew of the Boyd in the
harbor of Whangaroa. He could find no captain of a ship adventurous
enough to take him and his party to the land of cannibals, so it
was that with his own funds he purchased the Active4, the first of
those missionary vessels which, like the John Williams and The
Morning Star, have rendered such splendid service in the cause of
Christ.
On November 19, 1814, Marsden embarked with a motley crew of
Christians and savages, together with a few horses, cattle, sheep and
poultry, and on December 19, landed at the Bay of Islands, close to the
scene of recent bloodshed and horror. Ruatara was there to meet him.
Knowing the ferocity of his people, he did his utmost to persuade his
intrepid missionary friend not to land, but Marsden insisted on going
ashore, saying: "It is high time to make known the glad tidings in these
dark regions of sin and spiritual bondage." In all the annals of heroic
enterprise, was there ever a braver deed?
As he stepped ashore, a weird scene was enacted. On the hill opposite
the landing place a band of naked warriors, armed with clubs and spears,
occupied a commanding position. After a pause a native advanced
flourishing a red mat and crying, "Haromai!" ("Come hither!") The
warriors then advanced. Some of them wore necklaces made of the teeth
of their slaughtered foes, while others were adorned with strings of
money, they had plundered from foreigners they had murdered on that
very beach.
Seizing their spears they brandished them, screaming and yelling with
savage fury. Every face was fiercely distorted and every limb employed
in the wildest gesticulation. This was their war-dance. But their chiefs
declared that it meant a welcome to one they considered a friend and a
wonder-worker.
This latter impression arose in part from the fact that they had never
seen a horse; accordingly, when Marsden brought a horse from the ship,
mounted and rode it, the people's amazement knew no bounds.
That night the fearless missionary slept among the Maori warriors on
the ground. "I did not sleep much," he says in his Journal. As he lay
awake that night there shone in the heavens above him one of the most
striking constellations -- the Southern Cross. Then there arose another

4
It is very rare, to see a missionary, use His own funds to purchase a sailing
vessel, to increase his effectiveness for evangelism.
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constellation -- the Southern Crown, that brilliant diadem of light, as if
to assure him of the glorious issue of his labours. He was cheered by the
remembrance that--
“To patient faith, the prize is sure: And they who to the end
endure the cross shall wear the crown.”
Christmas Day fell on Sunday. Ruatara had erected a rude pulpit and
had called a multitude of people together for a Christian service, the
first ever held in New Zealand. The solemn silence was broken as the
missionary party sang "Old Hundred." Then Marsden entered the pulpit
to preach. And what was his text on this historic occasion? He says that
he took for his text the angelic announcement made that first Christmas
long ago: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy
which shall be to all people."
After settling three missionaries on the islands, Marsden returned to
New South Wales, but his heart was still in New Zealand. The Active
often went to New Zealand to take fresh laborers and returned to
Paramatta with intelligent young Maoris to be evangelized and trained
before being sent back to their people. Marsden made seven missionary
journeys to New Zealand, in connection with which he made long tours
through the islands. On one of these trips of evangelization he spent
almost a year. He often stepped in between fierce, hostile tribes at
war and made peace between them, but his highest endeavours were
directed toward making peace between sinful men and a merciful
Saviour.
6. He Was the Bearer of Good Things of Great Joy
For years, the missionaries had no converts to cheer, their difficult
labours. They were exposed to great peril amid the internecine conflicts
being waged around them and more than once had to flee for their lives.
Eventually, the saving truth began to find lodgement in savage hearts,
former cannibals became earnest Christians, houses of prayer and
worship arose in many places and the "great joy" promised by Marsden's
great text became their sweet portion.
Marsden's seventh and last missionary journey through New Zealand
was a memorable one. Although 72 years of age and bowed with
infirmity, he insisted upon visiting his beloved Maoris once more.
Wherever he went he was greeted by the Christians with tears of joy,
while the heathen population indicated their gladness by firing off
muskets and performing their war-dance.
One old chief sat gazing at him for a long time. When reproved by a
bystander for his seeming rudeness, he replied: "Let me alone. Let me
take a long last look, for I shall never see again the one by whose
lips God sent to me the blessed news of salvation." Thousands
came to greet him and he sought, as always, to make known the "good
tidings" of a wondrous redemption. When he was about to re-embark the
Maoris carried him on their shoulders to the ship, a distance of six miles.
As he viewed for the last time the shores of New Zealand and observed
the miraculous changes effected by the gospel, the venerable patriarch
exclaimed, "What hath God wrought!"

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He returned to Paramatta and five months later, May 12, 1838, he went
to "ever be with the Lord." As he lay dying someone spoke to him of the
hope that is in Christ. In response, he murmured, "Precious! Precious!
Precious!"
Three years later, Bishop Augustus Selwyn arrived to take charge of the
work in New Zealand and wrote these words:
We see here a whole nation of pagans converted to the faith. Thousands
upon thousands of people, young and old, have received new hearts,
are offering up daily their morning and evening prayers, are valuing the
Word of God above every other gift, and all, in greater or less degree,
are bringing forth some fruits of the influence of the Holy Spirit. What a
marvellous demonstration of the power of the gospel.
On March 1, 1907, the Governor of New Zealand unveiled a magnificent
cross to the honoured memory of Samuel Marsden. This type of
memorial was suggested by the erection of "The Prayer Book Cross"
near the Golden Gate at San Francisco, marking the spot, on which Sir
Frances Drake's chaplain held the first Protestant service on the Pacific
coast of America. Marsden's cross in New Zealand is of Celtic design and
bears the following inscription: ON CHRISTMAS DAY, 1814, THE FIRST
CHRISTIAN SERVICE IN NEW ZEALAND WAS HELD ON THIS SPOT BY
THE REV. SAMUEL MARSDEN. His text was the seraphic announcement
of Luke 2:10, "Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people."
200 years later [2014] a mighty service was held on the same spot to
remember this great man of God.

LESSON EIGHT: WATCHMAN NEE: SUFFERED FOR CHRIST IN

CHINA,USHERED IN THE CHINESE REVIVAL

The students will break into small groups and research the topics identified
below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will prepare their
reports and present them to the class, so that all groups can have the same
notes for this section.

a. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

b. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE
c. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE
d. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE
e. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION
f. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD
g. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD
h. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH
i. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT
j. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

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92
93
94
LESSON NINE: RICHARD WURMBRAND – TORTURED FOR
CHRIST IN WWII

The students will break into small groups and research the topics
identified below, each group taking a different subject heading. They will
prepare their reports and present them to the class, so that all groups
can have the same notes for this section.

1. THE PURPOSE OF MINISTRY IS TO BUILD CHARACTER

2. THE DESIRE OF MINISTRY IS SERVICE

3. THE MOTIVE FOR MINISTRY IS LOVE

4. THE MEASURE OF MINISTRY IS SACRIFICE

5. THE TEST OF MINISTRY IS SUBMISSION

6. THE REASON FOR MINISTRY IS THE GLORY OF GOD

7. THE TOOLS OF MINISTRY ARE PRAYER & THE WORD OF GOD

8. THE PRIVILEGE OF MINISTRY IS PERSONAL GROWTH

9. THE POWER OF MINISTRY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT

10. THE MODEL FOR MINISTRY IS JESUS CHRIST

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ASSESSMENT FOR THIS MODULE

The students will map out a strategy (Skeleton) framework of how they will
apply the principles learned in this module upon their own lives, and submit
it to the teacher for individual private discussion.
Using this “strategy framework” the student will then write a 1,000-word
strategy statement for assessment, identifying how they plan to:
1. Confirm this strategy before God.
2. Confirm this strategy in the work that they do for God.
3. The fruit of the Spirit that this strategy will improve, within their own
spiritual lives.
4. How this strategy will impact the lives of others.

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CTTNBC – 003: PROPHETIC MINISTRY:
COURSE OUTCOMES:
The outcome of this module is to identify the role of prophetic ministry
within the Old Testament, the New Testament and how it should be
operating within the Body of Christ today.

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METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:
1. The students will examine the role of the Prophet in the Old
Testament and examine the specific role of the Prophets Isaiah,
Elijah and Elisha.
2. The students will examine the role of the Prophets in the New
Testament and examine the specific role of Agabus.
3. The students will examine the role of the Prophetic office in line
with the 5-fold ministries as defined in Ephesians 4:11-13
4. The students will use the class notes for the “School of the
Prophets” and other referred textbooks as assistance in this
module.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
The students will be assessed by written projects, written assignments, in-
class group discussions, practical exercises and a teacher defined project.

UNIT ONE: WHAT IS PROPHETIC MINISTRY?

Introduction:
I am sure that many students have their own views about what they believe
Prophetic Ministry to be and if we did a survey among the students, we
might be surprised at the definitions we would receive. Therefore, to avoid
confusion let us set down a definition so that we start this study all on the
same page.
Definition: Prophetic Ministry is the gift, given by the Holy Spirit to
selected people (at selected times) to allow God’s word to be
administered to the Body of Christ. It comes in several parts:
1. The Gift of Prophecy: to edify, exhort and/or comfort the Body
of Christ,
2. Prophetic Worship: where under the anointing of the Holy
Spirit, new prophetic music and/or lyrics are released to the
Body of Christ,
3. Prophetic Prayer: This is where intercessors, under the
anointing of the Holy Spirit enter into a higher level of
spiritual awareness and start to pray into spiritual areas
proclaiming prophetic outcomes (which have yet to occur), as

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 they battle in spiritual warfare against the enemy (the evil
one and his band of followers).
4. The Office of the Prophet: This is the “office”, as defined in
Ephesians chapter 4, a part of the 5-fold ministry, and this is
where God “calls”, “anoints” and “appoints” a person to this
office for the rest of their lives. This person uses the gift of
the Word of Wisdom: to proclaim events which are to happen
to the Body of Christ, to prepare them in advance of its
happening, and/or the gift of Revelation Knowledge: to
expose an event in the lives of particular people so that it can
be dealt with, according to the Word of the Lord.
Let us quickly, as an introduction to this subject look at each of these
examples and how they relate to the Body of Christ today.
1. THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
The gift of prophecy is identified in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, as one of the
9 gifts of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul opens this chapter as follows. (Living
Bible Translation)
V 1. And now brothers, I want to write to you about the special abilities
the Holy Spirit gives to each of you, for I don’t want any
misunderstanding about them.
V 2. You will remember that before you became Christians you went
around from one idol to another, not one of which could speak a
single word.
V 3. But now you are meeting people who claim to speak messages from
the Spirit of God. How can you know whether they are really inspired
by God or whether they are fakes? Here is the test: no-one
speaking by the power of the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no-
one can say “Jesus is Lord,” and really mean it, unless the Holy Spirit
is helping him.
V 4. Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same
Holy Spirit who is the source of them all.
V 5. There are different kinds of service to God, but it is the same Lord
we are serving.
V6 There are many ways that God works in our lives, but it is the same
God who does the work in and through all of us, who are his.

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V7 The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us, as a means
of helping the entire church.
V8 To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice,
someone else may be especially good at studying and teaching, and
this is his gift from the same Spirit.
V9 He gives special faith to another and to someone else the power to
heal the sick.
V 10 He gives power to others for doing miracles to some, and to others
the power to prophecy and preach. He gives someone else the
power to know whether evil spirits are speaking through those who
claim to be giving God’s message – or whether it is really the Spirit
of God who is speaking. Still another person is able to speak in
languages he never learned; and others, who do not know the
language either, are given the power to understand what he is
saying.
V 11 It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and
powers, deciding which one each of us should have.
Now from this series of scripture we must learn some very important
points.
1. God does not want us to misunderstand what this is all about. He
considers these teachings very important for the maturing of the
whole Body of Christ.
2. It is God the Holy Spirit who selects which person will receive which
gift at a specific point in time “for the work of the ministry”, to uplift
the whole Body of Christ.
3. Notice in V 10 that the Holy Spirit gives the power gift of prophecy
and to preach. This is the definition identified previously. This gift is
to “edify”, “exhort” and to “comfort the Body of Christ”. It is not to
bring judgement, correction or any other item. If it does, it is NOT
the gift of prophecy in operation.
2. PROPHETIC WORSHIP
In John chapter 4, Jesus told the Samaritan woman (at the well) that the
time has come for people to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. This means
that in the New Testament God does not accept any form of worship which
is not ‘in Spirit’ or ‘in truth’.

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Therefore, every Christian has to learn “how to” [Halacha] worship God
Almighty, ‘in spirit’ and ‘in truth’ so that the worship is acceptable to the
Lord and is seen as sweet-smelling incense in the heavenly throne room.
But there are some people who move into a higher level of spiritual
awareness and whilst in this state the Holy Spirit will release through them
new song lyrics, or new music melodies. These songs are prophetic in
nature and direct our attention towards specific items, or prepare us for
specific events.
Sometimes these prophetic utterances may seem like “natural worship” to
the person who is involved, but the Holy Spirit’s effect on the people
hearing the words or music changes them and brings them also to a higher
spiritual level of awareness.
From this point onwards the Holy Spirit is then able to move across the
whole Body of believers that are in that place at that time with amazing
results.
Many people indicate miracles and healings, while they were worshipping.
No-one laid hands upon them; no-one prayed for them, they were healed
because God was able to move amongst His people in a new way, to do the
will of the Father who has sent Him into our midst. Prophetic worship
allows the Holy Spirit to be released for the “box” that people
perceive Him to be in and allows the Holy Spirit free reign among
those present.
We must remember that the Holy Spirit is gentle and never forceful. We
have to welcome Him into our presence so He is able to do the will of the
Father amongst us.
3. PROPHETIC PRAYER
Prophetic Prayer seems to come naturally to intercessors, because they are
involved in prayer warfare much more than people who are not called to
this area of responsibility, within the Body of Christ.
But that does not mean that this gift is limited to them alone. In fact this
gift is available to all who truly believe in Jesus as their personal saviour,
who have received the Holy Spirit, and who earnestly want to be obedient
to whatever calling is placed upon their lives at any given time.
A person may start to pray about a given topic, or a leading from the Holy
Spirit and the power and the intensity of these prayers start to change. It
may come with travailing or intense pain felt for someone else, who maybe
going through a trial and needs a person to be standing in the gap for them.
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In this situation, the prophetic prayers may address a situation or event,
known by the Holy Spirit, but not known by the person doing the praying.
The person becomes an instrument through which the Holy Spirit can move
to effect proclamations about events which are happening, but with
prophetic outcomes which are yet to happen.
In this situation, prophetic prayers are in effect proclaiming events which
are yet to happen (as if they have already happened). Prophetic prayers
are proclaiming events yet unseen as if they are.
This is a very powerful tool that can be used by every believer, if they pray
and ask the Holy Spirit to impart this gift to them. Apostle Paul told us that
we are to “earnestly seek the Gift of Prophecy”. Once you have this
gift, prophetic worship and prophetic prayer are the next steps in a person’s
spiritual growth. These gifts should be encouraged within the Body of
Christ, not discouraged, as unfortunately happens in some denominations.
4. THE OFFICE OF THE PROPHET
This is one of the 5-fold ministry gifts as indicated in Ephesians chapter 4,
but it is not limited to the New Testament. Prophets operated all throughout
the Old Testament as we will see in the future units of this subject. There
is one major difference between a prophet of the Old Testament and a
prophet of the New Testament.
In the Old Testament, God dwelt within a tabernacle, a confined space
amongst His people. He was visible to the people in the wilderness as a
cloud by day and as a fire by night.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit fell upon the person who was to
become a prophet. This also happened to the 12 disciples upon whom Jesus
breathed the Holy Spirit before they went out to preach and heal the sick,
before He went to the cross.
Jesus told the Pharisees that He could tear down the temple and rebuild it
again within three days.
They understood this on the natural level, thinking of the physical temple
building which had taken many years to construct. They said that this task
was impossible. Before the cross, even the disciples did not understand
what he was referring to.
Jesus was referring to Himself. He was telling them that His physical body,
was going to be torn and destroyed, but it would be resurrected again in
three days, a new spiritual body, free for any imperfections, completely
healed and restored, a new glorified temple.
After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within believers, to take up
a habitation within our bodies, which became the New Testament temple.
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We are called the “living stones”, and when we are in unity, we become the
New Testament Temple of the Lord.

Unit One Assignment

Write an assignment in 500 words, indicating what you have learnt about
the definition of Prophetic Ministry, how it is identified, and how it can be
used within the Body of Christ.
This assignment will be worth 10% of the total mark for this subject.

UNIT TWO: SAMUEL THE PROPHET

Introduction
God is not limited in the way He selects and calls people to be His prophets.
Careful study of the Old Testament will confirm this.
Some were called from birth (Samuel), others while they were in the fields
(Amos). Some were raised in palaces (Moses) whilst others were from lowly
estate (Gideon, the lowest family, of the lowest of the 12 tribes). Some
just burst upon the scene, already established and recognised as prophets,
but without any clear indication of how God called them into this office.
(Refer to Noah and Jonah)
In the following units we will examine the following:

1. Who were they and how did God call them?

2. What were they told to do for the Lord?
3. Were they successful in carrying out their tasks?
4. Were they imprisoned, tortured or killed for obeying God’s calling
upon their lives?
5. What was the impact upon the nation of Israel (and the surrounding
nations) as a result of their Prophetic Ministry?
1. WHO WERE THEY AND HOW DID GOD CALL THEM?
From the account in scripture (1 Samuel chapter one) Hannah was barren
and unable to give birth and so she went to the temple to pray. There Eli
the high priest saw her mumbling to herself and thinking that she was
drunk confronted her.
She confided in Him that she was not drunk, but was verbalising her
prayers to God. He then said may the Lord give her the desires of her heart.
As a result of her prayers, she became pregnant and Samuel was born.

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As he was a gift from God to Hannah, she dedicated him back to the Lord
from the time he was weaned, to serve in the temple all his life. Samuel
became the Lord’s helper (1 Sam. 2:11) Because of this dedication of
Samuel back to God, Hannah was able to have more children, so she did
not feel the loss of Samuel as much.
When he was young Hannah made clothes for him and took them to him in
the temple each year. For the rest of his time Samuel ministered before
the Lord in the temple, (1 Sam. 2:18) being instructed by Eli the high priest
and he continued to grow in stature. (1 Sam. 2:26)
While Samuel was still a boy (probably not even a teenager yet) God called
Him into His service as a prophet. (Refer to the account in 1 Sam. chapter
3).
Even though Samuel did not recognise it was the voice of the Lord at this
time, he still responded to the still small voice, thinking it was Eli who was
calling him. Three times God called Samuel and three times Samuel
responded and went to see Eli. Thus, it was that Eli (even though he was
in a rebellious state before God) recognised that it was God calling Samuel,
so he instructs him to go and lie down and if he hears the voice again, to
respond by saying: “Yes Lord, I am listening” (Living Bible Translation).
Then the Lord said to Samuel: “I am going to do a shocking thing in Israel.
I am going to do all the dreadful things I warned Eli about. I have
continually threatened him and his entire family with punishment because
his sons are blaspheming God, and he doesn’t stop them. So I have vowed
that the sins of Eli and of his sons never be forgiven by sacrifices and
offerings.”
2. WHAT WERE THEY TOLD TO DO FOR THE LORD?
The beginning of Samuel’s ministry as a prophet was to bring a message
of judgement upon Eli (the Chief Priest and his sons).

Imagine if you were in his position and the Lord told you to deliver a
message of judgement upon your teacher, elder or pastor. What would you
do?

It recounts that Samuel was afraid to deliver God’s message of judgement

to Eli, but Eli was more mature spiritually and so he commands Samuel to
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reveal all. (“Tell me everything; And may God punish you, if you hide
anything from me!”) [Refer 1 Sam. 3:16-17]
So, Samuel told him everything what the Lord had said. “It is the Lord’s
will” Eli replied; let him (the Lord) do what He thinks best”.
As Samuel grew, the Lord was with him and people listened carefully to his
advice. And all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was
going to be a Prophet of the Lord.
Then the Lord began to give messages to him there at the tabernacle in
Shiloh, and he (Samuel) passed them on to the people. (Refer 1 Samuel
3:18-21)
3. WERE THEY SUCCESSFUL IN CARRYING OUT THEIR TASKS?
In the chapter 4-7 of 1 Samuel, we see that Israel was defeated in many
battles, the Ark of the Covenant was captured and taken out of Israel and
nothing good happened in Israel for twenty years. During this time the
prophetic judgement that Samuel brought against Eli and his sons and
daughter-in laws all came to pass and they all perished.
From that moment onwards Samuel was recognised as a leader in Israel.
Firstly, he was appointed as a judge over all of Israel, (1 Sam. 7:6) but the
people were not satisfied and demanded a king they could see, like all the
other nations. God said that this was wrong, but give them what they want
and they will have to learn the hard way.
Samuel is told to anoint Saul to be king over Israel. Later the Lord told him
to anoint David to be king in Saul’s place because Saul had become
rebellious and had hardened his heart before the Lord and refused to obey
God’s instructions to him.
4. WERE THEY IMPRISONED, TORTURED OR KILLED FOR
OBEYING GOD’S CALLING UPON THEIR LIVES?
In Samuel’s case he was not imprisoned, tortured or killed for obeying
God’s calling upon his life.
5. WHAT WAS THE IMPACT UPON THE NATION OF ISRAEL (AND
THE SURROUNDING NATIONS) AS A RESULT OF THEIR
PROPHETIC MINISTRY?
Because of the rebellious nature of Eli the chief priest and his sons, the
nation of Israel lost many battles, many soldiers were killed and the Ask of
the Covenant was captured and taken out of Israel for a period of 20 years.

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Because of the prayers of Samuel and David, the Lord relented and allowed
the Ark of the Covenant to be returned to Israel, peace was restored to
Israel and the nation prospered.
Throughout all of his life Samuel is faithful to his calling before the Lord.
[Refer Appendices 1 for more information]
UNIT TWO ASSIGNMENT
In 500 words, write what you have learnt about Samuel the prophet, as
recalled in the accounts of his life in 1 Samuel. This assignment will be 10%
of the total mark for this subject.

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UNIT THREE: ELIJAH THE PROPHET
Using the headings listed below, the students will break up into small
groups to research the life of Elijah the Prophet.
For students undertaking this course online, they will do private research
of this topic, using the Book of 1 Kings and any other relevant resources,
including those in the Appendices.

1. Who were they and how did God call them?

2. What were they told to do for the Lord?
3. Were they successful in carrying out their tasks?
4. Were they imprisoned, tortured or killed for obeying God’s calling
upon their lives?
5. What was the impact upon the nation of Israel (and the surrounding
nations) as a result of their Prophetic Ministry?

UNIT THREE ASSIGNMENT

In 500 words, write what you have learnt about Elijah the prophet, as
recalled in the accounts of his life in 1 Kings commencing at chapter 17 and
all other relevant resources. This assignment will be 20% of the total mark
for this subject.

UNIT FOUR: ELISHA THE PROPHET

Using the headings listed below, the students will break up into small
groups to research the life of Elisha the Prophet.
For students undertaking this course online, they will do private research
of this topic, using the Book of 1 Kings and any other relevant resources,
including those in the Appendices.

1. Who were they and how did God call them?

2. What were they told to do for the Lord?
3. Were they successful in carrying out their tasks?
4. Were they imprisoned, tortured or killed for obeying God’s calling
upon their lives?
5. What was the impact upon the nation of Israel (and the surrounding
nations) as a result of their Prophetic Ministry?

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UNIT FOUR ASSIGNMENT
In 500 words, write what you have learnt about Elisha the prophet, as
recalled in the accounts of his life in 1 Kings commencing at chapter 19 and
all other relevant resources. This assignment will be 20% of the total mark
for this subject.

UNIT FIVE: AGABUS THE PROPHET

Using the headings listed below, the students will break up into small
groups to research the life of Agabus the Prophet.
For students undertaking this course online, they will do private research
of this topic, using the Book of Acts and any other relevant resources.

1. Who were they and how did God call them?

2. What were they told to do for the Lord?
3. Were they successful in carrying out their tasks?
4. Were they imprisoned, tortured or killed for obeying God’s calling
upon their lives?
5. What was the impact upon the nation of Israel (and the surrounding
nations) as a result of their Prophetic Ministry?

UNIT FIVE ASSIGNMENT

In 500 words, write what you have learnt about Agabus the prophet, as
recalled in the accounts of his life in the Book of Acts and all other
relevant resources. Do you identify and differences in the way this
prophets operates in the New Testament compared with the Prophets
that you have studied in the Old Testament? Give reasons for your
answers. This assignment will be 20% of the total mark for this subject.

UNIT SIX: ARE THERE PROPHETS IN THE WORLD TODAY?

Based upon the research that you have undertaken in the previous five
units and referring to the Book of Acts and the Epistle of Paul to the
Ephesians, (chapter 4 which defines the 5-fold ministry) undertake
independent research to come to your own conclusions on this question.

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UNIT SIX ASSIGNMENT
Your 500-word essay should clearly outline your views on this subject
question including these subject headings.

1. Are prophets supposed to be operating in the Body of Christ today?

2. If so, what are the attributes that you would use to identify a true
prophet of God today?
3. If so, what attributes would you use to identify a false prophet
today?
4. If you believe there are no prophets for today, please explain your
reasons, with biblical references to back up your statements.
This assignment will form 20% of the total mark for this subject.
APPENDICES:

APPENDIX 1: Samuel the Prophet

But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod:
Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD: And the child Samuel grew in
stature, and in favour

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God without regard to his personal image or reputation. Samuel was a spiritually
minded man with unwavering absolutes. He listened to and obeyed the voice of God
alone, providing a godly example for the nation of Israel to follow.

However, Samuel did not start out as a bold prophet of God, but rather a servant.
Samuel was born to Elkanah and Hannah, from the tribe of Ephraim. Hannah, who
was barren, pleaded with the Lord to give her a son, vowing she would give the child
back to God as a lifelong servant. The Lord answered her prayer, and she named her
son Samuel. As soon as the child was weaned, Hannah took him to Jerusalem to the
Temple of the Lord and left him in the care of Eli the priest. Although Samuel was not
of the Levites appointed by God to serve in the temple, but God honoured Hannah's
sacrificial offering and watched over Samuel, allowing him to minister to the Lord
alongside Eli the priest.
Even as a young boy, Samuel clearly heard the voice of God. Samuel's first prophetic
message was one of judgment against the two sons of Eli, Hophne and Phinehas, who
would both die on the same day as a consequence of their consistently evil ways. Eli
had failed to discipline his sons as God had instructed him. As a result, his family was
cut off from service to the Lord. Although Samuel was afraid, he delivered the
message to Eli, knowing that obedience to God was more precious than the approval
of men.
This event had a tremendous spiritual impact on Samuel's life. By watching the
example of Eli and his family, Samuel learned that the unchecked disobedience of
leadership can lead to the downfall of an entire nation. This is evidenced by his
response to the disobedience of King Saul of Israel when God instructed Saul to
completely destroy the Amalekites, a feared enemy of Israel. King Saul instead spared
the king of the Amalekites, and saved the best of the sheep and cattle using the
excuse that they were for sacrificing to the Lord. Because he knew God desired
obedience rather than sacrifice, Samuel hacked King Agag to pieces with his sword.
As boy, he had already witnessed the consequences of compromise.
Samuel's days in service to the Lord taught him God's laws and regulations in worship,
along with a connection to God's heart and desire to bless his people. But Samuel
knew that blessing would only come with obedience. So, in his youth, Samuel resolved
to follow closely the ways of God. He grew to be an honoured, powerful prophet of
God.
"So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the
ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established
as a prophet of the LORD." (I Samuel 3:19-20)

APPENDIX 2: ELIJAH AND ELISHA THE PROPHETS

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 SHOWERS
OF
BLESSINGS
By

JEFFRY DAVID CAMM

MISSIONARY EVANGELIST

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DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my wife Rani, who has served as my helper and
co-worker in God’s service for the last eleven years. It has not been easy
for her to leave her beloved Pakistan, culture and family, and go out into
the unknown world to serve the Lord, firstly in the Sultanate of Oman, then
Australia, in Thailand and now back in Pakistan.
In addition, we have travelled to preach in 28 countries throughout the
world, so she has had to be my constant travelling companion, as well as
a loving and caring wife, under all sorts of difficult circumstances.
It is my desire that, in reading this book, you will feel a conviction to serve
the Lord more and more in whichever area of the Lord’s work He has called
you to become involved.
In serving your employer work as if unto the Lord, who by His grace has
provided the work for you to do. In all things remember to lift up the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, whilst remaining a humble person yourself, not
allowing pride or other worldly desires to cause you to move away from the
divine grace of Jesus Christ.
In all things, and in all situations, be a living example, worthy of the name
of Jesus Christ, as you show His pure love to all those around you, both
believers and unbelievers alike.

COPYRIGHT
The contents of this publication, remains the sole property of Rev. Dr Jeffry
David Camm and his estate in succession. Permission is given to reproduce
text and diagrams from this publication for evangelistic and/or teaching
purposes, provided the said text and/or diagrams are not sold for profit,
but are used to glorify God Almighty.

FOREWORD
New Light Ministries & Consulting Services Pty. Ltd are pleased to release
the fifth book in the series by Rev. Jeffry David Camm called: “SHOWERS
OF BLESSINGS”.
In studies of God’s Holy Scriptures, I have been continually fascinated by
the tasks that God Almighty has given to His Prophets throughout the
centuries. As I read about these mighty men of ancient times, I try to
imagine how they must have felt in their day and age, trying to follow the
TEN COMMANDMENTS, given by God Almighty, in a world completely filled
with sins of every conceivable nature and type.
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I then think of the Scriptures written by Apostle Paul in Ephesians Chapter
Four, where he outlines the “Special Gifts” that God Almighty has given
to mankind for the building up of His church, namely Apostles, Prophets,
Teachers, Evangelists, Pastors; and I wonder why there are very few
people recognised and acclaimed today as people called by God to operate
in the “office” of the Prophet.
In times gone by, there were Prophets and sons of prophets and even
a school of prophets. God Almighty used these people in a mighty way
to guide and/or chide His chosen people. As Christians (or as followers of
Islam) we believe that God Almighty is an unchanging God - His Word never
changes. But over the centuries our attitude to the Word of God appears
to have changed.
In writing this book I have tried to identify myself with the situations and
circumstances of the times of that particular part of the Bible. We must
remember that God’s Word has not changed; it is still relevant for us here
and now today and I will sometimes compare the different attitudes to
God’s Word by people of different centuries.
In reading this book, I pray that you will come to realise what a great and
wonderful God we have, and how we can draw closer to Him, if we, as
churches, and as individuals, try to follow the guidelines laid down for us
in God’s Holy Word.
If we are genuine in our attempts to follow His Divine Will, the Lord God
has promised faithfully to help us and to provide for us. In doing so, the
Lord has promised to reign down SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS upon us.
As God Almighty always gives good gifts to all who follow Him, I pray that
you will receive SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS for the rest of your lives. May
God Almighty bless you bountifully!

INTRODUCTION
The Bible recounts the history of the Jewish nation and gives a glimpse of
some of the great men of the Old Testament, like Noah, Abraham and
Moses.
There have been many stories written about these people, by authors more
gifted than myself, so it is unnecessary for me to undertake any further
writings about them, except to mention them in passing if I think it is
relevant to this story.
These great men were the leaders of God’s chosen people, and they strove
to know and understand what God Almighty wanted each man to do with
his life, on a day-to-day basis.
Each of these men had special gifts which God used to guide and protect
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His people in each generation, and each of them had one thing in
common - they all loved the Lord God Almighty above all else, and
were prepared to listen to His voice and obey it without question.
Noah was commanded to build the ark - a large boat, as big as an ocean-
going liner, to protect his family (the righteous ones) when God Almighty
brought down the flood upon the earth. Noah and his family had to work
for forty years to build this boat, and during that time his faith never
faltered, despite ridicule from the local population.
God Almighty called Abraham out from among his own people and
promised him a special land. He also said that Abraham would be the father
of many nations but, alas, it seemed Abraham’s wife could not have a child.
Despite this an Angel of the Lord told him his wife would bear a child. The
promise of a child for Abraham was given twenty five years before it came
to pass.
Moses was selected as a baby to lead his people out of Egypt. He was forty
years of age when he was driven out of the land of Egypt by the Pharaoh,
to live in the desert of Sinai. It was a further forty years of shaping and
moulding before God Almighty called Moses to do His will, to go back into
Egypt and lead the Israelites out, to later become a mighty nation.
In all of the Bible stories, from Genesis to Revelations, there is a stream of
people chosen by God Almighty to be “God’s mouthpiece”, people who
receive knowledge supernaturally, of events which will take place in the
future. These people were called Prophets.
In Ephesians 4:11-13 it says: “It was He who gave some to be
apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some
to be pastors and teachers. To prepare God’s people for works of
service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach
unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of
Christ.”
It is obvious that there is not 100% complete unity in the Body of Christ
today, nor has every person in the church become mature enough to claim
they have the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Therefore it is
essential in the world today, that we have people who are operating in the
church body fulfilling the offices of the five-fold ministries, as identified in
the Scriptures above (especially in the office of the Prophet). These people
are God’s messengers, to prepare us for things to come in the future.
To get a better understanding of what type of people the prophets were,
and what type of reaction, or credibility, they received from the people of
their various times, I will look at a few prophets of old, to try better to
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understand these great men of God.
We will attempt to walk with them, as they go about their daily lives, and
see how they achieved their successes. Then we will have a better
understanding of why it is so important for prophets of God (not false
prophets) to be in the world today.
ELIJAH [ELIAS] - THE PROPHET
1. His early Life.
Unlike Samuel the Prophet, we know very little about the early life of Elijah,
who was born in Tishbe in the province of Naphtali and later lived in Gilead.
Samuel, we know, was offered to God Almighty as a servant, even before
he was conceived in the womb of Hannah, his mother. We know that
Samuel was brought up under the tutelage of Eli, the high priest, and filled
with the Holy Spirit of God from a very early age.
On the other hand, Elijah appears on the scene in the Bible fully grown and
coming straight into the palace of King Ahab, to deliver a message of
judgment against the nation of Israel.
Because of this we have to make some assumptions about his early life and
background from what we can derive from the Scriptures and other
reference books of this particular part of biblical history.
Due to the internal fighting within the tribes of Israel, the nation had
become divided into two distinct kingdoms, namely the kingdom of Israel,
and the kingdom of Judah. This occurred about 975 BC, or about 980-1000
years before the birth of Jesus Christ.
Some forty years earlier, the Jewish nation had all been united under the
reign of King Solomon and they had come together, as a mighty nation, to
dedicate the temple to God Almighty. But now, in a short space of forty
years, (the biblical term for one generation) they had turned away from
following their God, to follow after many other false gods, raising up idols,
which was forbidden under God’s Laws given to Moses - the “TEN
COMMANDMENTS”.
In Samaria, King Omri had built a city and dwelt there, doing much evil in
the sight of the Lord and causing God Almighty’s anger to be kindled
against the nation of Israel, (they had sinned greatly in the sight of the
Lord).
Because of this great sin, God Almighty only allowed King Omri, to reign
for 12 years over Israel, before King Ahab, his son, took over the throne in
his place.
Unfortunately, King Ahab followed in the footsteps of his father and
continued to do much evil, so much so that it is recorded that his evil deeds
were greater than any of the kings before him.
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Firstly he took a “non-Jewess” to be his bride, called Jezebel, the daughter
of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonites. The king and queen of the Sidonites
worshipped “Baal”. To please his new queen, King Ahab had constructed
an altar to worship “Baal” in the city of Samaria, in full sight of all the
people of Israel.
It was a terrible thing that the king and queen were doing, causing the
nation to turn away from “their God” in this way.
This is the type of situation that Elijah was born into, growing up in a nation
fast turning away from their chosen God, a God they had sworn to serve
when they entered into the Promised Land, under the leadership of Joshua,
some three hundred and eighty years before.
Luckily, not all of the people turned away from their God. Many did not
follow the wicked ways of the King, but continued to follow the teachings
of Abraham and Moses, the writings of the Judges, the books of Samuel,
and the writings of King David in the Psalms; Proverbs and Chronicles.
Because of these things the nation was divided amongst its own people,
some following after the ruling power on earth, (the King and his family)
looking for earthly wealth, earthly positions and earthly power [very
similar to the situation we have in the world today].
Others followed after the Commandments of God, possibly under
punishment and hardship, but never worrying about this, just serving their
Lord God Almighty as best they possibly could.
The records do not say when God Almighty first called Elijah to be a
Prophet, or under what circumstances Elijah was filled with the anointing
power of the Holy Spirit.
What we can assume is that the encounter must have been dramatic and
very clear, because it completely changed his life forever. It gave Elijah the
courage to walk unannounced into the palace of King Ahab and proclaim
God’s judgment upon the nation of Israel. You don’t do that sort of thing,
unless you are absolutely sure of yourself.
Can you imagine an unknown person trying to enter Buckingham Palace,
to deliver a message like this to the Queen of England? Imagine the
reaction of the security guards.
“Where do you think you are going, Sonny?” they would ask. He would
reply: “I have a message for the Queen of England from God Almighty”.
The security guards would either burst out laughing or tell you to leave.
“Get on your way”, or call the medical teams and have you sent for
psychiatric care.
In today’s day and age it just would not happen, but back then, nearly
three thousand years ago, it could have occurred, as the security guards
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had great respect for the recognised “men of God”. This unfortunately is
not the case today.
This attitude is clearly seen in the account of the encounter between the
Prophet Samuel and King Saul. The story goes like this:
King Saul had just returned from battle and was sitting in his palace,
conducting matters of State, matters of great importance. In fact he was
deciding how to divide up the spoils and the treasures of the recently
concluded battle, as well as trying to decide what to do with the opposing
king, whom his men had taken hostage in the battle, contrary to God’s
instructions.
In taking hostages during the battle, the army of King Saul had disobeyed
the commandments of the Lord, as conveyed to him through Samuel, the
Prophet.
Samuel marched straight into the palace chamber, past all the guards, past
all the assistants, members of advisory boards, members of councils, etc.
and straight up to the King, to deliver the message from God Almighty to
the King: “Your kingdom shall be torn from you.”
After delivering the message to King Saul, the Prophet Elijah left the palace
without interference. He was a recognised Prophet, a man chosen by God
Almighty Himself. No man dared to interfere with his passage, for all the
people feared the power of God, given to the Prophets.
For Elijah to be able to enter into the palace of King Ahab unmolested, to
confront the King, probably indicates that he was already recognised as a
Prophet within the country by his past deeds, even though they are not
recorded in the books of 1 Kings or in the Book of the Chronicles.
Elijah, like Samuel, delivered a message of God’s judgment against the
king and the whole nation of Israel: “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives,
before Whom I stand, there shall be no dew or rain these years, but
according to my word”.
God Almighty delivered a terrible message to this nation of Israel through
the Prophet Elijah, which means something like this: “I have decided to
turn off the supply of life to your nation, because you have turned
your hearts and minds away from Me; I chose you to be my people
and you chose me to be your God. You swore to follow all the laws
that I gave to you through Moses, and I promised to shower
blessings upon you, if you followed after and were obedient to Me.
But I also promised to curse you if you were disobedient to Me and
to bring down upon you the plagues and trials of the Pharaohs of
Egypt. Therefore, I have turned off the Heavens which supply dew
and rain to the earth so that you will see and know that I AM the
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Lord God of Israel, the Almighty Creator of the universe and that
your actions are a sin and an abomination before my sight”.
Immediately after Elijah pronounced this prophecy before the throne of
King Ahab there must have been confusion and doubt among the people.
The priests of “Baal” would have tried to disclaim the prophecy as heresy,
and re-assure the king that this situation would not come to pass - the “god
of Baal” would not allow this to happen. They may have even falsely
prophesied peace, prosperity and good harvests for the nation of Israel and
Samaria, trying to placate the fears of the king and queen and all the palace
officials.
But some of the people would remember stories they had been told by their
fathers and grandfathers about the wonderful things that the LORD GOD
JEHOVAH had done in the past. They would remember also what happened
to the people who rebelled against God in the desert, at the time of Moses,
and how God Almighty had opened up the earth to kill them all. They would
remember and suddenly realise that the prophecy could possibly be true.
The people would be waiting and watching the sky every day, to see if the
rainy season would come. Every day was the same, clear skies, no dew on
the ground, no rain - and the land began to dry up, and the plants to wither
and die.
Elijah had been obedient to God, by giving the message to the people. God
Almighty, in His infinite wisdom, knew that He had to protect Elijah from
the wrath and anger of the people, when they came to realise that the
prophecy was indeed true. It is important to remember the God
Almighty has promised that He will always protect and feed people
who are obedient to His commandments and his guiding directions.
God Almighty could easily have told Elijah to go to another country until
the drought was over, but that would not have given any glory to the Lord,
nor would it have built up the faith of Elijah, whilst the king’s men were
searching for him. God had to provide food and shelter for Elijah, so that
Elijah and the whole Jewish Nation would recognise the glory of God and
that the hand of the Lord was upon Elijah.
After delivering the messages of judgment against the king and the nation
of Israel, the Lord commanded Elijah to turn east and go over the river
Jordan [back into the Promised Land] and hide by the small brook called
Cherith, about sixty kilometres from Samaria. God promised Elijah that the
ravens would bring him bread and meat twice every day to feed him, under
the Divine commandments of the Lord.
Many people today, especially in the eastern culture countries, are amazed
by this part of the Holy Scriptures, as they see the ravens fighting among
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themselves for any food which is available. They tear it to pieces and
immediately swallow it, so that another bird cannot get it away from them.
Elijah, also, must have been surprised by this message from the Lord about
how he was to receive his daily provisions. But Elijah had come to know
and understand that God’s ways are always far superior to our ways.
So while all the king’s men were searching for him throughout the
countryside, Elijah rested by the brook, drinking the pure clear spring water
and receiving meat and bread from the ravens each day. This continued
for several weeks until the brook began to dry up as all the land was now
parched and cracking up from the lack of dew and rain.
Despite the physical surroundings of the land, Elijah continued to trust in
the Lord for his provisions. Here indeed was a good example of a person
literally living by his faith in God.
Many people today are not like Elijah, but more like the Apostle Peter. They
start out trusting God Almighty (through Jesus Christ, His Son) as they
take their first steps of faith and just like Peter they boldly step out of the
boat, out of their normal surroundings, (or levels of spiritual faith) onto the
troubled waters of everyday life.
Very soon they start to look at the waves and hear the storms of life around
them, their faith disappears and they falter, with the result that they fail in
their trials and in their endeavour.
At this stage of his life, Elijah was not like that. Elijah believed that God
would supply all of his needs, because he was being obedient to the Lord’s
Word and instructions. At just the time when there was not enough water
to continue to supply his needs, the voice of the Lord is heard again by
Elijah.
“Elijah, I want you to get up from here and go to Zarephath, in the
land of Sidon. I have commanded a widow woman to provide food
for you there.”
This instruction from the Lord as to how He plans to provide food for Elijah
is just as strange as the ravens providing bread and meat before.
To anyone at that time, (when already food shortages were common place)
this must have sounded a very strange instruction to receive from the Lord,
especially for Elijah.
Zarephath was situated on the coast of Sidon, in Phoenicia, over one
hundred and sixty kilometres away. To reach this small city, Elijah had to
travel right across the land of Israel, down almost the complete Jordan
valley, a valley which is below sea level for some parts of its length. In
summer the temperatures are in excess of forty degrees Celsius during the

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daytime, and at night-time quite cool. In some cases, there is frost on the
ground at night in the winter.
At this time, it has not rained for several months, the land is parched from
lack of water, the crops have failed, everybody is starting to suffer from
the effects of the famine due to the sudden lack of food. Into this situation
Elijah has to venture. He has to put his trust completely in the Lord. To
stay where he is will only result in his death by starvation, or thirst.
While travelling along the roads Elijah has to keep his eyes constantly open
for the servants of the king who are scouring the land looking for him, to
bring him to Samaria to stand before the king and to command it to rain
again.
At this time, we get a good picture of what it is to be a servant of the Lord,
a person who trusts the Lord completely.
Elijah walks the one hundred and sixty kilometres, (a feat in itself for any
person, and doubly so considering the climate, lack of water and the
difficult terrain) and finally arrives at the city gates of Zarephath.
In the Bible we are told that God’s time is always perfect, now we see God’s
timing coming into action.
God Almighty told Elijah before he left for Zarephath, that a widow would
supply his food. God Almighty did not tell Elijah the widow’s name, nor how
to find her when he arrives at the city.
Even without this information Elijah has obeyed the Lord and travelled to
Zarephath and is now just outside the city gates. Elijah has done this
because he believes that the Lord will reveal the widow at the appropriate
time to him.
When Elijah arrives at the city gates, a widow is gathering firewood to
prepare the evening meal. God is about to provide showers of blessings
upon the widow woman, but it all depends upon her reactions when she is
asked by a complete stranger for food and water.
To understand the significance of the miracle God Almighty is about to
perform, we must first become acquainted with the customs of the times
we are imagining that we are living in as we journey with Elijah along the
course of his life.
When a husband died, (unless the wife could quickly find a new partner
and re-marry, or had grown-up sons to provide food and clothing for her)
the wife was at the mercy of the local community. She was permitted by
custom to go into the fields after the reapers and gather up any left-over
wheat that the reapers missed, or to pick the grain left over after the
threshing (gleanings). [This custom is clearly explained in the Bible, in the
Book of Ruth]
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From these gleanings she was to provide for her family, until they, the
children, were able to go out and to get food, work and clothing for
themselves.
But at this time in history, things were not going too well. There had not
been any rain for several months, most of the crops had failed, the people
were already suffering from the effects of famine. There would be almost
no food LEFT-OVER, for the widow woman, because the local people would
be very careful to collect all the food for themselves.
So now let us resume the story.
Elijah approaches the city gates, to see a widow woman collecting sticks to
build a fire for the evening meal.
Elijah first asks the widow woman for a vessel of water, so that he might
quench his thirst. Without hesitation, and in complete accordance with the
customs of the day, she goes to get the traveller a vessel of water.
To provide for a visitor is in keeping with the customs of the Arabic and
Jewish peoples, even today. [It is a pity that other nations do not recognise
this age-old custom.]
But as she goes to get the water Elijah adds an additional request to this
widow woman, who is a complete stranger to him. “Please bring me a piece
of bread, also in your hand, so that I may eat of it”.
This request is too much for the widow woman, despite the customs.
Unbeknown to Elijah, she is presently gathering wood so that she and her
young son can eat the last of their food and then die, because the famine
is harsh upon the land. To be asked to share the last of their food with a
complete stranger must have seemed to the widow woman beyond
comprehension, so she answers Elijah in the following way :
“As the Lord your God lives, I do not have any bread baked, because
I only have a handful of meal flour left in the jar and a small amount
of oil in the bottle. (I have only enough to make a small roti for my
son and myself). As you can see, I am gathering a few small sticks
together so that I may go into my house and bake the meal for my
son and myself, then we will pray to the Lord and die, because this
is all the food that we have left.”
There is a very interesting thing about this statement of the widow woman.
She did not say: “AS THE LORD MY GOD LIVES”, but she said: “AS THE
LORD YOUR GOD LIVES.
She could see by the dress of Elijah, that he was a Hebrew from over the
border, in the Kingdom of Israel. She knew that the Hebrews feared their
God and how their God had passed judgment upon the whole region
because of their disobedience, rebellion and sins against Him.
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She was telling Elijah that before HIS GOD she did not have enough food
to share with him and she was very sorry that she could not offer better
hospitality to him. It is unlikely that she knew the stranger’s identity to be
that of Elijah the Prophet, at that time.
Elijah’s answer to her is kind and understanding, full of compassion and
flavoured with the blessings of God.
“Do not worry about that, have no fear, you go and prepare the
meal and the cakes just as you have said. While you are preparing
the meal, please make a tiny little cake first for me and bring it to
me, then continue to prepare the remainder of the meal for yourself
and your son from what is leftover. FOR THUS SAYETH THE LORD
GOD OF ISRAEL, THE JAR OF MEAL SHALL NOT BECOME EMPTY, NOR
SHALL THE OIL DISAPPEAR FROM YOUR HOUSE, UNTIL THE DAY
THAT THE LORD GOD SENDS RAIN DOWN UPON THE EARTH”.
The widow woman did not doubt the words of prophecy just spoken to her
by Elijah. She did not consider that he had said this so that he might share
that last morsel of food with her before they all died. Here was a woman of
simple faith trusting in the promises of the words spoken in the name of
the Lord God Almighty.
[It is a pity that we don’t have more men and woman with this simple faith
dwelling among us in the world today !!!]
The widow woman went immediately inside and commenced to prepare the
meal and oil into small cakes as Elijah had requested, firstly one for her
strange visitor and then a cake for herself and for her son.
When she had finished, she looked into the jar containing the meal and
realised that not all the meal had been used up, maybe there was enough
for another day’s food supply, so she invited Elijah to remain at her house
as her guest.
The three of them were provided with food for many days through this
miracle of God, as His SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS fell down upon the
Lord’s servant and those living in the house where he was abiding.
It was while Elijah was staying at this house that the widow’s son became
very ill and died. There was no visible sign of life remaining in him.
The widow woman became hysterical at the death of her only son and
accused Elijah and His God of causing the death of her son and bringing
all her sins back before her face to torment her.
What happens next is an example of the great faith which Elijah has
developed with His God. Like Abraham, Elijah knows and understands the
exact justice and mercy of God Almighty.
[As far as I, the author, can establish from the Holy Scriptures, no other
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Prophet of God had ever asked God to perform the miracle that Elijah was
about to ask from God Almighty. Others do so afterwards, but this is the
first recorded event of such a miracle].
Elijah says to the hysterical woman. “Please give me your son”. Elijah
carries the child upstairs to his own bed-chamber, lays the boy on Elijah’s
own bed and then starts to pray to the Lord, with questions and an
anguished spirit. Elijah confronts the Lord and reasons with Him.
“Lord, you commanded me to come to Zarephath and to live in the house
of this widow woman. You promised to provide food for all three of us until
the rains come down upon the earth. Why have you brought further pain
and suffering to this widow woman by slaying her so? Is this your way of
repaying her for her hospitality to me all these days I have been in her
house? This is her only son, she cannot have another. Who will care for
her after you send me away from here? Is this just? Is this merciful? Lord
God I pray that you restore the soul of this widow’s son back to him and
bring showers of blessings down upon this household by your miraculous
powers.” Elijah continued to cry out to the Lord as he physically lay upon
the body of the child.
Three times Elijah stretched himself over the body of the child and
continued his plea to the Lord, drawing on the faith he had in his merciful
God, that He would restore the life of the child, even though this had
never happened in history before.
The Scriptures record in 1 Kings 17:22, that the Lord God Almighty heard
the voice of Elijah and the soul of the boy was returned to him, his life was
restored, he revived and was completely healed of his sickness.
In this one small verse of Scripture is a mighty testimony to the faith of
Elijah in his God and also a clear indication of the mercy and compassion
of God Almighty [the God I also love and serve].
Elijah takes the boy downstairs and hands him back to his mother with the
simple words - “See your son is alive”.
The woman recognises the miracle which has occurred and she gives praise
to Elijah, in a special way.
“By this miracle of restoring my son’s life to him, I know now,
beyond any doubt, that you are a man of God and that the Word of
the Lord which comes from your mouth is the TRUTH.”
The Scriptures do not give any further account of the life of this widow
woman from Sidon, nor of the son who was restored to life through the
faith of Elijah and the compassion of the God of Israel, but I am sure that
the whole town of Zarephath knew the story of how the servant of God
had restored her son back to life, as this story now is included in the Old
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Testament of the Bible, taken from the Jewish religious writings, so it was
widely proclaimed in the Jewish synagogues of Judah and Israel as one of
the miracles of God of this time, through the prophet Elijah.
Elijah continued to remain in Zarephath many days after this miracle
occurred; seeing the country getting drier and drier; seeing the people and
the animals suffering from the lack of food and water; seeing the land
become more and more parched, with the springs and wells, one by one,
ceasing to give forth their life-saving water.
Slowly Elijah could see the Hand of God gripping the very lives of the
people, but still they remained stubborn, still they worshipped the god of
Baal, still they refused to repent of their sins and to return to the God
Almighty, who has chosen them from among all the races of people on
earth, to be His people.
God’s judgment and punishment had been brought down upon His people
and the nations around them, but they still refused to see their wrongdoing.
Now wisdom and mercy were to be used by God to awaken the people and
to turn their faces back to Him. (If one message from God Almighty does
not awaken His people, He will use another direction to get their attention).
Three years had passed since the original commandment had come to
Elijah from God Almighty, to go and proclaim to King Ahab the beginning
of the drought. King Ahab had sent many of his servants to all the
neighbouring countries, in search of Elijah, but none of them could find
Him.
In the land of Samaria however, not all the people had turned away to
follow other gods. Some, like Obadiah, the Governor of King Ahab’s
household, was a man who feared God Almighty and had served him since
his very youth.
In the time of persecution of the Jewish prophets by Queen Jezebel,
Obadiah, at the risk of his job and his life, had taken one hundred of the
prophets and secretly hidden them in caves, in two lots of fifty. He had
faithfully continued to feed them on bread and water during the time of
famine (probably with the left-over food from the king’s own table).
Obadiah is now summoned before the King because the famine has become
so severe in Samaria that there is a possibility that the king’s own stable
of beautiful horses and mules shall die if they are not able to find any more
grass and water for them.
It is interesting to note that the king has summoned Obadiah to him
because he is more worried about the welfare of his horses and mules than
of his loyal subjects, the people in his kingdom. Many people in high places
of authority today, also; wrongly place their priorities on things which
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belong to them, instead of on the people living in stressful situations around
them.
King Ahab tells Obadiah that they will split the kingdom of Samaria in half
and travel through it, each searching half of the kingdom for food and
water.
At the same time, the Lord commands Elijah to go back into Samaria and
to confront King Ahab, because the Lord is going to command it to rain
again on the land of Samaria, at the word of Elijah.
As Obadiah travels through half of Samaria, looking for grass and water for
the king’s animals, he meets Elijah coming from Zarephath, going up to
Samaria city to confront the king.
Obadiah recognises Elijah, but he is not sure if it is a mirage, or the real
person, because he falls down upon his face and asks the image in front of
him the following question: “Are you my lord Elijah? Is it really truly you?”
“Yes, Obadiah, it is really me. Go tell your master, the king, that I want to
see him. Go tell him that Elijah is here and wishes to speak with him.”
replies Elijah.
Upon receiving this instruction from Elijah, Obadiah becomes very afraid
and pleads with Elijah:
“What terrible sin have I, committed before God, that you would deliver
me into the hands of the king, to be killed? Please tell me what I have
done. Don’t you know that the king has been searching for you in all the
neighbouring countries and threatening each nation when they cannot
deliver you into his hands? Despite this you tell me to go and tell him that
Elijah is here. As soon as I leave you now, the Spirit of the Lord will take
you away from here and hide you as before, and when I tell the king that
you are here and he cannot find you, he will kill me in his anger. Don’t you
know that I have feared and served the Lord from my youth? Are you not
aware that I have taken one hundred of the prophets of Israel and hidden
them from Queen Jezebel so that she could not kill them, and that I have
been feeding them on bread and water all this time, at the risk of my own
life? Even after I have done all these things for God Almighty, you still want
to send me to the king, so he will kill me?”
From this outburst Elijah can see that Obadiah is indeed afraid to take this
news to the king, in case Elijah shall be taken away by the Spirit of the
Lord.
In today’s technological age, many dispute the very existence of THE
SPIRIT OF THE LORD, even of God Almighty Himself. It clearly shows that
we, like the people of Israel of that generation, have turned away to follow
after other gods.
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To overcome this problem, Elijah reassures Obadiah, in such a way that he
knows that Elijah is not trying to trick him, or bring him to any harm.
Elijah replies to him with these words: “As the Lord of Hosts lives,
before whom we both stand, I will surely show myself to King Ahab
today”. Obadiah, thus reassured, goes off to inform the king that Elijah
wishes to meet him.
King Ahab immediately stops searching for the water and comes to confront
Elijah, his anger building up with each step. He wants to punish Elijah for
causing all the problems among the nations.
When King Ahab meets Elijah, he confronts him with a question: “Are you
the prophet who caused all this trouble and suffering throughout the length
and breadth of Israel? What have you got to say for yourself, before I pass
judgment upon you?”
Elijah’s reply to the king did not made the king any happier, or less angry:-
“I have not brought this trouble throughout Israel, but you have, you
and your father’s house, by forsaking the commandments of the Lord God
of Israel and building spirit-houses to other gods, following after the god
of Baal. You have brought this judgment down upon your own head and
upon the heads of all the people of Israel. Therefore, the Lord God of
Israel has commanded that you gather together all of Israel at
Mount Carmel and you are also commanded to bring with you the
450 false prophets of Baal and the 400 false prophets of Asherab,
who eat frequently at Queen Jezebel’s own table”.
We now have a very interesting situation developing. The duly enthroned
king, with all the authority and power of his kingdom, is being told what to
do, in his own domain, by a prophet of God, whose ONLY AUTHORITY, is
that he claims to be able to receive Divine instructions from God Almighty.
If we look and consider today’s society and ways of thinking, can you
imagine what would happen?
In America (USA) they boldly proclaim: IN GOD WE TRUST. On every
coin, clearly for all the world to see, are inscribed the words: IN GOD WE
TRUST. Can you imagine what would happen if a prophet of God (in this
century) tried to deliver a message from God Almighty to the President of
the United States of America?
Firstly he would have to get past the secret service guards, (who are always
falling over themselves with importance) and try to enter the White House,
to be confronted by the many secretaries to under-secretaries, who would
all inform you “that the President is very, very busy - and anyway you don’t
have an appointment !!!”
“You, say that you are a prophet? Which denomination do you say that you
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belong to? Please show me your credentials, (duly stamped by God
Almighty Himself) proclaiming that you are His authorised representative,
not some impostor.
Anyway, the United States of America does not have diplomatic
relations with Heaven, so we don’t recognise your credentials, even
if they are genuine.”
The prophet would probably be arrested, taken for psychiatric treatment
and discreetly forgotten.
This partly comic situation shows how far the nations of the world today
have fallen away from God. This indicates how they no longer revere or
respect the Word of God, or God’s servants - the prophets. IT IS A
SIGN OF THE LAST DAYS!!
Even though King Ahab was now following after the god of Baal, he knew
of the power and authority that a prophet of God Almighty was able to use.
He did not question the right or authority of Elijah to give this
commandment from God Almighty. He immediately sent messengers
throughout all of Israel, commanding them in the name of the Lord God
of Israel to assemble at Mount Carmel to hear the message from the
prophet. He also commanded that the 450 false prophets of Baal and the
400 false prophets of Asherab be present, to hear the judgment of the Lord
God Almighty upon the nation of Israel.
When all of the nation of Israel was assembled, Elijah drew near to the
people and commenced to chastise them.
“How long will you waver between two gods? Why can’t you make up your
minds? If the Lord God of Israel is GOD, why don’t you follow Him? On the
other hand, if Baal is god, why don’t you follow him?”
The assembled people hung their heads in shame, they did not answer him,
or give him any comments.
“Do you know that only I am left of the prophets of the Lord God of Israel?
but you have today before you 450 men who call themselves prophets of
the god, Baal? Today we will have a test, to prove who is the real God and
who is false.
Let two bulls be chosen by the nation of Israel and given to us. Let the
prophets of baal choose one of these bulls and I will take the other. The
prophets of Baal shall then take their chosen bull, kill it according to their
customs and cut it into pieces. They shall prepare an altar, put wood upon
the altar and then place the pieces of meat upon the wood, BUT PUT NO
FIRE TO THIS OFFERING. I will do the same. I will take the remaining bull
and kill it according to the laws given to us by God Almighty, through Moses
and the High priests. I will cut it into pieces and place it upon wood on an
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altar I have constructed to the Lord. I also will not put fire to the offering.
Let the prophets of Baal call upon their God and I will call upon the Lord
God of Israel, and the ONE WHO ANSWERS BY SENDING DOWN FIRE
FROM HEAVEN TO CONSUME THE OFFERING, LET HIM BE THE TRUE
GOD”.
The nation of Israel replied: “It is a fair test for the Gods - it is well spoken.
Let the Gods themselves prove who is real and who is false amongst us.”
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal. “There are 450 of you, please you
choose and dress your bull first. Call upon the name of your god, but put
no fire under your offering.”
With much fanfare and ritual, the 450 prophets of Baal took the bull, offered
it up to their god, killed it and commenced to cut it into pieces to lay upon
their altar.
Others quickly gathered the firewood and commenced to build their altar,
dancing and singing as they worked, calling upon Baal to honour them
before the people and bring fire down from Heaven upon the offering being
prepared by them.
From early morning until noon - for three hours, they sang, they danced,
they prayed, calling for Baal to hear them, calling upon Baal to answer their
prayers, to send down fire from above, to consume their offering - BUT NO
ANSWER!!!
At midday Elijah started to joke with the people and to jeer at the prophets
of Baal saying: “Cry out louder to your god. Maybe he is sleeping and you
need to awaken him; or maybe he has gone on a journey and you need to
send couriers after him; or perhaps your god is not happy with you, so he
will not answer your prayers.”
With this counsel from Elijah, the prophets of Baal increased their efforts,
hitting themselves with sharp objects, causing their blood to flow, dancing
and limping around the altar they had made - but still no answer from
their god!
They continued like this until the time of the Jewish evening sacrifice, which
means they had been shouting and praying to their god for over eight
hours, without any answer.
Elijah gave them plenty of time to prove the power of their god, but they
had failed. Elijah now invites the people to draw near to him.
Firstly, Elijah commences to repair the old altar, which earlier had been
destroyed under the orders of Queen Jezebel.
Secondly Elijah takes twelve stones, one stone as a symbol for each of the
tribes of Israel, and commences to build upon the old altar. This altar is to
represent all the tribes of Israel. Then, to the puzzlement and confusion of
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the people, Elijah digs a trench all around the altar, deep enough to contain
two bushels of seed. He then places the wood on the altar, ready to receive
the meat offering as a sacrifice to the Lord God of Israel.
When all these preparations are completed, Elijah commences to cut up
the bull for the sacrifice. To ensure that everything is in order for the Lord,
Elijah orders that four jugs, used for the sacrificial purification, each
containing approximately twenty gallons of water, be filled up and poured
out over the offering.
Elijah orders that this be done three times, making twelve jugs of water in
all, one for each of the tribes of Israel.
But why did Elijah do this?? The nation of Israel watching what Elijah was
doing, must have been asking this same question. With over eighty gallons
of water poured out over the offering and the wood, it would be very
difficult to start a fire (by natural means). The people were confused.
But God had given His Wisdom and Revelation Knowledge to Elijah, (both
gifts of the Holy Spirit, referred to in 1. Corinthians chapter 12). God could
not bless the people of Israel in their present state, because they had
rebelled against him and turned to other gods. At this present time they
were a sinful nation in the eyes of the Lord God Almighty. Before God could
bless it, the nation of Israel had to become spiritually clean, it had to be
BAPTISED AGAIN.
The Israelites had been baptised the first time when they went through
the Red Sea, out of slavery and the sin of Egypt, into the wilderness, as
the beginning of the pure nation of Israel chosen by God Himself.
But here in the wilderness of Sinai they rebelled against God, became
disobedient and turned away from Him. As a result of this rebellion one
whole generation of the nation of Israel perished in the desert.
The nation of Israel was symbolically baptised a second time, when the
people passed dry through the river Jordan, before the presence of the Ark
of the Covenant, into the Promised Land, to fulfil the promise given by God
Almighty to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (Jacob’s name was
later changed by God to be called Israel).
Now, on Mount Carmel, in front of the king and the whole nation of Israel,
Elijah was performing a symbolic baptism of the nation, by pouring the
purification water over the twelve stones, which represented and
symbolised the twelve tribes of Israel, thus cleansing them of their previous
sins and making them appear righteous in the sight of the Lord.
Only when the nation was righteous, could God Almighty accept
their offering and again accept them as His chosen people.
Not until this baptism was completed did Elijah commence to pray to the
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Lord. This was at the approximate time of the evening sacrifice.
“Oh Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel), let it be
known among all the nations this day that You are God in Israel
and that I am Your servant; that I have done all these things today,
that I have performed all these actions today, at Your direction and
by Your Word. Hear me, oh Lord! Hear me! That these people,
gathered here may know and recognise that You, the Lord, are God,
and that today You have turned their rebellious hearts back to
Yourself”.
When Elijah stopped praying this prayer of supplication, the FIRE OF THE
LORD fell down from Heaven in a blinding ball of light, and consumed the
bull sacrifice that Elijah had prepared on behalf of the nation of Israel.
In addition the FIRE OF THE LORD consumed the altar of stones, the wood,
the water and even the dust about the sacrifice area, so there was nothing
left, except a complete silence.
When the people saw what had happened, when they realised that God had
actually heard the prayer of Elijah and had answered his prayer with the
FIRE OF THE LORD, they all fell on their faces, crying out from the bottom
of their hearts.
“THE LORD - HE IS GOD,
THE LORD - HE IS GOD,
THE LORD - HE IS GOD.”
Then Elijah cried out: “Seize all the false prophets of Baal, don’t let any
escape, not even one. Do you not remember God’s laws about false
prophets and their punishments?”
The people seized all the false prophets and at the instruction of Elijah took
them down the mountainside to the brook Kishon.
Elijah again reminded the people of God’s laws pertaining to the
punishments of false prophets as recorded by Moses in the book of
Deuteronomy, Chapter 13, which are recorded here in their complete form,
for your consideration. [Reproduced from the AMPLIFIED BIBLE, published
by Zondervan Bible Publishers.]
“If a prophet arises among you, or a dreamer of dreams, and gives
you a sign or wonder, And the sign or the wonder comes to pass,
and if he says; Let us go after other gods, which you have not
known, and let us serve them. You shall not listen to the words of
that prophet or to that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is
testing you, to know whether you love the Lord you God with all
your [mind and] heart and with your entire being. You shall walk
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after the Lord your God and [reverently] fear Him, and keep His
commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him, and
cling to Him. But that prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to
death, because he has talked rebellion and turning away from the
Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and
redeemed you out of the house of bondage; that man has tried to
draw you aside from the way in which the Lord your God
commanded you to walk. So you shall put the evil away from your
midst.”
The Lord God also made additional laws about the practices of the nation
of Israel and its prophets in Deuteronomy chapter 18, again reproduced
here from the Amplified Bible. Commencing from Verse 9:
“When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you,
you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of these
nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes
his son or daughter pass through the fire, or who uses divination,
or is a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a
medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all who do these things
are an abomination to the Lord; and it is because of these
abominable practices that the Lord is driving them out from before
you. You shall be blameless (and absolutely true) to the Lord your
God. For these nations, whom you shall dispossess, listen to
soothsayers and diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not
allowed you to do so. The lord your God will raise up for you a
prophet from among the midst of your brethren, like me [Moses];
to him you shall listen. This is what you desired (and asked) of the
Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said;
Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, or see this
great fire any more, lest I die”.
And the Lord said to me, “They have well said all that they have
spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet from among their own
brethren, like you, and will put My words in his mouth; and he shall
speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not harken
to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require
it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My
name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in
the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if you say
in your [mind and] heart; How shall we know which words the Lord
has spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the
word does not come to pass or prove true, that is a word which the
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Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously;
you shall not be afraid of him.”
After Elijah had reminded the people of God’s laws concerning the false
prophets, he killed all the 450 false prophets of Baal.
In today’s supposedly enlightened society, we accept the astrology
predictions which appear on TV, or in the newspapers each day, without
killing the authors.
Some people go to fortune tellers, (even the former President of the United
States, Mr. Ronald Reagan) or go to their favourite Gurus (as did the former
Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ms. Benazir Bhutto) to seek guidance as to the
future.
But the Scriptures clearly show us that these actions are an abomination
before the Lord God Almighty, and they are held accountable, as the
leaders of their respective nations, for these sins before God.
[Author’s note: It is interesting to note that Elijah acted under the
instruction of God Almighty to assemble the 450 false prophets of Baal and
the 400 false prophets of Asherab on Mount Carmel, to witness this
test of the god of Baal versus the God of Israel and prove to the people of
Israel that God Almighty is the only true living God.
Elijah told the people what was to happen to false prophets and as a result
the 450 false prophets of Baal were killed. The 400 false prophets of
Asherab, who did not participate in the test, who were only witnesses to it,
were not harmed in any way. There are no contradictions in God’s Holy
Word, but things like this sometimes are puzzling to us humans, who do
not possess the Divine Wisdom of God Almighty.
Why did Elijah not command that the 400 prophets of Asherab be also killed
along with the 450 prophets of Baal?]
After all the prophets of Baal had been slain, Elijah invited King Ahab to go
and prepare a feast, to eat and drink, for the Lord was about to send an
abundance of rain and blessings down upon the nation. King Ahab and his
assembled followers went to eat and drink and to talk of the wonderful
things which they seen happen before their very eyes. They would have
agreed that they had been foolish, to be misled by these false prophets,
and would also probably have said that they would never do this again;
[But unfortunately, in the long run, man can never keep his word; he
always puts his own interests for power, greed or sexual appetites; above
his love and obedience for God.]
While all the feasting and merry making was going on, Elijah went up to
the top of Mount Carmel with his servant, got down on his knees and bowed
his face to the ground between his knees.
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He offered prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord for all of His goodness and
for turning the hearts of the people back to Himself. Elijah now asked the
Lord to send the rain as He had promised. At the Word of your servant,
Elijah.
Elijah told his servant to go and look out towards the sea and tell him if he
saw anything. The servant looked out to sea, strained his eyes in the
intense heat, but “No, nothing, only clear blue skies.” Again, Elijah tells the
servant to go and look, a second time, a third time, but still nothing.
Did Elijah doubt the hand of the Lord when He did not send rain at his first
request, or his second or his third? NO! Seven times Elijah tells the servant
to go and search the skies. Six times he returns to tell Elijah that the sky
is clear, but Elijah still believes that the Lord will honour His Word and send
the rain.
On the seventh time the servant notices a small white puff of cloud coming
up out of the sea. It is so small that he has to look very hard for some time
before he is sure that his eyes are not playing tricks with him.
He runs back and tells Elijah: “Yes, there is a small cloud coming up out of
the sea, but it is very small.”
Elijah tells his servant: “Go up and tell King Ahab to arrange to harness his
horse to the chariot, quickly go down the mountain back to Samaria,
otherwise the rain will stop him.” Hurriedly King Ahab heads down the
mountain towards the city of Jezreel.
The little white cloud seemed to grow at a mighty rate, firstly into a large
white cloud and then changing colour until it became an ominous black and
grey colour which is common before the onset of a storm of immense
magnitude. All the people knew that it was going to rain, probably by the
bucketful.
The Spirit of the Lord came down upon Elijah and he wrapped his clothes
about his loins and started to run towards Jezreel, which was about twenty
miles away. The power of the Lord was so great upon Elijah, that the
distance did not cause him any fatigue. His speed was so great that he out-
distanced King Ahab in his horse-drawn chariot, reaching the city of Jezreel
before him.
When King Ahab arrived at the city it was already pouring with rain and he
proceeded to tell Queen Jezebel all that the prophet Elijah had done and
how the Lord God of Israel had sent down fire from Heaven to consume the
sacrifices, proving that He was the real Living God. The King also told how
Elijah had taken the 450 false prophets of Baal and had them killed at the
brook Kishon, thus removing this temptation from before the eyes of the
people of Israel.
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Instead of rejoicing with her husband, King Ahab, Queen Jezebel became
extremely angry and bitter. She sent a messenger to Elijah with the
following message: “Let the gods kill me also if I don’t have you killed
before this time tomorrow, for killing the prophets of Baal and for making
a fool of my husband before the whole nation of Israel.”
Upon receiving this news, Elijah become very much afraid. His trust and
faith in the Lord his God just seemed to melt away to nothing and he fled
for his life. He ran and ran until he came to Beersheba, in the province of
Judah, a distance of over eighty miles from Jezreel.
Here was a man whom the Lord had protected from the army of King Ahab,
when they were searching for him. Here was the man that the Lord had
provided with food in the desert, fed by the ravens. Here was the man
whom had been provided with food in the widow’s house, by the
supernatural powers of the Lord. Here was the man who had prayed to the
Lord to restore the life of the widow woman’s only son. Here was a man of
great faith and trust in the Lord.
But all that faith just seemed to vanish when the queen threatened his life,
and he fled into the wilderness. This only goes to show that the threat given
by a woman is more feared than the same threat given by a man.
Elijah did not stop to consider that the Lord would protect him. Elijah did
not pray to the Lord, to inquire which way he should go to escape the threat
to his life, issued by Queen Jezebel; he just turned on his heel and fled.
After reaching Beersheba he told his servant to remain there and he
proceeded onwards for another day’s journey and then sat down under the
shade of a tree, completely exhausted. He was exhausted physically and
he was exhausted spiritually. He prayed that the Lord might take his life,
because he was no better than his forefathers. He was in a state of total
confusion and depression.
He had fled from Queen Jezebel because he feared that she would take his
life. Now he is praying to the Lord to take his life from him; it does not
make any sense!
The Lord, in His bountiful mercy and compassion, understands the trials
and tribulations of His people. He knows that Elijah is confused and
exhausted, He knows that Elijah is in despair and He sends help (as He
always does) to those of His servants who are obedient to Him.
While Elijah is sleeping an angel touches him on the shoulder and says:
“Arise and eat”. Elijah looks around and sees that a cake is baking on the
hot coals and beside his head is a bottle of water. He sits up and after he
has eaten the cake and drunk the water he falls into an exhausted sleep
again.
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While he was still sleeping the angel came again and woke him with the
words: “Get up and eat some more food, for the journey will be very
exhausting for you.”
Elijah looked around and again saw food and water set out before him. He
ate as much as he desired and then continued his journey towards Mount
Horeb, the place he had decided to go to hide out from the threat upon his
life from Queen Jezebel, and to hide, also, from the presence of the Lord.
He found a cave and prepared it to be his dwelling place and lay down to
sleep. But the voice of the Lord came to him with the following strange
question: “What are you doing here Elijah”?
Elijah replied by pouring out his heart to the Lord. “I have been very
conscientious for the Lord God of Hosts. The Israelites have rebelled
against You, they have forsaken Your covenants, they have destroyed and
thrown down Your altars and followed after other gods. They have taken
and killed all of Your prophets and I am the only one left and my life is
threatened also.”
The Lord said to Elijah: “Come out from your hiding place and stand on the
mountain top before Me,” and Elijah did as the Lord commanded him.
As Elijah went out onto the mountain top the stillness was replaced by a
strong wind. The Wind of the Lord was so strong that the mountains
themselves started to shake and tremble with bits of rock being blown off
the mountainside into the valley below. Elijah had to cling to and hide
behind a rocky abutment so that he would not be battered against the rocks
or blown over the edge into the valley below. But despite the force of the
wind Elijah did not hear any instruction or correction from the Lord.
After the wind there was an earthquake and the whole mountain seemed
as if it was going to melt underneath Elijah’s feet as it twisted and turned
first one way and then the other. Great gaps opened up in the ground not
far away from Elijah and parts of the mountain fell into the gaps. Lava and
gasses erupted out of the holes which had opened up in the mountainside;
but still Elijah did not hear any instructions from the Lord.
The gasses erupted into fire and the whole side of the mountain was
burning as the Fire of the Lord travelled across the hill-side, consuming
everything in its path. Elijah hid in a small cave to seek protection from the
heat and flames of the Fire of the Lord.
When the fire had passed, there came a deathly stillness upon the
mountainside. There was no sound of any birds, no sound of any animals;
a complete stillness enveloped the face of the mountainside. Elijah could
almost feel the presence of the Lord descending upon the mountain top,
yet Elijah was not afraid of this presence.
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When Elijah heard the still small voice coming from outside the cave, he
covered his face with his cloak and walked to the entrance of the cave,
expecting to come face to face with the Lord. He heard the same still small
voice of the Lord, with the same question. “What are you doing here
Elijah?”
But the Lord was really asking Elijah a series of questions and chiding him
for his loss of faith in the Lord’s protection of His anointed prophet.
“Why have you fled from the face of a woman, who has threatened
your life, when you are doing the work, I have sent you to do? “Why
did you leave your servant behind and come on up to Mount Horeb
on your own to sit here and feel sorry for yourself? Why have you
forsaken the trust in the Lord, as your protection from all your
adversaries? Did I not provide food for you in the desert, sent to
you each day by the ravens? Did I not provide meal and oil for you
in the widow woman’s house, from a jar that was almost empty?
Did I not hide you from all the soldiers of the king as they travelled
throughout the kingdom looking for you? Didn’t you realise that I
would never let any harm come to you whilst ever you were
obedient to Me and continued to do the work that I have called you
to do? Elijah, Elijah why did you not cry out to Me for guidance, so
I could tell you what to do”?
Again Elijah pours out his heart to the Lord. “I have been very conscientious
for the Lord God of hosts. The Israelites have rebelled against You, they
have forsaken Your covenants, they have destroyed and thrown down Your
altars and followed after other gods. They have taken and killed all of Your
prophets and I am the only one left and my life is threatened also.”
The Lord continued to chide him as He gave Elijah his new instructions:
“Get up from here and go back into the wilderness, towards Damascus and
when you arrive there you shall do the following things as I now command
you.”
“Firstly you shall seek out Hazael, you shall take a horn of oil and
you shall anoint him, in the name of the Lord, to be king over all of
Syria.
“Secondly you shall find Jehu, the son of Nimshi. You shall take
another horn of oil and you shall anoint him, in the name of the
Lord, to be king over all of the nation of Israel.
“Thirdly you shall find Elisha, the son of Shaphat, of the village
Abel-meholah, and you shall anoint him to be the prophet of God in
your place.”
“And this is the message that you shall give to them: Thus, says the
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Lord: King Hazael shall destroy all the worshippers of the god Baal,
by the sword. But if they escape the sword of King Hazael, then
King Jehu shall destroy them with the sword of his army. If anyone
escapes the swords of these two armies then it is the responsibility
of Elisha, the prophet, to kill them. This is so that I, the Lord thy
God, shall not be forced to look down upon this abomination ever
again. All the worshippers of Baal are to be destroyed from the face
of the earth. Elijah, you were crying out to Me, that you are the only
one left who has not turned away from Me. Be assured that there
are left in Israel more than seven thousand people who have
refused to turn away from Me. These people have refused to bow
down to Baal, or to go to the temple and kiss the idols. Be
re-assured, Elijah, that everything is in My hands and under My
control. All I ask is that you continue to be obedient to my voice
and go wherever I send you, so that My plans can be accomplished.

Thus re-assured, Elijah sets off once again to do the work of the Lord,
revitalised in Spirit, confident that the Lord will continue to be his guide
and protector, provided he continues to be His obedient servant.

ELIJAH AND ELISHA

At the commandment of the Lord, Elijah set off into the wilderness, towards
Damascus. On the way, he headed for the village of Abel-meholah, to see
if he could find Elisha, the man God Almighty had selected to be his
replacement as the Prophet of Israel.
It is wonderful to realise that, in the early days, the Lord God
Almighty Himself selected who was to be the king over each of the
nations in the then civilised world, and who was to be His prophet,
or spokesman, upon the earth.
Nowadays, it is the drug smuggler, the political power boss, the rich and
famous, or the military dictator, who decides who will run, rob, or ruin, the
countries of the world.
In America, in the land which says “IN GOD WE TRUST”, the money
power-base decides who will be the representatives to govern each of the
States and the whole of the USA The people would be more than naive if
they thought that the “Christians of America” selected the President of the
United States, or that God Almighty sent a prophet down with a horn of oil
to anoint him, in the name of the Lord, to be “king over America”, as used
to happen in the old days, when men had a greater respect for the Word
of the Lord.
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But enough about today’s disasters, let us return to the “Land of Promise”,
whilst Elijah searches to find his successor.
As Elijah approaches the village, he sees a man out in the fields, ploughing
with a train of oxen. He counts them as he approaches and is astounded to
find that there are twelve yokes of oxen in the train, one pair of oxen, for
each of the tribes of Israel.
The Holy Spirit confirms to Elijah that this is Elisha, the man whom God
Almighty had told him to anoint as the future prophet of the Lord God of
Israel.
Elisha is unaware of the approach of Elijah; he continues to follow the
plough and the oxen, completely engrossed in his work, carefully checking
the furrow to make sure that the soil is being turned over deep enough for
the forthcoming crop and harvest.
Elijah walks up behind Elisha, and casually throws his cloak over the
shoulders of Elisha and continues steadfastly on his journey, never looking
back to see the reaction on Elisha’s face.
Elisha immediately stops what he is doing, looks at the cloak, leaves the
twelve oxen in the middle of the paddock and rushes after Elijah.
Elisha pleads with Elijah in the following way: “Please sir, let me first go
and say farewell to my father and my mother, and then I will follow you,
wherever you go”.
Elijah has to test the resolve of Elisha, to see if he really understands what
has happened to him and is ready to accept the responsibility which is to
be placed upon his shoulders, like the symbolic cloak of the Lord.
“Why are you asking me these things? What have I got to do with you?
What do you think is the significance of me throwing a cloak over your
shoulders? Go back to you work in the fields, I did not do anything to you.
I did not ask you to come and follow me. You have to sort this all out for
yourself and make up your own mind about what you are going to do with
your life.”
With determined steps Elisha went to the house, collected his axe and his
butcher’s knife and took them over near the barn where he usually housed
the animals. Then he went back into the field and unyoked the lead pair of
oxen. He led them back to the barn, praying to the Lord in his heart as he
went, as he sought guidance from the Lord on what he should do.
He carefully removed the chains from the oxen, then the reigns and their
wooden yokes. He had standing before him two beautiful beasts, who had
faithfully worked in his father’s fields, pulling the plough, turning over the
soil, to prepare for the harvest each year.
Elisha called two of his father’s labourers to come and help him in what he
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had to do next. With the axe they proceeded to break up the yoke which
had been removed from the oxen and prepared the wood ready for a fire.
He sent one of the labourers into the house to bring out the large copper
cooking urns that his mother used whenever they had a feast, and they
carefully placed it on the wood ready for cooking. Then with a prayer to the
Lord, he took the axe, turned it over so that the blade was facing outwards
from himself, and swinging it with all his force he struck the ox on the side
of the forehead with the back of the axe head, stunning it into
unconsciousness. Quickly he took the butcher’s knife and cut the animal’s
throat, so that the blood would be pumped out by the last remaining
heartbeats of the animal, in accordance with the Law.
While the life blood was still pumping out of the first, Elisha took up the
axe and swung it again, striking the second ox in a similar manner, bringing
it down unconscious to its knees. Again, the knife blade flashed in the
sunlight as the throat of the second animal was cut and the blood flowed
out onto the ground, as a sacrifice to the Lord.
Very carefully they took the two animals and commenced to remove the
skins, cutting up the meat into pieces and placing them into the cooking
urns now boiling on the fire. When all the meat was cooked, Elisha sent the
servants off to invite all the family and his father’s workers to come and sit
down to the feast.
When all the people were gathered together, everyone was asking what
was the special occasion for the feast. Was Elisha getting married? What
special event had happened to him? His mother and father could not
answer, they were just as puzzled as the other workers.
Elisha stood up and began to explain the reason for the feast. “As long as
I can remember, my father and my mother have encouraged me to read
and study the Torah and the Talmud, to try and understand how the Lord
God Almighty wants us to live our lives, so that we can be a glory and
honour to him. I have prayed to the Lord that He may find me an acceptable
vessel for His use, in even a small way, so that the nation of Israel may
continue to be His chosen people.
I have seen from our past history that the Lord has blessed us abundantly
when we have obeyed His commandments, followed His laws and harkened
to the voices of His prophets. I have also seen how the Lord has punished
us, as a nation, when we have rebelled against His Laws, refused to follow
his commandments and closed our ears to the warnings of His prophets.
This morning I was out ploughing in the fields, getting them ready for the
next planting, when a man came up behind me and threw his cloak over
my shoulders and continued on his way. I stopped what I was doing and
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ran to catch up with him to see who it was, because as yet, I had not seen
his face. When I called out for him to stop, he turned around to face me
and I saw that the man was Elijah, the prophet of the Lord. I immediately
asked permission from him to go and say farewell to my mother and father,
then I would follow after him.
He told me to go back to the fields and ponder what had happened. He said
that I must pray to the Lord and make up my own mind about my life.
With this in my mind I went back to the field, took the lead oxen, offered
them up to the Lord as a celebration offering, and now we sit here, to share
in this feast together. I believe that the Lord has commanded Elijah to
select me as his servant and for me to learn more and more about the Lord
and His ways. As soon as this feast is completed, I shall rise up, pack my
few belongings and follow after Elijah, to be his servant for as long as he
needs me.”
After this speech Elisha went to his mother and father, kissed them both,
packed a few belongings and left by the same road that Elijah had travelled
earlier the same day.
That night Elisha slept out in the open, tucked up in his cloak and with a
handmade blanket thrown over himself. It was very different to the warm
bed he was used to in his father’s house and he awoke several times during
the night, shivering from the cold.
In the morning he hurriedly ate some of the bread that his mother had
handed to him before he had left home, washed this down with some fresh
water from a spring by the roadside and then continued on his way.
About midday he came around a corner in the road and he saw a man
sitting in the shade of a tree, obviously in prayer. As he drew closer, he
realised that the man was indeed Elijah the prophet, the same man who
had thrown the cloak of the Lord over his shoulders, the day before.
Elisha came quietly over towards the tree, careful not to interrupt the
prayers of Elijah. Elisha was sure that Elijah did not know of his presence,
but was completely surprised when Elijah turned towards him, still with his
eyes closed, and commenced to speak. “The Lord God of Israel gave me
the following commandments as I was standing before the Lord on Mount
Carmel, several days ago”:
“Get up from here and go back into the wilderness towards
Damascus, and when you arrive there, you shall do the following
things, as I now command you. Firstly, you shall seek out Hazael.
You shall take a horn of oil and you shall anoint him, in the name
of the Lord, to be king over all of Syria. Secondly, you shall find
Jehu, the son of Nimshi. You shall take another horn of oil and you
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shall anoint him, in the name of the Lord, to be king over all the
nation of Israel. Thirdly, you shall find Elisha, the son of Shaphat,
of the village Abel-meholah, and you shall anoint him to be the
prophet of God in your place. And this is the message you shall give
to them: Thus, sayeth the Lord God of Israel: King Hazael shall
destroy all the worshippers of the god Baal, by the sword. But if
any escape the sword of King Hazael, then King Jehu shall destroy
them with the swords of his army. If any escape the swords of
these two armies, then it is the responsibility of Elisha, the prophet,
to kill them. This is so that I, the Lord thy God, shall not be forced
to look down upon this abomination ever again. All the worshippers
of Baal are to be destroyed from the face of the earth”.
“So, I came to your village and threw the cloak of the Lord over your
shoulders, as a sign that the Lord had chosen you to fulfil His purpose, as
a voice among His people Israel. Now you are here, by your own choice,
let us go on towards Damascus to find Hazael and anoint him to be king,
as the Lord has commanded.”
As they travelled along the road together Elijah explained to Elisha all the
things which had happened to him over the last three years, since the Lord
had commanded him to go and proclaim to King Ahab that there would be
no rain in the land. Elisha marvelled at the miracles that the Lord had
performed in keeping His prophet alive during this time.
In particular, Elisha questioned Elijah very closely about the death of the
young boy, the son of the widow woman in Zarephath, and how Elijah had
prayed to the Lord to have his life restored to him.
[Later, after the death of Elijah, Elisha would use almost the same method,
to ask the Lord to restore the life of the son of the Shunamite woman].
So, Elijah and Elisha continued on their way towards Damascus, stopping
at the synagogues along the way, teaching in the school of prophets, and
waiting patiently for the Lord to give the next instruction to the Prophet, as
to what he should do. In the meantime, things were starting to heat up
across the border in Syria.
King Benhadad, the king of Syria, had gathered together a mighty army,
including thirty-two other smaller kingdoms as allies, with many soldiers,
horseman and chariots. The kings decided that Israel must be destroyed;
this land must be conquered and destroyed forever. [This same line of
thinking seems to be in the hearts and minds of the Arab nations today. As
is in the days of old, this type of thinking will come to the same result - God
Almighty will protect His chosen people, as is prophesied in the Book of
Jeremiah].
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They crossed the border into Israel and met little resistance as they came
down through Dan and Hazor along the Jordan valley, across the mountains
to Megiddo and then down along the coastal strip to Samaria, the capital of
Israel at that time.
When they arrived, they completely surrounded the city with their vast
armies. King Benhadad called for one of His messengers and gave to him a
message to be delivered to King Ahab.
Without any delay, the messenger took a royal chariot to the very gates of
the city. Once at the city gates he called out to the guards to let him in, as
he had a royal message for King Ahab.
Instructing the Charioteer to leave his sword and his spears outside the gate,
the guards escorted the chariot into the city and to the palace gates, where
the messenger alighted from the chariot and proceeded into the palace, to
give the royal message of King Benhadad, to King Ahab the king of Israel.
“This is the message I have been instructed to give to you on behalf of His
Majesty King Benhadad, king of all Syria: “We have come and invaded your
land, and have you and your city completely surrounded by an army at least
ten times as big as your own. If we wished, we could destroy you and all
your people, but we are going to show mercy to you and your people, for we
shall only ask a small token payment from you, to show that you have agreed
to become subject to our gods and our laws.”
“What are the demands that your king request from us” King Ahab asked.
“All the riches which you have, including all your silver and gold, you shall
hand over to me. Your prettiest wives and all of your children, you shall
surrender to me.”
Thinking about the people of Israel and the possible lives he would save if he
agreed to these terms, King Ahab agreed, sacrificing his own wives and
children for the benefit of the nation of Israel. “Tell your, king that I agree to
his terms. All that I have is his for the taking. My gold and my silver; even
the fairest of my wives. All of these are yours, for the sake of Israel. “
[If you look at the leaders of the nation’s today, it would be almost
impossible to find a leader who would be prepared to sacrifice their
own personal wealth, or hand over their wives and children as
hostages, so as to save the lives of the people in the nation they have
been entrusted to rule.
It is this sort of sacrifice which makes a man stand out in history as a great
leader.] Seeing the quick response of king Ahab; how he was prepared to
give up his treasures so readily; the king of Syria became greedy. He sent
his messengers a second time to King Ahab, and this time the message was
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different. The messengers told king Ahab the following: “Although I have
previously sent messengers to you, saying that you shall deliver to me all
your silver and gold, your wives and your children; in addition, I will send my
servants to you at the palace tomorrow, at this same hour; and they shall
search your palace and the houses of your servants; and all the things that
you desire they shall seize and take away.”
When the king of Israel heard this new demand, he called all the elders of
Israel around him and said to them. “Notice how this king changes his
minds and grows greedy. See how he now seeks to destroy us. You all
know that when he sent his messengers to me demanding my silver, my
gold, and even my wives and children, I agreed to his demands; but now
he wants to take the spoils of the land - he wants everything.”
All of the elders of the nation pleaded with the king not to agree to his new
demands. After receiving this counsel from his loyal elders, king Ahab sent
the messengers back to the king of Syria, with the following message: “I
shall agree to your first demands, to give you my silver, my gold, and even
my wives and my children, but your further demands I do not agree to.”
When king Benhadad, the king of Syria, heard this response from the king
of Israel, he became very angry. He sent his messengers back to the king
of Israel with the following threat. “May the gods do to me, and even more,
if the rubbish of Samaria is not enough for each of my followers to gather
up just one small handful.”
King Ahab told the messengers to go back to him and to give him the
following answer: “Be very careful not to boast of things you cannot do,
otherwise the gods will destroy you - just as you have stated.”
When the king of Syria heard this he was sitting drinking with the allied
kings around him in his tent. He straightaway issued orders for his army
(and the armies of his allies) to be made ready for war against the city of
Samaria and the nation of Israel.
All during the night and the following day, the armies moved into positions
around the city of Samaria, ready for the command to attack.
Then a prophet came to king Ahab, the king of Israel and gave him the
following message from the Lord: Thus says the Lord. Have you seen this
great multitude that has been raised as an army against you? Behold, I will
deliver them into your hands today; and then you shall know and recognise
that I AM, the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel”.
Ahab asked the prophet: “By whom shall He do this? What army shall he
use?” The prophet said: Thus says the Lord; The army shall be the
young men, the bodyguards, of the Governors of the Districts
around Samaria”. Then Ahab asked the prophet. “Who shall order the
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attack and plan the battle?” The prophet answered: “You shall order the
attack.”
King Ahab ordered that the bodyguards of the District Governors be
brought before him and he counted them; there were only 232 people. He
then counted all the members of the army of Israel and there were 7,000
persons. So now 7,232 people were to go out to battle against the army of
king Benhadad, and his 32 allied kings; an army of 75,000. This situation
came about at the express instructions of the prophet of God, under the
command of the king of Israel; who until recently, had been a strong
worshipper of the god of Baal, a king who refused to worship the God of
Israel.
In worldly terms, the odds seem to favour the Syrian king and his allies.
However, we must remember that the God of Israel, had promised this
land to Abraham and his children, and His power is so great, that it created
the universe. [Could it be that the 7,000 persons referred to, were the
same persons who had refused to bow down to the god of Baal, and had
remained loyal in their faith to the God of Israel?]
King Ahab ordered the battle to commence at noon, a time completely
unorthodox in battle terms, (normally battles were commenced just after
sunrise) the 232 bodyguards going out first.
The Syrian king and his allied kings were busy getting drunk in their tents,
when the messengers brought them the news that men were coming out
of the city of Samaria. The king of Samaria, believing that his army was
completely invincible, gave to following message to his army commander.
“Whether they come in peace, or in war, capture them alive and bring them
to me.”
So the 232 men marched out into battle, expecting this to be the last day
of their lives. The small Israeli army followed behind them, trusting in their
God.
When they engaged the enemy, each on killed his opposing man without
any apparent difficulty. Now 7,232 of the Syrian army lay dead on the field
of battle. The remainder of the army, on hearing the news that the Israelis
were killing each man they attacked, turned around on their heels and fled
in terror. The Israeli army pursued them. The king of Israel went out into
battle himself, attacking the Syrian horseman and killing many of them.
But alas, King Benhadad fled among the horseman and escaped being killed
on that day.
King Ahab and his army went back into Samaria victorious, as was
prophesied by the Prophet of the Lord, without the loss of one single life,
because the Lord God Almighty was with them.
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Very soon after his return to the city, the king was told that the Prophet of
the Lord wanted to see him again. The Prophet was shown into the throne
room, and King Ahab waited anxiously, the new instructions from the Lord,
given through His appointed Prophet. “Go and fortify the nation, make
yourself strong, and be very careful about what you must do, for in
one year’s time, the king of Syria will return to attack you with
another large army.”
Meanwhile, the servants of the King of Syria, were trying to explain how
they had been defeated. “The God’s of Israel are gods of the hills, and we
fought them in the hills, that’s why we were defeated; but if we go out to
fight Israel on the plains, we shall be stronger than they, and we shall
defeat them.”
This was the explanation that the servants gave to the king of Syria. “We
would also suggest that you remove all your allied kings from their
positions, replace them with Governors instead. Prepare and army, just as
big as this one, that you have just lost, horse for horse, chariot for chariot.
We will fight them on the plains and we shall defeat them.
Because his pride had been dented, the king of Syria listened to his
servants, heeded their advice and commenced to build another very large
army, with hundreds of horses and chariots, ready to go out to battle
against the nation of Israel next year.
When all the preparations were completed and the king of Syria had again
mustered a mighty army, he ordered them to go up and attack the king of
Samaria on the plains at Aphek. Their army was so large it filled the entire
countryside, whilst the army of Samaria was like two small flocks of sheep.
Whilst they were encamped awaiting the battle to commence, a Prophet of
the Lord came to see the king of Israel, to give him a message of
encouragement from the Lord God of Israel. “Thus says the Lord:
Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but He
is not God of the valleys, I will therefore deliver all of this great
army, this great multitude into your hands, and then you shall know
and recognise by experience, that I AM the Lord God of Israel”.
They encamped opposite each other, taunting each other to battle for
seven days before the battle commenced. On the first day of the battle,
the Israelites killed 100,000-foot soldiers. The remainder, on seeing how
the battle was going, fled into the city of Aphek. The Lord moved on the
city; and the city wall fell down, allowing the Israelites to attack inside the
city gates. The remaining soldiers, all 27,000 of them, were killed in the
city.
King Benhadad fled into the city with his remaining troops and his servants.
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They took refuge in the chambers of the city, moving from one house to
another, as the Israelite troops searched throughout the city for stragglers.
They knew that very soon they would be found and their lives would come
to an end.
The servants of king Benhadad were fearful for their lives. They counselled
their king in the following way: “We have heard from previous times, that
the kings of Israel are kings who show mercy. Let us dress up in sackcloth
and cover our heads with ashes, as a sign of our submission, and let us go
and seek mercy from the king of Israel. Maybe he will spare your life.” To
this the king agreed. The servants of the king got dressed up in sackcloth,
put ashes on their heads and went out of the city, to plead for their lives
(and the life of their king).
When they were brought before the king of Israel, they pleaded their case:
“Your servant, Benhadad says, I pray you, let my live.”
The King of Israel was surprised that the king was still alive. “Is the king
still alive? Why, he is my brother. Go and bring him before me.” Thus
encouraged, the servants hastily returned to tell the good news to the king
of Syria, who shortly after appeared before the king of Israel. The king of
Israel told Benhadad to ride in the chariot with him as they returned to the
encampment of the Israelites.
Taking this type of treatment as a good sign, Benhadad tempted King Ahab
in the following way: “The cities that my father stole from your father, I
will return to you. You can also have your own bazaars in Damascus, if you
like, just like my father had in Samaria, many years ago.”
The king of Samaria, seeing the immediate financial gains from this
generous offer, completely forgot the messages of the Prophet and agreed
to these terms, sending King Benhadad off to Damascus with a peace
agreement, or covenant, along these lines.
So, peace was restored to the land of Israel, but the Lord was not happy
with king Ahab, because he had not completely destroyed king Benhadad
and the Syrian nation, after the Lord had delivered them into his hands.
Let us now continue with the story and see how the Lord deals with his
disobedient king.

THE END OF KING AHAB

After sending the king of Syria on his way towards Damascus, king Ahab
commenced his journey from the Aphek valley back to the city of Samaria.
Meanwhile, the Lord was setting in motion His plans for the destruction of
the king.
In the school of the prophets, a son of the prophets said to his neighbour:
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At the commandment of the Lord, strike me, wound me I beg you.”
But the man refused to strike him.
“Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, you shall not
live another day. As soon as you leave me, a lion shall kill you for
your disobedience.”
As soon as the man heard this terrible news, he fled from the son of the
prophet. When he left the confines of the village where the school of
prophets was established, a lion came out of the bush and attacked, killing
him just as the prophet had said it would happen. The news quickly spread
throughout the village.
The prophet then approached another man. “Strike me, I command you,
in the name of the Lord.” This man did not need any prompting. He had
heard what had already happened to the previous man, who had refused
to obey the commandment of the Lord, through his prophet. Quickly he
took out his sword and struck the prophet a hard blow, so that the prophet
was severely, but not mortally wounded.
The prophet departed from the village and went to await the arrival of the
king, as he travelled back to the city of Samaria. The prophet disguised
himself with bandages on his face and forehead, as well as blood on his
clothes from the wound inflicted at the command of the Lord. As the king
passed by, the prophet cried out to him: “Oh gracious king; Your servant
went out into the midst of the battle and a man brought a prisoner to me
and said. Keep this prisoner, and if he is missing, for any reason, then your
life shall be forfeited, or else you shall pay a talent of silver (about US
$1,000) for him. As your servant was busy in the throes of the battle, the
prisoner escaped. What am I to do?
The king looked down from his chariot at the disguised prophet and gave
his verdict: “Such is your own verdict; you yourself have decided it.”
With this the prophet hastily stood up and removed the bandages from his
face, so his true identity was revealed. The king recognised him as one of
the prophets.
The prophets said to the king: This is the message from the Lord
God of Israel. Because you have let go out of your hand, the king
of Syria, the man I had given to you, to kill and destroy, your life
shall be forfeited for his life; and your people for his people.”
Upon hearing this condemnation of his actions from the prophet, the king
went back to Samaria very depressed and disappointed with himself, and
the punishment which was to befall him and his nation, because of his
disobedience to the Lord.
As he approached very near to his house, he saw Naboth, a Jezreelite,
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working in his vineyard. Ahab said the Naboth: “Give me your vineyard, so
I may convert it into a herbal garden, as it is very near to my own house.
I will give you a better vineyard for it; If you don’t want that, I will give
you the value of the vineyard in cash. What is your decision?”
Here indeed was a good offer from the king; a better, larger vineyard than
he already possessed, or a lump sum payment for the value of the
vineyard, in cash. Who would refuse this generous offer?
King Ahab, unfortunately, did no completely understand what he was
asking of Naboth. Here was a man who had been born on this vineyard. It
was the land that his father had worked from daylight till dark, for many
years. It was his last remaining link with his relatives and their memories,
and the king wanted him to give it up; no! that was impossible.
Naboth answered to king Ahab: “The Lord forbid that I give up the
inheritance of my fathers to you.”
Ahab became more depressed after the rejection by Naboth to give him the
vineyard, so he went inside his house, lay down on his bed, turned his face
to the wall and refused to eat any food.
When Jezebel heard that her husband refused to eat any food, she became
very concerned for him, going to see him in his private quarters. “Why does
my Lord refuse to eat any food? What is it that causes trouble to your
spirit?”
Ahab had an opportunity to tell his wife the complete truth. He had gone
out to battle against the Syrian king and the Lord had delivered their
complete army into his hands. He had taken the king of Syria prisoner, but
then had let him go in peace. He then could have told Jezebel of the incident
along the road. He had come upon the disguised prophet, who had asked
him a riddle, and he had given his answer. This answer, the prophet
revealed, was to be his downfall, and the downfall of all of Israel. This was
the real reason his spirit was troubled.
Instead of telling the truth, he tells of the rejection by Naboth of his offer
to buy his vineyard. Here was a king who was letting pride come in between
himself and the truth, a very dangerous state of affairs in anyone’s life.
[Remember Numbers 32:23: “But if you not do so, behold, you have sinned
against the Lord; and your sin will find you out.”]
Upon hearing this, Jezebel began to chide her husband. “Don’t you control
and govern in Israel? Come on, get up, eat some food and celebrate your
victory in battle. Come, let your heart become happy. I, queen Jezebel your
wife, I shall give you what you desire. I shall give you the vineyard, that
presently belongs to Naboth, the Jezreelite.”
Once comforted by his wife, Ahab got up to eat his food, not in any way
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suspicious or questioning how his wife was to achieve this feat, a feat he
had not been able to achieve.
In the meantime, Queen Jezebel issued letters to all the nobles and gentry,
who lived with Naboth in the city. She issued these letters, in the name of
the king, and sealed them with the king’s seal.
The letters ordered the nobles to arrange a fast, to set Naboth in a position
of authority, and to call the two sons of Belial, who are person of dubious
character, to also be present at the fast.
During the fast, the two sons were to falsely accuse Naboth of renouncing
God and cursing the king. After this accusation, the assembled gathering
were to take Naboth outside the city gates and stone him to death.
Believing that the letters came from the king, the nobles called all the
people to a special fast. They placed Naboth in a position of authority
amongst them. During the fast, the two sons of Belial came into the
gathering and sat down at the table opposite Naboth. A short time later,
they both jumped up from the table with shouts of anger. “Naboth is a
traitor. He just cursed our God and king. This is unforgivable. This is
blasphemy. Take him outside the gates and stone him to death.”
The people upon hearing this accusation, bundled up Naboth and quickly
dragged him outside the gates of the city. At sundown, they performed the
ceremonial stoning to death of anyone accused of blasphemy against God
or king. They took up stones and threw them at Naboth until he was dead.
When this was completed, they sent messengers to Queen Jezebel
informing her that the king’s orders had been carried out - Naboth had
been stoned outside the city, and he was now dead.
Queen Jezebel immediately went in to her husband, hoping to lift his low
spirits him with the good news. “Arise now my Lord, arise and go and take
possession of the vineyard which belonged to Naboth, for he is no longer
with us. Naboth has been stoned to death for blasphemy.”
When Ahab heard this, he was pleased in his heart. He immediately got up
from his bed and went to take possession of the vineyard. He did not
enquire how Naboth had died, or whether he had any relatives, who should
receive the vineyard; his own greed was before his eyes - but the Lord God
was not going to stand idly by and allow a king to go unpunished, for the
murder of one of his own subjects, especially by a member of his own
household.
And the Lord said to Elijah: “Get up from here and go and meet
Ahab, the king of Israel, in the city of Samaria. He has gone to there
take possession of the vineyard, which belongs to Naboth the
Jezreelite. When you meet him say this to him: Thus says the Lord.
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Have you killed Naboth, and now are you going to take possession
of his vineyard? I tell you, in the place where the dogs licked the
blood of Naboth, after he was stoned to death, so shall the dogs
lick your blood, even the blood of the king of Israel”.
Ahab answered to Elijah: “I see that you have found me out. I see that you
know of my sin.” Elijah said to him; “Yes I have found you out, because
you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord. And the Lord says
to you: “I will bring evil down upon your house and sweep away all
of your descendants in Israel. Every male descendant, whether
slave, or freeman. I will make your household completely empty,
like the house of Jeroboam, son of Nebat, and like the house of
Baasha, son of Ahijah, two of your predecessors. I will do this for
the sins you have performed, which have provoked Me to anger,
and which has made the house of Israel to sin in my sight. As for
Queen Jezebel, your wife; the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of
Jezreel. The people who die in the city, the dogs shall eat; those
that die in the fields outside the city, the birds shall rip to pieces
and eat. For there has never been anyone before, who has sold
himself to do evil, in the sight of the Lord, like you have, being led
and deceived by your wife Jezebel. You have become an
abomination in my sight, by going after and worshipping idols, just
like the Amorites, whom I cast out when I gave this land to Israel
for a possession.”
When Ahab heard this proclamation from Elijah, he was filled with remorse.
He tore at his clothes until they were all on the ground. Instead of his rich
royal robes he went about wearing sackcloth, he fasted regularly and slept
in sackcloth, instead of the nice silk sheets of the royal bed chamber. Ahab
pondered his past life and came to realise the terrible things he had done,
both personally, and as the king of Israel. He prayed that the Lord would
see the changed attitude of his heart and show mercy to him and his family.
However, the Word of the Lord is unchanging, from eternity to eternity.
What is pronounced as a commandment, by a Prophet of the Lord, must
come to pass in its appointed time. But the Word also says that the Lord is
a merciful and just God. The Lord did indeed see the change of heart of
King Ahab, and so the Lord again talks to Elijah.
“Elijah! Do you see how Ahab now humbles himself before Me?
Because he sees the sin before his eyes and humbles himself before
Me, I will not bring the evil upon his house in his own lifetime. I
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will wait until he has died and then I will destroy his dynasty, in
the lifetime of his sons, will I destroy it.
So, for the time being, Ahab is not going to die. He is on a “good behaviour
bond” with the Lord. Let us see how he uses it; does he use this “borrowed
time” wisely, or does he continue on his evil ways.
The Syrian army went home in disarray, but that did not mean that the
fighting stopped. Sporadic fighting continued between Syria and Israel for
the next three years, with lives lost on both sides. Not only was the Syrians
fighting against Israel, they were also fighting against the nation of Judah,
under the kingship of Jehoshaphat.
At the end of the third year, Jehoshaphat came to visit Ahab in Samaria.
During the discussions that took place, Ahab was reminded that the town
of Ramoth, in the district of Gilead, belonged to Israel; but the Syrians
have not returned this town its rightful owners.
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat: “Will you join with me and go the Ramoth-
Gilead, to do battle and to restore this town to Israel?” Jehoshaphat
answered saying: “I am as you are, my people are your people, my horses
are your horses. But first I would advise that you call upon the Lord, to see
if it is right for us to go up against Syria and to take back Ramoth-Gilead.”
To humour Jehoshaphat, Ahab called all of his prophets together, about
400 of them and enquired of them. “Shall I go to battle against the Syrians
at Ramoth-Gilead, or should I hold back?”
The prophets gathered together and with one voice they answered the
king: “Go up, for the Lord shall deliver it into the hands of the king.”
Now Jehoshaphat had been sitting there listening to this discourse, but was
not completely satisfied with its outcome, as he was a man who was more
in tune with the Lord, than was Ahab. He was surprised that all of the
prophets had given a unanimous answer: “That they should go up, for the
Lord would deliver Ramoth-Gilead into the hands of the king.” He was
puzzled. Why did the prophets say: “Into the hands of the king?” Should
they not have said: “The Lord shall deliver them into the hands of King
Ahab?” Thinking along these lines, Jehoshaphat asked to Ahab: “Is there
not another prophet of the Lord which we can consult about this matter
living here in Israel?”
Ahab answered in the following manner: “Yes there is yet one more man,
Micaiah, the son of Imlah, whom we may consult, to enquire of the Lord,
but I hate this man; for he never prophesies any good for me, or for Israel.”
Jehoshaphat was surprised by the anger of Ahab and that he said evil of
God’s anointed prophet.
Jehoshaphat counselled Ahab: “Ahab, I don’t think you should speak evil
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of God’s prophets; they only speak the messages that the Lord put into
their mouths. Call this man I beg you, and see if he confirms the words of
the other 400 prophets.”
To maintain his good relations with Jehoshaphat, Ahab issued instructions
for Micaiah to be brought before them. In the meanwhile, whilst Ahab and
Jehoshaphat were each seated on their separate thrones on the threshing
floor, at the gates of Samaria.

APPENDIX 3: THE NEW GENERATION OF PROPHETS

Up until this time we have clearly seen that God Almighty was holding the
nation of Israel accountable collectively for its sins.
The king and his household were also held responsible for their sins (as the
king was an anointed one of the Lord) and the nation was blessed or
punished, depending on the leadership of the king in power at that
particular time.
But God wanted now the prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.
With almost no exceptions, the people had refused to listen and obey the
prophets of old. In fact, in the times when they did listen to them, it was
usually to punish the prophets himself, not follow his words from the Lord.
Following the previous methods was not seeming to get the Lord Almighty
anywhere with His chosen people. A new approach therefore was
necessary.
With the coming of “John the Baptist”, God Almighty commenced the
transition of the role of the Prophets in His way of doing things.

APPENDIX 4: JOHN THE BAPTIST - THE GREATEST PROPHET

Many of you now reading this book maybe puzzled at the heading of this
section, and the claim that John the Baptist was the greatest of all the
prophets. These are not my words, they are the words of Jesus Christ
Himself, when He was talking to His disciples.
Since the time of the Old Testament Prophets, God Almighty has been
calling His people back to Himself, through the words, signs and deeds of
His Prophets.
We know from the Scriptures that the people of Israel were a “stiff necked
people”. They did not want to continually follow the Words of the Lord.
Their attitude to the God who took them out of Egypt was one of an army
general, their understanding of God Almighty (Yahweh), was of a person

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who must be obeyed at all times, or suffer the consequences.
This was only one side of the Faces of God Almighty. They did not
understand and recognise that He has many other faces. This is why their
sacrifices and worship was not acceptable to Him, in some cases, because
of their inward sins of the heart, and their disobedience, as a nation to
follow the words of the prophets.
John the Baptist came to the nation of Israel, with a new message. It
focused on a new relationship with the God.
John started to teach the people around him that each individual was as
precious to God as the whole nation of Israel. Each individuals sins were
an abomination before the Lord, just as much as those of the nation of
Israel as a whole.
It was preparing the Way for His coming onto the earth, in physical form,
as Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ was asked by His disciples about John
the Baptist, He answered with these words:
“What did you go out in the wilderness (desert) to see? A reed
blowing in the wind? “What did you go out to see then? A man
clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are
in the house of kings. (Tell me) what did you (really) go out to see?
A Prophet? Yes, I tell you and one (out of the ordinary, an extra
ordinary prophet) more eminent, more remarkable and superior to
any other prophet before him.
This is one of whom it is written. Behold I send My messenger
(Elias) on ahead of You, who shall make ready your Way before
You. Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not
risen one greater than John the Baptist, yet he who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
We have learnt to weigh heavily on the Words of our Lord in the Scriptures.
But sometimes we fail to understand (or miss) the significance of some of
the words He spoke to His disciples, or to the crowds round about Him.
If I asked you, as an individual person, to identify the most important
prophet of the Old Testament times, I am sure that I would receive many
names of mighty prophets. They would probably include: Abraham, Moses,
Noah, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, David, just to name of few of them.
But I would be very surprised if anyone would offer up the name of John
the Baptist, as the most important prophet of the Old Testament.
But ~ indeed he is. Why do I say this? Because in the eyes of God, he was
the most important, and Jesus Christ confirmed it in His own words.
If we look at the other prophets I have named, we can identify special
things that they did, from the Scriptures under obedience to the Lord.
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For instance, Abraham, - he left his house freely under the commandment
of the Lord, to go to a place that the Lord had chosen. His obedience was
judged as righteousness.
Moses was chosen by God in the desert, to go back into Egypt, to free the
Jewish people, at the end of the 400 years of slavery, as promised in the
prophecy to Joseph.
Noah, cried out to God about the sin of the people and why God would not
listen to him. God protected Noah for his righteousness sake and destroyed
the whole of creation which was in sin and started afresh.
Elijah commanded the skies to cease sending rain and for three and a half
years, there was no rain upon the earth.
Elisha prayed to the Lord to save the Shunamite woman’s son and he was
revived and went on living for many years.
David prayed for the salvation of the Jews and from his seed came the
Branch. the root of Jesse, which was Jesus Christ the Lord.
So, you say, we know all of these things. What is so special about them?
Each one of these special stories have been recorded under the power of
the Holy Spirit by the writers of the Scriptures, over many centuries.
But we don’t have one record of any miracles, or predictions that John the
Baptist made, which would make him more special, in the eyes of God,
than all of the prophets mentioned above - or do we?

If Jesus Christ considers he is very special, then we should examine his life,
and his teachings very closely, because Jesus built upon them, as John
came to prepare the way for Christ.
As a builder constructs a house upon solid foundations, so Jesus Christ
presented His teachings upon the foundations prepared by John the
Baptist. So what were these teachings and how have we missed them so
easily in the past.
John the Baptist came to change an individual’s heart and attitude towards
God. Prior to this, the prophets had been directing their attention at the
“Nation of Israel” as a whole. [If the nation turned away from its sinful
nature, then God would bless the nation].
But now, John the Baptist was identifying sin, on a personal level. EACH
PERSON WAS NOW ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL SINS.
This was something new. More so was the teaching that each individual
had to individually repent of their sins, and then - as proof of their
repentance they were to bear fruit worthy of repentance. No longer was
God Almighty a collective being, associated with the collective nation of
Israel.
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John the Baptist made people aware that they were individually
accountable to God Almighty for their sins, and that they, as individuals,
could be punished for them.
John brought people to a point where they were made consciously aware
of their sins and the penalty for them being death. To overcome these sins
was a problem for them, as individuals, not as the collective unit of Israel.
John proclaimed that all sinners must be baptised, Jew and Gentile alike.
The use of water baptism was not something unfamiliar to the Jews of that
day and age.
Whenever a GENTILE wanted to accept the Jewish faith and become a
proselyte, they were required to go through the waters of baptism, to
become “grafted into the nation of Israel”.
But the startling thing that John was preaching was that every Jew who
was a sinner, was now also required to be baptised, to allow them to again
become acceptable to God.
John also prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah, through, Who,
by grace, (by a free gift from God the Father), we may be saved, that is
through His death on the cross, His victory over death, and His resurrection
to everlasting life, as the first fruits of the resurrection.
John prophesied that he baptised with water, but that Jesus would baptise
with the HOLY SPIRIT & WITH FIRE.
Now many books have been written about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit,
and what an impact it has on the life of every Christian. But what about
the BAPTISM OF FIRE? WHAT IS IT? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
If John was the greatest of all the prophets, and we have seen the evidence
of people being baptised with the Holy Spirit, when can we expect the
BAPTISM OF FIRE TO COMMENCE??
Has it happened already??? What will happen to those people who are
effected by it?
When a storm is in the area where I live in Australia, it is quite common
for lightning to strike a tree and set the surrounding bush on fire. The fire
races through the forest, burning everything in its path, without fear or
favour, everything gets burned.
Shortly after, maybe one or two weeks later, the forest will start to sprout
new growth from among the tree which had previously been consumed in
the fire. BUT NOT ALL THE TREES WILL START TO BLOOM AGAIN. SOME
WILL BE DEAD FOR EVER.
When you go into a jeweller’s shop, he has a small fire in which he melts
the copper, the tin and mixes them together to make a new metal - (Brass).
He also uses fire to purify the silver and gold, to take all the impurities out
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of it. Only when the impurities are removed can he then start to make the
wonderful pieces of jewellery worn by many women today.
THE BAPTISM OF FIRE, THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS TALKING ABOUT IS
THE SAME IN FUNCTION.
As the Holy Spirit has come and has spread across the world, causing
revival in old churches, creation of and salvation in new churches, making
the people take the church, out of its ivory towers, and into the streets,
just like in the first century churches, so a major change is about to occur,
when the BAPTISM OF FIRE COMES.
It is the responsibility of pastors around the world today, to identify what
the BAPTISM OF FIRE is, what is its function and to start to prepare the
church for its coming.
Jesus did not send the Holy Spirit to the disciples un-announced. He
commanded them to wait in Jerusalem, until the “promise from the Father
shall arrive”. Because of their obedience to His words, the Holy Spirit came
down upon them.
The BAPTISM OF FIRE will come. It may come like the bolt of lightning, or
it might come in some other way, that is not clear to me. But in faith I
know that God will honour His word and send the fire down upon us.
The fire shall consume both the believer and non-believer alike.
Everyone in its path shall be affected.
For the believer, it shall be a refining fire, a cleansing of all sins, those
special sins which have been secretly hidden away from the eyes of the
family, the eyes of the other church members, but not hidden away from
the eyes of the Lord.
The fire of the Lord could also be a series of testings and trials, to put your
faith to the test, to make you rely completely upon the Lord, instead of
upon your pastor, your financial stability, your family or your intellectual
abilities.
This shall be necessary, so that the Lord can start and finish the task of
preparing His bride for the wedding feast. Hebrews 6:1-3 says that we
should press on to the finish, to become like Christ, but only if God shall
permit.
Like the trees after the fire, new shoots spring forth from among the ashes,
so shall the individual Christians spring forth with new levels of faith. This
revelation which John the Baptist received from the Lord, through the
guidance of the Holy Spirit, was the reason the he was proclaimed by Jesus
Christ to be the greatest of all the Prophets. But you look at this and say:
“What relevance is this to us today, living in the latter half of the twentieth
century, nearly 2,000 years after the birth of Jesus Christ?
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APPENDIX 5: THE MODERN-DAY PROPHET
As we have seen in the past, the prophet has always been “the mouthpiece
of God Almighty”, a vessel used by God to proclaim His anger or blessings
upon His chosen peoples. The people chosen by God to perform these
special missions were often persecuted, imprisoned, or even killed, by the
very people they were sent to speak to by God Almighty.
These people were considered radicals by the majority of the people, who
only listened to them out of fear what might happen to them if they
disobeyed the will of God for most of their lifetime.
God has not changed His ways - He still uses His prophets to perform
function today - even in this day and age. But unfortunately for the world
at large, the majority of peoples and nations refuse to acknowledge their
existence in the world today. This situation is due to the fact that “most
Churches” around the world today refuse to acknowledge the existence of
Prophets in the Body of Christ in the twentieth century.
If they did acknowledge this fact, they would also have to recognise the
existence of the “five-fold apostolic ministries”, as laid down in the
Scriptures. To many churches, this goes against their “man-made church
professions, power bases and pyramid hierarchies.”
For several centuries now the churches have decided to appoint their own
leaders and as such have changed the concept of the church, away from
that laid down in the Scriptures, which is the sovereign Word of God. The
result is that the “traditional churches” are progressively dying, as more
and more of the younger generation see the contradiction in the way the
church is governed, compared to what is written in the Word of God.
The Scripture is very clear in this regard (refer to Ephesians 4:11)
“And His gifts were varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to
us, some to be APOSTLES (special messengers from God), some
PROPHETS (inspired preachers and expounders of the Word of God,
some EVANGELISTS (preachers of the Gospel, travelling
missionaries), some PASTORS (shepherds -caretakers of His flock)
and TEACHERS (those people, gifted by God, to clearly explain
God’s Word - in simple terms, to the Body of Christ), His intention
was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His
consecrated people) that they should do the work of ministering
towards building up Christ’s Body - which is the church. That it may
develop until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the
comprehension of the full and accurate knowledge of the Son of
God; that we might arrive at really mature (spiritual) manhood -
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the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the
standard height of Christ’s own perfection - the measure of the
stature of the fullness of the Christ, and the completeness found
(only) in Him.”
Now I am very sure that no pastor of a present-day church will come
forward and publicly say that “his church” is perfect, and has attained that
“oneness of the faith” which brings us to the perfect spiritual level - to the
complete perfection which is Jesus Christ. This means that nothing has
changed.
The synagogues of ancient times were a closed shop affair. If you were not
a direct descendant of Aaron - the high priest, a Levite, you were not
entitled to become a priest of the nation of Israel and minister in the
Temple.
Nowadays many denominations will not allow persons to preach in their
churches, unless they have gone to their own particular bible seminaries
and these persons are then sent out to be a pastor in one of their own
churches. The churches of the twentieth century have become like elite,
selective social clubs.
Very few of them are like the churches of the first century, proudly
proclaiming and practising 100 percent the written Word of God. The
“church hierarchies” have allowed the Word of God to become “watered
down” in its interpretation and in the ways we live our lives.
Governments have legislated to remove any derogatory references to
homosexual behaviour, as a criminal offence.
Churches have not taken on their responsibilities to ensure that these
legislations do not become the law of the land. Churches have allowed
people who still perform these acts, to be members of the governing body
of their individual churches, even though the Word of God says that these
acts are an abomination in the sight of God Almighty.
This is just one example of why the Body of Christ is not a perfect, united,
Body. If you are a member of an individual church you will know of many
other reasons why your individual church does not agree with the doctrines
of “that other church - just up the road”.
But this is not the way the Lord wanted it to be!!!! The Scripture clearly
says that we are to become ONE - UNITED IN THE BODY OF CHRIST -
not at war with each part of the Body of Christ. We are supposed to all
be united and at war with one enemy only - SATAN.
For this reason, the Lord raised up the “five-fold ministries”. Persons who
are selected by the Lord Himself - not by man. Persons who operate under
the anointing and the Power of the Holy Spirit, to be a witness to the whole
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Body of Christ. These people do not belong to any special denomination,
they preach Christ, without reference to individual denominations. This is
just like the first-generation churches.
If you disagree with my analysis, I would like to ask you a simple question:
What denomination did Jesus belong to?
It is now in the latter half of the twentieth century, that the greatest
spiritual battles are being fought in the spiritual realm, for the millions of
souls snatched away by Satan and his helpers. This is a battle that we were
commanded to fight and to win, if we wanted to be found acceptable to
belong to the Bride of Christ, in the end time judgement.
We, as individual Christians, have to become more and more aware of what
the Bible really says, not rely on other people’s ideas. We have to cry out
to the Lord to send the people mentioned in the Word, those people
especially selected by the Lord Himself, to be a blessing and a guide to the
Body of Christ, as a whole, so that we can move into the twenty first
century with the certainty that our names still remain in the Lamb’s Book
of life.
For these things to come to pass, we must recognise that it can only happen
if the Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers and Pastors, called by God
Almighty Himself, are allowed to function in the collective Body of Christ,
operating with all the nine manifested Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to sift and
shake the Body of Christ, so that what remains shall become stronger in
the faith, more determined to serve the Lord and eve prepared to go and
do whatever the Lord calls of them - without fear or favour.
So if someone gets up in your church and challenges you with a Word from
the Lord, don’t close your ears to him/her. Carefully listen to what the
person has to say and test it against the Word of God. If it agrees with the
Word of God and it is to “EDIFY, EXHORT, or COMFORT” the Body of
Christ, then you are obliged to accept it and put it into practise in your
lives. If it does not line up with the Word of God, IGNORE IT
COMPLETELY!!!

CONCLUSION
We have seen that the Lord never changes. His Word is the truth, is the
truth, is the truth - forever. The words of this book are to challenge you to
look carefully at yourself, your attitude to God Almighty, your attitude to
Jesus Christ, and your attitude to your fellow believers throughout the
world in which we live together.
I hope and pray that after reading this book you will be challenged by it
enough to pass it on to someone else, so that the Challenge of the Word of
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the Lord shall not be left to sit on the bookshelf forever.
You have 4 calendar years to complete the course from the date you submit
your first assignment. At the completion of each subject, I will issue a
Certificate of Attainment.
Once all 10 subjects are satisfactorily completed, I will issue a Certificate
IV in Practical Ministry and Theology.

CTTNBC – 004: THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM

Then He told them. “You are to go into the entire world and
preach the gospel (the Good News) to everyone,
everywhere. Those who believe, and are baptized, will be
saved. But those who refuse to believe will be condemned”.
Mark 16:15-16

LESSON: 1. BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM

Memory Verse:

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 Then He told them. “You are to go into all the world and
preach the gospel (the Good News) to everyone,
everywhere. Those who believe, and are baptized, will be
saved. But those who refuse to believe will be condemned”.
Mark 16:15-16

A. BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM – PART 1.

There are three essential ingredients of effective evangelism (cf. John
17:13-20).

1) The World is our Mission Field.

a) As Disciples, (who are in the world), but (not of the world), our
prime responsibility is to contact sinners, and build up a
trustworthy relationship with them.
i) The Trinity is a relationship between three (3) parts of the
Godhead.
ii) God Almighty considers relationships to be very important.
iii) We are made in the image of God, therefore, we should
also recognize, that as Christians, we have to ensure
that we are a “relationship oriented people”.
b) C. H. Spurgeon said, “Those men who keep themselves to
themselves, like hermits, and live a “supposed” sanctified
life of self-absorption, are not likely to have any influence
in the world, or to do good to their fellow-creatures. You
must love the people, and mix with them, if you are to be
of service to them.”
c) The real danger we face is contamination inside the church
by the world.
i) This means that we as individuals, and “the church” as a
part, (or the whole), allows items of the world to infiltrate
into the church. For example;
ii) Gay rights and homosexual rights are rampant causes in
the community right now. The word of God is very clear. God
sees this as an abomination in the sight of God.
iii) Therefore, we cannot allow, or condone these practices
within the church environment. We are commanded to love
the sinner – but not condone the sin.

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 iv) The ordination of practicing gay or lesbian people into the
ministry is an abomination before God, and God cannot bless
it, because God cannot go against His own word.
2) The Word of God is our Message.
a) We do not add to it, nor do we delete any of it, nor depart
from it!
b) Our need then, is clarity and accuracy in speaking the
message and the danger is confusion, or corruption, of
the message.

3) The Witness is the Messenger.

a) Believers need character contradicting the gospel message.
b) People must be able to hear what you say, and see it in your daily
lives.
c) In other words, we have to be “doers of the word”, not hearers
only.
There are many different obstacles, to evangelism, but consider these
four:

1. Intimidation: we fear evangelism (cf. 1 Cor. 2:3)

2. Ignorance: we lack organized knowledge (cf. Hosea 4:6)
3. Inability: we don’t know how to witness (Use Jesus & Paul as
examples)
4. Indifference: we lack motivation to tell others (This indicates
a spiritual problem inside ourselves)
Consider these six requirements for effective evangelism:

1. The Gospel Message, Rom. 1:16; 10:17

2. A life of Integrity, 2 Cor. 4:1-6; Phil 2:14-16; 2 Tim 2:20-26
3. Boldness, Eph. 6:19-20
4. A Clear Presentation, Col. 4:2-4
5. Dependence Upon God’s Power, (2 Tim 2:25), sought through
prayer (Acts 4:23-31) and brought by the Spirit (Acts 4:31)
6. A Compassion for the Lost, Matt 9:36-38; Jude 24-25

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BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM – PART 2. THE MEANING OF
EVANGELISM.

1) What does it mean to be a witness for Christ?

a) Why is defining evangelism important? After all, everyone who
is a Christian knows the importance of it.
b) That is exactly the point: There is a great deal of difference
between knowing that evangelism is important and knowing
what evangelism is.
c) Knowing the character and purpose of evangelism, helps
determines the process of its implementation, and whether or
not, one has been successful in it.
2) First, we need to consider some wrong ideas about what
evangelism IS!
a) What Evangelism is not!
b) Evangelism is not “getting someone saved.”
i) This puts the emphasis on conversions rather than content
(2. Cor. 2:17; 1 Thess. 2:3-4).
ii) It puts the focus on results, instead of our responsibilities
(Acts 18:5-6; 20:26-27).
iii) It puts our confidence in our persuasiveness, instead of
God’s power (1 Cor. 2:1-5; 2 Cor. 4:1-7).
c) Evangelism is not helping people be better people by “meeting their
real needs.”
i) This puts the emphasis on us transforming the culture,
rather than God transforming sinners.
ii) It requires the church to be involved in unequal yokes with
unbelievers, rather than holy separation to the Lord.
iii) It removes the need for repentance and faith, and replaces it
with moralism.
iv) Lastly, this is the social gospel that leads to apostasy, rather
than the Saviour’s gospel that leads to eternal life.
d) Evangelism is not “living a good life.” This puts the emphasis
entirely on my lifestyle, rather than telling others the gospel of
Jesus Christ. This is a wrong application of a good passage such
as 1. Peter 3:1.
3) What is evangelism, then?
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1) Evangelism is an ACTIVITY: a Christian tells the gospel to a
sinner.
a) The activity is preaching, proclaiming, telling the good news (Acts 8:4, 12, 35).
b) Who does this?
i) Every Christian has the responsibility to do this.
ii) Not just the 5-fold ministry,
iii) Not just people “called to be Evangelists”,
iv) Not just the Pastors, NO! EVERYBODY!
v) Jesus told us clearly to do this, just before His ascension
into Heaven. Therefore, it is very important!
c) The subject matter is the gospel;
i) Jesus as “the Christ”;
ii) Jesus as “the Word”;
iii) Jesus as “the good news”;
iv) Jesus; His Birth, His Ministry, The Cross & The
R esurrection; The F aith, (Is. 7:14; Rom 1:15; Acts 5:42;
8:4; 17:18; 1 Cor. 1:23; Heb. 4:6; Gal 1:23).
d) The objects are people; in Nations; cities; towns, villages
(Acts 1-8; 8:40; Luke 3:18; 4:43; Acts 8:25).
e) The aim is that those who hear (the word), would turn
from paganism to God; to make disciples (not believers)
(Acts 14:15, 21).
f) The manner is plain, not in cleverness of speech; without
charge; truly, simple (1 Cor. 1:17; 2 Cor. 4:1-2).
2) Here, then, is a proposed definition of evangelism:
a) Earnestly proclaiming the gospel to sinners;
b) So, they can turn from their wicked ways and;
c) Turn to Christ and follow Him.
3) Biblical evangelism is God centred, not man centred.
a) It trusts the message, not the messenger. It relies on God’s
power, not persuasiveness. It seeks to save the lost, not
transform the culture.
b) Thus, we must concentrate on knowing the content of the
gospel.

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 c) Disciples already know it, but often lack an organized plan,
of communicating it to others.
d) We must therefore commit ourselves to speaking the
truth, going through doors God opens (when He opens
them), and seeking opportunities to speak the message.

CASE STUDY: THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM IN APOSTLE PETER,

ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

Peter has been with Jesus for 3 years, heard all the teaching, and seen
all the miracles, yet before the cross, he denied Jesus three (3) times.
Jesus challenges Peter before His ascension, by asking Peter three times
“Peter do you love me”. Peter responds that he does and realises that
even though he denied Jesus three times, Jesus still forgave Him. That is
how much Jesus loves each of us.
As one of the 500 people, who are eyewitnesses, who actually saw the
resurrected Jesus, after the crucifixion, Peter is obedient and remains in
the Upper Room until the promise from Heaven arrives.
Let us take up the story in Acts chapter 2 verse 1. [Translation from the
Living Bible]
Seven weeks had gone by since Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the
Day of Pentecost has now arrived. As the believers met together that day,
suddenly there was a sound, like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in
the skies above them and it filled the house where they were meeting.
Then, what looked like flames, or tongues of fire appeared and settled on
their heads. Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began
speaking in languages they did not know, for the Holy Spirit gave them
this ability.
Many godly Jews were in Jerusalem that day for the religious
celebrations, having arrived from many nations. When they heard the
roaring in the sky above the house, crowds came running to see what it
was all about, and were stunned to hear their own languages being
spoken by the disciples.
1. Before Jesus ascended, He commanded the disciples to remain in
Jerusalem for the promise from Heaven.
2. Out of 500 people who saw the resurrected Jesus, only 120 remained
obedient to His commandment.
3. They were in the upper room, “all in one accord”, in unity, in
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 relationship with God and each other, and strange things started to
happen, which had not happened in scripture for such a long time.
a. A mighty, rushing, roaring wind was heard overhead, which then
came into the room. (Just like at the visitation of God to Elijah) and
when Solomon consecrated the first temple.
b. The tongues of fire started to appear out of the wind and rest upon
each of their heads. This was the Old Testament confirmation of
God’s Hoy presence.
c. Next, they started to all speak in languages they did not
understand in their intellect.
d. It was so unusual that a large crowd (probably more than 5,000)
gathered at the house to see what was happening.
e. They were amazed that they could hear these uneducated
Galileans, speaking their own languages.
f. 14 known languages were being spoken by these uneducated
Galileans, under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
g. It was so amazing it led to them asking, “What does this mean”?
We must learn to seize all opportunities to witness about Jesus
Christ.
h. The scripture records that Peter stepped forward with the other
apostles, and shouted to the crowd.
i. Peter recognised that a special event had just taken place. This event
was prophesied several centuries before by Prophet Joel in Joel 2:28.
j. Peter reminds them of the prophecy. [You cannot do that unless you
know your word.] “In the last days” God said, “I will pour out My Holy
Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and daughters shall prophecy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams. Yes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon all my servants, men and
women alike, and they shall prophecy. And I will cause strange
demonstrations in the heavens, and on earth – blood and fire and
clouds of smoke, the sun shall turn black and the moon red, before
that awesome Day of the Lord arrives. But anyone who asks for mercy
from the Lord shall have it and shall be saved.”
k. Peter continues to exhort them and explain what was really
happening, how Judas betrayed Jesus, who was convicted, in an illegal
court, was crucified, and rose again, and now sits at God’s right hand.
Peter clearly tells them that Jesus is the Messiah, which was made
known by all the prophets.
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 l. None of this message could have been made, to the people, if Peter did not know
and understand the scriptures.
5. The sign of a message being effective is that the people ask questions
about what is said.
a. This is the first opportunity for you to witness directly to a person in
a one- on-one situation. You can answer that person’s question
directly to them.
b. The people asked; “What shall we do”?
c. Peter’s answer should be part of our ammunition to fire at the enemy,
every time we have an opportunity to witness to unbelievers.
d. “Each one of you must turn away from sin, return to God and be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
then you also shall receive this gift, the Holy Spirit. For Christ
promised Him to each one of you who has been called by the Lord our
God, and to your children, and even to those in distant lands”.
e. And those who believed were baptised, about 3000 in all.
f. The unfortunate thing about this scripture is that some did not
believe, even after seeing this with their own eyes and hearing the
biblical explanation of why it had taken place.
6. Just think on this a minute! Reflect on this situation reported at
Pentecost. If you were there, what would you have done?
a. This was Peter’s first sermon, and 3,000 people gave their hearts
to Jesus Christ.
b. The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you!
c. Therefore, you have the same potential as Peter.
d. You can win 3,000 souls for Jesus, if you just step out in faith,
believing God has already gone before you, to prepare the hearts of
the listeners to receive your message.

BIBLICAL MANDATE FOR EVANGELISM – PART 3

1) MANDATE & MOTIVE OF EVANGELISM

a) Why should we witness for Christ?
i) Firstly, because Jesus Christ commanded us to just
that in, Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; John 20:21.
b) In light of Christ’s command; Evangelism requires
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 taking the positive initiative– “go therefore and make
disciples.”
i) We cannot wait for the lost to come to us; we must make a
concerted, determined, intensive, and aggressive effort to
win the lost for Christ.
ii) Jesus did not hang out His shingle at His office,
proclaiming Himself the greatest healer, with published
business hours, waiting for people to come to Him.
iii) No! Jesus went into the highways and the byways, to meet
the people right where they were at, with all their lumps,
bumps, hurts and diseases.
iv) Jesus was always proactive.
v) We have to transform the thinking of the church of today, back
to the situation of the “first generation church”, where
people were eagerly waiting for opportunities to tell people
about Jesus Christ. These people were not afraid to be
imprisoned, tortured or even to die for the Gospel. Are you
that committed?
c) Evangelism results in making unbelievers into followers of
Christ– “make disciples.”
i) This involves instruction and persuasion, from their present
position, to a radically different one.
d) A disciple, or follower of Christ:
i) believes,
ii) obeys, and
iii) promotes Jesus Christ.
e) Evangelism results in public confession– “baptizing
them…”
i) The only way a follower of Christ is verified, is if he/she has
made a public confession of faith, and
ii) The first step of obedience that Jesus set forth for making
that public confession is through baptism.
iii) If someone maintains that he/she is a disciple, but will not
be baptized, then he/she is not following Christ!
f) Evangelism results in training. “Teaching them to observe
all that I commanded you.”

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 i) The new convert must be taught;
ii) How to live right, recalling the lifestyle they are coming out of
(Col 1:13; 1 Pet 2:9).
iii) All training must be done with love, be non-judgemental,
concentrate on the Bible, and focused on Jesus Christ.
g) From Jesus’ commands in Luke 24:46-49, and Acts 1:8,
we learn additionally the following about evangelism:
h) Evangelism involves a message – “repentance for
forgiveness of sins” (Luke 24:47).
i) We must inform unbelievers of their state before God and
Jesus Christ as their only hope of deliverance.
i) Evangelism involves an activity – “proclaimed in His
name” (Luke 24:47). This is the means that God has
established by which the message is brought to sinners.
j) Evangelism involves a plan – “to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8).
i) Note: When churches try to do evangelism any other way than
that laid down in the scriptures, God cannot bless it to the level
He wants to. Remember, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.”
ii) The plan for evangelism is: concentric circles ever going
outwards from the centre, which is the local church.
iii) This is the scope and object of executing the means of
bringing the message to sinners.
iv) There are no exceptions, whether racial, social, political,
economic, or geographic.
k) Evangelism requires empowerment– “clothed with power
from on high” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
i) Apart from God’s enabling power, it is a hopeless task.
ii) With God’s strength and enabling help, you can have real
confidence in evangelism.

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 Legend
Your Local church,
The next City, Town or village, (say radius
of 100 Kms)
Your whole state
Your whole nation
The whole earth

LESSON ONE ASSIGNMENT.

The students shall prepare a minimum 500-word report,
concentrating on the eight (8) questions listed below. This will form
10% of the total assessment mark for this subject.
1. Who is responsible for evangelism in the church?
2. Why should we evangelize?
3. Whom should we evangelize?
4. What are the tools for evangelism?
5. What must a new believer do once he/she has accepted Jesus
Christ as their saviour?
a. Lifestyle
b. Confession

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 c. Relationships
6. What are the reasons that some people fail as evangelists?
7. Have you led someone to Jesus Christ?
8. When was the last time this occurred?

LESSON 2: THE GOOD NEWS

1 Corinthians 15:1-34; 15:58.
Memory Verse: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is
the power of God, for the salvation of everyone who believes.
[Romans 1:16.]
Can You Hear the Questions?
a) In your spirit, can you hear the silent heart cry of a world of
dying people, waiting to hear the truth? Listen.
b) Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
c) Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?
d) Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?
e) Who has established all the ends of the earth?
f) What is his name?
g) And, the name of his son?
h) Tell me if you know! [Proverbs 30:2-4.]
Millions of people are confused about the meaning of life.
i) They do not know where they come from, why they are here,
or where they will go when life ends.2
j) In their heart of hearts, they suspect there is a God, but who is
he, where is he, what is he like?
k) You know who he is, and you know the name of his Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ.
What Shall We Tell This Person?
Paul wrote to his friends in the church at Corinth, in Greece to answer
this question. He said there are six important things that people need
to know, so that they can decide what to do. Ref. 1 Corinthians 15.1-
28.
l) There is a message from God.
m) Jesus, who died, is risen and is alive.
n) There is grace and favour from God.
o) Death is not the end.
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 p) Jesus Christ is coming again.
q) There will be a last day – then comes the judgement.
Tell any person that He Can Know God
The Bible says that it is of ‘first importance’, that every man and
woman, every boy and girl, should hear the gospel; the message that
reunites a man with God.
What Is the Gospel?
It is the power of God to everyone who believes. [Rom. 1:16.]
Paul tells us that Christ, God’s Son, died for our sins, that he was
buried, and that he was raised on the third day. 1 Cor. 15:1-4.
1. We must believe that God is, that He exists, and that He is a
rewarder of all who diligently seek Him, not a cruel, distant
figure. Hebrews 11:6.
2. We must believe that He is a holy God, and that our many sins
of not seeking Him, of going our own way, of our many bad
thoughts, words and actions have separated us from His love
and presence. As a result, when we die, we can only expect
fearful punishment. Romans 3:23 and 6:23.
3. We choose to believe that God in His great love, sent his Son
Jesus, born of a virgin and sinless, to rescue us by taking all of
God’s righteous anger, so that we might have peace and be able
to enter God’s holy presence (blameless) both now and at
death. 1 Peter 2:24-25.
4. We believe it is our own responsibility to make the proper
response. We admit and are deeply sorry that we have sinned.
We believe that Jesus died because of us and now we ask God’s
help, to turn from our evil ways.
5. We receive Jesus as Saviour and Lord, and promise to follow him
forever even if friends and family make life difficult, John
1.12,13, Revelation 3.20.

Tell them that Jesus Is Alive

r) Our faith is not based upon our feelings, but it stands upon facts
that would be admitted as crucial evidence in any fair court of law.
s) Paul records the eyewitness testimony of 514 people, including
the statements of people who knew Jesus well, like Peter and
that of the apostles. They could not be mistaken. 1. Corinthians
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 15.5-8.
Tell them that there is Grace for Him
i) Grace is the undeserved favour of God, freely given, not
bought or earned, to be received, with thanksgiving.
ii) Paul says that even though he persecuted the church,
nevertheless the grace of God has worked powerfully in his
life.

Tell Them that Jesus Will Soon Return

"When he comes, he will bring justice to all the peoples of the earth,"
believing the promise of the angels in Acts 1.11, as have Christians down
through all the ages, until this very day. 1 Corinthians 15:3; 25.
Tell them that there will be a Last Day
i) Today is always the day to receive God’s salvation, and now
is always the very best time, because tomorrow maybe too
late, 1 Corinthians 15.24-28, 50-57.
ii) For these reasons, we who believe should stand firm, not
allowing anything to move us from these eternal truths.
iii) We should always give ourselves fully to the work of the
Lord, telling others, knowing that this labour although hard,
is not ever in vain, 1 Corinthians 15.58.

LESSON 3: ASK GOD

What are the prayers that win the lost? (Refer) Ezekiel
chapter 34.
Memory Verse: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms. Ephesians 6:12.
Acts 26:28-29.

1. Crowds of People
One day when I was visiting the markets, I had to wait outside a shop,
which was full of people wanting to buy something. The people crushed
all around me, they were pushing and shoving; all in a hurry.
Firstly, I thought badly of them, because they were pushing and
shouting, some were drinking and many were smoking and using bad
language.
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Then I remembered the time when Jesus saw the crowds. He was not
angry with them, but saw them as harassed and helpless people.
Jesus had compassion on them and asked his friends, the disciples to
pray for workers to help them. Matthew 9:35-38.
2. Sheep without a Shepherd
I repented of my impatience and began to pray. I felt God
speaking to my heart saying, "If you really want to help these
people, then no amount of human effort will get their attention”.
The best thing to do is for you to get closer to me; so that
I can respond to your prayers and bring the people to Me."
3. Bible Prayers that Save the Lost
Think about this for a moment, especially if you know your Bible.
Where do you find examples of people praying to God and asking
him to save individuals like Mother, Father, Son, Daughter, boss,
neighbour and so on.
The simple answer is that you cannot find these prayers! Why Not?
Because God has already shown Himself (in His word); to be totally
committed to their salvation; [He came so that not even one soul
should be lost].
In fact, He is much more committed than we are. For him the matter
has been already decided, and forever. God made a promise to crush
the head that is the authority of the devil. (Genesis 3:15). God
bound himself with agreements or covenants to bless mankind,
including Genesis 9.1-17, Genesis chapters 15 and 17, Exodus
34.10.
Even though man broke his promises repeatedly, God in his love
and mercy promised a new covenant in Jeremiah 31.31.
He promised Abraham that through him, and by faith, the families
of the earth would be blessed. Gen 12.1-3.
In the Old Testament, God gave an entire nation, [Israel],
the job of ministering his blessing in the earth, Exodus 19.5-
6.
In Ezekiel 34, verses 4, 12, 16, the Father shows his great compassion, by declaring that
even if every man fails to care, He will personally search for the lost, bring back the strays,
bind up the injured, and strengthen the weak.
Above all, God sent his Son, Jesus, to seek out and to save the
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 lost, Luke 19.10, Luke
4.18. When God sent the Holy Spirit, the first thing he did in
public was to inform men from all over the world, in their own
languages, about the wonders of God, Acts 2.1-12.
4. What Is the Best Bible Prayer?
Now that we know just how committed and determined God
is, we can pray in the name of Jesus with passion, with
perseverance, with insistence and with absolute confidence,
"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is already
being done in heaven. Amen."
5. How then Should We Pray?
Even though we know that God is so committed to seeing people
saved, we still need to pray, and pray often and with considerable
passion, enthusiasm and perseverance. Why? Because Jesus has
commanded us to pray for the sick (“the prayer of a righteous man
availeth much, and the prayer of faith shall heal the sick)
6. What should we pray?
a. First, We Must Pray for Ourselves
1. For our minds to be opened to the reality of what it really
means to be “lost”. That is, separated eternally from God.
Revelation 20.11.
2. For passion for the lost. Luke 19.10.
3. For doors being opened by God. 1 Cor. 16.9, 2 Cor. 2.12,
Acts 14.27, Col 4.3, Revelation 3.8.
4. For sensitivity to God’s guidance. Acts 8.26 onwards.
5. For wisdom, as opportunities may not come where we
expect; and we often look in the wrong places. [Ref.
James 1:5.]
6. For courage, Eph. 6.19, Acts 4.29.
7. For freedom, for Holy Spirit to do his work of convicting
men. Acts 1.8.
8. For his words Isaiah 59:21, Jer. 1:9.
9. For a mentality of growth and harvest. Matthew 13.1-
23, Isaiah 53.10-11.

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7. We Must Always Pray for the People
Prayer is an expression of our love. The best kind of prayer picks
up the longings of God and expresses them back to him with
words.
Paul guides us how to pray for people in 1 Tim 2.1-3. "As for me,
far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray
for you." 1 Samuel 12:23.

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 8. We Pray as Spiritual Warfare
Although the god of this age, Satan, has blinded the minds of
unbelievers, prayer will open those unseeing eyes and rescue men
from Satan’s power, so that they may be forgiven by God, and join
his family. 2 Cor. 4.4, Acts 26.18.
We have to pray against Satan’s work, to hold back men, money and
materials to advance the gospel. Ephesians 6:12. In fact so tight is
his grip that Jesus told us to ask God to thrust workers into the
harvest fields. “Thrust” is a word that implies some pushing forward
(even when they are reluctant)! 2 Corinthians 2:11, Matthew 9:38.
9. Answered Prayer
The Bible tells us that the early church devoted themselves to
prayer, and GOD ADDED DAILY TO THEIR NUMBER.
Because their leaders saw prayer and the word as very
important, the number of new disciples increased rapidly. Acts
2:42,47; 6:4-7.
Remember, if we pray according to the will of God, then our answers
are also going to be in accordance with the will of God, and on their
way. 1 John 5.14-15, Mark 11.24, Matthew 18.19, Matthew 7.7,
Jeremiah 33.3.

More reference reading:

1. Getting Closer to God – The Prayer Series [Course
Reference Directory]
2. Living in the Secret Kingdom, [Course Reference Directory]

LESSON: 4. PREPARATION POINTS TO SALVATION

Theme: People you meet, can be won for Jesus

1 Peter 3:8-22; Daniel 12:2-4.
Memory Verse: Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have
in Christ Jesus. 1 Peter 3.15-16.
15
but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being
prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for
the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and respect, having

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 a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile
your good behaviour in Christ may be put to shame. 2 Timothy 1.7.
Peter, the great apostle and beloved pastor also does the work of the
evangelist from time to time. But in 1 Peter 3.1-8, he opens his heart as
the pastor, but then in verse 13 he turns to encourage his congregation to
win souls for Jesus. We are going to follow his good advice.
We Have to Overcome Our Fear
1. In Spain, there is a church of men and women who used to live
on the streets, fearlessly robbing people, taking drugs and
selling sex.
2. Jesus has wonderfully saved hundreds of them.
3. They used to rob banks, but now when it came to telling people
about Jesus, amazingly they were a bit frightened, and said
things like:
a. "People might laugh at me."
b. "People might think I am mad."
c. "Someone might hit me."
d. "I don’t like feeling rejected."
The Bible says that God does not give us a spirit of fear, but a
spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (A sound mind:
reference 2 Tim. 1:7).

Where Does the Fear Come from?

Who does not want us to tell people about Jesus? (Of course, it is
Satan). If we submit to God, we can resist the devil, and he will flee
from us. James 4.7.

Let’s Get Our Heart’s Right!

In our hearts, we must set apart Christ as Lord. Being under Lordship
means serving the Lord’s interests and doing whatever he says is
important for him. So, what is known (or do you understand) about the
interests of our Lord Jesus Christ?
For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost, and all those
who are afflicted by the evil one. Luke 19.10.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to preach good
news to the poor, Is. 61:1 & Luke 4:18.
Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the
lost sheep until he finds it? Luke 15.4.
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Lost, confused people are important to Jesus. Matthew 9.36-38. It is true
that a soul can be saved, on a deathbed, but better still, a life and a soul
being saved when a young person follows Christ. Who can tell how many
they may later lead to Jesus?

Peter Says Always!

We must be ready to talk about Jesus at any time of the day or night.
You can be sure that God will specially arrange some inconvenience from
time to time, as a test of your sincerity.
In India after a hard day’s work in the heat and dust, a group of Christians
were exhausted. They sat down to eat in a food shop. Suddenly a Hindu
waiter literally threw himself at their feet, said he knew who they were,
and asked if anyone could lead him to Jesus. It was not convenient, but
what do you think they did?
Always Be Prepared – in season and out of season!
Are You Prepared?
Peter says that we must be prepared before we go into battle, or else
risk being defeated. In what ways should we prepare ourselves? For
example, be prepared:
• Spiritually, drawn into prayer.
• Biblically, convinced of the passion of the heart of Father, Son and
Spirit.
• Emotionally, we will hear some sad stories so we must be good
listeners, unshockable, but moveable to tears.
• Intellectually, because there are many different ways, to win
different types of people. Do we know what they are?
• Practically, ready to go two by two, with good planning and
organised follow-up, presenting a good appearance.
• Non-Judgemental, despite what they tell us, we must never
judge them. Why? Because the scripture tells us that whatever
ruler we use to judge others, will be the same ruler that Jesus will
use to judge us.

Peter Says the Word “Everyone!”

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We all find it easier to be with some people rather than others, but when
it comes to winning souls, we must put all prejudice and preference to
death, because to Jesus, every soul is precious. Whether upper class,
working class, or low-caste, God loves every soul equally.
Get Them to Ask You Questions!
Can you start a conversation that leads to someone asking you, for
example, what you do, or where you go at weekends?
That opens the door for you to say a few words about your faith, or your
church. The idea is to go fishing for men, and to catch a fish you must
dangle a worm with a hook inside. See who you can catch with patience,
perseverance and any eye open for God’s opportunities.

Opportunities Can Be Unexpected

A pastor was on a train when a girl seated nearby had an attack of asthma.
Everyone looked away, but the pastor went across to calm the girl. He said
he knew how she felt because he used to suffer with asthma. Then he
returned to his seat.
Later on, the girl asked why he did not have asthma now. In a couple of
minutes, the pastor was able to explain his faith in God who also heals.
The girl promised to come and visit him later.
Was this the correct method of evangelism in this situation?
Please discuss in Class.
• What would have been her reaction if he went to her and
commanded the spirit of asthma to come out of her in Jesus’ name?
• What do you think would have been the reaction of the other
travellers on the train?
Explain your reasons.

Can You Explain the Hope You Have?

When you are talking to someone in the street and your conversation
turns to faith in God, you probably have no more than two minutes to
say what Jesus has done for you.
Can you do that? Why not practice with friends, each one taking turns
to speak or to watch the clock.

Watch Your Attitude

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Attitude and smiles may speak louder than words. Peter says we should
always converse with gentleness and respect, which are rare qualities in
this busy world today.

Finally, Be Ready for Suffering

If it is God’s will, Peter says, be ready to suffer for doing good. Some
folks just will not listen to you. Don’t worry, if they laugh or insult you. It
is all for Jesus, who died for sins, once for all time, the righteous for the
unrighteous, to bring you to God.

LESSON: 5. LIFESTYLE OF THE EVANGELIST

What is it that makes people listen?

Mark chapter 1
Here Is Your Memory Verse: Jesus said, "The time has come. The
Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news." Mark 1.15.
Hebrews 2.3-4.
Mark 1.45 says that people came to Jesus from everywhere. They did
not come to church, crusades, missions, or social workers. They
came to Jesus! [Notice the difference?]
If we can discover why they came, and do the same, people will
still come to Jesus from everywhere today.
Jesus Welcomed the Holy Spirit
Jesus listened to the Holy Spirit, 1.9-12, obeyed and gave control of
his life and ministry to the Spirit, going and doing whatever the Spirit
indicated.
Why Is This So Important?

Jesus was and is God, but when he was born, he deliberately left
behind all his divine power, Phil. 2.6-7. He chose to come as a
vulnerable baby, not as a military commander, rich businessman or
political ruler.
Jesus lived as a limited man, just like us feeling cold, hunger, thirst,
joy and sadness. He also ministered as a limited man, but as a man
empowered by the Holy Spirit as we can and must also do, Luke 4.18.

Jesus Overcame Satan’s Temptations

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In the wilderness, Mark 1.13, Matthew 4.1-11, Jesus was weak and
hungry when Satan tempted him to abuse his power and turn stones into
bread.
Next Satan tempted him to avoid the suffering of the cross and then
Satan tempted Jesus to promote himself, but Jesus said no to Satan, on
every occasion and chose to remain faithful to God and to his purposes.
In each case Jesus accused Satan with these words: “IT IS WRITTEN!”
Upon hearing this 3 times, Satan went away defeated.

Jesus Put Preaching High on His List

1. He said his message was good news.
2. He said God's Kingdom was near.
3. He said that the time had come.
4. He told people to repent and believe, Mark 1.14.
We often witness for Jesus quietly and lovingly through life, but
eventually people must be challenged, to repent, to turn to God and
to believe, or not.
Let no one say that preaching is unpopular.
• Miguel Diez had 3,000 listeners in the open air in Ecuador.
• A Pensacola, Florida church has seen 100,000 conversions in two
years, and
• Carlos Anacondia in Argentina has seen over 8,000,000
decisions for Christ all through preaching.

Jesus Knew God's Time

Jesus worked until he was thirty years old, but when Herod put John
in prison, that was God’s trigger. Jesus knew his time had come. We
are commanded to keep watch, so that we might understand when
Jesus is at the door.
If we should keep one eye on God’s prophetic word, on the Church
and on Israel, and one eye on world events, we will understand the
signs of the times, Mark 13.28-36, Matthew 16.1-3.

5. Noah knew the times, and built an ark.

6. Moses knew the times, and led God’s people to freedom, out of Egypt.

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 7. Joshua knew the times and led the people across the Jordan into the
Promised Land.
8. Daniel knew the times, and prayed to end the exile of God’s people.
9. God knew the time, and sent Jesus.
10. Jesus knew the time, and preached.
11. Your time is NOW, to witness for Jesus.

Jesus Called Others to Help Him

He did not do everything by himself, 1.16-20. Men heard the call of
Christ and they obeyed, without delay. They left everything and
followed Jesus, so enlarging the witness and sharing the workload.
12. First, there was only Jesus.
13. Then, Jesus and 12 more.
14. Then, it was the 12 and 3,000 more.
15. Then the 3,000 became 5,000 Jews.
16. Then people from other nations joined the movement.
17. Then the gospel reached Africa and Asia, and onwards.
18. What are you doing to extend the Kingdom?

Jesus Showed the Power of God

• He cast a demon out Mark 1:25.
• He healed a malarial fever, Mark 1:31.
• He healed many and drove out demons, Mark 1:33, 39.
• He healed a leper, Mark 1:42.
Every time Jesus showed the power of God, (which is the love and
compassion of God in action) the news spread, Mark 1:28 & verse
45, so much so, that a whole town came to see him, verses 33, 37.

Jesus Was Committed to Prayer

Jesus only ever did what he saw his Father doing, John 5.19, and to do
that he set aside time to listen to his Father.
Sometimes it was early in the morning or late at night, even all night, in
private and in public. Afterwards, he knew what to do, Mark 1.35.
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 Jesus Was Committed to People
He had the opportunity to stay in one place and become famous but
Jesus wanted to go onwards to the nearby villages, to preach there also,
Mark 1.37-39. Jesus loved people, (even the hard to love ones), like
the demon possessed and the sick woman and the leper.
For Jesus it was a case of commitment to reach more people with the
love of God. The result was that people came to him from everywhere,
and they still will.
Jesus was a man who ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus
said that anyone who has faith in him not only can do the same, but even
greater things by the power of the same Holy Spirit whom Jesus has sent
to us.
Some Questions to Consider:
Write down these questions in your journal; and in your quiet time
with the Lord add His revelation answers.
19. What are your plans to reach people?
20. What is your commitment to prayer?
21. Do you know what gifts of the spirit you have?
22. Are you using the gifts of the Spirit?
23. Are you saying yes to Jesus’ call?
24. Can you see that God’s time is now?
25. Is preaching a priority for you?
26. Are you overcoming Satan's temptations every day by prayer, the
word and by making holy decisions?
27. Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you first believed, and are you
still being filled with the Holy Spirit, every day?

LESSON 6. BY ALL MEANS - WINNING OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Winning our family and friends, demands effective Evangelism: Proverbs 24.
Memory Verse: I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the
power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes, first for the
Jew then for the gentile, Romans 1.16. Romans 10, 14-15.
We divide humanity into many classes, white and coloured, rich and
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 poor, educated and uneducated, Americans and native Americans,
Orientals and westerners.
Jesus drew a line down through all these distinctions, and divided
humanity into just two classes, the unconverted and the converted, the
once born and the twice born.
All men live on one side or the other of that line. This is a division that
runs through time and eternity. (Stanley Jones, of India.)

What Is God’s Heart?

The Lord is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come
to repentance. God’s way to bring this about is to use us as his co-workers.
We are the body of Christ, the hands, feet and lips of Jesus on earth, 2
Peter 3.9.

Where Is Man?
Man of course can be a primitive villager in the jungle, or a sophisticated
city-dweller, but never assume that the villager is the one who is
ignorant of God.
All men are at different stages of believing the gospel, so it is important to
discover where they are on the following scale, then you can work out the
best thing to say to them.
• Christianity? Never heard of it.
• Christianity? Yes, but what is it?
• I have heard the gospel.
• I understand the gospel.
• The gospel is important for me.
• I need God’s forgiveness and love.
• Challenge me to receive Christ.
• Pray with me to receive Christ.
• I am thinking through my decision.
• Yes, I want to join a church.
• Yes, I want to tell others.
• What Should We Do?
Paul is a good example to follow. To the Jews he became like the Jews,
to the Gentiles he became like a Gentile. To the weak, he became weak,
so that by all possible means he might save some. That is
evangelism!
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1 Corinthians 9.19-23.

Evangelism is the excitement and the lifeblood of the church.

Every member should be a witness, every day.

If a church starts to live for itself, rather than for the people outside
of the church, then it is the beginning of a slow death for the church
and its congregation.

How to Do Personal Evangelism

Most believers are more than willing, but where do they start?
1. Jesus said to go 2 by 2, not alone, so be with a friend of the same
sex.
2. Evangelism is best learned by doing it, so go and help others first.
3. Focus on your own family and friends first, the people you see
most of and the ones who know you best. They have probably
seen a change in your life and are already wondering why.
4. Have faith for your family and friends because as unbelievers they
have no faith of their own. Lend them yours, believe for them.
5. Pray for the Holy Spirit to take control, of you and then of them.
6. Always speak about Jesus. Say that he heals, blesses and forgives
today, and that he is here with you, right now to help. Offer to
pray for the people and see what the Lord will do.
7. Show God’s love by offering to help in some practical way if it is
appropriate, 1 John 3.18.
8. Pray for families because that is God’s heart. Always allow people
time to discuss following Jesus with their family. It could be that
they will all be interested; and if not, the opposition will serve to
produce a genuine commitment, Acts 16.31.

How Do You Know Who to Speak to?

The secret is to see what God is doing and join in. How do you do that?
Romans 3:10 tells us that no-one seeks God, and Jesus said, "No-one can
come to me unless the Father draws him." John 6.44.

Can You See any Sign of God at Work?

We can understand from this that if anyone does show interest in

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Jesus, it is only because the Father is drawing him. So, if you
detect the slightest hint, drop everything to join in with God. This
is how you know what The Father is doing.
No need to chase people who are not yet responding, leave them
in God’s hands and time, Matthew 10.14.

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 How Can the Church Evangelise?
Here are three general ways, but always pray and trust God to
guide.
1. Presence Evangelism
This is the witness of changed lives, and quality of life that
Christ gives. Make sure that members are true Christians,
because people notice bad behaviour and are turned away from
the gospel. Our lives may be the only Bible that some
people ever read.
Social work to help the poor, the hungry, sick or prisoners is also a
strong witness.

Proclamation Evangelism
Presence evangelism has to be backed up by a challenging
proclamation of the gospel, to bring people to a decision. Here
we can use preaching, street work, campaigns, literature and
films.

Persuasion Evangelism
In 2 Cor. 5.11, Paul talks about persuading men. Some
churches do this by holding Bible studies, or discussions in
universities, or member’s homes. They use radio and TV, or
door to door visits, to continually present Jesus and persuade
people to accept Christ. Some churches train their members
and send them out in evangelism, just like Paul did in Acts
19.8.
Above all, any evangelism is only as effective as the prayer life
that is behind it. Speak to God about the people, before speaking to
the people about God.

LESSON 7. EQUIPPED FOR THE MINISTRY

God's Word, God's Spirit, and God's people, are all there to

help you
2 Timothy 3.14-17, Luke 4.18, Hebrews 12.1-3.
Memory Verse: So, we say with confidence, the Lord is my helper,
I will not be afraid, what can man do to me? Hebrews 13:6.
1 Corinthians 9:15-18.
We are going to talk about three ways in which God supports you
when you talk to people about Jesus, either in private or in public.
He backs you up by the power of his Word, by the power of his
Spirit, and by the powerful testimony of his people.

The Power of the Word

The unique nature of God’s Word is that unlike any human word it is:

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 a) Living, actually alive, Heb. 4.12, 1 Peter 1.23, Acts 7.38.
b) Thoroughly equips you, 2 Tim. 3.16.
c) Accomplishes the task, Isaiah 55.11.
d) It’s like a hammer that cracks, breaks and demolishes rocks,
Jer. 23.29.
e) Works in people, 1 Thess. 2.13.
f) It’s the sword that God’s Spirit uses, Eph. 6.17
g) It is like a Seed that You Sow. See Mark 4.13-20
h) Satan snatches some seed away.
i) Some don’t allow it to take root.
j) Some allow worries in life to bury it.
But many people who hear the word are like good soil, and the
word brings them a 30, 60, or 100-fold harvest. You know that a
field is mostly good soil, rocks and weeds are on the edges, so
expect many people to grow in truth.
Jesus says that the seed grows all by itself, slowly, out of sight,
little by little, until harvest time. So, a good farmer sows and waits
with patience and expectation, Mark 4.26-29.

The Power of God’s Spirit

Can We Expect to See?

Quoting Isaiah 61.1-2, Jesus says in Luke 4.18 that when the
gospel is preached to the poor~
k) The broken-hearted can be healed.
l) Prisoners can find freedom.
He will back your testimony with powerful signs from God, as you pray
for the needy people. Signs point out a direction, and in this case, they
point the way into God’s Kingdom and into his love and care.
a) What Signs the blind can begin to see?
b) The oppressed can be released.
c) Favour can be still found with God.
d) One day John the Baptist, who was in prison and discouraged, not
seeing God’s power despite preaching the truth, sent to Jesus asking
if he was really the Messiah. Jesus said these signs pointed to him.
a) The sick can be healed.
b) Evil spirits can be cast out.
c) The lame can begin to walk.
d) Lepers and outcasts can be cleansed.
e) Deaf people can hear for the first time.
f) People who died

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 can be restored.
(See John 10.41,
Luke 7.20-23).
Christians are seeing these signs today all over the world. Jesus will
do the same for you when
you pray for people in his name. Then we can add the signs that
Jesus promised in Mark 16.17- 20.
a) Tongues (one of the gifts of the Spirit).
b) Protection against dangers.
c) Signs that confirm the word.

What then Should We Do?

a) Follow Jesus’ example in Acts 10.38.
b) Believe the promise of Jesus for ourselves. (Acts 1.8, John
14.12)
c) Follow the example of the early church, they preached the
Word, and moved in the power of God’s Spirit on many
occasions. See the stories in Acts.

The Testimony of God’s People

Despite the hypocrisy which unbelievers may accuse the church
of (it is often true, so you may as well apologise for it), you can
point out the indisputable evidence of changed lives, especially
your own. [Satan is defeated, by the Words of your
Testimony]
You can also point out the very real love found amongst God’s
people, and you can point to the lives of great men and women
of God in history and today. You will find that the public respect
both a great man of God, or a great villain, but the lukewarm they
dismiss with indifference or mockery.

Mention the Great Christian Reformers

• You can point to the lives of great Christian men like William
Wilberforce, who stopped slavery,
• Shaftesbury, who struggled for the poor,
• Dr Barnardo & George Mueller who helped orphans,
• Booth, who began the Salvation Army Movement,
• Bishop Tutu, who fought against apartheid.
Mention the Great Civilizers,
• Missionary explorers like Livingstone and Studd, who lived
and died for Africa,
• Taylor, who lived and died for China,
• Carey, who lived and died for India,

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 • Judson, who lived and died for Burma,
• Billy Graham, who preaches to millions.

Mention the ‘Good Samaritans’,

When it comes to helping the hungry, the thirsty, ragged, sick,
homeless, and prisoners, God’s people are always there.
• All over the world Christians work hard to show God’s love,
often for little or no pay. The recent Inland Tsunami, the
Qld. floods, and Cyclone Yasi, and the Earthquakes in Haiti
and Japan are very good examples of people making an
extreme effort to help others.
• ACET cares for AIDS victims,
• Remar, Teen Challenge and Jackie Pullinger fight drugs,
• Mother Teresa of Calcutta helped the sick and dying,
• The Churches in South Africa, Romania, Poland, and
Latin America strongly fights injustice.
• Western Christians fight against abortion and other social
evils.
Despite failures and falls, Christians can hold their heads up high,
under any fair examination, anywhere, and anytime.
After nearly two thousand years of vicious attacks and
persecutions, the people of God are alive and growing at an
unprecedented pace worldwide.
With the support of the living word of God, the power of the Spirit
of God, and the love and passion of the people of God, we can
expect to keep on growing until Jesus comes back.

LESSON 8. SIGNS AND WONDERS

Touched by God
Exodus 33.12-23; Acts 8.
Here Is Your Memory Verse: “When the crowds heard Philip
and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close
attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out
of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So
there was great joy in that city”. Acts 8:5-8.
John 14.12.
Have you noticed how quickly the early church grew in quantity and in
quality?
* Quality prayer and decisions. Acts 1.
* Quantity of 3,000 believe. Acts 2.
* Quality lifestyle. Acts 2.42-47.
* Quantity of 5,000 men, and probably 15,000 in total believe,
by Acts 4:4.

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 * Quality community. Acts 4.23 - 5.11.
* Quantity increases by Acts 5.14.
* Quality leadership. Acts 6.1-6.
* Quantities grow by Acts 6.1, 7.
Why should that be in an oppressed and unlearned people? One
reason was frequent signs and wonders from God. But are they
for today?

Immanuel - God with Us

After an Old Testament age of abundant signs and wonders came
the birth of our Saviour which laid the foundations for the Christian
movement that was about to be launched.
The coming of Jesus was accompanied by signs, wonders, angels,
revelations, dreams, the prophetic, and the miraculous, Luke and
Matthew chs. 1 & 2.

The People of God

What distinguishes God’s people from everybody else on
earth? Moses in Exodus 33:15 said it was the presence of
God with us making us by nature a supernatural people.
More than our natural learning, we live by revelation
knowledge, by every word that comes (proceeds) from the
mouth of God, supernatural provision and Divine interventions
in life. Matthew 4.4.

Jesus Example to Us
Not only did Jesus do the will of God, and show us exactly how
the Father loved and cared for people, he also commanded and
empowered us to go and do the same and even greater things.
John 4.34, Hebrews 1.3, John 14.12, Mark 16-20, Acts 1.8.

What Did Jesus Do? Miracles of Healing

• Nobleman's son, John 4.46;
• Peter's mother-in-law healed, Matthew 8.14;
• Cleansing the leper, Matthew 8.3;
• The paralytic, Matthew 9.2.

More Miracles of Healing

• The impotent man was healed, John 5.5;
• The withered hand, Matthew 12.10;
• The centurion's servant, Matthew 8.5;
• The issue of blood, Matthew 9.20;
• Blind men, Matthew 9.27;

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 • Malchus healed, Luke 22.51;
• Daughter of a Syrophenician, Matthew 15.22;
• Deaf and dumb healed, Mark 7.33;
• Blind men, Matthew 20.30, Mark 10.46; 8.23; John 9.1;
• Ten lepers, Luke 17.12;
• A woman with a spirit of infirmity, Luke 13.11;
• A man with dropsy, Luke 14.2.
Miracles of Raising the Dead
• The widow's son, Luke 7.11;
• Jairus' daughter, Matthew 9.18;
• Lazarus, John 11.1-44;
• His own resurrection, Luke 24.6 John 10.18.
Miracles of Deliverance
• The demoniacs, Mat 12.22; 8.28; 9.32; Mark 1.26;
• A lunatic child, Mat 17.14.
Miracles over Nature
• A tempest stilled, Matthew 8.26;
• Walking on the sea, Matthew 14.25;
• Cursing the fig tree, Matthew 21.19;
• Appearing to his disciples after death.
Miracles of Provision
• Water changed to wine, John 2.9;
• Catches of fish, Luke 5.6; John 21.6;
• Feeding 5,000 and 4,000, Matthew 14.15; 15.32;
• Tax money, Matt. 17.24.
JESUS IS THE SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER,
(Hebrews 13.8.)
2. Acts of God
The book of the Acts of the Apostles, is God’s textbook for the
Church to show us the “normal” Christian life. Acts has 28
chapters and in every one of them, you will find supernatural
signs, wonders and events taking place.
There are frequent appearances of Jesus, manifestations of the
Holy Spirit and visits from angels. There are audible words from
God, prophecies, new languages, dreams, visions, a trance and
people choosing to believe.
There are healings, deliverances, fillings of the Holy Spirit,
awesome Divine judgements and abundant signs and wonders.

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 This is the normal Christian life, not the extraordinary, the
weird, or the strange, as many think today.
Letters Tell the Story
Paul leaned heavily upon signs and wonders; see Romans 15.17-
20, Galatians 3.5 and 2 Tim 4.17.
Hebrews 2.4 is another writer’s testimony, and both Peter and
James were convinced of God’s healing power, 1 Peter 2.24,
James 5.14-15.
Around the year 400, the church father Augustine wrote of
miracles taking place in North Africa, so they clearly did not cease
with the passing of the original apostles.

What Are Miracles For?

Miracles are not like a circus act, to arouse astonishment, nor are
they to promote the person God uses. Neither are they ‘magic,’
or any kind of psychic suggestion. On the contrary, they are signs
and evidence to an unbelieving world, of the nearness of God, and
beautiful sights of his compassion to those who are suffering or
in the grip of demons. Miracles point to the Cross and the power
of Jesus, Acts 5.12-14.

How to Prepare the Way for Miracles

First, don’t forget to ask Jesus to do today exactly what he did
yesterday, confirming his word with signs following, whether
instantly or in due course, James 4.2, Hebrews 13.8.
Remember Three ‘P’s, to Bring Power Praise, Preaching and
Prayer.
Like the disciples go everywhere, asking the Lord to work with
you, Mark 16.20.

LESSON 9. HEAL THE SICK

Reach out to Jesus when you need him most
Psalm 103 and Matthew 8.1-17.
Memory Verse: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his
wounds you have been healed, 1 Peter 2.24.
Acts 14.8-10.

I Am the Lord that Heals You

Matthew 9.35 tells us that Jesus went about preaching, teaching and
healing the sick, and all those oppressed by the evil one. John 14.12
reports Jesus expecting anyone that has faith in him to do the same
and more so!
Paul wrote in Romans 15.19 that he fully preached the gospel by
"saying, doing and by signs and wonders."

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Jesus commands his disciples to "heal the sick", not just to pray
for them. Many believers all over the world tell how the Lord heals
today spiritually, physically, emotionally, even in marriage, and
in finances, because his goal for us is wholeness in body, soul and
spirit.

Healing Is All through the Bible

If you were to stick a pin in almost any page of the Bible the word
would drip with the love and healing of God.
1. Sickness is one result of the fall, but from the beginning
God promises his salvation and grace, Genesis 3.15; 21.
2. In Exodus 3.7 we find that God sees all tears and suffering.
He is deeply concerned to do something by working through
an obedient and willing man.
3. By Exodus 15.22-26, the Lord reveals himself for the first
time as the Lord who heals. He shows Moses a piece of
wood as a picture of the Cross. We must throw that wood
into our own bitter waters to see them turn sweet.
4. In Numbers 21.4-9, God's people are bitten by snakes
through their own fault. Nevertheless, the Lord tells them
to look away from the wound and to look up to live. This is
a picture of Hebrews 12.2, which tells us to look away from
the diagnosis and look to Jesus.
5. Unlike chameleons we cannot look in two places at once so
we must choose which place, we are going to concentrate
on, the diagnosis, or the promise of God.

6. Job had to persevere through terrible unexplained

suffering, until finally he is healed, and doubly blessed.
Job 42.
7. David says not to forget that one of the Lord's many
benefits, is that he heals all our diseases, Psalm 103.1-5.
8. Malachi says the Lord has healing in his wings, Malachi 4.2.
Jesus Came to Do His Father’s Will
Hebrews 10.9. There are 26 different examples of Jesus healing
people in need that show us the will of Father. See lesson 8
Signs and Wonders for the list.
Three ultra-reliable bible witnesses confirm that Jesus heals the
sick.
• Isaiah the prophet pointed to Jesus, centuries before he
came. You must read Isaiah 53.4-6.
• Eye-witness Matthew says Isaiah’s prophecy is for here
and now in Jesus. You must read Matthew 8.17.
• Eye-witness Peter looks back to Jesus and says the

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 prophecy has been fulfilled. See 1 Peter 2.24.

Where Is My Healing?
"Our gospel is simple, supernatural, centred on Christ and settled
forever."
Can you see that God’s word tells us that our healing was
accomplished by Jesus on the Cross, 2000 years ago. That’s
where we look back to find our healing, not in the future. We see
Jesus, believe and receive, give thanks by faith, and rest, allowing
the Lord to work things out.

Gift for One or Gifts for All?

1 Corinthians 12.9 teaches us that the Spirit gives "gifts" of healings
for sick people.
Gifts of healings are plural words. This is not a gift of healing for one
person to use, although clearly some men and women have more
faith and anointing for ministering healings than others.
We Can All Heal the Sick
You might think your faith is too small, but did you know that
we can all minister healings, from the grace of God, that we
have within our call and office, not necessarily leaning upon
our personal level of faith.

Who Can Minister Healing?

• Great apostles, see 2 Cor. 12.12.
• Caring pastors, see Ezekiel 34.4.
• Fiery evangelists, see Acts 8.7.
• Sober teachers, see Mark 16.20.
• God’s prophets, see 1 Kings 17.21.
• Church elders, see James 5.14.
• Church deacons, see Acts 6.5.
• Ordinary believers, see Mark 16.17.
• THAT MEANS YOU!!

How to Minister Healings

With God’s guidance, promptings and help, you can minister to the
sick anywhere, at any time, not just in church services or evangelistic
meetings.
9. Determine to “truly hate” all manner of sickness.
10. Determine to love people enough, to always offer to minister
healing to them.
11. Wherever possible, teach people to have faith themselves,
and to pray for themselves, otherwise lend them your faith.
12. Always yield to the Holy Spirit, Acts 3.6.

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13. Ask the Lord to teach you how to pray, e.g. Is this sickness,
or is it a demon afflicting the person?
14. Always bind all aggravating Satanic power of infirmity in Jesus'
name.
15. Don't be afraid to pray against the root of the sickness,
and command it to go in the name of Jesus, because he
takes the axe to the root.
16. Release the power of God by prayer, and the laying on of
hands, even anointing with oil, Mark 6.13.
17. Persevere and persist through to victory.
18. Even Jesus had to pray for one man more than once.

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LESSON 10: CASTING OUT DEMONS
Casting Out Demons – Part 1 : Discerning of Spirits
Introduction:
We have now moved out of the realm of “Evangelism” into the
realm of “Discerning of Spirits”, as defined in 1 Cor. 12:9-10.
To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice;
someone else may be especially good at studying and teaching,
and this is his gift from the same Spirit. He gives
special faith to another, and to someone else the power to
heal the sick. He gives power for doing miracles to some, and to
others power to prophesy and preach. He gives someone else the
power to know whether evil spirits are speaking through
those who claim to be giving God’s messages—or whether it
is really the Spirit of God who is speaking.

Is this task for everyone?

I am sure that you have watched shows on TV where the

commentator had said that the event, which about to happen, is very
dangerous, and “do not try this at home”.
Likewise, in the spiritual realm, do not try this unless you have first:
1. Have prayed to receive this gift
2. Have had this gift confirmed in your life
3. Have been grounded in the scriptures about “Discerning of
Spirits”
If you have already said “yes” to the previous three (3) items, God
has called you to “Deliverance Ministry” – not “Evangelism”.
In answer to the question: Is this for everyone? The answer is NO!
God gives these gifts as He (the Holy Spirit) chooses.
It is the same and only Holy Spirit who gives all these gifts and
powers, deciding which each one of us should have. 1. Cor. 12:11

What is “Discerning of Spirits?3”

Discerning of spirits gives insight into the “spirit world”. Many
Christians forget that there are two distinct worlds;
1. The spirit world, and
2. The physical world
God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in
spirit and in truth. God spoke the words, the sun, moon and the stars
were put into the sky and they have remained there following God’s
spiritual laws ever since.
The spirit world is in control of our physical world, whether we
realize and accept this or not.
“Discerning”: means, “to see”. It is a “revelation gift”, one of the

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higher order gifts. It encompasses everything within the realm of
knowledge, facts, events, purposes, and motives, origins; (human,
devised, Satanic, natural, super-natural, past, present, or future).
God knows all, and there is nothing God knows, that cannot be made
known to man, as the Spirit wills.
The gift of Discerning of Spirits is more restrictive that the Gift of
Wisdom, or the Gift of Revelation Knowledge; it has a limited range.
It only gives supernatural insights into spirits.
You may ask; “What has this got to do with healing, or evangelism?”
A lot! It is a supernatural insight into the realm of the spirits, both
good and bad – the discerning of evil spirits included. It can
discover a servant of the devil!
“But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed
them and tried to turn the then proconsul from the faith. Then Saul,
who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight
at Elymas and said, “You are a child of the devil, and an enemy of
everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery.
Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the
hand of God is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time
you will be unable to see the light of the sun. (Acts 13:8-11)
Apostle Paul looked straight at him. He knew the authority on his
life. It is pretty heavy and dramatic to tell someone; “You are a child
of the devil”.
The scripture records the events. “Immediately, midst and darkness
came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him
by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he
believed, for he was amazed at the teaching of the Lord. (Acts 13:12-
13)
Notice that this gift was used to bring somebody to believe. It is to
aid in checking and defeating the plans of the adversary (Satan).
Let us look at another example as foundation scriptures, before we
move to the next section.
_______________________________
3
Some references from the book “Go Heal” by Eddie Coe.
Acts 16:16
Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a
slave girl, who had a spirit, by which she predicted the future. She
earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune- telling. This
girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are
servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way
to be saved”. She kept this up for many days. Finally, Paul became
so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the
name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!” At
that moment, the spirit left her.
Notice the following from this scripture;
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 1. The demon spirit was telling the truth. They were indeed
“Servants of the Most High God”.
2. Paul was also able to discern that the spirit within her was not a
“Spirit from God”.
3. The girl; was employed by the Devil to hinder the work of God.
The gift of Discerning of Spirits will expose plausible error.
Seducing spirits and lying spirits are responsible for “Doctrines
of Devils”.
4. Another purpose of the gift of discerning of spirits is to unmask
“demon miracle workers.”
2 Thessalonians 2:9 says; “The coming of the lawless one will be in
accordance with the work of Satan, displayed in all kinds of
counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders”.
There was once a big canopy over Ethiopia or Kenya, and it portrayed
the devil and Jesus up in the sky. Do you think that was from God?
Why would God do something like that? Many Christians were
running around saying, “Did you see that?” How many people are
going to be deceived in the end times? (Read Ephesians 6:10-18) If
the time was not cut short, all would fall away.

CASTING OUT DEMONS – PART 2

Exposing Demons
There was a woman in New Zealand, who was a song leader. She
was merry and could really take us into the presence of God. When
I prayed for her, she manifested. I got her mother and sister up for
prayer also, and discovered that because of what “white man” had
done to them in their culture, they were full of incredible bitterness.
The spirit of bitterness was driving them.
Notice that even though they had the spirit of bitterness operating
in their lives, they could still lead people into the presence of God.
Why, because Satan was the lead worshipper, who was in charge of
worship before God, before His rebellion and his fall. After prayer
and deliverance, by commanding the Spirit of Bitterness to go, in
Jesus’ name, she and her family members were all delivered. She is
now a “better” song leader than before!
To discern means to “perceive”, “distinguish”, or “differentiate”. The
dividing line between human and divine operation maybe obscured
to many believers, but one with the facility of spiritual discernment,
sees a clear separation between the two. Sickness comes from the
devil. There are a lot of demonic sickness in places like Ethiopia,
Africa, South East Asia, and right here in Australia. There are many
deaf-mutes in South America, they are bound by a deaf-mute spirit.
Do you want to get a deaf-mute to speak?
1. Do something with their mouth.
2. You have got to get them to do something.
3. Take authority over the deaf-mute spirit, in Jesus’ name, and
command the spirit of deaf-mute to leave that body and not
return, ever again.
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 4. Now get them in faith, to lift up their hands to God and start
praising Him for their healing. Start confessing those things,
which are not, as if they were! Move into the spiritual realm,
and take authority over the physical situations around and in
you.
5. It is wonderful to see what happens, when people step out of
their comfort zones and start believing and acting upon the
Word of God.
A Person with Epilepsy?
You would cast our epilepsy. You speak to the spirit of epilepsy, not
to the person who is afflicted by it! In all cases in the Bible where
Jesus cast out demonic spirits, He always spoke to the spirit!
Do you want to heal Asthmatics?
When I pray for asthmatics, about 99% of the time I just say, “In
the name of Jesus Christ, I rebuke the spirit of asthma. Be gone from
this person in Jesus’ name, and do not return!’ The result of this
command is that they are healed and start praising God!
Unfortunately, many times we don’t see people healed, because we
are not operating in the gift of discerning of spirits.
I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among
you and will not spare the flock. Even from among your own
number, men will arise and distort the truth, in order to draw
away disciples after them. (Acts 20:29)
Ever seen this happen? Well, it’s happened in your church, and it’s
happened in your families So who is doing this? It’s a Spirit! If Satan
opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.
In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his
possessions, unless he first ties up and binds the strong man. Then
he can rob his house. (Mark 3:26-27)
The secret of deliverance is “Binding the strong spirit, which does
not come from God”. Only then can we take back those treasures
from darkness, which Satan has stolen from God. Is. 45:1-3.

LESSON ELEVEN: THE SPIRIT OF EVANGELISM IN FAMOUS

PEOPLE

The students will break up into small groups to undertake group

research on this topic. Each group will research and examine a
different person from the list below, but will consider the following
topics in their research and findings.
1. Evangelism in the home
2. Evangelism in the Workplace
3. Evangelism as “street ministry”
4. Evangelism in rallies and conferences

The people to be researched are listed below:

1. Philip – The Evangelist in the Book of Acts
2. DL Moody

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 3. Smith-Wigglesworth
4. William Branham
The student groups will use whatever resources they have at their
disposal to undertake this task. Their report will be presented to the
student body.
Each student within each group will receive the group mark for this
research. The score for this assignment will be 40% of the total
mark for this subject.

LESSON TWELVE: TWO IN-COUNTRY EVANGELISM OUTREACH

PROJECTS

The students will participate in two distinctly different in-country

outreach projects, which will be planned and developed by the
teacher. The first program will be concentrating on Toowoomba and
district, whilst the second outreach project will be further afield and
require overnight stays away from the college.
The students will participate in these two outreach programs and
then will come back to the College to undertake the following:
1. The students will individually write a report on the outcomes
from these two outreach programs.
For the on-line students, this program will be planned by the student & his local Pastor.
2. The students will identify possible improvements, which
could be included into future outreach programs. The
students will receive 20% mark for this assignment.

LESSON THIRTEEN: THIRD IN-COUNTRY OUTREACH PROGRAM:

[PLANNED BY THE STUDENTS]

Based upon the two previous outreach programs – planned by the

teacher and the comments & recommendations made by the
students for difference and /or improvements, the students will plan
a third outreach project – under the supervision of the teacher. This
project will include the following main topics:

1. Identification of the evangelism location

2. Confirmation in prayer
3. Plan for site & working relationship with any existing
For on-line students these will
Christian be planned bywithin
organisations the student and their pastors, for their local districts.
this community.
4. Identify the allowed budget for the program. Prepare a
business plan.
5. Plan transportation to/from the site (including costs for food
and accommodation).
6. Identify any equipment which needs to be taken with the
group.
7. Develop the evangelism program, including multi-media and

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 /or advertising brochures.
8. Fund raising in the church community, to help fund the
program.
9. Execute the program.

CLASS ASSIGNMENT:
The students will prepare a multi-media presentation report back to
the congregation showing the results of the program and how the
funds raised were spent. The class will receive 30% of their class
mark for this activity and the presentation that follows the outreach
program.

LESSON FOURTEEN: EVANGELISM TO PEOPLE OF OTHER

RELIGIONS

OVERVIEW:
• Over 160 languages are spoken in Australia, and people
from more than 300 countries now reside in this nation.
• Many religious beliefs and customs exist in this country.
The law, in our constitution, allows all faiths and customs.
• The Government approach is to try to accommodate
everybody.
• How do Christians relate to this influx of peoples from
other lands, and religions, and how should we go about
making them welcome in our nation?
• Do we realise that there is a war going on right here in
this nation?
• This is a spiritual war, for the hearts and minds of our young
children, for the hearts and minds of the next generation.
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 • As Christians, we have to be equipped to deal with this war
and use the instruments available to us in this battle, if we
want to secure and maintain our Australian Christian
Heritage.
There are many occasions in a Christian’s life when we encounter
people, who have other beliefs, and it is important that we understand
these religions, so we can discuss them and ask the people questions
about their religion.
Our questions should cause them to ask us questions about
Christianity, which is the opening for Christians to witness to
them about Jesus Christ.
1. Over the last 35 years, the secret that seems to work for me is to
do this in a non- threatening, non-aggressive, and a non-
condemning attitude.
2. If you try to ram the Bible down their throats, then a wall goes up,
and your opportunities are lost to lead this person to Jesus Christ -
maybe forever.
3. Remember, they will have been watching you, over a long period.
How you react with others, both in the good times and in the bad
times. If they see that you react differently to “the mob”, then that
will interest them. Because your actions are perceived to be
different from “the mob”, they will want to know “Why”?
4. Remember; our lives, and how we react or respond to
situations maybe the only Bible some people ever read.
5. So, the first basic question to ask is this:
a. What sort of Bible are you?
b. Do people see Jesus reflected in your life when you walk down the
street?
c. Are you “different” in the way you act, or respond to people and
situations?
d. If the answer to this question is “NO”, then you will find it very
difficult to be a successful evangelist.

CHAPTER 1: THE PEOPLE OF ISLAM

INTRODUCTION:
There are so many misunderstandings and wrong interpretations, by
Christians, about this religion, that they have read, or perceived from
the media. The best thing to do is put all your preconceived ideas out
the window and start again.
Mohammad was born in Taif, a small town on the escarpment in Saudi
Arabia, about 5,000 feet above Mecca, in approximately 600 AD.

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 At that time, the Biblical scriptures had already spread across most
of Asia, as recorded in the Epistles of Paul, and had gone out to Africa
and Arabia, amongst the tribes of the region.
At this time, people were following the teachings of the Old
Testament Torah, or they were worshipping other (small “g”) gods.
Archaeological digs in Saudi Arabia carried out in the 1980’s have
confirmed, there is proof that small Christian villages were in
existence in Arabia at the time of Mohammad’s birth, especially
around Taif and Abba.
This means that Mohammad grew up with the knowledge of the
Torah (The Old Testament Books of Moses), the Zuboor (the Arabic
word for the Psalms), the Books of the Prophets, and the Ingeel (the
Arabic name for the New Testament).
It is unfortunate that these Christians were not very good teachers,
otherwise Mohammad would have become a Christian, instead of
starting his own religion, which would lead to much bloodshed and
heartache among families for the generations since his death in 642
AD.

MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY

Christianity Islam
1. When we read the There are no references in the
Bible, we see that God Quran that states that Allah is a
(Elohim) is a God of Love. God of love. In fact, the opposite is
2. Even when He the case. Even though many
chastens us, it is because Mullahs state that Islam is a
of His love and mercy for religion of love, there is no
us. There are many foundation for that in their
scriptures, which clearly scriptures, nor do they practise
identify that God Almighty this in their belief structures, or on
is a God of Love. a daily basis.
Basically, Islam, as presently
practised, is a religion of hate.
2. In the Bible, it is clear that Even though Muslims agree that
God indicated in the Book Jesus was born of a virgin, they even
of Isaiah that Jesus will be call him (Jesus, son of Mary) they
born of a virgin and that refuse to believe that Jesus is God’s
He is God’s son. son. They proclaim that Jesus is a
prophet and Allah has no sons.
3. In the Old Testament, Jews The Muslims still practise polygamy,
were allowed to have by stating that a Muslim may have up
more than one wife, but in to four (4) wives. He must provide for
the New Testament, the them equally and give them equal
rule was made very clear. love and affection. Unfortunately,

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 If you wanted to hold an this does not always happen, and
office in the church, you many wives are left destitute when
could only be the husband they lose favour with their husbands.
of ONE wife.
4. In the Bible, there is a In Islam, the religion is not only a
clear separation between belief structure, but also a governing
“religion” and structure for the country in which it is
“government”. This is being practised. That is why Muslims
made perfectly clear when all over the world are trying to
somebody asked Jesus introduce Sharia law – the law of
should Jews pay taxes to Islam. Unfortunately, there is not
the Romans. Jesus equality in Sharia Law.
answered by telling His For example;
disciples to go down to the • If two Muslims men give evidence
water’s edge and catch the before a court, then there
fish that was there. In its evidence has equal value.
mouth was a coin. Jesus • If, however, one is a Muslim and
asked the assembled another is a Christian, then the
crowd whose face was value of the evidence given by the
upon the coin. They Christian is only 50% compared to
answered its Caesar’s the evidence of a Muslim.
face. Then Jesus • If a Muslim woman gives evidence
responded. Therefore, pay against a Muslim man, it is only
your taxes to Caesar and valued as 25% of the evidence
pay your respects, (your given by the Muslim man.
sacrifices) to God. In the • If a Christian woman gives
Bible, everybody is equal evidence against a Muslim man,
in the sight of God, and then it is only 13.5% of the value
everybody is equal in of a Muslim man’s evidence. This
means that eight (8) Christian
Judeo-Christian law
women must give evidence before
systems, which have been
it is equal to that of one Muslim
based upon the laws, as man.
laid down in the
Therefore, there are gross inequalities
scriptures.
in law in the Muslim religion.
That is why it is almost impossible for
a Christian woman to get a “fair trial”
in Sharia Law, if she claims she was
raped by a Muslim man. To prove her
case, she must get four (4) Muslim
men to give evidence that she was
raped by a Muslim man. The evidence
of women is not accepted in this type
of case. Even in cases where the
rape is recorded on camera, there

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 are not always convictions.
In fact, in many cases, if a woman
goes to a police station to report a
crime of rape, the police either refuse
to accept the report, or make up some
crime, put her in the holding cells and
rape her again themselves.

5. In the Bible, the number In Islam, they stand on the number

seven (7) is recognised as Five (5). That is why they have five
God’s perfect number, Pillars of Islam. To be the perfect
hence 7 days of the week, word of God there have to be 7 pillars.
7 notes in music, etc.
• This is proof that God’s hand or
a. With careful study, one
signature is not on the Quran.
can identify the Seven
Pillars of Christianity. • There are many contradictions in
This is the proof that the Quran and there are several
God’s signature is on the different editions.
Bible. • The question many scholars ask is
b. Careful study of the Bible which is the “correct” one?
shows that there are no
contradictions in the
writings of the Bible,
despite the fact that
there are more than 40
authors, over a period or
more than 4,000 years.
c. Even though there are
many different
translations of the Bible,
the truth and the essence
of the scriptures, remain
true to the original texts.
6. In Christian countries, it is In Islamic countries, it is forbidden to
not prohibited, or illegal, try to evangelize to Muslims and to
to preach or evangelise to encourage them to change their
people of a different religion. Those found guilty of this
religion. offence will be tortured, forced to
become Muslims themselves, suffer
deportation, or death. However, in
these same countries, it is not illegal
for Muslims to evangelise to
Christians and to encourage them to
change their religion.
Do I smell hypocrisy?

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 7. The only successful way to
evangelise to Muslims is
to know about their
religion, what it says
about Jesus Christ, and
lead them to Jesus Christ
from their own book.

WHAT THE QURAN SAYS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

Although it is illegal to try to evangelize to a Muslim, it is encouraged
that all people actively discuss what is written in the Quran. Therefore,
if Christians know what is written in the Quran about Jesus Christ,
you can point to the truth about Jesus without breaking the laws of the
land.
1. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census,
people living in Australia speak over 160 languages in their homes,
apart from English, and come from more than 300 countries.
2. They come to Australia with many different religious beliefs and
customs, and for over 200 years they have been welcomed into our
society, provided they, the migrants, try to learn our language,
adopt our way of life, and respect our laws.
3. Many of these people have gone on to make significant
contributions to our national development and way of life, at
academic, professional, and humanitarian levels.
4. Governments over time have significantly changed their attitudes
to the way migrants are to be treated in our society, and our present
laws reflect these changes. I am not going to comment on whether
I personally agree with this change, that is for more qualified
persons than I am, to review and comment on these issues.
5. Scripture tells us that we are to be known as Christians, by our
display of love to other people. This includes people of all races and
all religious ideologies and beliefs.
6. Unfortunately, for many of us, we do not do it as well as we should,
and over several years, we have seen a so-called “Christian” nation
“Australia” involved in religious riots in our cities and towns.
7. This will only get worse, if we do not wake up to ourselves and get
on with the task to being seen to be living, walking, talking, and
practising Christians, on a daily basis.
8. People in this nation have to realise that there is a war going on right
here in this nation.
9. This is a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of our young
people; for the hearts and minds, of the next generation of this

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 nation. They are the future leaders of this country.
10. If this now gets your interest, then please listen carefully to the rest
of this lesson.
11. As Christians, we have to be equipped to deal with this war and
use the instruments available to us in this battle, if we want to
secure and maintain our Australian Christian Heritage for the
future of our children and future generations.
12. Australia, for nearly 200 years, has been very laid back in its
attitude to religious freedom.
13. Christian churches have sprung up all over the nation in various
languages to cater for the diverse public we now have in this
nation.
14. We are now faced with a new issue, which must be dealt with
sooner than later.
15. Islamic Food Labelling, and
16. Introduction of the Sharia Law.
1. Since the time of the first settlement, Australians have
adopted a laid-back attitude - that it is OK to “do your own
thing”, believe in God, or some other religion – just so long as
it doesn’t interfere with me - or my family.
2. Churches have been established in various languages, to cater
for the diverse multiplicity of languages and ethnic groups now
living in this nation.
3. Multiculturalism has invaded the churches, just like it has
invaded every part of our society, and we have seemed to
welcome it and deal with it OK.
4. We are now seeing more and more items of food having the
“Halal” sign on them, indicating it contains no pork, and it has
been killed according to the Islamic methods, and has had an
Islamic cleric pray over the food during its production.
5. There is no law passed in this nation which requires this to
happen, but by stealth, Islamic ideals and requirements are
now being imposed upon us as a nation, just like has happened
to a greater degree in the United Kingdom.
6. If we are not aware of these subtle changes, the majority of
professing Christians in this nation will wake up to Sharia Law
in this land before too much longer.
7. Do we want our nation to be subjected to Sharia Law? NO.
8. Sharia Law is where the evidence of a Muslim man, is more
worthy than a Non-Muslim man’s evidence. This is where the
evidence of a Muslim woman is not the same value as that of
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 a Muslim man. A non-Muslim woman’s testimony is only
equivalent to the evidence of 1/8 of that of a Muslim man.
9. If we, the Christians in this nation continue along our present
path - not standing up for our religious beliefs and our
Christian heritage, then others will take it from us, initially by
stealth and then, as they get stronger, by force. Whether that
happens or not only time will tell - but it depends on us.

Evangelizing to Muslims
1. In Islamic countries, there are laws, which make it illegal for
Christians to evangelise to Muslims and stiff periods of
imprisonment for those who are convicted of this offence.
2. In these same countries, there is no law to prevent a Muslims from
trying to convert Christians to Islam. In these countries Christians
are encouraged to read and discuss the Quran with Muslims.
3. How can we then take advantage of this “encouragement” so that
we can lead people to a knowledge and relationship with Jesus
Christ?
4. Can we lead people to Jesus Christ from within the Quran?
5. The simple answer is YES, we can – if we know what is written
about Jesus, (son of Mary) in the Quran.
6. The Bible states that in God’s eyes, everybody is equal under
heaven – but in Islamic law, this is not the case.
7. Let us recognise straight away that under Islamic law, people are
not deemed to be equal, nor do their laws reflect this fact.
8. The idea behind the encouragement to read and discuss the Quran
is so that maybe they can convert you - a Christian, to Islam.
9. The scripture tells us that before a general sends his troops against
the enemy, he must first establish their strong and weak points, so
that they can be exploited, and victory can be achieved.
10. If Christians do not know what the fundamental beliefs of the
Muslims are, then how can we build upon this foundation and lead
them to Jesus?
11. In the Old Testament, and in the Quran, people are known as
“the son of their fathers”. Hence Peter was known as Simon bar
Jonah. Simon (Peter), son of Jonah.
12. In the Quran, Jesus is the only person who is not identified this
way. Jesus is always referred to as “Jesus, son of Mary”.
13. The father is not mentioned because the Father is the Holy Spirit,
and to say that clearly would indicate that Jesus is the Son of God;
something that most Muslims reject, even though there are many

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 Quranic scriptures which point to this truth. Here is an opportunity
for those who are searching for the truth about God, and His plans
and purposes for humanity on the earth, to be shown the truth
about who Jesus Christ really is.
THE FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF ISLAM – AS WRITTEN IN THE
QURAN
• Muslims believe in One God – a supreme spiritual being.
• Muslims believe in the Torah, the Talmud and even the Ingeel
(the Arabic name for the New Testament) as being revelation
knowledge given by God
• For the Islamic scholars who read and understand the Quran, they
know that it will be Jesus, who will come back to earth one day
and rule/judge and reign over them. (Hadith 42:6)
So what do they believe?
• They believe in the virgin birth of Jesus (son of Mary)
• They believe that Jesus was able to perform miracles
• The Quran tells them that it is Jesus who is to return to earth to
judge, rule and reign over them.
• How can we open their eyes to the truth, which is there in their
own book, so that they can recognise Jesus for who He really is?
• We must study their book and be able to discuss special scriptures
with them, challenging them to follow these scriptures - because it
is God’s word to them and to disobey means rebellion against God
- for which the penalty is eternal separation from God in Hell.
In the Muslims call to prayer, they make this positive statement 5
times a day.
“There is no God – but God”
• They believe in the Old Testament and all the Old Testament
prophets.
• They believe in the Ingeel – the Arabic name for the New Testament
• They even cry out a truism: “Allah Akbar” which literally means:
God is great – and I agree with them; He is great!!!
• So, what do they believe? They believe all about God; They believe
all about the Prophets, sent to each generation, to reveal God’s
Word and God’s vision to His people, but they have been duped by
Satan and his followers to believe a lie, that Jesus is not the Son of
God and he did not die on the cross, for their sins.

QURANIC SCRIPTURES REVEALED

1. Muslims are told to Obey Jesus.
• In Sura #43 [Zukhruf, verse 57-64] it says this (paraphrased:
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• And, he (“Jesus, son of Mary”) shall be a knowing sign for the coming
of the hour (the birth and resurrection). Therefore, have no doubt
about it and follow me (Allah) [be obedient to Allah and do what He
orders you to do, oh mankind] This is the straight path.
• And let not Satan hinder you from the right path. Verily he (Satan) is to
you a plain enemy
• And when Jesus came with clear signs He said: I have come to you
with wisdom (divine revelation) and in order to make clear to you some
of the points in which you differ, therefore fear Allah (God Almighty)
and obey me”.
➢ Muslims are commanded in their own book, to listen to, and take heed
of what Jesus says and OBEY HIM!!!i
In Hadith #424 and Hadith # 657 Mohammad (Himself) says
these words:
1 “By him, in whose hand my soul is, (Jesus, son of Mary) will shortly
descend among you Muslims as a just ruler”.
• If Mohammad says that Jesus is coming back as a ruler, then
He must have authority.
• What sort of ruler will He be?
• What rules shall He use to govern and to judge?
• Why has Allah decided to send Jesus to rule and reign over the
Muslim nations – Why Jesus?
• Mohammad has given his soul into the care of Jesus for its
protection.
• Therefore, we can ask this question; As a Muslim, who have you
given your soul to – for protection?
• Mohammad recognises that Jesus is coming back to earth to be a
just ruler over all Muslims.
• To be a just ruler, means that you have authority, and you can
make decisions, which have consequences over all Muslims.
• Here again, if you know what is written, you can ask some probing
questions. What sort of ruler will Jesus be? What rules will He use
to make decisions? As a Muslim, do you know the answers to these
important questions?
• Mohammad also says that he trusts Jesus so completely, that He has
placed his own soul
into his hands. Therefore, as a Muslim, into whose hands have YOU
placed YOUR SOUL?
2 In Sura #3 [Al-i-Imran: 45] “Behold the angel said: Oh Mary, Allah
gives glad tidings of a WORD from Him: His name will be Jesus
Christ”
3 In Sura #4 [Nisaa: 171] says: Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, was
an apostle [a sent one] of Allah and His Word which He bestowed

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 upon Mary and a Spirit proceeding from Him”.
4 Here again the Quran reveals the true characteristics and nature of
Jesus – as the Word and the Spirit of God.
1 So, you see the truth about Jesus is clearly revealed to all those
who really want to search it out – hence the name of my Book –
In Search of the Truth.
2 In the following notes, I match up scriptures from the Quran,
beside scriptures from the Bible, so that you get a better
understanding of what is really written in the Quran and how
similar is their book to ours.
1. Mary’s Miraculous pregnancy
Sura #21 Anbiyaa: 91 Matthew 1:20-21
2. Virgin Birth
Sura # 19 Maryam: 20-21 Luke 1:30-32,34
3. Christ Blessed:
Sura # 19 Maryam: 30-31 Matthew 21:9
4. Jesus Led by the Holy Spirit
Sura # 2 Bakara: 253 Luke 4:1

5. Jesus’ Sinless Nature

Sura #19 Maryam: 17,19 Heb. 4:15, 7:28
6. Jesus’ Miracles
Sura # 2 Bakara: 87 John 3:2
Sura # 29 Ankabut: 50
7. Jesus Knew the Future
Sura #43 Zukhruf: 61,63 Matthew 24: 29-32
Sura #21: “And remember her who guarded her chastity: We
breathed into her of our Spirit, and We made her and her son a
sign for all peoples”
Notice even in the Quran, the writer uses the plural form of the
godhead. They refer to the Trinity of God. [We]
Sura # 19 Maryam :20-21: “She said: How shall I have a son, seeing
that no man has touched me, and I am not unchaste?
Sura # 19 Maryam : 30-31: He said: I am indeed a servant of God:
He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; and he hath
made me blessed wheresoever I be and hath enjoined on me prayer
and charity as I live.
It is true God empowered Jesus Christ with all the gifts of the Holy
Spirit to enable Him to undertake the tasks that were set before Him.
Jesus was able to see visions and to look into the hearts and minds of
all who came into His presence. As Christians today we proclaim this

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same understanding; “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the
Lord”
Sura # 2 Bakara :253 …. To Jesus, the son of Mary, we gave clear
signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit.
Sura #19 Maryam: 17,19. We sent unto her Our spirit and it assumed
for her the likeness of a perfect man. I am the messenger of the Lord
that I may bestow upon you a faultless son. The Quran proclaims that
Jesus is a man without sin.
Sura #2 Bakara: 87 says: We gave Jesus , the son of Mary clear signs
and strengthened Him with the Holy Spirit.
Sura # 29 Ankabut: 50. Yet they say: Why are not signs sent down to
him from his Lord. Say: The Signs are indeed with God: and I am
indeed a clear warner.
It is indicated in the Quran that Jesus knows the times and the seasons
– as well as the future and come to warn all of the coming judgement.
Sura #43 Zukhruf: 61.63 And [Jesus] shall be a sign [for the coming
of] the Hour [of judgement]: Therefore, have no doubt about the
[hour] but follow ye Me: this is the straight- way. When Jesus came
with clear signs, he said: Now have I come to you with wisdom
[revelation] and in order to make clear to you some points on which
you dispute: Therefore, fear God and obey Me.
8. Jesus as Mediator
Sura # 39 Zumar: 44 I Timothy 2:5
9. Word of God
Sura # 3 Al-i-Imran: 45 John 1:1, 14
10. Jesus’ Death & Resurrection
Sura # 3 Ali-i-Imran: 55 Philippians 2:8, 1 Cor. 15:3-5
11. Jesus Ascended after Death
Sura # 3 Ali-i-Imran: 55 Eph. 1:19-20
12. Author of Creation
Sura #5 Maida: 113,114 Colossians 1:16,17; John
1:3-4
13. Jesus Is coming Again!
Sura # 43 Zukhruf: 61 Acts 1: 10-11
Sura #39 Zumar: 44 Say: To God, belongs exclusively [the right
to grant intercession: To Him belongs the dominion of the
heavens] and the earth: in the end it is to Him that ye shall be
brought back.
Sura #3 Al-i-Imran: 45 Behold! The angel said: O Mary, Allah
gives thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: His name will be
Jesus.
Of all the prophets mentioned in the Quran, Jesus is the only one
who God named before His birth, and Jesus is the only one of the
prophets who was born of a virgin birth making him special among

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 the prophets.
14. The Death of Jesus
Sura # 3 Ali-i-Imran : 55 When Allah said: I will cause you to die
and [I] will exalt you in my presence and clear you of those who
disbelieve and make those who follow you above those who
disbelieve to the day of resurrection.
There is much controversy among Muslims about the death and
resurrection of Jesus, even though their own book, written 640
years after the event took place, clearly proclaims this fact. The
Quran makes a clear distinction between those who believe and
those who disbelieve.
Sura # 3 Ali-i-Imran: 55 O Jesus, I will take thee and raise thee to
Myself.
In all of Biblical history there are only three (3) people who are
recorded as being taken up to heaven in their “living” state. They
are Enoch, Elijah, and Jesus.
Not even was Mohammad taken up to heaven after his death. He
has to wait in the grave (like everybody else) for Jesus to come
back to the earth and judge, rule, and reign over us all – the
believers and the disbelievers alike.
Sura #5 Maida: 113,114 Then God will say: O Jesus, son of Mary,
Recount my favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold I strengthened
thee with the Holy Spirit, so thou didst speak to the people in
childhood and in maturity. Behold I taught thee the book of Wisdom
[Book of Revelation], the Law, and the Gospel. And Behold: Thou
makes out of clay, as it were the figure of a bird, by My leave
[permission]. And thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My
leave. And Behold: Thou bringest forth the dead, by My leave.
Here the Quran clearly indicated the authority God Almighty has given
to Jesus.
1. God gave authority and revelation knowledge, to speak when as a
child (in the Temple in Jerusalem) and as a mature man
(throughout all of Israel).
2. God imparted to Jesus the knowledge of the Law (given to Moses),
the Old Testament and the Gospels, as well as the book of
Revelation – which Muslims believe was written by Jesus (Apostle
John being the pen) – but many do not understand this book
because their eyes are still closed to its truths.
3. To Jesus is given the ability to create living things,
4. To heal the sick, and the make the blind to see.
This makes Jesus truly exceptional among all of the prophets
mentioned in the Quran. In fact, He has the authority to create animals
and birds as well as humans.

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This fact makes him more than a prophet does, because He now has
the authority over life and death. I am not making this up – this is
what is written in the Quran and we as Christians who know THEIR
words can challenge them with these truths.
Sura # 43 Zukhruf: 61 says; And [Jesus] shall be a sign [for the
coming of] the hour [of judgement]. Therefore, have no doubt about
the Hour, but follow Me: this is a straight way.
The main point in this scripture is that it confirms that to follow Jesus is
the straight path.
To follow Jesus, you must know and understand why Jesus came to
earth [the first time], so you can be prepared for when He returns to
rule and reign over the Muslims, as well as the Christians.
As has been already indicate in previous Quranic scriptures there will
be a separation of those who believe in Jesus and those who disbelieve
in Him.
Here is the challenge for the Christians today, when discussing Jesus
with Muslims from the verses in their own book.

QUESTIONS TO ASK MUSLIMS

In the Quran, it tells that Jesus was:
1. A word from God
2. Empowered with the Holy Spirit
3. Born without sin – a perfect man
4. Given authority from God to create birds and animals, to heal
the sick, cure the lepers, and make the blind to see – even to
raise people from the dead.
5. Jesus died, and was raised up, to be exalted by God.
6. He is coming back to rule and reign over the Muslims and the
Christians – in fact all of humanity.
When Jesus returns, He will have authority to decide if you believe or
not, and will decide if you go to paradise or to hell.
If that is the case, why did God pick Jesus to do all of these
things, instead of Mohammad?
Why pick Jesus? Is it that because maybe Jesus is more than a prophet?
You have planted the seeds – now let the Holy Spirit water them. God
will reveal Himself to all who diligently seek Him.
We know that God used Believers and Unbelievers in different
circumstances to do His will and to be part of His divine plan.
Maybe you are part of His plan to bring Muslims to the true knowledge
of Jesus Christ – for their eternal salvation.
Now in the short time I have been allowed here today it is impossible
to explain 163 pages of my book: In Search of the Truth, but I hope
I have wet your taste buds enough to download a copy free of charge
from my website at www.cammbooks.com.au.

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Another question you can ask a Muslim is this; “If you believe that
being a suicide bomber will get you a guaranteed place in paradise,
why are not all the Muslim leaders leading by example and strapping
bombs onto themselves, so they reach paradise, straight away”? “Why
do they stay behind and send others to their deaths”?

CHAPTER TWO: EVANGELIZING TO

BUDDHISTS
Buddhism is a very old religion. Buddha was born and
lived in the same timeframe as the prophet Isaiah,
about 42 generations before Jesus Christ’s birth.
The followers of Buddhism apply rigorous restraints
upon their bodies (the flesh part) so that they can
improve their “spiritual part” and reach nirvana.
They restrict their eating habits, to make their flesh
come under the dominion of the “spirit man”.
This is the same reason that Christians are
commanded to fast on many occasions in the scriptures.
The main concept of Buddhism is that at the end of each life cycle, you
will be judged and it will be determined, whether you have lived a “good”
life, or a “bad” life. It does not clearly say will do the judging, nor who
will make the decisions whether your life was “good”, or “bad”.
Buddhists believe in re-incarnation, which means that when you die,
your spirit-man is reborn into a new body.
If it is judged that you have been “good”, then your body will be one
level higher towards nirvana.
If you have lived a “bad” life, then your next body will be of a lesser
being and you will suffer trials and tribulations, to teach you of your
mistakes.
If you continue down this “bad” path, you will eventually be reborn as
an insect.
If you continue on your path towards perfection, it
is claimed one can reach nirvana. Unfortunately,
there is no record in the Buddhist writings, which
promises that you will ever achieve nirvana. It is
only an imaginary place. There is no record of
anybody ever achieving this nirvana level and
coming back to earth to tell others about it.
So basically, this religion is focussed upon “doing
good works”.
Therefore, the wat (Buddhist temple) is a place of
learning, a place of medicine, and a place for
religious ceremonies, like weddings, and burials.
It is required that adult males spend at least some time in the wat
[Buddhist Temple]., as a Buddhist monk, usually before he marries, to
teach him authority, humility, and a better understanding of the
teachings of Buddhism, so he can wisely govern his household.

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It is recounted that when Buddha was very old, he was asked whether
he was God, to which he answered that He was not, but that there was
one, who would come after him who indeed was God.
His followers, believing that this would take place in just a few short
years, asked Buddha how they might recognise him when he comes.
Buddha’s answer was this; “YOU WILL RECOGNISE HIM BY HIS HANDS
AND HIS FEET.” Jesus Christ is recognised by His hands and His feet.

APPENDIX
THE STAGES OF SPIRITUAL DECLINE AND GROWTH
1. The Spiritual Man in the Garden – before the Fall
When God made mankind, he made him perfect in all respects,
and God walked and talked with Adam & Eve daily. God’s glory
covered them & their nakedness. God’s glory was everywhere and
peace was upon God’s creation.
Legend:
A. The white square; signifies God’s omnipresence (God everywhere
at the same time)
B. The white circle; signifies man’s spirit, with no hindrances, or
obstructions between God & man. The spirit is in control, hence
everlasting life.
C. The yellow circle; signifies the bodyof man under the control of
the spirit, not the mind
D. The red circle; signifies the mind of man, the place where God
has given us a choice, to choose our own destiny.

2. Man in the Garden – after the fall, Man sinned, his spirit
died, he lost his eternal life, he became aware of his nakedness,
and now there is an obstruction (Sin) between God & man.

Legend:
A. The white square; signifies God’s
omnipresence (God everywhere at
the same time)
B. The grey square signifies Satan
dominion over the earth, because
he is now Prince of the air.
C. The black circle; signifies man’s
spirit, which has now died, with
obstructions between God & man.
The spirit is no longer in control,
hence no everlasting life.
D. The yellow circle; signifies the
body of man under the control of the mind, not the spirit. This
allows Satan to enter and cause havoc in man’s destiny.
E. The red circle; signifies the mind of man, the place where God
has given us a choice, to choose our own destiny. Unfortunately,

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 we chose to rebel against God, and as a result, mankind was
caste out of the garden forever.

3. Mankind after Salvation.

The scripture tells us that when we accept Jesus Christ as our

saviour, we become born- again, we become a new creation, our
spirits are made new, we have the “mind of Christ living inside of
us. This gives us the power to resist Satan!

Now, people could have ignored this event and went on their way,
but here was an opportunity to witness to a crowd of people, who
were interested in what had just.
[1 This annual celebration comes 50 days after the Passover
ceremonies, when Jesus was crucified. See Leviticus 23:16

Legend:
A. The white square; signifies God’s
omnipresence (God everywhere at the
same time)
B. The grey square signifies Satan dominion
over the earth, because he is now Prince
of the air.
C. The white circle; signifies man’s spirit,
which has now been reborn, with no
obstructions between God & man. The
spirit can now be back in control, as
defined in Romans 12:1, by the
continually renewing of our minds, which
leads to transformation, hence
everlasting life (again).
D. The yellow circle; signifies the body of
man under the control of the spirit, not
the mind. This prevents Satan from entering and causing havoc in
man’s destiny.
E. The red circle; signifies the mind of man, the place where God has
given us a choice, to choose our own destiny. We have to choose
God, and the power of His Holy Spirit and as a result,
transformation occurs and we are once again promised entrance
into the everlasting garden, in continual communion with God.

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CTTNBC-005 THE WRITINGS OF JOHN
total hours: 40 + 20 hours research = 60 hours

COURSE OUTCOMES:
The aim of this module is to examine in detail, the writings of John,
including:
▪ The Gospel of John,
▪ 1 John
▪ 2 John
▪ 3 John
▪ The Book of Revelation

METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:

1. The students will research these topics under the
guidance of the teacher, to determine the following, as
detailed below:
a. The students will identify who is the author of each of these
books and develop a personal profile of this person
b. To whom were these books specifically written?
c. When they were written?
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 d. The main theme of each of these books.
2. The class will break into small groups to undertake this research.
The group will present their findings as a presentation to the whole
class body. Each member of the specific group will be allocated a
group mark as part of their assessment results.
3.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
As per above, the individual students will receive a group mark, which
will form 100 % of their marks for this module. This means 3
presentations making up the total mark for this module, with the first
two assessments being 30% each and the final assessment being 40%
of the total mark.
OVERVIEW OF NEW TESTAMENT TIMELINE:
The Books in the New Testament, were not written in the order they
appear in the Scriptures. Below is a timeline of the actual dates and
historical events of this era.

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 New Testament Timeline
Books of the Bible Approximate
Historical Events
Written Dates: AD
30 The Church Begins: (Acts 1)

The Dispersion and Saul’s persecution

35 of the Christians (Acts 8:1). Paul’s
Conversion: (Acts 9)

Paul attends Holy Spirit School in the

Arabian desert, then called by
40
Barnabas to the church at Antioch, as
“teacher” (Acts 11)

Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts

46
13)

It is accepted by most scholars that

the Book of James was in fact the first
James & Galatians 49
New Testament document ever
written.

Jerusalem Council and Paul’s Second

50
Missionary Journey (Acts 15)

1 & 2 Thessalonians 51-52

Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (Acts

54
18) Nero becomes Emperor

1 Corinthians, Mark:
55
between 55–65

2 Corinthians 56–57

Romans 57

58 Paul Arrested (Acts 21)

Luke, Matthew: between

60
60–65

Ephesians, Colossians, &

61
Philemon

61–63 Paul’s Roman Imprisonment (Acts 28)

Philippians 1 Peter: about

62
62–64

Acts 63–65
1 Timothy & Titus 64 Rome Burns
Jude 65

2 Timothy 66–67

2 Peter 67

Hebrews1 67–68 Paul and Peter Executed

1
I believe that Apostle Paul wrote the Epistle to the Hebrews just before
His death, to reinforce his testimony to the Jewish Christians that Jesus is
the Messiah. This belief is also confirmed in some Bible Translations,
including the Syriac Version: The Peshitta.
225
 Essenes hide their Library of Bible
68 Manuscripts in Caves in Wadi Qumran
by the Dead Sea.
Jerusalem & the Temple Destroyed, as
70 AD 70
prophesied by Jesus
John Begins Ministry in Ephesus. Rome
75
Begins Construction of the Coliseum.

Mt. Vesuvius Erupts in Italy – great

79
destruction.

John 80–85

1 John 85–90

In about 94 AD, John is banished to

2 & 3 John 90
the Isle of Patmos.

Revelation 95

98 John’s Death at Ephesus

OVERVIEW OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

1. Introduction
He (God the Father) spoke, and galaxies whirled into place, stars burned
the heavens, and planets began orbiting their suns — words of
awesome, unlimited, unleashing power. He spoke again, and the waters
and lands were filled with plants and creatures, running, swimming,
growing, and multiplying — words of animating, breathing, pulsing life.
Again He spoke, and man and woman were formed, thinking, speaking,
and loving — words of personal and creative glory. Eternal, infinite,
unlimited — He was, is, and always will be, the Maker and Lord of all
that exists.
And then He came in the flesh to a tiny spot in the universe called planet
Earth — the mighty Creator becoming part of His creation, limited by
time and space and susceptible to age, sickness, and death. Propelled
by love, He came to rescue and save, offering forgiveness and life. He
is the Word: He is Jesus Christ!
It is this truth that the Apostle John presents in this book. John’s
Gospel is not a life of Christ; it is a powerful argument for the
incarnation, a conclusive demonstration that Jesus was, and is, the very
heaven-sent Son of God - the only source of eternal life.
1. The Writer of this Gospel & His Character:
Author: John the Apostle, son of Zebedee and Salome, and younger
brother of James. Thunder evokes fear and images of a pending storm.
We use thunder to describe a deafening sound, such as in “thunderous
applause”; approaching danger, as in “thundering herd”; and explosive
anger, as in “thundered response.” So we would expect someone
nicknamed Son of Thunder to be powerful, loud, and unpredictable.

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 That’s what Jesus named two of his disciples—Zebedee’s sons, James
and John (Mark 3:17) — for he knew their tendency to explode.
Sure enough, when Jesus and the Twelve were rebuffed by a Samaritan
village, these rough-necked fishermen suggested calling down fire
from heaven to destroy the whole village. Jesus had to calm down
the outspoken brothers and explain that vengeance was not his way
(Luke 9:52-56).
Just before that incident, John had told Jesus that he had tried to stop a
man from driving out demons “because he is not one of us.” Jesus
had explained that he didn’t have an exclusive club, “for whoever is
not against you is for you” (Luke 9:49-50 NIV).
In addition to being forceful and angry, James and John also seem to
have been quite self-centred. They implored Jesus “to do for us whatever
we ask.” Then they requested seats of honour and power in the kingdom.
When the other disciples heard about what James and John had said,
they became indignant (Mark 10:35-44). Yet Jesus also saw potential in
these thundering brothers — he knew what they would become.
So Jesus brought both (James & John) with Peter, into his inner circle,
allowing them to see him transfigured on the mountain (Mark 9:2-13).
And as Jesus was dying on the cross, he entrusted Mary, his mother,
into John’s care, the only disciple recorded to be present at the
crucifixion of Jesus (John 19:26-27).
John was following in his father Zebedee’s footsteps as a fisherman when
Jesus called him (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19-20). His mother was Salome
(Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40). His brother, James, was also one of
the Twelve and the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:2). They fished
on the Sea of Galilee with Peter and Andrew.
One might predict that someone with a personality like John’s would
self-destruct. Certainly this person would die in a fight or in a clash with
the Roman government. At the very least, he would be discarded by the
church as self-seeking and power-hungry. But such was not the case.
Instead, John was transformed into someone who was strong
but gentle, straightforward but loving, courageous but humble.
There is no dramatic event to account for John’s transformation
— it must have come from being with Jesus, being accepted,
loved, and affirmed by the Lord, and then being filled with the
Holy Spirit.
So overwhelmed was John by Jesus that he did not mention himself by
name in the Gospel that bears his name. Instead, he wrote of himself as
“the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:20, 24).
What a humble change for one who, at first, had wanted power,
position and recognition.
➢ John stands as a great example of Christ’s power to transform lives.
➢ Christ can change anyone — no-one is beyond hope!

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➢ Jesus accepted John as he was, a Son of Thunder, and changed him into
what he would become, The Apostle of Love.
John’s ministry. John was a Palestinian and a Galilean. He was not
from Jerusalem, but from the country. This is why John shows such
familiarity in his writing with the geography of the area and perhaps why
John singles out the system of religious leaders who were in control in
Jerusalem.
Many believe that John was first a disciple of John the Baptist. His
mentor pointed him to Jesus when Jesus passed by. Then Jesus and
John spent the day together (1:35-39). At that time, John must have
become a part-time disciple, for later we find him back fishing with his
brother, James, and their father, Zebedee.
But the next time Jesus called them, John and James left everything,
father and boat included, and followed him. This was after Jesus had
turned water into wine (2:1-11), had cleared the temple the first
time (2:12-25), and had been visited by Nicodemus at night (3:1-21).
It was also after Herod had imprisoned John the Baptist (Luke 3:19-20),
Jesus had spoken with the woman at the well (Luke 4:1-26), and Jesus
had been rejected at Nazareth (Luke 4:16-30).
In the Gospels, John is mentioned by name when he was selected as
one of the Twelve and called a Son of Thunder (Mark 1:19; 3:13-19),
when he saw Jesus transfigured (Luke 9:28-36), when he told Jesus
about stopping a man who was driving out demons (Luke 9:49), when
he asked Jesus about calling down fire on the Samaritan village (Luke
9:52-56), when he asked Jesus about sitting next to him in the kingdom
(Mark 10:35-44), and when he was sent with Peter by Jesus to make
preparations for the Last Supper (Luke 22:8).
John was a member of the Twelve, of the Inner Circle of the disciples.
➢ John was an eyewitness to the miracles,
➢ An “ear-witness” to the parables, and
➢ He saw the confrontations with the Pharisees and other leaders, and
➢ John was a student of Jesus’ special words of instruction.
➢ John helped prepare the Last Supper,
➢ and was in the Garden of Gethsemane.
➢ He was the only one of the Twelve at the cross.
➢ John also saw the empty tomb and,
➢ John was in the upper room, at Pentecost
➢ He was also on the beach after the resurrection, and at the Ascension.
➢ We read more about John in the first chapters of Acts. There he is
numbered among the Twelve (Acts 1:13) when they chose a
replacement for Judas Iscariot.
➢ Then we see him ministering with Peter at the temple (Acts 3:3-11) and,

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➢ In the confrontation with the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-31).
➢ During the growing persecution, after many believers had been
scattered, Peter and John were sent by the other apostles to verify the
validity of the conversions in Samaria (Acts 8:14-25).
➢ John is mentioned only one other time in Acts (in 12:2), as the brother
of James, who was executed by King Herod.
➢ Beyond being a leader in the Jerusalem church (as mentioned
in Galatians 2:9), little is known of John’s ministry.
When John wrote his epistles to Gentile congregations (1 John),
“the chosen lady” (2 John NIV), and Gaius (3 John), he simply identified
himself as “the elder.” So it is thought that John must have been the
only surviving apostle at that time. He wrote those letters from Ephesus
about AD 85–90, just after writing his Gospel.
In about AD 94, John was banished to the island of Patmos
(during the reign of Domitian), because he refused to stop preaching
and teaching about Jesus Christ. There, this wise and elder apostle
received the dramatic vision of the future from Jesus, given to us as the
Book of Revelation. John probably returned to Ephesus during Nerva’s
reign and then died there during the reign of Trajan, around AD 100.
John provides a powerful example of a lifetime of service to Christ. As a
young man, John left his fishing nets to follow the Saviour. For three
intense years he watched Jesus live and love, and listened to him teach
and preach. John saw Jesus crucified and then risen!
John’s life was changed dramatically, from an impetuous, hot-tempered
youth, to a loving and wise man of God. Through it all, John remained
faithful, so that at the end of his life, he continued to bear strong witness
to the truth and power of the gospel.

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 Points to ponder:

➢ How strong is your commitment to Christ?

➢ Will it last through the years? The true test of an athlete is not in
the start, but the finish of any race. So too with faithfulness to
Christ—how will you finish that race?
➢ What would you do if you were told to stop
teaching/preaching/witnessing about Jesus Christ?
➢ Are you prepared to be banished, imprisoned, or even killed
for Jesus Christ?

The Gospel mentions no author by name, but the evidence (both from
textual and historical sources) points to John as the author. Certainly
the writer had to be an eyewitness of the events and one of Jesus’ close
associates.
Irenaeus (AD 120–202) wrote, “Afterwards, John, the disciple of the
Lord, who also had leaned upon his breast, did himself publish a gospel
during his residence at Ephesus in Asia”. John’s authorship of this Gospel
was also affirmed by other early church fathers: Clement of Alexandria,
Origen, Hippolytus, Justin Martyr, and Tertullian.
Those who proposed a later writing (middle of the second century) were
disproved when the Ryland Papyrus (a fragment of John’s Gospel) was
discovered and dated from AD 110–125.
Setting:
Written between AD 85–90 from Ephesus, after the destruction of
Jerusalem (AD 70) and before John’s exile to the island of Patmos The
Gospel of John contains no references concerning where it was written.
But according to the earliest traditions of the church, John wrote his
Gospel from Ephesus.
The church at Ephesus had been founded by Paul on his second
missionary journey in AD 52 (Acts 18:19-21). The church grew under
the ministry of Apollos, Priscilla (the first reference in the New Testament
to a Female Pastor), and Aquila (Acts 18:24-26). Paul returned to
Ephesus on his third missionary journey and had an incredible ministry
there (Acts 19:1–20:1). Later, during his first Roman imprisonment,
Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians (about AD 60). That church is
described in Revelation 2:1-7. We don’t know how old John was when
Jesus called him. But assuming that John was a little younger than Jesus,
John would have been in his eighties when writing this Gospel, quite old
for a time when the life expectancy was much shorter. And considering
the fact that all the other apostles had died as martyrs, John was indeed
the church’s elder statesman.
We can imagine him teaching and counselling the Christians in this well-
established church, as well as doing some writing.
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 Can you imagine the following:
➢ Paul has planted this church in Ephesus
➢ The church grew and prospered under Apollos, Priscilla (woman pastor)
and Aquila.
➢ Paul then returns and then ministers there for some time. Then in prison
Paul writes the Epistle to the Church at Ephesus to guide and challenge
them. (AD 60)
➢ After the death of all the other Apostles, including Paul, John is left as
the only surviving Apostle and elder Christian statesman. He ministers
and teaches at Ephesus for possibly 20 years. Before he is exiled to the
Isle of Patmos.
➢ John is known as the “Jesus is Love” apostle. He was so close to God
through the Holy Spirit that it was said that He lay in the Spirit many
times, just quietly saying: “Jesus is love”.
➢ Then after being their pastor for many years, Jesus gives John the
spiritual revelation, which is recorded in the Book of Revelation.
➢ In this book in Rev. 2:1-7 Jesus condemns the church at Ephesus,
because they have lost their first love.
➢ Even though the “Love Apostle” was teaching them, they still fell away
and had to be brought back to a place where Jesus would find them
acceptable in the day of Judgement.
➢ Lesson: We cannot take anything for granted. We must continually keep
short accounts with God and continually meditate on His word and let
the Holy Spirit guide us at all times, so that we become the hands and
feet of Jesus, wherever we go – AT ALL TIMES, AND IN ALL
SITUATIONS!!!.
Audience This Gospel was written to new Christians and searching non-
Christians1. John does not reveal his audience directly, but several
characteristics of the book provide insight into the people he was trying
to reach.
1. The Gospel of John differs greatly from the other three Gospels in
content and approach. Matthew, Mark, and Luke present much historical
data with few explanations or interpretations.
2. John, however, selected key events and took time to explain and apply
them. (See, for example, 11:51-52 and 12:37-41.) In addition, John
chose to write about a few important, miraculous signs (20:30-31) in
order to give a clear picture of the person of Christ.
3. John illustrates the tension between faith and unbelief, and emphasizes
the importance of responding to Christ. He states this fact at the very
beginning and carries it throughout the book—“Yet to all who received

1
That is why it is good to recommend new believers and those searching to read this Gospel before any others in the
Bible.

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 him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become
children of God” (1:12 NIV).
4. John uses simple vocabulary but chooses special words and loads them
with meaning — for example; word, truth, light, darkness, life, and love.
5. John repeats four main points:
➢ the true identity of Jesus,
➢ the necessity of responding to Christ in faith,
➢ the gift of eternal life, and
➢ the church’s mission to the world.
6. John explains his purpose clearly: “But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in his name” (20:31 NIV). These unique
characteristics of the book seem to indicate that John was trying to
convince people of the truth about Christ. Written almost as an
evangelistic tract, John presents the evidence for Jesus as the God-man
and the Saviour of the world, and he challenges readers to follow his
Lord. So, we can conclude that John wrote to unbelieving Asian
Jews and Gentiles.
But John also wrote to Christians, to help strengthen their faith. John
was the last surviving apostle and one of the few still living who had
seen Jesus in the flesh. It would be easy for young believers—removed
from Christ’s life, death, and resurrection by a generation, and
surrounded by a hostile government and unbelieving neighbours—to
have doubts and second thoughts about their faith.
Remember, this is the late eighties, after the terrible persecutions by
Nero (AD 54–68) and the total destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70). The
church had flourished under persecution, but believers needed
reassurance of the truth of Christianity. John, the venerable eyewitness
to all that Jesus had done and faithful follower of his Lord, would give
that assurance through his personal account of the gospel story.
Purpose:
John gives a clear and straightforward statement of his purpose for
writing this book: “But these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may
have life in his name” (20:31 NIV). To achieve this purpose, John shows,
throughout the Gospel, that Jesus was in fact, the Christ of God, the
prophesied one, and the only source of salvation. This is the dominant
theme of the entire book. The Gospel of John was written to convince
those who had not seen Jesus to believe in him, to help believers deepen
their faith, and to convince unbelievers to trust in Jesus Christ, as their
Saviour. In addition, John has several other emphases worth noting:
1. John shows that the Jewish leaders were completely wrong in rejecting
Jesus as the Messiah. John 1:11 makes this clear: “He came to that
which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (NIV). John
continues this emphasis throughout the book. Consider, for example,
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 Jesus’ discussion with the Jews in 8:33-59. There Jesus calls them
“illegitimate children” whose real father is the devil. Then the Jews
accuse Jesus of being “demon-possessed.” Finally, after Jesus says, “I
tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!” the Jews pick up
stones to kill him—but Jesus escapes their deadly intent. In chapter 9,
we find another confrontation with the Pharisees after Jesus heals a man
who has been blind since birth. These incidents and many others are
found only in the Gospel of John.
2. John shows that Jesus is much greater than John the Baptist. It may
be that some followers of John the Baptist were still claiming that he
was more important than Jesus. Whatever the reason, John emphasizes
the pre-eminence of Christ and John the Baptist’s special role in
preparing the way for him (see 1:6-8, 15-18, 19-27, 35-38; 3:25-30).
3. John emphasizes the deity and humanity of Jesus. This awesome
mystery is expressed in the words of the prologue: “The Word was God,
and …the Word became flesh” (John 1:1, 14). Elsewhere in the Gospel,
Jesus himself declares that he was one with the Father—even the visible
expression of the Father (10:30; 14:9-11). And at the end of the Gospel,
Thomas makes the wonderful acclamation to Jesus, “My Lord and my
God!” (20:28). While emphasizing Jesus’ divinity and heavenly origin,
John also presented Jesus as a real man. It is possible that he did this
to confront a docetic1 heresy promoting the false notion that Jesus only
seemed to be living a human life—that he was not fully human. So John
states directly that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us” (1:14 NIV).
John also mentions Jesus’ family ties (2:12; 7:3-5), explains how Jesus
became tired (4:6), and shows that Jesus really died on the cross
(19:33-34). John clearly presents Jesus as the God-man.
4. John shows how people misunderstood Jesus’ actions and words. For
example, Jesus’ listeners misunderstood the identification of his body
with the temple (2:18-22), the new birth (3:3-10), spiritual, living water
(4:10-15), spiritual “bread,” obedience to God (4:32-34), Jesus’
authority (5:31-47), the true bread of life (6:30-36), and the true origin
of Jesus (7:25-29).
Jesus often explained deeper, spiritual truths by using physical
examples. Often, however, his listeners couldn’t make the connection;
they couldn’t get beyond the physical to the spiritual understanding.
5. John describes the work of the Holy Spirit, assuring believers of the
presence of the risen Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, Christians have
Christ living within them; they don’t have to face life alone. John records
Jesus teaching that the Spirit would be sent to “convict the world of guilt
in regard to sin, and righteousness, and judgment” (16:8 NIV), to guide
believers into ALL TRUTH (16:13), and to bring glory to Christ (16:14).

1
Docetism: in the early Christian church: This was a heresy that the humanity of Jesus Christ, his sufferings, and his death,
were apparent, rather than real. This word originates from the Latin: Docêtae, and from the Greek: Dokêtaim from dokein – to
seem.

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 John speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit more than any other
Gospel writer.
6. John reminds believers that unbelief and opposition to God and his plans
do not surprise God or thwart his purposes. This includes the betrayal
by Judas (foretold by prophets and known by Jesus—
6:64; 13:18; Psalm 41:9), the death of Jesus on the cross (a necessary
part of God’s salvation plan—3:14-18), and the rejection of Christ by
unbelievers (1:10-11). Although conflicts are inevitable, God is
sovereign and in control, and his goals will be accomplished. Because of
John’s special purpose for writing this book, he describes many incidents
in the life of Christ that are not recorded in the other Gospels. These
events include: John the Baptist declaring Jesus to be the Messiah, Jesus
turning water into wine, Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night, Jesus talking
to a Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus healing a government official’s
son, Jesus healing a lame man by the pool, Jesus’ brothers ridiculing
him, Jesus healing the man who was born blind, Jesus raising Lazarus
from the dead, Jesus teaching about the Holy Spirit, Jesus teaching
about the vine and the branches, and Jesus appearing to Thomas and
reinstating Peter after his resurrection.
John, the Son of Thunder turned evangelist, knew that people needed
to know about the real Jesus. He also knew that as a contemporary of
Christ and one of the chosen Twelve, he was uniquely suited to tell the
story. So, compelled by love and under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
John wrote the Gospel.
Message:
“Jesus Christ, Son of God,” “eternal life,” “believing,” “Holy Spirit,”
“resurrection”—because John’s purpose was to convince people to
believe in Christ, it’s not surprising that his message follows the themes
listed here.
In order to trust Christ, a person must understand Jesus’ true identity,
the promise of eternal life, the necessity of faith, and the resurrection of
Christ. And to live for Christ, a person must understand the person and
work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ, Son of God (1:1-18; 2:1-11; 4:46-54; 5:1-15; 6:5-
14; 6:16-21; 9:1-12; 11:1-44; 19:1–20:30). Because this is a
“Gospel,” the entire book tells about Jesus. But in relating the life of the
Lord, John chose eight “signs” (miracles) that illustrate and prove Jesus’
true identity as God’s Son.
These chosen signs (seven miracles plus the Resurrection) display
Christ’s glory and reveal his true nature.
1. Jn. 2:1-11—Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding at Cana. John
concludes this story by explaining, “This, the first of his miraculous
signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory,
and his disciples put their faith in him” (NIV). Evidently this miracle was
an important turning point for the disciples. They trusted Jesus and
began to understand that he was more than just a great teacher.

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2. Jn. 4:46-54—Jesus heals the royal official’s son. Back in Cana, Jesus
encountered a Roman official who asked Jesus to heal his son. In
addition to demonstrating Christ’s power over sickness, this incident also
shows that Jesus was the Saviour for all people, not just the Jews.
John states that this was the second miraculous sign (4:54).
3. Jn. 5:1-15—Jesus heals the invalid by the pool at Bethesda. This was a
significant miracle because the man had been disabled for thirty-eight
years! It was also important because Jesus performed the healing on
the Sabbath, incurring the wrath of many Jews. John explains: “For this
reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking
the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making
himself equal with God” (5:18 NIV).
4. Jn. 6:5-14—Jesus feeds the five thousand. This miracle had a
tremendous effect on the multitudes. “After the people saw the
miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, ‘Surely this is the
Prophet who is to come into the world’” (6:14 NIV). Jesus had fed
thousands from only five barley loaves and two small fish!
5. Jn. 6:16-21—Jesus walks on water. In this dramatic event, Jesus
displayed his power over nature. Seasoned fishermen like John knew the
great difficulty of guiding a boat over wind-tossed seas. Yet Jesus
encountered no resistance from the sea and defied all they knew about
sinking and floating as he strolled across the waves. The sad thing about
this miracle is that only Peter had enough faith to step out of the boat
onto the water and go to Jesus. All of the disciples had this
opportunity and missed it. We have to make sure that we never miss
an opportunity to be obedient to God’s calling on our lives.
6. Jn. 9:1-41—Jesus heals a man blind from birth. Although all the healings
recorded by John were wonderful miracles, they increase in dramatic
effect and significance throughout the book. First we read about a very
sick boy being cured, then a man who had been an invalid for thirty-
eight years. Here we find Jesus restoring sight to a man who had
been born blind—incredible!
7. Jn. 11:1-44—Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. For those impressed
by Jesus healing the blind man, John tells of a miracle even more
amazing—raising a dead man to life. Surely this was the Son of God!
8. 20:1-29—The greatest sign of all, of course, is the Resurrection. By
conquering death, Jesus gave final, definite proof that what he said is
true, that he is the Son of God, that our sins can be forgiven, and that
we can have eternal life through him. John was an eyewitness—he was
one of the first to the empty tomb (20:3-9), and he saw Jesus alive
again (20:19-29; 21:1-24). John’s readers did not have that privilege,
but they too could believe. In fact, as Jesus had told Thomas, “Because
you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed” (20:29 NIV). In addition to these signs, in
every chapter Jesus’ deity is revealed. John also underscores Jesus’ true
identity through the titles he is given—Word, the One and Only, Lamb
of God, Son of God, true bread, life, resurrection, vine. And the

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 formula is “I AM.” When Jesus used this phrase, he was affirming his
pre-existence and eternal deity. Jesus said, “I AM the bread of life”
(6:35); “I AM the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5); “I AM the gate”
(10:7); “I AM the good shepherd” (10:11, 14); “I AM the resurrection
and the life” (11:25); “I AM the way, (I AM) the truth and (I AM) the
life” (14:6); and “I AM the true vine” (15:1).
John shows us that Jesus is unique as God’s special Son, yet he is fully
God. Because he is fully God, Jesus is able to reveal God to us, clearly
and accurately.
Importance for Today.
The person and work of Christ form the core of Christianity and give us
our hope for forgiveness and eternal life. John affirms that Jesus is the
God-man—that is, he is fully God and fully man. This truth, of course, is
impossible for our finite minds to comprehend. John does not try to
explain it; he just presents the facts—Jesus, the incarnate Word, living
as one of us and dying for us.
Because Jesus is God, he has the nature, ability, and right to offer
eternal life. When he died on the cross, he was the perfect sacrifice and
only mediator between God and people (14:6).
Because Jesus became a man, he identified fully with us, enduring
temptation, persecution, hardship, and suffering. And when he died on
the cross, he really died; he wasn’t pretending.
Through the Incarnation, the infinite, holy, and all-powerful God
demonstrated his love for us; “For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son” (3:16 NIV). As believers in Christ, we must affirm
both sides of his nature and not exclude or diminish one side in favour
of the other. Jesus is fully God and fully man.
Eternal life:
(3:15,16, 36; 4:14, 36; 5:24, 39,40; 6:27, 40, 47, 54, 58; 8:51; 1
0:10, 27-30; 11:25-26; 12:25, 49-50; 20:30-31).
Jesus came to bring us life, eternal life. This life begins now, on this
earth, through faith in Christ. Jesus said, “I have come that they may
have life, and have it to the full” (or in some translations “more
abundantly”. (10:10 NIV).
Eternal life is not just a promise for the future; believers can
have it now!!!1 (see 3:36; 5:24; 6:47). The life that Christ offers also
continues beyond death, in heaven: “Whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life” (3:16 NIV); “In my Father’s house are many
rooms2; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am

1
Please read: Living in the Secret Kingdom: email nlmcs@outlook.com.au for your free pdf copy.
2
In the King James translation this is said to be: “In my father’s house there are many mansions.” This is a mis-translation,
because you cannot have a house inside another house. The NIV is more correct here. The word could also be translated as: “In
my Father’s house are many places to abide (live, or dwell).”

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 … I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father,
except through me” (14:2-3, 6 NIV). Eternal life is life that does not end,
so it has a quantitative meaning. But eternal life also has a qualitative
sense, referring to the very life of God himself. John emphasizes both
meanings. Because Jesus is God, he lives forever. Before the world
began, he lived with God (1:1-2), and he will reign forever with the
Father (14:1-4).
In John we see Jesus revealed in power and magnificence even before
his resurrection. Obtaining eternal life is not automatic or magic. People
aren’t saved just because Jesus became a man and died and rose again.
Individuals must believe in Jesus; they must trust in him.
John presents Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the
sheep (10:11, 15, 17). His death is said to be a saving death—he is the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (1:29, 36). He is the
one who saves us from the penalties of our sins (Romans 3:23)
But his sacrifice is applied only to those who repent and believe
(1:12; 2:11; 3:15-16, 18, 36; and many other passages).
Importance for Today.
Life on earth is short, and filled with struggles, suffering, and hardships.
Of course there are moments of ecstasy and joy, but for many those
moments are very few. And because all human beings are mortal,
eventually everyone dies. That description is not mere pessimism, but
truth. But God offers hope amidst the suffering—eternal life. Through
faith in Christ, we have abundant life now and life unending after we die.
The assurance of eternal life gives hope, meaning, and purpose as we
live each day.
Jesus offers eternal life to us. We are invited to begin living in a personal,
eternal relationship with him that begins now. Although we must grow
old and die, we can have a new life that lasts forever by trusting Jesus.
Believing
(1:12, 50; 2:11, 23; 3:15-18; 4:39-42, 48-53;
5:24, 47; 6:30, 47, 64; 8:24, 31; 9:38; 10:25-42; 11:25-
27; 12:37-46; 14:11-14; 16:9; 17:8, 20; 20:25-30).
Belief in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God is the central theme of
this book and the desired response from all who read it. Knowing that
Jesus is the Son of God and that eternal life is available only through
him, people must believe in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
John chose eight1 signs (miracles) that show the nature of Jesus’
power and love to convince people to believe in Christ. John explains
this as he states his purpose: “But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in his name” (20:31 NIV).

1
Wherever “8” is used, it signifies “a new beginning”, hence the number for Jesus is “888”

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John wrote to a sceptical world (just like our world is today).
The Jews were looking for their Messiah whom they thought would be a
mighty hero, one who would free them from Roman tyranny and restore
Israel to her former glory.
Jews found it difficult to believe in a gentle rabbi, one who taught love
and servant-hood could possibly be their Messiah and their Deliverer.
The religious Jews were especially sceptical of Jesus. After all, he
exposed their hypocrisy and called people to a personal relationship with
God through him alone (14:6). He ruffled their feathers and he
threatened their power base, their wealth and their jobs. He had to go!!!
Greeks, with their history of philosophical dialogue and intellectual
acumen, would be naturally sceptical of a man claiming to be God in the
flesh. And what about the Romans? With their multitude of gods, they
would find it difficult to embrace one who claimed to be the only way.
So, John presents the evidence and the facts to support the claims of
Christ, to convince readers that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
The first step toward eternal life is to believe the facts about
Jesus. Through the eight signs and other incidents in the life of Christ,
John presents these facts, not as statements about Jesus, but as
scenes of Jesus in action. He describes the effects on those who
witnessed each event. “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed
in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever
did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with
them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more
became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just
because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we
know that this man really is the Saviour of the world’” (4:39-42 NIV).
But having saving faith (“believing”) involves much more than mental
assent to the truth.
John emphasizes Jesus’ strong teaching that those who truly believe
in Christ turn from their sin, follow him closely, and obey his
teachings.
Jesus told the crowds, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12 NIV),
and, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see
death” (8:51 NIV). When the formerly blind man believed, he
worshipped Jesus (9:38).
At another time Jesus taught the disciples, “The man who loves his life
will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for
eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my
servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me”
(12:25-26 NIV). The person who puts his or her faith in Christ (believes
the facts about him, trusts him, follows close to him, and obeys his
commands) is forgiven and gains eternal life.

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“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not
believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the
name of God’s one and only Son” (3:18 NIV).
Importance for Today.
Believing is active, living, and continuous trust in Jesus as God. When
we believe in his life, his words, his death, and his resurrection, we are
cleansed from sin and receive power to follow him.
But we must respond to Christ by believing. This believing begins with
the facts about Jesus, but it must go deeper, involving total commitment
to him. Do you truly believe in Jesus? Remember, too, that we also
live in a world of sceptics. Most people won’t believe that something is
true simply because we tell them, especially regarding religion. They
need to see Jesus in action, to read about his claims and his miracles,
and to understand his teachings.
As we explain to relatives, friends, neighbours, and co-workers about
how they can have eternal life, we need to present the evidence that
Jesus is the Son of God and their only hope.
Holy Spirit (1:32-34; 3:5; 6:63; 7:39; 14:16-
26; 15:26; 16:7, 15).
The first mention of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John is John the
Baptist’s explanation that when he baptized Jesus, he saw, “The Spirit
come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him” (1:32 NIV). He
adds that Jesus will “baptize with the Holy Spirit” (1:33 NIV).
We know, therefore, that Jesus possessed the Spirit. In addition, we
read in John’s Gospel that a person must be born “of water and the
Spirit” (3:5 NIV) and that “the Spirit gives life” (6:63 NIV).
In other words, when we believe in Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us new
birth into the family of God. John also explains that the Holy Spirit was
not fully given to believers until after Christ had been glorified (7:39).
The main teaching about the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John, however,
describes him as the Paraclete. This Greek word (parakletos) is also
used to describe Jesus. Its literal meaning is “the one who comes
alongside” and can also be translated “counsellor.”
Therefore, the Holy Spirit is like Jesus; he comes alongside believers to
guide and teach them, working for them and with them. The main works
of the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete are these:
1. He would come and abide in the disciples after the departure of
Jesus, to teach them, remind them of his words (“But the
Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have
said to you”—14:26 NIV), and show them the truth (“But when
he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth”—
16:13 NIV). This work of the Holy Spirit is very important in
understanding the doctrine of inspiration. In these passages, Jesus
is promising his disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them

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 recall what he had taught them and the important incidents in his
life. The Holy Spirit would also open their eyes to understand
Christ’s true identity. This would ensure that their records of
Christ’s life would be accurate.
2. He would bear witness to Jesus through the disciples before the
world (“When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he
will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been
with me from the beginning”—15:26-27 NIV) and will do his
convicting work in the hearts of men and women in the world
(“Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I
go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the
world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in
regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to
righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can
see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince
of this world now stands condemned”—16:7-11 NIV). All of these
actions of the Holy Spirit are parallel to the work of Jesus on earth.
Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life (14:6), and he
preached about sin (8:24), righteousness (8:42-47), and
judgment (9:39). Jesus taught his disciples that the Holy Spirit
would come after he left the earth. The Holy Spirit would then
indwell, guide, counsel, and comfort those who follow Jesus.
Through the Holy Spirit, Christ’s presence and power are
multiplied in all who believe.
Importance for Today.
God has sent the Holy Spirit into the world to draw people to himself
and to work in the lives of believers. As we read and study God’s Word,
the Holy Spirit will guide us into the truth (16:13), helping us understand
about Christ and about God’s principles for living. One of our
responsibilities as believers is to testify about Christ in the world
(15:27), passing on what the Holy Spirit tells us (15:26). As we do this,
we can be confident that the Holy Spirit will be working in the lives of
men and women, convicting them of their sin and their need to trust
Christ as Saviour (16:7-11).
We must know the Holy Spirit to understand all Jesus taught. We can
experience Jesus’ love and guidance as we allow the Holy Spirit to work
in us.
Resurrection (20:1–21:23).
The final and greatest sign presented by John of the divinity of Jesus is
his resurrection from the dead. Just as Jesus really lived as a man on
the earth, he really died on the cross. The witnesses to Jesus’ death
were many: the Roman soldiers (19:23-24, 32-34), the chief priests and
other Jewish religious leaders (19:21), the crowd (19:20), a small
collection of his loyal followers (19:25-27), and those who buried him,
Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (19:38-42). Jesus was dead, and
with his death, all hope seemed to vanish from the disciples.

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Most of them fled and followed from a distance (Matthew 26:56; John
18:15). Peter denied even knowing Jesus (18:15-18, 25-27). They were
a disorganized and fearful group (20:19). But Jesus’ death was not the
end of the story. He arose, triumphant over death.
Mary Magdalene, John, and Peter found the tomb empty (20:1-9). Then
Mary Magdalene met the risen Christ face to face (20:10-18). Later, the
disciples saw Jesus alive (20:19-29; 21:1-23). The fact of the
Resurrection changed the disciples’ lives—from fearful men who fled
danger to courageous witnesses who took the gospel to every corner of
their world, from discouraged and disillusioned followers to hopeful and
joyful “Christ-ones” (i.e., “Christians”—ones belonging to Christ). The
fact that Jesus rose from the dead is the foundation of the Christian
faith.
Importance for Today.
The resurrection of Christ from the dead is important for us for several
reasons.
1. Truth. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that he is, in
fact, the Son of God and that all he taught is true. People choose
religions for a variety of reasons (for example, to please parents,
to feel good, to advance socially, or to earn their way to heaven);
but the most important and basic reason for becoming a Christian
is because the gospel is true. Jesus said that he was the truth
(14:6), and his resurrection confirmed it!
2. Hope. Jesus taught that whoever believes in him will have eternal
life (3:16-18). Because Jesus is God and truthful, we know that
his promise of eternal life is also true. In the face of danger,
disease, and death, we can remember the words of Jesus to
Martha at Lazarus’s tomb: “I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever
lives and believes in me will never die” (11:25-26 NIV). We can
hope.
3. Presence. Jesus is alive, therefore, we worship and serve a living
Saviour. Jesus promised his followers that he would be with them
always (Matthew 28:20). He said that when he left the world, he
would send his Spirit to us (16:7). When Jesus rose from the dead
and ascended to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to be with us and
in us.
4. Confidence. After the Resurrection, the disciples were confident
and bold, knowing that with God for them, no one could stand
against them (Romans 8:31). They also knew that they also would
rise from the dead. We can be changed as the disciples were and
have the confidence that someday our bodies will be raised to live
with Christ forever. The same power that raised Christ to life can
give us the ability to follow him each day, because it lives inside
of us.

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If Jesus can change John by his encounter with Jesus Christ,
then we all can be changed, renewed and set free from our
“natural character” and start to put on the “Character of Jesus
Christ”.
1. John learned the lessons of love in “the School of Christ” Jn. 13:23,
1 Jn. 2:9-10, 3:14-18, 4:7-11.
2. This change was in John’s character, and is recognised by Jesus, as
John is entrusted with the responsibility to care for Jesus’ mother (Jn.
19:20).
3. In the Epistles of John, John refers to Christian love more than 25
times. As this Gospel was written under the divine inspiration and
revelation of the Holy Spirit, God therefore must consider Christian
Love very important.
DETAILED STUDY OF SEVERAL CHAPTERS

JOHN CHAPTER 4:
I have chosen this chapter, because over the years I have heard so
many incorrect teachings about this chapter, that it is clear that teachers
and pastors, who have been brought up in “western theology”, clearly
do not understand the Jewish culture, or the real reason this chapter is
included in the Book of John. We have already identified that John clearly
establishes that Jesus is love. So why would Jesus “have to go to
Samaria” – just to condemn a woman? There is more to this story that
meets the eye at first glance.
THE WOMAN AT THE WELL
Today, I wish to challenge you on the theme of learning from the
Scriptures, by understanding some of the traditions of the land and
culture at the time that the Word was written - in fact, to see the
Scriptures through the eyes and ears of the writer.
There have been many teachings about this series of Scriptures, by many
learned people over the last 1900 years. In each case, the pastor, or bible
teacher, always seems to be able to reveal some previously hidden new
truth to the congregation. This is a good thing, because it proves that the
Bible is not a dead book, but it is alive, and that God Almighty, through
the Holy Spirit, opens up different levels and depths of understanding of
His Holy Word, depending upon the levels of their faith, especially to the
people who trust in Him completely and follow His commandments.
For the people in Western society today, this story has been told with
many different twists to it. Unfortunately, some of them I feel, are
incorrect teachings, due to the lack of understanding of the eastern
cultures of that time in history.
To really understand the significance of this story, we must know the
history, and culture of the area, just like the people of Israel did, at the
time of Jesus Christ; otherwise, some of the important points can easily
be missed.

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 For example: When Isaiah prophesied (many generations before Jesus
was born) that Jesus would be taken out and “hung by a tree” he was in
fact identifying a new form of torture, because at the time of Isaiah’s
prophecy, the death sentence was not carried out in this way. This
horrific torture was not introduced by the Romans into Israel until
several centuries later.
In a similar manner, we can learn a lot about the encounter between
Jesus and the “women at the well”, recorded in John Chapter 4, if we
know the Scriptures, the political and the cultural situations of that
period.
Hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans had been long and intense
and it started back at the time just after the death of King Solomon -
some 700 years before the time of Christ.
King Solomon turned from God's path, by marrying into many foreign
tribes and cultures, and allowed his wives to build temples within Israel,
to worship their own God's. He caused, (by his own example) the people
of the nation of Israel, to be lead away from the rules of obedience from
following God Almighty.
Because of the actions of the king, the Lord became angry with Israel and
said he would destroy it. But because of the promise He made to David,
a small remnant was to be left. Thus, the twelve tribes, which were
cemented into a nation under the Kingship of David, in unity, were split
up.
➢ The majority favouring the free and idolatrous life, given by the example
of King Solomon –
➢ and a few, who were righteous in their hearts, who decided to follow after
the ways of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that is, to follow after the path
that the Lord had revealed to the nation through its prophets.
The ten northern tribes, seceded from the nation of Israel, and its capital
city of Jerusalem, and formed themselves around a new capital city,
which they called Samaria. (so, the city of Samaria is the home of the
10 rebellious tribes of Israel).
In biblical writings, these ten tribes are usually referred to as ISRAEL
whilst the two remaining southern tribes were referred to as JUDAH. Thus,
Jesus Christ is known as "the Lion of Judah", because he came from the
righteous line of the tribes of the nation of Israel.
In 722 BC the Assyrian army laid siege to Samaria and captured the city.
The remainder of the ten tribes, still living in the city were captured, and
deported en-masse away to another place into captivity. They were
replaced by near eastern captives, from previous battles of the Assyrians,
mostly Gentiles and polytheists, (which were people who believed in more
than one God). The planted captive peoples adopted the religion of the
captive country. By the time of the New Testament, some 700 years later,
they believed in and worshipped Yahweh, and acknowledged Moses as the
supreme Apostle of God.

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They accepted the Torah - which are the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis
- Deuteronomy) as canonical (sacred) Scriptures. They recognized Mt.
Gerizim (not Mt. Zion) as the chosen place of God, as mentioned in the
Scripture in Deut. 14:23. They believed in and expected the Messiah to
come. They believed in and expected a final day of judgement.
So, when you compare them to their southern brothers, their beliefs were
very close, just like Protestants, Pentecostals, Evangelicals and Catholics
today.
And just like today, we seem to fight with our brothers over some
small issues of doctrine, instead of combining our forces and
fighting against the evil of our common enemy - Satan.
To make matters even worse, by the time the Romans arrived on the
scene in Israel, orthodox Jews occupied the areas, both to the north and
to the south of Samaria.
The Samaritans were looked down upon by the orthodox Jews. Their
feelings of hatred were so intense against the Samaritans, (the
descendants of their rebellious brothers – the 10 tribes) that they would
rather travel twice the distance, by going around this area, than to take
the short-cut, which saved them 25-30 Kms, which was more than a days'
journey in those days.
On the other hand, the Samaritans were not a hospitable people either.
They treasured the famous well of Jacob, the direct descendant of
Abraham, but left no container at the well, to allow travellers to have a
drink, if they needed one. They believed that the water from this well was
sacred and for their use only.
The orthodox Jews would not have used the container if it had been left
there by the Samaritans anyway, because they believed that if they drank
from a jar which had previously been used by one of the Samaritans, they
would be defiled and would not be able to go to the synagogue, without
first following the laws of purification. [7 days of ritual cleansing]
So now you understand the situation of both sides, at the time that Jesus
Christ started out on his journey. Both sides needed to be taught a
lesson!
In John 4:4 it reads that: “Jesus must go through Samaria”.
There were two distinct route he could take. The most common one for
so called” righteous Jews" was via the Jordan Valley, which bypassed the
area of the Samaritans. As explained above, the orthodox Jews did not
like the Samaritans' attitudes, nor their brand of religion and they did not
want to associate with them in any form or fashion. They did not even
trade with them, if they could avoid doing so.
What do we understand here? Jesus did not “have to do anything” –
except the will of His Father who sent Him to this earth.
Therefore, Jesus must go to Samaria because the Father in Heaven
has sent Him. There must be an important reason for this.

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 For Jesus to decide that He must go through Samaria must have been
of concern to His disciples, and it is possible that certain of His disciples
may have raised a question about their proposed route and their safety.
We don’t know if they did, or what was Jesus’ reply, but go through
Samaria He did, because he had a special purpose to reveal
Himself and His identity to the Samaritan people, who lived near
the well of Joseph.
There was a divine reason for Him to go this path. He was a righteous
Jew; His disciples would automatically expect that he would take the path
around Samaria, like all other orthodox Jews.
When Jesus had laid hands on his disciples and sent them out previously,
he had told them only to go to their own people, not to go to the
Samaritans, or to the Gentiles.
But here now was Jesus, taking the short-cut across Samaria, to get back
to Galilee. I am sure that the disciples must have been a little puzzled by
this decision, but were too shy to ask Jesus directly why He was going this
way.
Jesus arrived at the well, which was on the ground deeded to Joseph by
Jacob - a very historic place for this encounter to take place. It says that
Jesus got tired - (just like us after a long walk in the hot sun) and He
sits down near the well alone - for He has sent his disciples off into the
village to find food.
He has walked many miles, he is tired, hungry and thirsty, but there is no
vessel in which to collect the water from the bottom of the 100 foot well.
The well is situated in a field which Jacob purchased near Shechem (Gen:
33:18-19). It was in this field that the bones of Jacob were finally laid to
rest, as recounted in Joshua 24.32. Jacob's well is still there today!
Jesus - like us, gets tired, hungry and thirsty, but there is no utensil at
the well to get any water. Jesus Christ now has two choices open to him:
Choice 1.
We have seen that He was able to change the water into wine. We have
seen that He was able to calm the seas. All He has to do is order the water
to come up out of the well and calm His thirst.
If he had given such and order, the water would have obeyed, because it
was the Word issued forth in the beginning, that created the universe, and
all matter in the universe must obey the Word of God. But would that use
of God's power give glory to His Father in Heaven? NO!!!
Whenever Jesus Christ used His power on earth, it was ALWAYS FOR
SOMEONE ELSE'S BENEFIT, - NOT HIS OWN. Therefore, the misuse
of God's power was not an acceptable option open to Him.1 "Though He
was in the form of God, He humbled Himself to become a man like you
and me." Phil 2:6-8)

1
Neither is it acceptable for us today to misuse God’s power for our glory instead of the glory of God.

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Jesus needed the woman to come to the well, so that He could show, by
His own actions, what we need to do sometimes, that is, let someone else
do for us, what we know we could do for ourselves, so that they (not
us) can receive God's blessings.
So, Jesus Christ had to become a humble person and wait for someone to
come to the well, who had a container to get the water from deep down
inside the well. It is very easy for us to be proud and to give to
others. But it really hurts our pride sometimes when we have to be
dependent upon others, to receive from them.
Choice 2.
The Scripture says: It is better to Give than to Receive. Also, it says,
God will bless a cheerful giver. Consider this in the light of the sentence
from the Lord's prayer: "Give us this day, our daily bread". We have to
learn to be a “receiver” of someone else's “giving”.
The most important aspect of this story is that the giving was in response
to a direct commandment from the Lord. We have to be always sensitive
to the Holy Spirit, so that we are able to:
• hear the commandments from the Lord;
• respond immediately to that command;
• know that the Lord will honour His word, and that blessings will
follow those who are obedient to His commandments.

 REMEMBER OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE.

We have to learn also to receive gifts that the Lord has commanded others
to give TO US, so that they can receive their rightful blessings.
For example: A pastor is not supposed to receive a salary from his
congregation - like any other professional worker. He is, like the Levites
of old, dependent upon the congregation and their tithes for his daily
bread. The tithes and offerings given by the church are to be available for
the pastor to use. He may not use all of it, but the amount decided
between the elders and the pastor should never make the difference
between whether he accepts the job or not!
If a pastor does not take a position because of the salary, then he has
turned this job into a profession – not a calling from God, and therefore
God cannot bless his ministry.
An ordained pastor works as God's own servant. God is responsible for
providing for him. The more obedient he is to his calling, the more the
Lord shall bless him. (Read Luke 6:38 and John 10:11-13) Jesus was
practising what He had been preaching to His disciples when he sent them
out to witness.
"Take nothing with you for your journey, neither staves, nor script, neither
bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever
house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will

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not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from
your feet as a testimony against them" (Luke 9:3-6)
God was about to bless a giver, the person who came to the well, if she
gave Jesus water when He asked her for it. ("for whosoever shall give you
a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, verily
I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward (here on earth, as well as in
Heaven). (Mark 9:41)
In the eastern cultures, it is a common site very early in the morning,
between 6-9 am, to see the man of the house taking his cattle or goats
out to the fields, or going to tend to the crops. At the same time, the
women go out in the cool of the morning to the wells, to gather water for
the rest of the day. There they gossip and pass news from one family to
another, in a time of joyful sharing. Sometimes they sing folk songs, or
songs of praise, in thanks to God for the well and the water, as they labour
in pulling up the rope with the buckets containing 4-5 litres of water each
time. These wells could be up to 100 feet deep.
Each family may need up to 40 litres of water per day, which they balance
in two pottery containers on their heads as they go back to the village.
Thus in some households the women have to make several trips. So it
would be uncommon for a lady to be at the well at the middle of the day.
There had to be a specific reason for this, so let us now examine the
Scripture closely to find out the Divine reason.
The time is about midday (the Jewish sixth hour). A woman comes to
the well, carrying her crockery water pots, to draw water and take it
back to the house in which she was living.
Some pastor say that the woman who came to the well, had an incurable
disease, like Leprosy. Therefore she was an outcast, and that is why she
came to the well in the middle of the day. If this was the case, she would
not have been allowed to even use the well to get water, because the
Samaritans would have considered the water was polluted if she used it,
if the woman indeed had leprosy.
Secondly if the woman has leprosy, the Lord would have healed her of her
disease and she would have gone back into the village praising the Lord
of her healing, a very different story than the one she eventually used.
Other pastors say that the woman was a prostitute, that is why she came
to the well in the middle of the day, because she was up late entertaining
her clients and did not get up early enough to come to the well, at the
usual time with the other women.
If this was the case, she would not have been allowed to even use the well
to get water, because the Samaritans would have considered the water
was polluted if she used it, if the woman was a prostitute, she would have
been considered a sinner, an outcast, and not allowed to use the water
from Jacob's well.
If she had been a prostitute, then Jesus would have told her that her sins
were forgiven, and to go away and sin no more. Throughout all of the

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Gospels, when Jesus was confronted with sin, he dealt with it,
right there, on the spot. But Jesus did none of these things. !!!
What He did do, crossed across all accepted customs of the times. It was
to become a lesson for the whole nation.
At that time, it was forbidden for a Jewish Rabbi to speak to a woman in
public. This was later proved by the surprise on the faces of his disciples,
when they returned and saw Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman, a
complete stranger. (read verse 27)
Because of the belief of being made unclean, if an orthodox Jew shared
the same water container as a gentile, or a Samaritan, to ask her for a
drink of water was the second custom broken.
Jesus looks carefully at the Samaritan woman. He is looking deep down
into her spirit.

 He disregards her tiredness.

 He disregards the heat of the day and the physical exertion

required to draw the water from 100 feet below.

 He also disregards the fact that she is a total stranger and

that she is a hated Samaritan.

 Jesus commands her to give him a drink of water.

The custom of that time does not allow for a strange man to speak to a
woman in public. To do so brings shame and humiliation on the woman,
and she who would run back to the menfolk of her own family and tell
them what happened.
They immediately would require an apology from the offending man in
question. If they did not get the apology, the man would be severely
beaten, in some cases even killed. Only 2 types of women would answer
a strange man in public :-

 a prostitute;

 or a prophetess.
We have already ruled out the first of these two, (the prostitute), so let
us examine the possibility of the second.(a prophetess)
(John 4:9) The Samaritan woman replies to the command of Jesus. "How
is it that thou, being a Jew asks drink from me, which am a woman of
Samaria? (YOU KNOW THAT) the Jews have no dealings with the
Samaritans".

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Her response ignores that he “commanded” her to give him a drink of
water; instead she replaces the word “command” with a milder, more
acceptable word “request” [ask].
At this moment she is not ready to accept that Jesus is indeed also a
prophet. The Samaritan woman is standing (unawares) before the Lord
of Glory. But she, in her own flesh and understanding, is changing the
command of Jesus into a request. We are often guilty of the same sort of
things. (changing the commandments of the Lord, into small requests,
which better suit our levels of faith or levels of understanding).
Jesus could have revealed His identity to her immediately. He could have
said "I am the Son of God, the one you have been waiting for". But Jesus
likes people to learn things for themselves. He is never forceful. She has
encountered a prophet (Jesus Christ) unawares. The way she asks her
question to Jesus reveals that she is a prophetess among her own people.
Jesus now wants to start to stir up her faith. He wants to let her recognize
Him for who He really is. (verse 10) [Amplified version]
" If you only knew what a wonderful gift God has for you, and who I AM,
you would ask me for some living water. Again Jesus could have revealed
who He was, but again the woman misses the point of what He said, or is
not yet ready to believe her good fortune.
So the woman continues to question Him in the ways of a prophet. Notice
she is not ashamed, to be talking to this complete stranger, she is in fact
setting up a deeply religious dialogue with Him.
"But you don't have a rope or a bucket, and this is a very deep well. Where
would you get this living water? Besides, are you greater than our
ancestor Jacob ? How can you offer better water than this which he and
his sons and their cattle enjoyed ?"
She recognizes that Jesus was indeed talking in parables, as do many
prophets, but still she could not believe what He was saying to her. "If you
knew the gift of God ......" Jesus Christ Himself is the gift of God.
This woman has had terrible tragedy throughout her life, she has lost 5
husbands. As divorce was very rare in those days, all of them probably
died. This woman is used to bad news, to terrible tragedy.
She is starting to suspect that maybe the man standing before her is the
Messiah. To think that she has found the Messiah, is such wonderful news
that her mind refuses to believe it, to comprehend it. Her spirit starts to
believe, but she is scared in her mind, to accept the complete truth of
what she now perceives that Jesus is really saying to her "I AM, the
living water", so she flees from the spiritual realm of a prophetess, back
into the physical realm of an ordinary woman. "Sir please give me this
water that I thirst not, neither come here to draw any more water."
NOTE : [Many times in the Scriptures, Jesus will meet with a person in the
spiritual realm at their level of faith.]
1. In the case of Zachariah, the angel Gabriel delivered the Lord's
message. In the mind of Zachariah was doubt, so a second sign (as

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 proof from the Lord was necessary). He was made deaf and dumb until
the birth of his promised son, John the Baptist took place.
2. In the case of Mary, she accepted with humility the news given by the
angel and it came to pass without any problems, or further
confirmation necessary.
Jesus does not try to force her mind to understand, and to come into line
with what her spirit already perceives to be correct. Instead, Jesus gives
her a chance to flee from Him (in the physical realm, that she has now
returned to).
Jesus, using the gift of the Word of Wisdom, already knows that this lady
is a widow, that she has no husband, so he says to her : "Go, call your
husband and come back here."
Now if she wants to flee, here is her opportunity. The important thing is
not that she answered Jesus, it is that she remained, to further question
him and find out more.
Her spirit is now trusting in the truth and it is awakening her mind also to
this same truth. She has decided to overcome her fears and find out for
sure the revelations to be revealed to her, both good, or bad.
Real faith is a matter of what we do, not what we say or think. (James
2:18). Jesus told us to be doers of His Word, not hearers only.
Now her faith is starting to come into action. Instead of leaving, she
answers Jesus with the truth. "I do not have a husband". "Jesus said unto
her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five
husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that
thou hast said truly." Jesus now reveals to her that he can see into her
life. He now reveals to her that he is a real prophet.
Many people have misinterpreted the answer of Jesus, because they do
not understand the culture or the customs of the times. They thought that
Jesus was accusing her of being a wicked woman, but this was not the
case.
The Old Testament law (Deut. 25:5) required that a widow's brother-in-
law succeed her husband, if she was childless, so as to guarantee an heir.
This is clearly shown in the example of the widow Ruth. Boaz could not
marry her, until the first relative - the brother-in-law Elimelech, refused
to fulfil his obligations under the law.
In truth, the woman at the well did indeed have five husbands and each
of them had died. The sixth relative has taken her into his household in
accordance with the Old Testament law, where she will be closely guarded
and chaperoned by many of their relatives, until a new marriage could be
arranged.
There was also a requirement not to allow a widow to marry for a period
of 1 year after the death of her husband, just in case she was pregnant
when he died, as this child would carry the inheritance of that family, not
the new husband.

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1. If a woman was not married, or lost a husband, she was thought to be
cursed of God refer to (Is. 4:1).
2. If she subsequently re-married and lost a second husband, she was
considered doubly cursed.
3. However, if she lost a third, fourth and fifth husband, the people began
to realize that the Lord was preparing her for the high office of service
to her people - as a prophetess.
A prophetess could talk to men, or women in public. Everybody came to
them for counsel. They were God's chosen servants, a different set of rules
applied. There was no shame for a stranger to talk to a prophetess in
public, nor for a man or woman of the village to enquire of her, the Lord's
will for their lives.
The answer that Jesus gave back to the woman at the well, bore no
reproach. It bore no condemnation whatsoever. Jesus did not accuse this
woman of any sinful act !!! In fact, it revealed to her that Jesus already
knew who she was, that he acknowledged her as a prophetess.
Jesus already knew of her suffering, her inner pains, but also He knew of
the work she had done for the Lord since she became a prophetess. Now
Jesus has given her 2 signs:
a) His direct command for a drink of water;
b) His revelation about her life;
But Jesus wants to reveal more to her. Again she is reluctant to accept
the reality of the truth that Jesus has revealed to her, and asks of him a
direct question.
(Verse 20) "Our fathers worshipped in the mountain, and you (a Jew)
say Jerusalem is the place we should worship." She is challenging Jesus
(as a prophet) to solve this spiritual question.
Jesus must use the limit of faith she has to reveal to her the real situation.
Jesus has to use whatever faith level the person has, as ground upon
which to build. This is the only way to meet a person at their level of faith
!!!
Jesus starts from this point and then builds upon it. Paul explained this in
(1. Cor. 9:19:22) You must be prepared to be at different levels for all
men, so that you can win their souls.
(Verse 23) "A time will come, however, indeed it is already here,
when the true (genuine) worshippers will worship the Father in Spirit and
in Truth: (not at Jerusalem, nor in this mountain), for the Father is seeking
just such people as these as his (true) worshippers"
By giving the woman at the well this new revelation about the Scriptures,
Jesus is indeed revealing to her that He is more than a Prophet. (but can
she accept this?) HIS HOLY PRESENCE IS ALREADY FLOODING
OVER HER SPIRIT.
Gone from her now is any thought of fleeing from His presence. She
suspects that He is the Messiah, but she will not come out with the
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question directly - as a prophetess should, but reverts to the polite indirect
ways of the eastern culture.
(Verse 25) "I know that the Messiah cometh, which is called the
Christ: when He is come He will tell us all things". She confirms her faith
in the promises of the Prophets.
Jesus has come as the Messiah, but more than the Messiah. He has come
as the Son of God. The Jewish community did not recognize Him as this,
even though the prophets of old had proclaimed it as such. Jesus now
gives her the third and this time a MAJOR SIGN.
(verse 26) Jesus said to her: "I that am speaking to you now am He"
Jesus has revealed Himself to her in all His Glory. The Holy Spirit quickly
confirms this to her.
When the disciples return (verse 27) they are amazed to see Jesus
speaking to a woman in public. But they do not question the woman, nor
do they ask Jesus the reason for this. This is another clear sign to her of
his position and authority over the disciples.

This same situation must exist in the world today. People must see (by
our examples as Christians) that the Lord is indeed in authority over us.

She is now so excited, she cannot keep this news to herself, she must
share it with the whole village. She confirms her belief to Jesus, by leaving
her water pot at the well and running off to spread the news in the village.
To the eastern culture, water is sacred. It is a sign of life. A water pot was
a treasured possession. If one was broken, tragedy struck a household.
The pieces were not thrown away. The larger pieces were used as serving
bowls or dishes. The fact that she left her water pot at the well is a very
significant sign to Jesus. It means that she believes and that she will
return, to claim her reward. She quickly goes off to the village to tell them
the good news.
But as a prophetess again, she does not force this revelation upon them.
She must draw them to the well, and let the Holy Spirit reveal the truth
to each of them individually.
When she goes back into the town she tells the people to go to the well.
"for there they will find a man which told her all about her life."
If she was not a respected person in the village, the people would have
ignored her. They would not have gone out to meet Jesus. The fact that
she was recognized by the people of the village as a prophetess, placed
more weight on her words, when she revealed to them, that there was
one who knew the complete life of their prophetess. Indeed he must be a
great prophet indeed.
They went because she was their prophetess. They believed because Jesus
awakened their own individual faith to the spiritual truth of who He really
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 was. This is why the villages replied to the prophetess later, after Jesus
had stayed with them for 2 days.
(Verse 42) "And they told the woman: Now we no longer believe
(trust, have faith) just because of what you said; for we have heard Him
ourselves - personally; and we know (without any doubt) that He truly is
the Saviour of the world. the Christ."
Conclusion:
Jesus said that in days of old (in the Old Testament) you were to love your
neighbours and hate your enemies – but I tell you a better way – love
your enemies also. The story of the woman at the well is a clear example
of Jesus practising what He preached. It was a lesson that the disciples
never forgot.
The story of the woman at the well is also a story of faith. It is a story that
we should all carefully examine and learn from, because it could happen
to anyone of us, at any time.
A person, a complete stranger, could talk to you in the street, and he/she
could have a message from God for you. Learn to listen carefully to what
other people have to say. Don't be impatient with them, because it may
be an opportunity lost for you forever.
In this case not only would the prophetess not have received the
revelation about who the stranger (Jesus Christ) really was - but the whole
village would also have lost their subsequent blessings.
In view of this, your actions can sometimes have drastic effects on others
around you. Please consider this in the future.
JOHN CHAPTER 11 - STEPS OF FAITH
We have heard many sermons about faith and how people in the Old
Testament were referred to in Hebrews chapter 11 as “men of faith”.
But what is faith?
I believe the definition of faith is this:

F = Forsaking
A = All
What are the steps of faith?
I=I
Let us carefully look at each of these one at a
T = Trust time.
H = Him
1. Forsaking all, means to cast aside all our lifelines, our anchors, our
security blankets and all our mind’s knowledge, and put our trust
completely on Jesus Christ and His Word.
This is first step. This is a step in our minds, but it is still the first step
of faith.
Now this first step must be transferred from our minds to the spirit part
of man. There are many cases where people came to hear Jesus but

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 when push came to shove, they were not prepared to take this next
step.
The scriptures recounts that the rich young ruler came to Jesus and
asked Him a question, as recounted in Matthew 19:16-24.
16
And, behold, one came and said unto him, “Good” Master, what
“good” thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none
good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep
the commandments.
18
He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder,
Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt
not bear false witness,
19
Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself.
20
The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from
my youth up: what lack I yet?
21
Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou
hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in
heaven: and come and follow me.
22
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away
sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
23
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a
rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
24
And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom
of God.
25
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed,
saying, Who then can be saved?
26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is
impossible; but with God all things are possible.1
There is some interesting things to be identified in this short passage of
scripture.
1. Firstly, the rich young ruler recognises that Jesus is a “good” man and
addresses Him with respect.
2. He then asks Jesus: “What “good” things must I do to gain eternal life”?
a. The young man recognises that bad things cannot get you into
heaven, so he asks what “good” thing will get him into heaven?
b. He was assuming that it is by works one enters into heaven. Of
course all of us know that this is not the case.

1
You cannot quote the last part of this scripture, without first understanding the question and the response
which puts this response from Jesus into context. The first part of this scripture says about man and the last
part about God, because the last part does not stand alone as true.

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3. Jesus first asks Him why he called Jesus “good”; but Jesus did not let
him give an answer. In true traditional rabbinical style, Jesus replied
with a statement which required and answer from the ruler.
a. Jesus replied that only God can be called “Good”.
b. Jesus then explained that he must keep the commandments.
4. The ruler replied that he had kept all the commandments that Jesus had
identified, since he was a very young boy.
5. Notice that Jesus does not say to him that he is lying, no, Jesus
challenges him to do a better thing that this, to sell all that he has
and give it to the poor and follow after Jesus as one of His disciples.
a. This young man believed God’s word and had been following and
obeying it, but the “Logos of the Word1” – doing it to the “letter of
the law”.

1
Logos: ("word")

This Greek word has a long history, and conveys different meanings in Greek philosophy, in Jewish
theology and in early Christianity. In Greek philosophy, Logos means either the order of the universe,
or the divine reason as the organizing force of the cosmos. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of
the Bible, Logos renders the Hebrew davar, the Word of God, whereas the 1st century Jewish
philosopher Philo of Alexandria develops an entire theology of the Logos in his allegorical commentaries
on scripture. In Christianity, finally, Logos becomes the name for the second person of the Trinity
incarnated in Jesus of Nazareth. In the 5th century B.C. the Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus,
reacting against the materialism of the Ionian philosophers, introduced the Logos idea. The visible world
is a symbolic system, which conceals and reveals the reality. This reality is the divine soul of the world
whose life is manifested in the endless cycle of the cosmos with its changes and renewals. There is
one Logos in the world, which can be seen as its imminent reason. For the Stoics, the Logos is
responsible for fashioning things. He is God himself, as the organic principle of the cosmic process,
which he directs to a rational and a moral end. Only man participates in it so fully that he may be
regarded as an effluence of the deity. Since the one Logos is present in many human souls, men may
have communion with each other through their participation in the same Logos. In the OT the Word of
God – Davar in Hebrew; Logos in Greek – is connected with creation, providence, and revelation. It is
the instrument that controls the cosmos (Ps 107:20; 147:18). God spoke and the world was created.
His Spirit gives life to what the Logos creates. The Word of God also inspires prophecy and imparts the
Law. Philo of Alexandria blends Greek and Jewish ideas about the Logos and achieves a syncretism
of divergent Greek conceptions. He believes in the Logos as revealed in the Bible, but he wishes to
present the divine activity to the Hellenistic mind. The Logos he depicts is an intermediary between God
and the world. Among the many titles he gives to the Logos, is the firstborn Son of God, the first of the
angels, the image of God. Logos is sometimes called Wisdom. In other passages Wisdom is considered
as the mother of Logos. In the mind of God Logos is going out of itself in creation. It represents the
world before God as High Priest, Intercessor, and Paraclete. In the NT, the Gospel of John applies the
title Logos to Jesus (c.f. John 1:1); but Paul also knows the whole doctrine of the Logos which he
expresses in his letter to the Colossians. The influence of Philo on the author of the fourth gospel,
hitherto accepted by many scholars, has been questioned lately. If there are similarities between Philo
and John, there are also many differences. Philo never thought of identifying the Logos with the messiah
as John did. Moreover, John clearly defines the relation of the Logos to God as the second person of
the Trinity, distinct though eternally inseparable from the Father. In John's gospel the concept of Logos
is more dynamic than in Philo. Christ as the Logos is the complete Revelation of God. Finally, the main
difference between Philo and John remains the idea of the incarnation of the Logos, in order that
mankind might see his Glory. Rhema: The Greek noun ῥῆμα "saying, utterance, verb, word" is
analyzed as consisting of the root ἐρ-/ῥε- (er-/rhe-) "say" (confer εἴρω "I say"; ἐρῶ "I will say") and the
suffix -μα (-ma), a suffix used to form nouns from verbs. (However, according to a falsified but popular
folk etymology, ῥῆμα is derived from the verb ῥέω "I flow".) In the New Testament, this noun is used
in such instances as the following: “τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα” “the Lord's utterance/saying

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 b. Jesus was now challenging him to do one further step – to sell
everything and follow Him.
c. This was a step of faith that the rich young ruler was not prepared to
take. He was not prepared to do the “Rhema of the word”- the spirit
part of the word.
d. He was not prepared to step out of his security zone and put his faith
in Jesus Christ. He was not prepared to follow the “love of the
word”.
e. Unfortunately, there are many in the church today, who are in the
same boat as this rich young ruler. They want to know the word, be
able to sprout it out like a parrot, but are unable to go the next step
and put it into practise.
6. To be a true follower of Jesus Christ there is a cost. It may be a financial
cost; it maybe that you have to give up your secular career to “do the
work of the ministry”. It maybe that God wants you just to learn to trust
Him in all areas of your life, so that you can be the very best witness for
Him, wherever you work, or play.
7. Whatever it is that God has called you to do, there will be a cost. But
praise God, the rewards always outweigh the costs.
This series of scriptures were spoken by Jesus for two totally different
reasons:
The first was to answer the rich young ruler’s questions, and the second
was to try to teach His disciples the importance of service to others,
being more important than the observance of the letter of the Law.
In another series of scriptures, Jesus follows the same technique, but
goes even further.
In the Book of John, chapter 11, we have the story of Mary, Martha and
Lazarus.
This family lived in Bethany in Judea,
just 7 miles outside of Jerusalem and a
place Jesus loved to go and to rest and
relax in their house.
Lazarus become sick and Mary & Martha
sent Jesus a message saying that his
good friend is ill, please come.
Why did Mary & Martha send Jesus a
message to come?

remains forever” (1 Peter 1:25). Rhema "saying" in this context bears a different meaning than Logos
"word".

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1. Because both Mary and Martha knew who Jesus was, they had seen Him
perform miracles before, healing the sick, making the blind to see and
casting demons out of affected people. They both knew in their minds
and in their spirits, that Jesus could heal Lazarus, if He just got the
message that Lazarus was sick.
2. Like the centurion, they believed that Jesus did not even have to come
to their house to heal Lazarus, all He had to do was issue the command,
and Lazarus would be healed.
3. Both of these people were at faith level 3.
a. They knew who Jesus was,
b. The believed He could heal the sick
c. They believed He could heal the sick by just saying that Lazarus was
healed, even from a distance away.
Upon hearing this news about Lazarus, I am sure that the disciples would
have expected Jesus to leave immediately and proceed to Bethany, to see
Lazarus and heal him of his illness; but Jesus makes no attempt to leave.
The disciples would have assumed that this was because earlier that month
people had tried to kill Him in Judea. The disciples even remind Jesus that
people had tried to kill Him in Judea and suggested that He not go back
there.
Again, we see that His disciples were looking at things in the secular realm,
seeing things as the mind sees them, not letting their thoughts be directed
into the spiritual realm, where God works and where the victory takes
place.
Remember, the spiritual realm controls the physical realm – not the other
way around!
Jesus upon hearing the news about Lazarus being sick makes a statement
which must have completely confused His disciples.
Jesus states in verse John chapter 11:4: “The purpose of his illness is
not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive
glory from this situation.”
From this information, the disciples may have been re-assured that Lazarus
was sick, but he was not going to die.
Finally, after two days, Jesus says to His disciples: “Let’s go to Judea”. At
this time, Jesus was not even in the same province, where Lazarus was
living, but elsewhere; but already Jesus knew the outcome and that this
outcome would bring glory and honour to God.
Jesus, knew by the Gift of Revelation Knowledge, that Lazarus was already
dead.
In verse 11 Jesus informs the disciples that Lazarus is sleeping. This again
confirms to the Disciples that Lazarus is getting better. They reply
encouraged: Great! he is sleeping, he will recover. They have completely
misunderstood the situation.

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Jesus then tells them clearly in verse 14 that Lazarus was dead.
Now the disciples are completely confused – even at the secular level.
1. First they get the message that Lazarus is sick,
2. Then Jesus tells them: “The purpose of his illness is not death.
3. Then Jesus tells them Lazarus is sleeping, meaning that he is getting
better, but now,
4. Lazarus is dead.
In the secular realm that does not seem to make sense, but they forgot the
second part of Jesus’ statement: “but for the glory of God. I, the Son
of God, will receive glory from this situation.”
This situation will only make sense in the spiritual realm, because that is
where the victory is.
Verse 14: “And for your sake, I am glad I was not there, for this will give
you another opportunity to believe in Me. Come let us go to him.”
Jesus delayed His departure so that He could give His disciples an
opportunity to increase their faith – to go to another higher spiritual faith
level.
If He had gone earlier He would have healed Lazarus and neither Mary,
Martha, or the disciples would not have learnt anything new. They would
have stayed at the same faith level.
From this situation we have to learn that sometimes when God
delays, it is to prepare us to move to:
a) the next level of testing,
b) the next level of maturity,
c) or the next level of faith.
Upon hearing of the death of Lazarus, many of the Jewish leaders from
Jerusalem had come down to Bethany to pay their respects to the family
and to console Mary and Martha.
All of these people were operating purely in the physical realm, and
therefore there could not be a victorious outcome.
When Martha heard that Jesus had arrived in the village she went out to
meet Jesus. Martha greets Jesus with respect, but chides Him also.
“Sir, if You have been here, my brother would not have died.”
In this statement of faith, Martha declares that she believes that Jesus
could have healed Lazarus from his illness and made him well.
This is a step 3 level of faith, the same level of faith she had when she sent
the message to Jesus that Lazarus was ill.
But now look what happens: Martha moves up a faith level to level 4. She
declares: “And even now its not too late, for I know that God will
bring my brother back to life again, if You (Jesus) will only ask Him
to”.

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She is stating her case at a new level of faith – but this is in the mind – not
in her spirit?
Why do I say this? Because when Jesus confirms her statement that
Lazarus will be raised back to life, (now) she declares that this will happen
on the Day of Resurrection, (not now).
She did not have the faith (in her spirit) to believe that Jesus could raise
Lazarus from the dead right now.
It is one thing to have a high faith level in the mind, but it more important
to have a high faith level in the spirit, because it is the spirit of God dwelling
within us which gives us the power. It is our faith level in the spiritual realm
which activates that power.
Jesus declares to Martha that He is the resurrection and the life, anyone
who believes in Him, even if he is dead, yet shall he live. He is given
eternal life for believing in Me and shall not perish.
We quote this now (after the cross) and think nothing about this, but
remember this incident is before the cross and Jesus was being prophetic,
not only about Lazarus, but about Himself as well.

Jesus knew in His heart that He could raise Lazarus from the dead, because
He had already done it twice before.
Jesus also knew that when the time came He would be able to raise Himself
from the dead also.
Then Jesus asks Martha does she believe this? Her reply is one we should
all be able to confess: “I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God,
the one we have so long awaited”.
Elsewhere in scripture it states: If you believe in your heart (your spirit and
not your mind) that Jesus is the Son of God, and confess it with your mouth,
you shall be saved. Here we see Martha confirming her salvation faith.
Martha left Jesus, just outside the village and went back into her house to
speak to Mary, to tell her that Jesus had come and wanted to see her.
When the Jewish leaders who had come to console Mary & Martha saw here
leave rapidly, they thought she was off to the grave to mourn the loss of
her brother, so they followed her, but they came face to face with Jesus
instead.
Like Martha, Mary’s first words were to chide Jesus, but also to confess her
faith, that she believed that if Jesus had come earlier, He could have healed
Lazarus of his sickness and he would not have died.
Here again, we see Mary at faith level 3.
When Jesus saw Mary weeping (in true grief) and the Jewish leaders wailing
with her (in false grief) He was moved with indignation and deeply troubled.
Why was He moved with indignation? In Jewish and eastern culture it is
traditional for the family to have professional wailers present at the
ceremonies, “to give the impression of grief.”
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I believe that Jesus perceived through the Gift of Discernment that the
Jewish leader’s grief was not genuine and as such they were hypocrites “as
they were being seen to console” Martha and Mary.
They were acting out to get a reward from those around them, without any
thought of the spiritual consequences.
Jesus then asks: Where is he buried? Now comes the shortest scripture in
the Bible: “Jesus wept”. But the question is this: For what reason was He
weeping?
1. Was it because of His love for Mary & Martha and His friend Lazarus who
has just died? Or
2. Was it because of the lack of faith of these two sisters, who believed
who He was, who believed He could heal Lazarus, but who did not
believe that he could raise him from the dead - now? Or
3. Was it because of the lack of faith and understanding of His disciples,
who also did not understand why Lazarus had to die? Or
4. Was it because of the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, who should have
known who He was, and been expecting a miracle when He arrived.
As they were moving towards the tomb the leaders were discussing the
situation, as if Jesus was not even present.
1. Some said He was weeping because Lazarus was a great friend of Jesus.
2. Others were criticising Jesus: V 37-38: He healed the blind man, why
didn’t He keep Lazarus from dying?
From these two comments above, we see that none of the Jewish leaders
had any idea of the majesty and the power that Jesus was about to display.
Even they acknowledged that Jesus could heal a blind man, but they
wondered why He allowed Lazarus to die. It did not fit with their spiritual
concept of who they thought Jesus was.
Because they were the Jewish leaders, the people charged with the
responsibility for leading the Jewish people into the presence of God
Almighty, their lack of faith and lack of understanding, causes Jesus to be
moved with deep anger – because of their unbelief.
He then moved to the tomb. Jesus commands them to roll the stone aside,
because He has already determined what He must do, as recorded in verse
4, so that the Son of God maybe gloried.
Even though Martha had said that she believed that God would do anything
that Jesus asked for, she was more worried about the smell of death, than
the victory and miracle of life.
Jesus has to remind her of what He had told her outside the village. “Didn’t
I tell you that you will see a wonderful miracle from God if you only believe?
Verse 41: … Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said: “Father, thank You
for hearing Me (You always hear Me but I said it so that these people
gathered hear may Hear and know that You have sent Me”.)

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Notice nowhere in any of the Gospels reporting this event, do the writers
indicate that Jesus prayed to His Father for this miracle to occur.
No, all it says that He knew that Lazarus must die so that the Son of God
could be glorified.
We can only assume that Jesus communed with His Father in the Spirit and
this spiritual communication laid the plan and sequence of events which
must take place so that the outcome of Lazarus being raised from the dead
could come to pass, to give witness to Mary, Martha and all the disciples,
as well all the Jewish leaders who were gathered at the entrance of the
tomb.
Now Jesus commands Lazarus to come forth!!!
Jesus was given “faith without limits”. He knew, beyond all reasonable
doubt that when He gave this command Lazarus would indeed come forth,
wrapped in his burial clothes. And Lazarus came forth being still
wrapped in his burial clothes.
Jesus commanded the people gathered there to unwrap him of his burial
clothes. Why did Jesus tell the people to do this?
His spirit was alive, but his body was still wrapped for death. Both parts
must be freed from death before a person can once again operate and dwell
upon this earth.
Many people today, believe in their hearts, believe in their spirits, but their
actions are handcuffed, because their physical beings are still under the
earthly forces.
The scripture tells us that we have to die to self. More of Jesus and less of
us. When we consciously do this, there is a revelation and a revolution
taking place in our lives. This allows the spirit that raised Jesus Christ from
the grave to not only dwell in us, but to operate in us and through us into
the wider community at large.
So the challenge today is this:
1. Do you know who Jesus is?
2. Do you believe that through His blood you are redeemed to eternal life
with Him?
3. Do you believe that the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead
dwells in you?
4. Do you believe that Jesus has called each of us by name as stated by
Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28 b?
5. If so, what have you as an individual been called by God to do?
6. Have you stepped out in your spiritual faith and activated God’s plan in
your life?
7. Is there evidence that your plan has been activated, by the physical
evidence of signs and wonders following you?

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The scripture says in John 15:16 that it is by our fruits that we shall be
known. So, the challenge today is show me your fruit, to prove that you
are in obedience to God’s calling on your life.
These are the Steps of Faith.

JOHN CHAPTER 17: THE PRAYER OF JESUS

In Luke chapter 11 we have what is called: “The Lord’s Prayer”, which is
in fact a misnomer, because Jesus was replying to a question asked by the
disciples. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them “how to pray”, as John
the Baptist also taught his disciples.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
We, as Christians, attribute this prayer to Jesus, but if you examine the
text of this “prayer” in the Scriptures, you will see that the Disciples asks
Jesus to teach us (how) “to pray”. It is more correct to call this “The
disciples’ prayer”, because they asked for it. In this case they would
have used the Jewish word (Halakah) - “how to” – in fact they were
asking Jesus to shown them “the technique of praying”

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“Our Father, which art in Heaven” is the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, but
surprisingly enough the “Lord’s Prayer” is very similar to extracts from
pieces of many Jewish prayers - all of which the disciples would have been
familiar with and been able to recite off by heart.

Jesus used the Rabbinical form of teaching, to indicate the process of “how
to” pray. For example: In the Old & New Testament there are many
references to the Law being given to Moses.

That was all that was needed for the Jews to know that the person speaking
was referring to the 10 Commandments and later the 613 Levitical laws.
Even today we use the same concept when we say: It says in John 3:16 …
We assume that the people know this scripture, so we don’t expand it any
further. Similarly, when we talk about sin, we say Romans 3:23 and assume
that the people listening know that particular scripture.
Let us examine the contents of the Lord’s prayer carefully and see where it
originates from:

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 THE LORD’S PRAYER Jewish Writings
Our Father, which art in heaven” “Our Father in Heaven”
(Talmud, Joma. 76a.)
“Hallowed be the name” Extolled and hallowed be His great name”
(Kaddish Prayer)
“Thy Kingdom come” “His Kingdom come, His salvation spring
forth, His Messiah come”.
(Kaddish Prayer)
“Thy will be done on earth, as it is (already “Do His will as if it were your own”.
being done) in heaven” (Talmud: Sayings of the Fathers 2:4.)
Give us this day our daily bread” Rabbi Simon Ben Yochai was asked by
his disciples: “Why did the manna not
come down from heaven once a year -
for the whole year?”
He replied: “This thing may be
compared to a king of flesh and blood,
who had one son, whom he gave his
allowance once a year, so that he
would visit his father once a year only.
Thereupon he gave him his allowance
every day, so that he called on his
father every day. The same with Israel.
One who had four or five children
would worry saying: Perhaps no
manna will come down tomorrow, and
all will die of hunger. Thus, the
Israelites had to turn their attention to
their Father in Heaven. (Daily to
ensure that they received His bountiful
supply of food).
Talmud. Joma 76 a.
“And forgive us our debts as we forgive our “Raba says: He who does not exercise his
debtors”. (See also Matt. 5:23-24, Matt. right to punish his fellowman, is forgiven
18:21-35) all his iniquities.”
Talmud Rosh ha-Shana 17a
“And lead us not into temptation but “Do not lead me to sin, temptation and
deliver us from evil” shameful behaviour ... Deliver me from the
evil inclination.”
(Night Prayer)
“Lord our God, God of our Fathers, be it thy
will to deliver us this day and every day
from ... an evil man, from evil desire, from
an evil friend, from an evil neighbour, from
ill hap, from the evil eye and from an evil
tongue.”
(Morning Prayer)
“For thine is the Kingdom and the power “For thine is the Kingdom and thou shalt
and the glory for ever” reign in glory for ever.”
(Morning Prayer)

QUESTIONS:
1. When the disciples asked Jesus “to pray” what were they really asking
Him?
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2. What was the Jewish word they would have used?
3. What form of teaching was Jesus using at this time?
4. Give examples of this type of teaching, both from the Old testament and
from the New Testament.
5. From the prayers that Jesus referred to, what do we know about the
way we pray?
6. What types of things should we pray for?
7. What types of things should we not pray for?

However, in John chapter 17, we really do have a Prayer that we can call
the Lord’s prayer, because the whole chapter is a prayer.

John Chapter 17, Verse Comments

V 1. Jesus spoke these things, and In this verse Jesus asks that the
then he lifted up his eyes to Father do something, [glorify thy
heaven and said: O my Father, Son] so that Jesus can do
the hour has come: glorify thy something in return.
Son, so that thy Son may
glorify thee.
V 2. As thou has given Him power Jesus is proclaiming to His Father
over flesh, that He should give that the power and authority to give
eternal life to as many as thou eternal life to all flesh that has been
has given to Him given to Him.
V 3. And this is eternal life, that Jesus’ definition of eternal life is:
they may know thee (You, My that we know the Father, the
Father), the only true God, and one and only true God, not that
Jesus Christ, whom thou has we live in Heaven with Jesus
sent forever.
Therefore, as we become more
like Jesus, we need to take on His
definitions of eternal life as well.

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V 4. I have glorified thee on earth: Surprise, Surprise!!!
I have finished the work, Jesus finished the work His Father
which thou gavest me to do gave Him BEFORE THE CROSS:
NOT ON THE CROSS, OR IN HIS
RESURRECTION.
Ref: v 1, Jesus now wants His
Father to do some work: to glorify
the Son.
The work of the cross and the
resurrection were the work of the
Father, through the Son, so that
the Son maybe glorified before
all of heaven, the angels,
principalities and powers and
mankind.
This is so that all will know that “all
power and all authority has
been given unto Him for all
eternity”.
V 5. And now O Father, glorify thou Jesus request His Father, [before
me, with thine own self, with the cross] to glorify Jesus with the
the glory which I had with thee glory (of the Father) which He had
before the world was. had before creation began.
Ref: Eph. 2:6-11
V 6. I have manifested thy name ➢ I have revealed Your name unto
unto the men which thou the disciples that You gave to Me.
gavest Me out of the world; [That was part of the work that
thine they were, and thou the Father gave to Jesus]
gavest them Me out of the
➢ That You selected - out of all of
world; thine they were, and the men of Israel – Your chosen
thou gavest them to Me; and people
they have kept thy word.
➢ They belonged to You & You gave
them to Me and they have kept
Your Word.
V 7. Now they have known all ➢ They now have the revelation
things whatsoever thou hast that all the things I have been
given Me are of thee able to do here on earth are from
You.

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V 8. For I have given unto them the ➢ Jesus confirms to the Father that
words which thou has given He has spoken all the Words
unto Me; and they have from the Father to His disciples,
received them, and have [but more importantly] THEY
known surely that I came out HAVE RECEIVED THEM!!!
from thee; and they believe [They may not yet understand
that thou has sent Me. them – but they have received
them.] That is why it is so
important to “believe God’s
word”, even when we don’t
understand it – because God has
promised that the Holy Spirit will
lead us into all truth [reveal to us
all truth – when we need to
understand it!!]
➢ They have the revelation that I
came out from you (through the
virgin birth – as prophesied by
Isaiah) and that You indeed have
sent Me.
➢ They also believe that You have
sent Me.
V 9. I pray for them; I pray not for ➢ Notice something important
the world, but for them which here: Jesus does not pray for the
thou has given Me; for they are people of the world – but only for
thine the ones that the Father has
given to Him.
➢ Jesus prays for us, because we
belong to the Father, through the
Blood of Jesus.
➢ Have you ever thought of that –
Jesus prays for us !!! Isn’t that
awesome?
➢ This is a clear warning to us.
If we reject Jesus, we are “of the
world” in the eyes of Jesus Christ
and therefore outside His
protection, His covering and His
prayers.

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V 10. And all mine are thine, and ➢ Here again we see Jesus
thine are mine: and I AM confirming His triune relationship
glorified in them. with His Father. I am in you, and
You are in Me. What You have is
mine & and what I have is Yours
➢ Because You have glorified Me,
then I am glorified in them.
V 11. And now I am no more in the ➢ Jesus is prophetically
world, but these are in the proclaiming to His Father that He
world, and I come to thee. Holy has already risen. That is “Faith
Father, keep through thine own without limits”
name those whom thou have ➢ But that all the disciples that the
given Me, that they maybe one Father has given to Him maybe
as we are (one). protected by the Father and that
there may be unity among them.
➢ Remember: where there is unity
– God commands a blessing!!!.
➢ We have been given faith with
limits. As we become more
Christ-like, therefore will our
faith limit be increased, towards
the faith limit of Christ, that is:
Faith without limits.
➢ Then we will be able to ask the
Father anything in the name of
Jesus, believing and He will do
it for us.
V 12. While I was with them in the ➢ Jesus confirms that all of the
world, I kept them in thy name; disciples have been kept
those that thou gavest Me I protected by Jesus in the father’s
have kept, and none have been name – none have been lost to
lost, but the son of perdition; Satan, except the son of
that the scripture might be perdition, [who has been
fulfilled. allowed to be lost] so that the
prophecy of betrayal for 30
pieces of silver maybe fulfilled.
➢ Ponder this thought: After
Judas realises what he has done,
could he have come to Jesus
(even after the cross) and asked
for forgiveness for his sin?
➢ What is the only sin that
cannot be forgiven?
V 13. And now I come to thee; and ➢ Jesus wants His disciples (and all
I speak these things in the who claim to belong to Him) to

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 World (before my ascension) have the revelation of the
that they might have My joy relationship which exists
fulfilled in them. between Jesus and His Father.
➢ They dwell within each other, &
because we belong to the Father,
through the blood of Jesus, that
the joy that Jesus shares with His
Father can also be shared by us.
V 14. I have given them Thy word; ➢ Jesus again states that He has
and the world hath hated them, revealed God’s Word to them. He
because they are not of the IS the WORD.
world, even as I AM not of the ➢ Jesus is again confirming to the
world. Father that He has revealed
Himself to them.
➢ Jesus prophetically declares
that: Because of this revelation,
the world hates them.
➢ Why? Because they are living IN
the world, but they are not OF
the world. [they belong to Jesus,
they don’t belong to Satan – the
prince of this world.]
➢ Jesus again confirms that He is
not OF the world, but is the
Creator. [Before the world was –
I AM]
V 15. I pray not that thou should ➢ Jesus does not want the Father
take them out of the world, but to take the disciples out of the
that thou should keep them world (right now), but that the
from evil. Father may protect them from
evil, in the work that they have
been called to do.
V 16. They are not of the world, ➢ Again Jesus reminds the Father
even as I AM not of the world. that the disciples are not of the
world, even as Jesus Himself is
not of the world.
V 17. Sanctify them through thy ➢ Sanctify => [bless, consecrate,
truth, thy word is truth. make holy, make sacred, purify,
approve] them through thy
truth.
➢ Thy word is truth. Jesus is the
word. Jesus is the truth.
➢ Therefore, sanctify them through
ME.

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V 18. As thou has sent Me into the ➢ Even before the cross and the
world, even so have I sent them resurrection, Jesus is confirming
into the world. to the Father the Great
Commission that He will give to
the disciples prior to His
ascension.
V 19. And for their sakes I sanctify ➢ Jesus re-affirms His holiness, His
Myself, that they also might be sacredness, His approval by the
sanctified through the truth. Father, so that by the revelation
of this truth, they (His disciples)
might also be holy.
➢ Be ye holy because I AM holy.
V 20. Neither I pray for them ➢ Jesus confirms that He prays for
alone, but for them also which all people who hear the word of
shall believe on Me through God, spoken by His disciples, and
their word; believe it!
➢ Again this is a warning for us.
Those who hear the word of God
and don’t believe it – or reject it,
are cursed, because Jesus will
refuse to pray for them.
V 21. That they all maybe one; as ➢ Again Jesus is requesting that
thou Father are in Me and I in there be unity - (the oneness)
thee, that they also maybe one among the disciples, just like the
in us; that the world may unity – (the oneness), that exists
believe that thou has sent Me. between the Father and the Son.
➢ Why? So that the world (the
unbelievers) recognise and
believe that You (Father) have
sent Me into the world to
proclaim Your Word, the whole
Truth.
V 22. And the glory which thou has ➢ Do you realise that God has
given Me, I have given them; given all His disciples the Glory
that they maybe one, even as of God?
we are one. ➢ Do you realise that the Glory of
God dwells inside of You?
➢ Count the number of times that
Jesus talks about unity in this
prayer.
➢ It is one of the most
important parts of the prayer
that Jesus prays to His
Father.

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 ➢ This prayer is for the Disciples,
not for Jesus to gain strength to
prepare Him for the ordeal He is
about to face.
V 23. I in them, and thou in Me, ➢ Again Jesus prays for unity
that they may be made perfect among His disciples, so that the
in one; and that the world my World my know that the Father
know that thou has sent Me and loves them (the people in the
has loved them, as thou has world) [just like the Father loves
loved Me. Jesus], and that the Father has
sent Jesus into the world to tell
them this great news.
➢ God Loves You. God is Love.
V 24. Father, I will that they also, ➢ Jesus asks the Father for the
whom You have given Me, be disciples to be where He is (and
with Me where I AM; that they where He will be) so that they
may behold MY glory, which may behold His transfigured
thou has given Me; for thou glory and the love that You have
loved Me before the foundation had for ME even from before the
of the world. world was created.

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V 25. O righteous Father, the world ➢ We know that Jesus is without
has not known Thee, but I know sin and is perfect and righteous.
Thee, and these have known ➢ We need this revelation; that
that Thou have sent Me. even Jesus referred to His Father
as “the righteous one”.
➢ This earnest desire to have this
oneness with the Father through
Jesus Christ, is the revelation
that will confirm to the world that
Jesus has sent us into the world
to reveal His truth to mankind.
V 26. And I have declared unto ➢ In this final verse of this prayer,
them thy name; and will Jesus again re-affirms that He
declare it: that the love has declared the name of the
wherewith thou hast loved Me Father to them.
may be in them; and I in them. ➢ He also declares that He will
continue to proclaim the name of
the Father to them; so that the
love that the Father has for the
Son can be transferred to them;
and that the relationship that
exists between the Father and
the Son, may also exist between
the disciples and Jesus.

MODULE ASSIGNMENT : THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Method of Assessment:
1. The class will break into small groups to undertake this research.
2. The groups will present their findings as a presentation to the whole
class body.
3. Each member of the specific group will be allocated a group mark, as
part of their assessment results. This assignment is valued at 20% of
the total mark for this module.
Assignment Task:

1. After studying the Gospel of John, please explain in note form (with
scriptural references) why Your Group Believes that Jesus Christ is the
Son of God.
2. Now that you believe this, what are you going to do about it, to make
sure that you grow and become mature in Christ?
3. What do you know about the Holy Spirit, after Studying John’s Gospel?
OUTLINE HISTORY OF THE APOSTLES

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 Name Writings Death
Simon bar Jonas I Peter Crucified upside down in
(Peter) II Peter Rome
(~ 64 AD)
James bar Zebedee Beheaded by Herod (44 AD)
(Acts 12:1-2)
John bar Zebedee Gospel of John, Boiled in oil, then banished
1,2,3 John, to Patmos, then freed, and
Revelation died a natural death in
Ephesus

Andrew bar Jonas Crucified on the St. Andrews

Cross
Philip Died a martyr in Hierapolis
Bartholomew Flayed to death in Armenia
(Nathanael)
Thomas Martyrdom at Mt. Thomas,
near Madras in India, started
the church which still bears
His name today (2,000 years
later) the Church of Mar
Thoma.
Matthew Gospel of Matthew Martyr in Ethiopia
(Levi)
James Epistle of James Crucified in Egypt
Jude Epistle of Jude Martyr in Persia
(Thaddaeus)
Simon the Zealot Tradition says he was
crucified
Judas Iscariot Betrayed Jesus, then hanged
himself
Matthias (extra Martyrdom in Ethiopia
Apostle)
Saul (Paul) 14 Epistles Beheaded in Rome about 67
AD

THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN:

Summary:

1. The First Epistle of John was written to remind believers of the basics
that Jesus taught His disciples:
2. The most important principle being His love for us and how we should
put that love into practise in our own lives.

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 3. John reminds us that to Love Christ, we must be able to put aside our
differences and express love for one another – under all
circumstances.
4. Love our brother & sister believers
5. Love unbelievers
6. Love our enemies

The First Epistle of John: Chapter 1

By Whom
To Whom
Why ?

By Whom: Attributed to the beloved Disciple, who was John – the son of
Zebedee.

1. What sort of a man was he?

• A man naturally full of energy (Mk. 3:17)

• Intolerant (Mk. 9:38)
• Vindictive (Lu. 9:54)
• Ambitious (Mk. 10:35-37)
• Learned the lesson of Love in the school of Christ: – Jn. 13:23, 1 Jn.
2:9-10, 1 Jn. 3:14-18, 1 Jn. 4:7- 11
• Was entrusted with the care of the Lord’s mother at the crucifixion.
[Jn. 19:25-26]
The Lord gave John the responsibility of caring for His mother, over and
above his own step-brothers – which would be seen as significant in
that culture.

By this time, Approx. 80-85 AD, all the other disciples of Christ, including
Paul, have been executed. John had already written his Gospel (the Gospel
of John) and is now, several years later in Ephesus writing to encourage
the Body of Christ, before his exile to the Isle of Patmos1, where he lived
until he was allowed to return to Ephesus and his death at the end of the
first century AD.
The style of writing is of an eyewitness to the events described, and one
who has authority within the church, so he does not even have to sign his
name to the gospel to give it credence or authority.
2. To Whom was it written?
The letter is addressed to no-one in particular and is unsigned. • However,
with careful study, it is clear that it is addressed to all believers, especially

1
This raises the question : Are you prepared to be killed or imprisoned (exiled) out
of your comfort zone, or even Australia, for preaching and teaching the Gospel ?

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those who want to know “how to” love God, and “how to” love one
another.1
In English, “how to” has only 1 meaning. In Hebrew it has 2 meanings.
We need to understand this clearly as we commence to study this book of
the Bible.
“How to” = > HALAKAH : means “guidance” from the Hebrew verb
“halach” which means “How to walk”. Halakah teaches a person how to
“walk in the ways of the Lord”. It deals with all the details of God’s
Commandments.
HAGGADAH : means “narration” from the Hebrew verb “Higgid”, which
means “to tell why”.
• Haggadah gives the reason behind the commandments . (“if your son
shall ask you why ? Then you will tell him why - because .....”).2
3. Why was it Written ?
There are 4 clear reasons for writing this Epistle to believers; 3

– To add to their joy (1 Jn. 1:3-4)

- To guard them against committing sin ( 1 Jn. 2:1)
– To warn them against false teachers (1 Jn. 2:26)
– To strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ and to assure them of eternal life
(1 Jn. 5:13)
➢ Authorship
John writes as an eyewitness, who has walked, talked and touched Jesus
Christ in person. John writes God’s Word, to the Body of Christ, as one
having authority, so that we will walk a journey worthy of Jesus Christ.
➢ Fellowship with Christ

1
“ Each of us has his own group in which he/she feels at home. In that
group you can relax and know and feel that you belong. Yet even in
any group like this, arguments come up, friendships splinter, emptiness
deepens and frustration at (other people’s) lack of understanding boils
up inside you. We depend on friendships to provide something we all
deeply need. Why does it get spoiled so often ? Apostle John, now an
old, warm hearted man of God, filled with agape love, (the absolute
love of God) shows us in the three Epistles the kind of friendship and
camaraderie that gives us what we so desperately need to live quality
lives with those around us – believer and non-believers alike.

2
Ref: “Roots of Our Beliefs”, page 7 www.facebook.com/cammbooks
3
1 Jn. 1:3-4: In this passage John reminds the readers that He was an eyewitness
and offers encouragement to those who follow his guidance and instructions.
1 Jn. 2:1: John reminds us of sin and the consequence of not acknowledging that
we are sinners (Rom. 3:23) and also how to get the sin “wiped out” for good.
1 Jn. 2:26: John reminds the believers to test the Word of the teachers as was also
done in 2 Pet. 2:1

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1. 1 John 1:3 And this fellowship that we have (which is the distinguishing
mark of Christians) is with the Father & with His Son Jesus
Christ, the Messiah.
2. 1 Jn. 1:7 But if we really are living and walking in the Light as He
(Himself) is in the Light, we have true unbroken fellowship
with one another.
3. If we are not having unbroken fellowship with our brothers & sisters,
then there is a problem in us which must be addressed.
4. John promises that the blood of Jesus will cleanse us from our guilt &
sin in all its forms & manifestations.
➢ Jesus is the Advocate & Wrath Remover
1. Jesus is continually interceding for us in the throne room of God – not
for what we have done (or not done) but by presenting to God the Father
what Jesus has done on the cross for us.
2. In presenting this evidence to God the Father, Jesus effectively removes
the Father’s wrath and anger from us, so that when we give an account
of our Lives before Him it will be without any anger.
The Test of a TRUE Christian [1 Jn. 2:4-11]

•I am a Christian. • Confession with our mouths

testimonies of God’s love & forgiveness
–

•I am going to heaven. • Proclaim our Faith in the promises of God

•
•I belong to Christ Profess your belief in Christ – in words &
deeds.

•do.I do what Christ tells me to • I am obedient to God’s Word & His

instructions for my life
• The example for living my life is that of
•more.
I learn to love God more & Jesus Christ. (What would Jesus do in
this/that situation?)
•
•I live as Christ did. By having God’s agape love in my heart I
can love my brothers & sisters in all
situations – without giving or taking
•agape
I love one another with
love – no offence given
offence.

or taken.

How can we see these things in a practical sense:

True Christians Agape Love:

26. agape, ag-ah'-pay; from G25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; spec.
(plur.) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love. Appears 116
times in 105 verses in the Scriptures.
The Test of a FALSE Christian [1 Jn. 2:4-11]

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 • Does not do what Christ tells him to. (v 4) ➢ Disobedient to God’s word - (any of
it!)
• Anyone who dislikes his brothers & sisters
➢ Holds a grudge – un forgiveness in
– is still in darkness – under Satan’s
his/her heart.
control & bidding. (v 9)

• Loves the evil of this world, more than the

➢ Sexual crazes, fashion freak, [buys
everything for appeals sake], pride
light of Christ. (Verses 15 - 16) from wealth, position & power.
• Evil world is fading away (v 17) ➢ These things turn to dust & have no
eternal benefit.
➢ People who follow them will not see
God – but will live in eternal
darkness.

Loves the evil of this world, more than God:

A false Christian may have a nice veneer on the surface – but it is through
his/her actions, or lack of actions that we see the real spiritual person
emerge.

John is writing this passage to warn believers to be on their guard – to

discern the truth from the false doctrines. People today who proclaim that
Jesus is not the Christ, who proclaim that Jesus is not the Son of God, does
not know Christ and does not have the Father in Him.
One of the prime functions of the Holy Spirit is to confirm to us the Truth
of God’s Word and those who speak it. People who do not acknowledge the
existence of the Holy Spirit, or its work in the world today are not
recognising the truth of God’s word. This is a truth which the people
following Islam need to hear and understand.
The Holy Spirit gives gifts to the believers as He wishes, so as to reveal the
truth of God’s word to individual Christians, groups of Christians in a flock,
or to the whole Body of Christ, if necessary.
John is confirming the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believers and
its importance as the guide to keep you on the straight & narrow path to
glory. With this in mind it is therefore imperative that we desire the
manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives, so that we can be guided into
all truth, we can discern the true & false teachers and can encourage the
Body of Christ at all times.

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 God the
Father

Jesus
Christ
Holy Spirit

Godly relationship
1 John 3: 1-3 - What shall we be ?

• The wonder of it stops John in his tracks :

– “Look at what the Father has given us!!!” We are called the Children of
God – and we are !!! “This is not something which will happen in the
future – but WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD – HERE ON EARTH -
RIGHT NOW !!!
– This should be an incentive for us to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to
become more like Jesus here on earth, so that “Thy will be done, (here
on earth) as it is already being done in heaven”
– The world does not understand us, or acknowledge who we are, because
they don’t know or recognise Jesus Christ, or the Father which is in Him.
– In verse 3 John refers to a vision of Jesus (God Himself in his glory):
“When He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as
He really is”.
–
• A right relationship with God the Father is only achieved by recognising
who Jesus Christ is.
• To have victory over sin, one must first admit that one has sinned and
then acknowledge that sinned can be cleansed only through the blood
of Jesus Christ on the cross.
• To love one another – with Agape Love – is only achieved when there is
no sin in your life.
• The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth – to prompt us of our sins, to reveal
hidden truths to us in the Scriptures and to empower us to have victory
over Satan, his principalities and powers.
• When John is writing in the Greek text, He never considered Jesus apart
from the Father – so when you see the word HIM it refers to Jesus and
the Father – in Him.
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1 Jn. 4: 1-6 : The Spirit of truth & the Spirit of error

• This is not a new problem – even in the OT there were false prophets.
Paul had to give a ruling on when a man was speaking by the “Spirit of
God” (1. Cor. 12:3)
• Don’t believe everything you hear – learn to “Test the Spirits”. What
is the test ??? To confess that Jesus Christ became “flesh and
dwelt among us”.
• But there is also a Spirit which does not and will not confess Jesus. It is
the spirit of the antichrist and it dwells among us today.
End Time, Anti-Christ, Holy Spirit
• John proclaims that the end time is approaching. (v 18)
• John defines Anti-Christ as : people who are “Against Christ”, who
were in the Church, but who left because they were not really
part of the true “Body of Christ”. (v 19)
• People who refuse Christ, refuse the Father also. (v 22-23)
• Anybody who does not believe in the Trinity has a problem.
• The person of the Holy Spirit has come upon you, verifying to you the
truth in God’s word. (v 20)
• The Holy Spirit lives within you and He reveals all truth about situations
to you. (v 27)
•
• John encourages the believers that they should not worry because they
have “overcome” Satan because He who is in you is greater than he
who is in the world.
• So, if the Spirit of God dwells in you, then you will be able to
confirm the “spirit of truth” when people speak to you. Also
through the gift of discernment you will be able to identify the
spirit of error and reject what you hear.

Testing the Spirits: The test is the attitude of the person to Jesus Christ.
If the Spirit of God is in the man, he will confess that Jesus Christ has
come in the flesh – with the emphasis on the “Flesh”. This confession is
not a human discovery – but is revelation from God. (The Word became
flesh and dwelt among us Jn. 1:14) and (2 Jn. 7)
The Antichrist Spirit: John had already mentioned in 1 Jn. 2:18 that there
were many antichrists in the world, people who do not know Jesus Christ
as their saviour, nor the Father who dwells in Him and the true believers.
Here John is again reinforcing his earlier statements to remind people not
to be misled.
• Overcome is mentioned 17 times in revelation & 6 times in John’s
Epistles.
• Because you have the Holy spirit dwelling with you – you have the ability
to recognise, whether the person talking to you is speaking with the
spirit of truth, or the spirit of error.
• We have been given all authority, through the power of the name of
Jesus Christ. When we command the spirit to leave, if it is the spirit of

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 the antichrist it must obey, because principalities and powers must obey
the name of Jesus Christ. However, the third part of the Trinity – the
Holy Spirit will remain, and you with then have confirmation that the
one who speaks does indeed speak with the power and truth of the Holy
Spirit, because the Scripture states that the Spirit dwelling with you will
lead you to all truth.
1 Jn. 4:7-21 God is love
• Throughout the whole of John’s writings he emphasises & re-emphasises
that God IS Love.
• We should love one another and this LOVE is not a human achievement,
but it is of divine origin.
• If a person is able to Love “one another” it clearly shows that he is born
of God and that he knows God .
• The Love that John writes about here is about who God is, not who we
are.
• The real meaning of love and the real SOURCE OF LIFE, can only be
discerned through the cross. When we realise that Christ came, while
we were yet sinners, to be a propitiation (Gk. Hilasmos) for our sins,
that Christ died for us, in advance of our births, so that we could have a
love relationship with the Father.
“God is love” is one of the greatest statements in the whole Bible. It
means more than the fact that God is loving, it defines His pure nature.
God’s love does not depend on who we are, but because of who He is.
The love that John writes about here is not seen anywhere among men
of the world. It is made manifest through the Son, who came to bring
life to mankind and to bring it more abundantly.
Summary
• Verses 7-12: Love one another - Remember, if we don’t love one
another, then the love of God is not in us.
• Verses 13-16: Abiding in Love: To become more Christ-like we have
to learn how to put God’s love into practise in our lives, and by our
example, into the lives of others.
• Verses 17-21: The perfecting of Love: The Perfect love of God is a
free gift. We have to learn how to use it, in a Christ-like manner to
become more like Him.
Points to Ponder
• Islam is a religion which requires families, to send their sons & daughters
to die for God.
• Christianity is a faith where God sent down His Son to die for us!

The First displays a true test of the spirit of error, because they deny Christ
is God’s Son, that he came in the flesh and that He was crucified, died, was
resurrected and now sits at God the Father’s right hand. God the Father
clearly shows His mercy to us, recognising that while we were yet sinners
He sent His son to die for us, so that we may have an eternal love
relationship with Him.
1 Jn. 5:1-5 Faith’s Victory

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The thought of love leads to that of one’s relationship to God, and that in
turn to victory. Love and faith are wrapped up in one another. (cf. 4:16)
and the believer overcomes the world.

V 1: We must have faith to believe that Jesus IS the Son of God. If we

have this faith we become a Child of God. Faith is inseparably
connected with our view of Jesus, a truth which is insisted upon
throughout this whole Epistle. It is necessary to believe Jesus is the
Son of God and then we become a child of God. The confession that
Jesus is the Christ is not a result of human insight, but evidence that
divine work has taken place in that person. Further evidence is shown
by loving the fellow-believers, because whoever loves the parent
also loves the child.
V 2: John continues his emphasis on our love for God by our example in
loving our brethren, and by our obedience to His commandments.
Remember “obedience is better than sacrifice.” Real love is shown
by our desire to do God’s will.
V 3: God’s will maybe irksome or difficult, but never a burden – to do God’s
will is a delight!!! John recognises that love has a natural human expression
in doing things which delight our Father.
V 4: Overcame & Overcomers 3528. nikao, nik-ah'-o; from G3529; to
subdue (lit. or fig.):--conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory. The first
word maybe translated as “overcame” and refers to the victory of
Christ when He overcame evil, the second when be believed in Christ
and as such got the victory of Satan and spiritual death.
V 5: Victory depends upon our faith that: Jesus is the Son of God. John
re-emphasises his statements by repetition, in 2 verses we have references
to overcoming the world 3 times. Victory comes to him who believes that
Jesus IS the Son of God. If you don’t believe it, then there will never be
any victory in your life, in fact you will never be able to overcome the world
because you are trying to do it in your own strength.
1 Jn. 5:6-12 The Witness to the Son of God.
Since the right view of Jesus is important, John sites some of the testimony
which establishes His position.
V 6: Water = baptism, Blood = death, Heavenly voice = solemn
entry into His life’s work. It is said that some heretics believed that
Christ come upon Jesus when He commenced His ministry, but left Him
before His death. This is not true and is emphasised by John in the reference
to the water and the blood which were present in Jesus when pierced by
the spear on the cross.
Remember: Jesus cried out :”It is finished” (His earthly work) on the
cross before He died.
V 7: The Spirit is the witnessing one, (present participle – indicates an
on-going, continuing activity); We must continually remember that the Holy
Spirit has been given to us for this specific purpose:
• To lead us into All truth, to continually witness to us the correct spiritual
interpretation of God’s Word, to allow us to “edify”, exhort” and
“comfort” the Body of Christ.
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V 8: 3 witnesses: (a) the Holy Spirit, (b) the water and (c) the Blood. All
for man’s salvation. These 3 witnesses are harmonious. The inner
witness of the Spirit and all that is involved in Christ’s Baptism and His
death are not 3 unrelated items. These 3 witnesses point to “one act of
God” in Christ for man’s salvation.
V 9: God gives the ultimate testimony. God has borne witness to His Son
Himself. John explains that we believe our “fellow-men”, then how much
more should we believe the Testimony of God the Father, who bore
testimony of Jesus Christ His Son by stating this Himself.

V 10: If you don’t believe God’s testimony about His Son then you call God
a liar. John puts no difference between believing in God, or believing in the
Son of God, because John believes that Jesus Christ is in fact God incarnate
– God made flesh. (John 1:14)
V 11: God gave us eternal life & this life is in His Son. Life eternal is
life with Christ and life in Christ. God testimony is that He gave us eternal
life. Eternal Life is God’s own deed and God’s own gift and as we
contemplate this truth we see a revelation of God. This life is in His Son.
We cannot think of eternal life apart from the Son, nor can we think of
God’s testimony apart from Him. Life eternal is life with Christ and Life in
Christ.
V 12: Eternal Life and the Son of God, go together. It is impossible to have
one without the other Its quite simple: if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ
as the Son of God – you don’t have a life relationship with the Son, so
therefore you cannot have the Gift of eternal life which has been given to
man through Jesus Christ.
1 Jn. 5:13-21: The Knowledge of Eternal Life
The Gospel of John was written so that its readers might believe and so
have life (Jn. 20:31).
By Contrast this Epistle was written to give believers assurance that
they have life.
Confidence: V 13-15
V 13: You who believe, (in the surname of the Son of God) that you
have eternal life. Addressed to Christians – not unbelievers. This is
the only place in this Epistle where John refers to believe in the name of
Jesus (His full person) (Peter bar Jonah) in this case: (Jesus bar
Elohiym)
3686. onoma, on'-om-ah; from a presumed der. of the base of
G1097 (comp. G3685); a "name" (lit. or fig.) [authority,
character]:--called, (+ sur-) name (-d).
V 14: Prayer is not a device for inducing God to change His mind, but must
be according to the following concepts: It must be according to His will to
be effective. Prayer must be in faith (Mk. 11:24), In the name of Jesus (Jn.
14:14), offered by those who abide in Christ (Jn. 15:7), and who have
forgiven them who have offended them (Mk. 11:25). It must be
accompanied by obedience (1 Jn. 3:22). It must not be for one’s one
gratification and/or passions. (Jas. 4:3) Confidence is connected with

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assurance: Ask anything in prayer according to His will and He hears
us
V 15: John now changes his attention from God hearing our prayers to God
grants our requests. Before we pray we should ask ourselves: “If
we believe that God will answer this prayer, will that answer bring
glory and honour to Him?”

Prayer for Wrongdoers

V 16: Intercessory prayer. John distinguishes between sin which is mortal
& sin which is not mortal. However, all sin is wrongdoing against God
and it puts a barrier between us and God. There is an abrupt change to the
forgiveness of sin, by believers becoming intercessors for others.
Intercessory prayer is a powerful weapon against the evil one. ( “The
effective fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas. 5:16) Here
John indicates that if we see a brother sin we must pray for him – God will
hear our prayers and give him life. This infers that he may not have been
a Christian, but was “dead through trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1)
Therefore we should regard mortal sin as a state of being, an act of
rebellion against God. (1 Jn. 3:14). We are warned that blaspheming
against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (Lk. 12:10) Christians must
be careful not to sin, and if they do, to repent and make your position
righteous before God, so that we are not removed from the ranks of the
“saved” forever.
V:18-21: The believer’s knowledge
John re-emphasises his previous teaching with 3 points that the people
know:
➢ “anyone born of God does not sin”
If he is born of God then the evil one won’t touch him.
➢ “The whole world is in the power of the evil one.”
➢ “The Son of God has come” - “He has given us understanding” ,
we know “Him who is true”, we are “in Him as He is in the Son.”
➢ Little children, keep yourself far away from false gods
V 18: John is again referring to habitual sin.
V 19: Literally means: lies in the evil one. Lies inert, unable to assert
itself against the power of evil.
2749. keimai, ki'-mahee; mid. of a prim. verb; to lie outstretched (lit. or
fig.):--be (appointed, laid up, made, set), lay, lie. Comp. G5087.
V 20: John directs us once again to the incarnation. The emphasis is on
the actuality of the arrival. (Gk.hêkei) 2240. heko, hay'-ko; a prim. verb;
to arrive, i.e. be present (lit. or fig.):--come. John makes it very clear right
through this Epistle that the relationship between the Father and the Son
is very close, in fact intertwined.
When we have Jesus indwelling in us, it in fact means that we also have
the Father in dwelling in us (because the Father indwells in Christ). We also
know that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. So to be “In Christ”
means that all parts of the Trinity dwells within us.

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V 21: At the conclusion of this Epistle John again encourages us to follow
the path which Christ has explained to us through His example and through
the eyewitnesses of those who walked with Him, keeping away from all
idols and false gods – activities which would bring our witness for Christ
into disrepute and bring temptation and trouble upon us.
S
alutations: (V 1-3)
1. From “The elder” to
2. The “Elect lady Kyria” & her children
• Love & truth is prominent in 2 John & 3 John.
• Truth appears 5 times in the first 4 verses.
3. Addition of “mercy” to grace & peace in the greeting is unusual, as is the
reference “to us” instead of “to you”.
4. The writer identifies himself as “The old Elder”, which is used either to
identify his age, or his position within the Church Body. It is recognised
that John lived for many years as “The Elder” at the church in Ephesus
before he was exiled onto the Isle of Patmos. As this Epistle was written
to people that John knew intimately, there was no need to identify
himself any further.
• 4245. presbuteros, pres-boo'-ter-os; compar. of presbus (elderly);
older; as noun, a senior; spec. an Isr. Sanhedrist (also fig. member
of the celestial council) or Chr. "presbyter":--elder (-est), old.
5. The letter is addressed to Kyria (Cyria) & Her children. Discussion
suggests either a well-known figure of the Church – or a reference to a
Church Body and the congregation. The following verses reinforces this
belief.
• John affirms that he loves the lady & her children “in the truth.” Love
and Truth are very prominent in this Epistle. Notice the order &
sequence:
1. Whom I love … because of the truth,
2. Truth can be known …. It abides in believers,
3. Truth … will be with them forever,
4. This is the same truth described by Jesus in John 14:6.
6. The salutation is unique because of the inclusion of mercy, which only
appears in 1 & 2 Timothy, as the only other place in the New Testament.
In addition most greetings are addressed to “to you” or “in you”. This
one in fact says “to us” – meaning that it also includes “the writer”.
2 John 4-6 The command to love
• John is delighted that some of the children of the lady are “Following
(walking) in the truth” cf “living a Christian life”.
• To follow this truth is not an option selected by man – but has been
commanded by God the Father.

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• John again reminds the readers “to love one another” – both those who
“walk the walk” and those who are “yet to follow this path” it is a
commandment of God.
• Modern thinking is that LOVE and OBEDIENCE are contrasted –
Obedience being connected with a legalistic spirit. But this antithesis is
wrong and false.
• TRUE LOVE DELIGHTS TO OBEY GOD’S WORD:
• TRUE AGAPE LOVE & OBEDIENCE ~ GO HAND IN HAND.
2 John 7-11 Sound Doctrine
Verse 7 : Many “deceivers” have (gone out from the church) and entered
into the world – people who refuse to acknowledge and teach that
Jesus Christ has indeed come in the flesh.
This is the first time the writer introduces this word. In 1 John, they were
referred to as “antichrists” – but here as “Deceivers”, people who are in
error in their teaching, but who also lead others astray from the true path.
Verse 8 : Be careful not to lose what you have and fall away – without
receiving the full reward already promised. Remember God
promises to reward those who faithfully serve Him. John is
reminding the believers that they must be continually checking
their belief systems against the Word of God, to ensure that they
are receiving correct and timely teaching.
This follows on from the same instructions given by Paul that we must be
continually checking what is being taught to us, that it lines up with the
Word of God. Paul even goes as far as saying that even if an angel comes
down and starts teaching something which does not line up with God’s word
– reject it!!!
Verse 9: The false teachers considered themselves as “advanced
thinkers” . John considers that they have “thought themselves
right out of Christianity”
We should be people who abide in the doctrine of Christ as described
in the Scriptures and not deviate from that theme – EVER!!!.
History shows that from time to time people in the church follow new trends
or fads. History also shows that these trends usually lead to splits within
churches, people losing their faith, or being hurt by their fellow believers.
We must be constantly reminded that the Word of God is divinely delivered
to the Body of Christ. It is complete and needs no revision, or addition –
only expounding and activation by church leaders, church elders and the
Body of Christ.
Verse 10: Hospitality was encouraged in the early church, as a way to bless
the preachers and to allow them to spread the word “from house
to house”. John however warns that if they don’t preach the true
Gospel they must not be allowed into houses, nor given sustenance,
hence reducing the possibility of their wrong doctrine from
spreading amongst the believers.

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Verse 11: John says that if you allow this false teacher to teach you are
guilty – you share his wicked work.
John is reminding the believers that they must be continually checking their
belief systems against the Word of God, to ensure that they are receiving
correct and timely teaching.
2 John 12-13 Conclusion
John ends the letter here because he has much more to say – but it is
better to explain it “face to face” than to send it in a letter. His reference
to : “I would rather not use paper and ink” maybe because he does
not want to discuss private problems in a “public letter”.
Here is an important lesson in people relations. How we handle problems
with our brothers and sisters is very important. Remember we are told to
discuss problems with our brothers and/or sister firstly “face to face”.
If this does not bring the desired result then discuss the matter before 2 or
3 elders or other mature Christians. Only if these efforts turn out to be
fruitless are we then to make the problem public by bringing it before the
Body of Christ.
It is quite important that Church Elders and Church leaders make the Body
aware of this Scriptural method of dealing with problems, so that God’s
Word is put into practise and God can bless the outcome.
Home Study Assignment
Please complete the questions stating your beliefs (with references to back
them up)
1. What is the difference between Eternal life and Salvation ?
2. Specify what steps you must take to receive salvation?
3. Specify how you receive eternal life?
4. In Matthew 25:32-33 Jesus refers to the sheep & goats in His flock.
Which ones do you think were “saved” and which ones received “eternal
life”.
5. In Luke 9:3-6 the disciples went out and healed the sick. Is this proof of
:
• Salvation ?
• Eternal life ?
6. Did any people from the Old Testament receive eternal life? Name three.

THE THIRD EPISTLE OF JOHN

V 1. Salutations from The Elder to beloved Gaius.

As in 2 John, the writer identifies himself as the “old Elder” and
addresses the letter to “The beloved Gaius”.

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(Acts 19:29 KJV) "And the whole city was filled with confusion: and
having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's
companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.“
(Acts 20:4 KJV) "And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of
Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius
of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
1 Cor 1:14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and
Gaius;
V 2. Customary 1st century prayer. In the 1st Century, it was
customary to have a prayer at the introduction of each letter. Here
John prays that Gaius’ affairs prosper in the same way that his
soul does.
V 3. Testimony of Gaius’ spiritual life. John finds out about Gaius from
the testimony of some friends during a visit. Not only is it
important for Christians to give their testimonies about what Jesus
is doing in their own individual lives – but also in the lives of
others.
V 4. John is overjoyed when he hears that people who have heard the
message of Christ (his spiritual children) are walking in the truth.
There is no greater joy than for a Christian than to know that
someone you have told the good news to, is following Jesus Christ.
– These are your spiritual children. How many do you have today
???
V 5. We now enter to basis of the letter: Hospitality. It was the
custom of the early church for local Christians to provide
hospitality to travelling preachers or evangelists who were
spreading the Good news. John commends Gaius for his
hospitality, both to known Christians and to strangers.
UNFORTUNATELY, in our “enlightened society” of the 21 st century, this
is now the exception instead of the rule. In some countries, it is now
expected for the “visiting pastors, evangelists & teachers, to not only
provide for their own accommodation and living expenses, but to provide
the finances for the costs of the hiring of halls, etc. as well as paying for
the food of the people who come to hear the Word of God. This is
scripturally way off base.
Jesus told His disciples that when you go out to preach take noting
with you. The same should apply today, because God’s Word has not
changed.
V 6. Even though the act by Gaius may have been in private, the
testimony has been made in public before the congregation.
Because they trusted God’s word, the travelling preachers
accepted nothing from the heathens, but relied upon the
hospitality of the Believers for their food, lodgings and comfort.
V 7. Accept nothing from the heathen.

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 V 8. We have a responsibility to support the “Mission of Christ” to
spread the Gospel to all nations and generations. By providing
support for the “Gospel spreaders” we are in fact joining them in
their missionary activities. The word has not changed. We still
have that responsibility today.
History shows that a church that fully supports Missions (Local,
National & International) will become a growing church, being
blessed for their faithfulness, with strong leadership, a vibrant
ministry and a loving and caring spiritual heart.
V 9. What happens when people in authority are not following God’s
plan, or recognise people in authority within the church. God
cannot allow His plans to be delayed or subverted, so the offenders
must be dealt with. Gaius is counselled by John not to follow this
evil man – but to follow God for good is from God.
V 10. Diotrephes has slandered the Elder and other missionaries and
stopped people within this church body from offering hospitality –
even putting those out of the church who tried to do so. It is clear
he had to be dealt with for his actions.
V 11. Gaius is commended for his actions in following good – not evil.
John makes a clear comparison here between the “good acts” of
Gaius and the “bad” actions of Diotrephes
V 12. Demetrius (an Ephesian silversmith) is commended by John, a
faithful servant. Who was this man?
Acts 19:24: For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which
made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
Acts 19:38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with
him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are
deputies: let them implead one another.
Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and
we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.
John concludes the third Epistle, just the same as the second, by saying he
has much he wants to write but will speak to the believers in person.
John prays “peace be upon the congregation” a common form of prayer
at meeting and at departing. In addition John requests that Gaius send his
personal greetings to each member of the congregation (the friends) so
that they know he cares for them individually.
The example defined here by John is clearly an example we should continue
to follow here in the Body of Christ today. Each member of the Body is
special and requires our constant attention, love and prayers.
Module Assignment for 1,2,3 JOHN:

The students will break up into small groups and discuss the following:

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1. Reflecting upon what you learned previously in the Gospel of John, what
major points are identified and added in these three Epistles.
2. The small groups will prepare a presentation to deliver to the class. The
groups can use any of the following methods to make their presentation:
a. Short-form notes
b. Multi-media presentation
c. Discussion panel
d. Narrative
e. Drama.
3. Each group will be assigned a mark for their presentation, which will be
allocated to every member of that particular group for their assessment.

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THE BOOK OF REVELATION

OVERVIEW:
In the Book of Revelation there are references to the “unveiling”,
“revealing” or “uncovering” of signs and events, which:
A) HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE
B) ARE PRESENTLY TAKING PLACE [AD 100], or
C) WILL TAKE PLACE – IN THE FUTURE [after 100 AD]
The English word “Revelation” comes from the Greek word “akopalupis”,
meaning unveiling, or uncovering.
Elsewhere in the scriptures, this same word is used and translated in
English as: “manifestation” (Romans 8:9), “A coming” (1 Corinthians
1:7), “a revealing” (2 Thessalonians 1:7), and “an appearing” (1 Peter
1:7).
Therefore, the Bible, the Divine Word of God, is God Almighty’s way of
unveiling His plans and purposes for all of mankind to read, contemplate
and understand.

The Book of Revelation is in fact history being written before it

comes to pass.

As we study significant parts of God’s word, we will be continually

challenged to review our present positions and relationship with God the

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Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and His Holy Spirit. This will be a significant
challenge for many of us.
Notice that the first four (4) letters of the word “significant” is sign. I trust
that as you study this module you will be challenged to go back and study
God’s Word and identify the many signs and wonders that are revealed
to us through His Word and by the revelations of His Holy Spirit.
Therefore, through this divine revelation may there be a subsequent
transformation within your spirits to the things of God, because
transformation cannot occur without there first being a revelation
from God.
WHO WROTE THIS BOOK?
Before we look at the seven churches themselves, let us try to find out on
whose authority the book was written, and for what purpose, and to
whom.
The author of the book of Revelations is clearly defined in Rev. 1:1. It is
the divine Word of Jesus Christ Himself; sent down to Apostle John,
by an angel, to record it for all time, for us, the churches in Asia and for
all churches, of all denominations, in all the countries of the world (for all
generations).
The writer was Apostle John and the book is thought to have been written
in AD 90-100, some 60 years after the ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord
into Heaven. It was written whilst John was in exile on the Isle of Patmos,
for continuing to preach the gospel, after he had been forbidden by the
laws of that land in Ephesus at that time. At this time, He is the only
remaining disciple alive who was with Jesus, and was an eye witness to
the miracles and teachings given by Jesus during His ministry time here
on earth.
It is a series of several visions, some which tell about the past, some
about the present (at AD 100) and some about future events, which will
take place before the return to earth of Jesus Christ, in all His glory, to
sit on the throne, on earth of His new earthly kingdom.

Future
The Present
The
till AD 100 Chapters 4 - 22
Past

Chapter Chapters. 2 & Chapters 5 –

1:1-18 3 19:15

The events depicted in

chapters 4-22 and those
depicted in chapters 5 – 19 are
in fact events, which occur in
parallel. These events are

TIMELINE FOR THE HISTORICAL EVENTS IN

THE BOOK OF REVELATION

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The Book of Revelation have some very special points, which the serious
Bible student must be aware of, namely;
a) The book of Revelations is the only book in the Bible which contains
promises of blessings for pastors who read the text of this book aloud
in the congregations of the saints. Imagine that, God has given His
word, that any pastor who reads from this book to His congregation
will receive a blessing. Secondly any member of his congregation who
hears these words and does them will also receive a blessing from
the Lord. Therefore, it is wrong for pastors NOT TO READ from this
book to their congregations, because if they refuse, they are selfishly
preventing members of their congregations from receiving blessings
from God.
b) The book of Revelations promises blessings to all people who hear
the Word and PUT IT INTO PRACTISE in their individual lives.
c) The number 7 (God’s perfect number) is the ruling number in this
book. e.g. 7 candlesticks, 7 churches, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7
thunders, 7 vials, 7 spirits, 7 stars, 7 “no mores”.
d) The closing chapters of Revelations, contains a striking contrast to
the opening chapters of Genesis. Genesis speaks of the creation of
the sun, the entrance of sin into the life of man and into the world,
the curse pronounced upon the ground, Satan’s triumph in being
given authority over all things, on the earth, by man (not by God).
The exclusion of man from the “tree of life”.
e) On the other hand, the book of Revelations tells of a place where
there will be no need of the sun, (the sun will not shine), all sin will
be banished, no more curses upon the earth, because there will be a
new earth, Satan shall be overthrown, admission of men once again
to the “tree of life”.

We see in Rev. 1:9, the testimony of John, as to why he was in exile, on

the Isle of Patmos, banished for preaching the Word of God, the proof of
which is Jesus Christ. I challenge each of the people reading this Module
and studying the seven churches, to ask yourself the following question:
If the Government of the country you belong to, or reside in at present,
were to issue a new law, forbidding you to preach, proclaim, or believe in
the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and they boarded up the front doors
of the churches, would you still be prepared to proclaim that you are a
Christian ???1
What if the penalty was banishment from your home to an island
somewhere out in the Andaman Sea, or into the Pacific Ocean, would you,
as an individual, be prepared to continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, no matter what the consequences to you might be, or what the
punishment might entail to you and/or your family???
What about all of you “TV Evangelists”?? Would you arrange to have “pirate
TV stations” set up and still proclaim the Gospel, without fear of persecution

1
Very similar to what happened during Covid 19

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and destruction of all your assets??? How would you (as individuals) re-act
to such a proclamation, if it was issued???
A lot of you have just thought, it will never happen, what a crazy question,
it does not concern me, but in each case, you will be WRONG, because
these questions will define your attitude to Christ and His Word.
We see even though Apostle John was placed into this situation, described
above, it does not change his attitude to the Lord, or His teachings, as we
see John, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, being borne up into the
spiritual realm, to be given divine revelation from the Lord Himself, to
record for our later spiritual growth and well-being.
The glorious thing about the book of Revelation is that despite the
isolation of John, from the world, by a worldly law, John is not isolated
from God!
This clearly proves that the Lord cares for and guides His obedient children,
wherever they are on this earth, (or even up in the spaceships circling
around it), nothing is too difficult for Him, when it comes to showing His
love for His people.
John hears divine instructions to write down all he sees (visions) and hears
(revelation) in a book, just like the instructions given by God to the Old
Testament Prophets.
John is told to send it to the seven churches, named by the Lord in Asia at
that time. Upon hearing the voice, John turns around to see a being, in
the image of the description recorded by Daniel the prophet, in Dan.
7:13-15, and recognizes the Lord Himself. To make sure that John is not
mistaken, in identifying who is talking to Him, we have the verbal
confirmation of the vision in Rev. 1:18.
“I AM, living in the eternity of the eternities. I died, but see, I AM
alive for evermore, and I possess the keys of death and Hades
(hell)”.
Jesus clearly confirms who He is (I AM) and then He makes a statement
which must be fully understood. Jesus says :- “I possess the keys of
hell”.
Many Christians, who have not studied their Scriptures thoroughly,
believe that the keys were given to Peter, but the Lord Himself says in the
Book of Revelation, some 60 years after His resurrection, “I POSSESS
THE KEYS OF HELL”.
Does this mean that Jesus gave the keys to Peter and then took them
back again ? No!. He never gave them to Peter in the first place. This
misunderstanding has been because of the translation of the two Greek
words ‘Petra’ and ‘Petros’. One meaning pebble, (small stone) and the
other meaning giant rock (like the rock of Gibraltar).
Jesus Christ is the Giant rock, whilst Peter is the very small insignificant
pebble. I prefer to have my faith for the church built on the giant rock
(Christ), not the small insignificant pebble (Peter).
In Rev. 1:20, Jesus explains to John, the various meanings of the symbols
he is seeing - now that he has been transported into the spiritual realm.
Note:
Do you realise that we have the same spirit living in us as did Apostle

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John? Do you realise that we can also be taken up, “in the Spirit” into
heaven and experience similar events that were experienced by John? It
is possible, if we are earnestly desiring to become close to God and want
to do His will in all things.
As we commence to study the messages sent to the seven churches, we
should also understand the meaning of each of these symbols referred to
in these visions of John.

1. Seven Stars
The seven stars are the seven angels, one assigned to each church
identified in the vision. Do you realize that God has appointed a special
messenger angel to speak to YOUR church ? Do you realize that each
church has an individual angel to report to God, the activities of its
congregation and to give messages to the church, (via an acceptable
receptive vessel, if anyone is attuned by the Holy Spirit) and the church is
prepared to listen?
THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION

2. Seven Lampstands
The seven Lampstands are identified as the seven churches, to whom the
messages from the Lord were to be sent. This means that your individual
church is a lampstand before the Lord. How bright this lampstand shines,
depends on the individual candles (the individual Christian brothers and
sisters who belong to that church body) whether they are alight,
smouldering only, or completely gone out.
It is interesting to notice in the Scripture of Rev. 1:13, that the image of
Jesus is IN THE CENTRE OF THE SEVEN LAMPSTANDS.
This means that JESUS IS THE CENTRE OF THEIR ATTENTION.
It is important for us to recognize that JESUS CHRIST SHOULD BE THE
CENTRE OF ATTENTION IN OUR CHURCHES ALSO.
The other point to recognize in the placement of the churches around Jesus
Christ, as the central figure, is to understand that all their attention is
directed towards Him and is not distracted by things of the world, (or things
going on in other churches around them), but that they concentrate and
look directly upon His face.
When Jesus Christ is the central figure, it is more difficult for Satan to get
the attention of the believers, because he is BEHIND THEM and that is
where Jesus said Satan should always be.

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 CHURCHES IN REVELATIONS

* EPHESUS * SMYRNA * PERGAMUM

???
*
YOUR JESUS
THYATIRA
CHURCH CHRIST

* ???

* * *
LAODICEA PHILADELPHIA SARDIS

Is your church pointed in the right

direction ???

It is recognized by theological scholars today, that the seven churches

referred to by Jesus, were not only the seven physical churches referred to
by name in the Scriptures, but are also the seven CHURCH TYPES, which
would appear and exist throughout the “Age of the Gentiles”, prior to
Christ’s return for His chosen people, and so we are to be AWARE that these
church types COULD and DO EXIST TODAY.

You will see in the previous diagram that I have added an extra angel and
an extra church and called it “YOUR CHURCH”.
During this chapter, we will examine each of the church messages and then
I will leave it up to yourself (and God) to allocate the score for your church,
wherever you are.
Remember you may be able to fool me, or somebody else with your score,
but you can’t fool God with it, so I urge you to take this matter very
seriously, as we now look at the first church, the church of Ephesus.
(Reference Rev. 2:1-7)

CHURCH AT EPHESUS
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM GOOD POINT FOUND BY JESUS

1 INDUSTRY
2 ACTIVITIES
3 LABORIOUS TOIL
4 PATIENT ENDURANCE
5 NO CORRUPT MEN
6 TESTS ALL TEACHINGS
7 PROCLAIM CHRIST ALWAYS
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 8 HATE THE NICOLAITANS

CHURCH AT EPHESUS
BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM BAD POINT FOUND BY JESUS

1 ABANDONED FIRST LOVE WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST -
CHURCH IS GETTING COLD
2 FALLEN FROM ORIGINAL HEIGHTS AND LOVE OF JESUS
CHRIST

CHURCH AT EPHESUS
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS STATED BY JESUS CHRIST
TO GET BACK INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD

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 ITEM CORRECTIVE ACTIONS STATED BY JESUS
1 REMEMBER YOUR FIRST LOVE - WHICH IS JESUS
CHRIST
2 REPENT OF YOUR SINS - ASK FORGIVENESS FROM
GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
3 CHANGE YOUR INNER WILL - CLEANSE YOUR HEART
FROM UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
4 TURN BACK TO GOD
5 FOLLOW HIS CHOSEN PATH

CHURCH AT EPHESUS
PROMISES TO ALL REPENTANT BELIEVERS
IN THIS CHURCH

ITEM PROMISES IF YOU REPENT

1 GOD PROMISES THAT ALL REPENTANT BELIEVERS
SHALL EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS IN
HEAVEN. THESE PEOPLE ARE PROMISED ETERNAL
LIFE FOREVER WITH JESUS CHRIST - IN THE
PRESENCE OF GOD THE FATHER.

CHURCH AT EPHESUS
CONSEQUENCES TO THOSE WHO DO NOT
REPENT OF THEIR SINS IN THIS CHURCH

ITEM CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DON’T REPENT OF

YOUR SINS
1 JESUS WILL VISIT YOU PERSONALLY AND REMOVE
THE LAMPSTAND FROM YOUR CHURCH. THE LIGHT
WILL BE EXTINGUISHED. THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL
DEPART FROM THE CHURCH, AND ALL BELIEVERS
WHO DO NOT REPENT SHALL NOT ENTER THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AT THE SECOND COMING OF
CHRIST.

In today’s world, one would think that a church doing all these “GOOD
DEEDS” would be acceptable to God, as it:- Preaches, Teaches, Tests the
Word of God, etc.
But in the EYES OF JESUS CHRIST, who is given ALL AUTHORITY IN
HEAVEN AND IN EARTH, this is not enough !!!
The fact that this is a church, which has started to grow cold in its
spiritual walk with the Lord, is enough to exclude it from Heaven.
But we see that God is MERCIFUL. He does not leave the finding of the

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corrective actions, or solutions to us. He gives us the ingredients to
correct each individual believer in the Ephesus, (or spiritually dying
church). Jesus leaves the decision on whether to change or not up to each
individual believer.
It is not the responsibility of the pastor, or the elders anymore, IT IS
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH INDIVIDUAL BELIEVER IN THE
CHURCH, TO REPENT AND TURN BACK TO GOD AND GOD’S
CHOSEN PATHWAY, FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN.
As John the Baptist exhorted the Jews to repent of their sins and turn
from their wicked ways (as individuals) and be baptised, so the Holy Spirit
is exhorting the individuals in this church to do the same; return to their
first love. Let us now move on to look at the Scriptures and the special
message sent to the next church, the church of Smyrna. (Reference Rev.
2:8-11)
CHURCH AT SMYRNA
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS

1 GOOD POINTS TO NOTE AND TO PUT INTO PRACTISE
EVERY DAY
2 SUFFERED AFFLICTIONS, DISTRESS, TROUBLES,
POVERTY.
3 WERE SLANDERED AND REVILED BY FALSE CHRISTIANS
4 PROCLAIMED GOD’S WORD UNDER ALL CONDITIONS -
EVEN UNDER THE THREAT OF TORTURE AND DEATH BY
THE LEGAL AUTHORITIES OF THAT DAY AND AGE.

CHURCH AT SMYRNA
PROMISES TO STEADFAST BELIEVERS
WHO BELONG TO THIS CHURCH

ITEM PROMISES TO STEADFAST BELIEVERS BY JESUS

CHRIST
1 PROMISED THE CROWN OF LIFE IN HEAVEN AT THE TIME
OF JUDGEMENT.
2 GOD PROMISES NO INJURY BY THE SECOND DEATH.

The church of Smyrna is a very special church. It has afflictions, distress,

pressing troubles, and poverty. It has been reviled and slandered against,
by “so called Christians”, who were really backsliders, again under the
domination and power of Satan.
The people had been tortured, thrown into prison, and even killed, because
they continued to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. All of these things did not
cause their faith to begin to crumble, because it was securely anchored to
the giant rock of salvation, Jesus Christ Himself.

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As we study this church, we see that when we commit our lives to Jesus
Christ, our PHYSICAL LIVES are no longer of any value, (if we try to keep
them). It only becomes of value to us if we are prepared to offer it up as a
sacrifice to Him ~ not worrying about the physical pain or troubles, but
being determined to preach God’s Word wherever we go, despite the
consequences1. The other important thing to notice about this church type
is that, in the eyes of Jesus Christ, this church, and all the believers who
are in it, they are acceptable to Him. It has no faults!!!

Conclusion: The church of Smyrna is an acceptable church type, in the

eyes of God, but not all Christians have the faith, nor the spiritual maturity,
to be able to trust the Lord completely, in the times described above, that
this church had to face, (and churches will have to face, as we move closer
to the “end of the Age of the Gentiles”.)
But all of us: SHOULD BE ABLE TO PASS THE TEST OF THIS CHURCH
TYPE, IF WE REALLY WANT TO GLORIFY GOD IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
So far, we have examined two church types and the score is :-
• One church for Satan
• One church for God
Quite surprising so far, but let us continue the study and see if we can get
a better score by the time, we have studied all seven churches.
The next church is the church at Pergamum, (Reference Rev. 2:12- 17)

CHURCH AT PERGAMUM
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

1
As a missionary I have had personal experiences to these events, having
been beaten, falsely accused, put into prison, for the sake of the gospel.

299
ITEM GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST
1 Living in Satan’s city – but not part of Satan’s
activities.
2 Holding fast to Christ in all situations and under
all conditions.
3 Not denying the faith - even to prevent torture
and death.
4 Martyrs among you - People who are ready to die
for the gospel.

CHURCH AT PERGAMUM
BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

1 Some teach things of the world (false doctrines.)
2 Some teach eating food set before Idols.
3 Some practising sexual acts which are contrary
to God’s Word.
4 Others are teaching wrong doctrines from the
Courts of the NICOLAITANS - the ones who
corrupt the people.

CHURCH AT PERGAMUM
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SPECIFIED
BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM CORRECTIVE ACTIONS DEMANDED BY JESUS

CHRIST
1 REPENT - Change your will and attitude to God
- or Jesus Christ will come and fight against
you with the sword of truth and you will not be
able to stand against the attack from God.

CHURCH AT PERGAMUM
PROMISES TO OVERCOMERS
BY JESUS CHRIST

300
 ITEM PROMISES TO OVERCOMERS BY JESUS
CHRIST
1 Eat Hidden Food ( Heavenly Manna)
2 Given a white stone with a new name written
upon it.
3 No-one understands the name - except those
who receive it.

CHURCH AT PERGAMUM
CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE
WHO DON’T REPENT!

ITEM CONSEQUENCES FOR ALL WHO DON’T ACT ON

GOD’S WORD
1 Jesus shall destroy the church with the sword.
2 He will not allow it to stand and be a bad
witness for Him.
3 All who are destroyed shall no enter the
Kingdom at the time of the eternal judgement
of all mankind.

The church type of Pergamum, is unfortunately like many churches in the

world today, they do not bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, in their
present form.
You may consider this a strong critical statement, but let us look at the
facts. I will leave the Holy Spirit to prompt you in your decision, as to the
correctness of my comments.
First of all within this church there were divisions, [NO UNITY], with some
spiritually mature Christians trying to follow the Word of God. In addition
to this, we had some of the newer believers (and some of the older ones)
still clinging to traditions from worldly situations, which is contrary to God’s
Word.
When we become “born again” believers, the Word says we become new
creatures, old things (all of them) pass away.
The church also had some people teaching doctrine which was contrary to
the Word of God and trying to encourage the believers to eat food which
had been offered to idols and/or other gods.
There were also in the midst of the congregation, people who were
practising corruption. All of these things were wrong in the eyes of the Lord.
(And it still is today!)
The following things are important to note about this church type and the
warning given by Jesus to the believers who belong to this church.
This warning should prompt some action from all of us.
First of all, Jesus identifies that there are “good Christians” and “bad
Christians” attending the same church.
We know that light and darkness cannot mix, nor can sweet water and salt

301
water come out of the same well, at the same time.
Therefore, we would expect that the Lord would recommend some sort of
separation process, (if we use secular logic) to protect the “good Christians”
whilst the Lord dealt with the “bad Christians” in the congregation.
But that is not the case, that is not the way that Jesus deals with
His followers.
Jesus said if the WHOLE CHURCH DID NOT REPENT (good and bad
Christians alike) then Jesus would come and fight against them with the
sword of His mouth, which we know is the Word of Truth.
Jesus considers that the ‘good Christians’ are just as guilty as the ‘bad
Christians’, because the ‘good Christians’ failed to test the Word being
preached and when it was determined that it was incorrect teaching, they
FAILED TO ACT AND HAVE THE TEACHING STOPPED.
Also the ‘good Christians’ FAILED TO STOP THE CORRUPTION1, which
was obviously apparent in the church congregation, or in the worldly
situation around them.
This is a very important lesson for the Church body at large to realize. In
the eyes of Jesus Christ, you cannot be judged blameless if you become
one of the ‘silent majority’ who is not involved themselves, in the
wrongdoing, but DO NOTHING ABOUT HAVING IT STOPPED!
Jesus considers inactivity, to not correct (take action against) something
that is wrong, as a sin and all are collectively guilty (both the “good
Christians and the “bad Christians) for allowing the sin to remain in
existence.
To the churches in AUSTRALIA, this comment is very relevant. For over 200
years the churches have been building up barriers among the congregation,
not removing false teachings and some traditional practises (from the
worldly point of view) from within their congregations.
These stumbling blocks have prevented the Holy Spirit from being able to
move in the midst of the COLLECTIVE CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA, because of
jealousy, pride, envy, competition, accusation of ‘sheep stealing’,
corruption in the land, etc, which has been allowed to remain by the Church
at large, the Body of Christ..
I challenge the COLLECTIVE CHURCH OF AUSTRALIA, to consider the
judgement of Jesus Christ upon the church of Pergamum. He has stated
that He shall come and fight against you (Jesus shall fight against you
personally) with the sword of truth.
We all know that nobody has ever been able to defeat Jesus Christ in a
spiritual battle. Even Satan, who is far greater than us, (in spiritual terms)
was unable to win in his several and continual battles against Jesus.
We are told to quote the Word against Satan and he shall flee from us. This
indicates how powerful the Word really is. If Jesus Christ uses that same
Word against us, then we will surely be destroyed, not just the ‘bad
Christians’ but also the ‘good Christians’ who were part of the silent

1
This is a serious warning for the whole church leadership, if they fail to act
when a government, or council, pass laws which are contrary to God’s Laws
~ the WHOLE CHURCH will be held accountable!
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majority who did not do anything to correct the situation and bring the
churches into unity under the sovereign reign of Jesus Christ.
Remember 2 Chronicles 7:14. [If we don’t, then He won’t!]
I will leave you to pray to Jesus Christ for forgiveness, and to ask the Holy
Spirit to identify the things which needs to be corrected in the churches, so
that the ‘good Christians’ are not destroyed along with the ‘bad Christians’.
But now we have looked at three churches and the score is:
• 2 churches for Satan
• 1 church for God
Let us continue the study and see if the score can get any worse. All along
you have thought that everything was going to be OK once you became a
Christian. Well maybe now you will start to think being a Christian is not as
easy as you first thought, if you start to use the eyes of Jesus Christ, as
the judge of what is right and what is wrong.
Let us now look carefully at the fourth church, the Church of Thyatira.
(Reference Rev. 2:18-29)

CHURCH AT THYATIRA
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

1 Good Works, Love, Patience, Endurance.
2 Works increasing day by day.
3 Testing the teachings of the Saints
4 Rejecting the false teachings and the false
teachers who give it.

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 CHURCH AT THYATIRA
BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

1 Church is divided between followers of true
and false teachings.
2 False Prophetess teaching false Doctrines.
3 Elders inactive - Do not stop false teaching in
the assembly by the Prophetess.
4 Christian Babies led astray by false teachings
of the false Prophetess.
5 Lack of checking by the Church Leaders and
the Congregation.

CHURCH AT THYATIRA
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TOLD BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR THE SAINTS IN

THIS CHURCH
1 REPENT OF PAST SINS - Turn back to God for
forgiveness.
2 Check all Doctrines taught in the Assembly
3 Remove all false prophets from the assembly.
4 Teach Correct Doctrine. If it can’t be found in
the Word - don’t teach it at all.
5 Protect and Recover the “Babes in Christ”.
6 Test all future Words given in the Assembly.
7 If it does not line up with the Word of God -
then reject it all.

CHURCH AT THYATIRA
PROMISES GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM PROMISES FOR THOSE WHO OBEY IN THIS

CHURCH
1 Reward each as you deserve - check your
attitudes also.
2 No added trials for those who tested the Word
and rejected it.
3 Hold fast to what you have till I come for my
chosen people.

CHURCH AT THYATIRA CONSEQUENCES FOR

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 THOSE WHO DON’T REPENT

ITEM CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE WHO DON’T

REPENT
1 Some souls to be lost - to cleanse the Body of
Christ.
2 Wrongdoers given no second chance - all are
destroyed.
3 Jesus removes the unholy by elimination, to
protect the holy from contamination.

From the tables it is very easy to see that this church type has a problem,
in that the church has allowed wrong teaching to continue in the church,
for some time, without taking steps to remove it and teach the
correct Word, from the Scriptures.
Some of the believers have remembered Apostle Paul’s warning to the
Church at Ephesus and have carefully tested the teachings from the
‘so-called’ apostles and have found that the teachings did not line up with
the Word of God and as a result, they have rejected the teachings and the
men who teach them.
Unfortunately, the mature Christians, upon identifying the false teachers
and the false prophetess, did not take the necessary steps to REMOVE
THEM FROM THE CHURCH BODY, which is the correct action, as stated
in the Word.
The result was that some of the “babies in Christ” were led astray by the
false teachers, and the words of the false prophetess. Jesus says that
this leads towards destruction!!!
It appears from the account in the Book of Revelations, that the
Lord must have sent many messages in prophecy to the church,
identifying that there were false teachings taking place, to warn the
church to take some positive action, to remove the people
concerned, but alas the church elders, the church pastors and the
mature Christians in the congregation did nothing!
The promises and consequences for this church are things we should be
happy about (on the one hand) and sad about (on the other).
For the people who recognized the wrong doctrine in the church, and
refused to follow it, Jesus promised that they would not receive
additional trials in their earthly lives, but that they must hold fast
to what they already have (their salvation and their faith) until the
Lord comes back for His bride.
Jesus goes on to tell John that He has given the false prophetess plenty of
time to change her ways, but that she has hardened her heart and refused
to repent of her sins, so it is logical that she should be destroyed, given
over to the desires of her heart, given over to Satan and eternal damnation.
But what about the poor young babies that were led astray by her?
You would think that they should be now awakened to the truth of the
wrong teachings and be given a chance to repent and turn back to Jesus
Christ.

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We see in this example, both the justice and the mercy of God at work.
The young babies in Christ, are given one last chance to repent and
turn back to God. All who fail to listen to this warning are then to be
destroyed along with the false prophetess and her teachers.
All throughout the Bible, the Word clearly commands us to be the “HOLIEST
PEOPLE ON EARTH”. The judgement upon this church is that, like the bad
hand, or bad eye, which was to be cut off, to save the remainder. (ref.
Matt. 18:8-9)

Jesus will “cut off the bad part of the church”, to stop the pollution of the
Word from spreading.

JESUS IS PREPARED TO ALLOW SOME SOULS TO BE LOST, TO KEEP

THE BODY OF CHRIST PURE & HOLY & ACCEPTABLE TO HIM. This is
the reference to names being removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life.
If we, as Christians, do not guard against the “watering down” or “polluting
of the Word” in our assemblies, then the Lord will act to remove these
offenders, by ELIMINATION.

So after studying four churches, the score is:

• 3 churches for Satan
• 1 church for God.

Let us move on to study the fifth church in the series and see what God
has, as instructions for correction, in this specific church type.

CHURCH AT SARDIS
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS

1 Still a few souls who have not soiled their
clothes with sin - who are still worthy of
keeping their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
2 These people are the only people who are
acceptable to Christ in this church, to keep their
salvation until eternity.

CHURCH AT SARDIS
BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS

1 JESUS WILL TREAT THIS CHURCH LIKE
UNBELIEVERS !!!

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 2 He will come upon them like a thief in the night
and steal away their salvation - their promised
eternal life.
3 Jesus no longer thinks of this as a Christian
Church anymore.

CHURCH AT SARDIS
CORRECTIVE ADVICE GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM CORRECTION TO BECOME RESTORED TO

CHRIST
1 Arouse yourself from Spiritual sleep.
2 Keep Spiritually Awake.
3 Strengthen and liven up your faith.
4 Revise the lessons you have heard.
5 Keep them in your mind & in your heart.
6 Obey them at all times.
7 Do works worthy of repentance.
8 Start a record of works worthy of mention in
Heaven.

CHURCH AT SARDIS
PROMISES TO THE RIGHTEOUS ONES

ITEM PROMISES BY JESUS CHRIST

1 People who are judged worthy by Jesus Christ
shall wear white robes and their names shall
remain in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
2 Their names shall be proclaimed openly in
Heaven.

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 CHURCH AT SARDIS
CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE WHO DON’T REPENT
OF THEIR SINS

ITEM CONSEQUENCES PROMISED BY JESUS CHRIST

1 Jesus Christ shall come upon them like a thief
in the night.
2 He shall remove their names from the Lamb’s
Book of Life.
3 They shall lose their salvation and go into
eternal damnation.

In studying this church, you may have been surprised to see that Jesus
threatens to remove a person’s name from the Lamb’s Book of Life, because
the person’s clothes had become soiled, with his disobedience and his sinful
nature.
Many Christians believe that “ONCE SAVED IS ALWAYS SAVED”. Well
unfortunately that is not what the Scripture says!
In Rev. 3:4-5 Jesus makes the statement that there are still a few who
have not soiled their clothes.... and I will NOT erase their names from the
Book of Life.
This means that to qualify in keeping your name in the Book of Life, you
must not soil your clothes, you must remain in accordance with the Word
of God at all times, regularly examining your position before God and repent
of any disobedience or misdoings, so as to remain righteous before the Lord
(at all times).
Another way of looking at this statement, is as recorded in John 15:16. In
this Scripture, Jesus says that you did not choose Him, He in fact chose you
and ordained you, that you should go out and bear fruit, and that your fruit
should remain (PERFECT). If your fruit does not remain, or goes bad, then
you are no longer worthy to keep your name in the lamb’s book of life.
In using this definition of worthiness, it is necessary to challenge every
pastor, in every church, across every land.
In Matt. 18:12, Jesus makes mention of the shepherd with 100 sheep in
the flock, under his love, guidance and responsibility. These are the “fruit”
that he is to “take care of”, until Jesus returns for His bride.
We know today that from time to time, some of the “sheep” wander back
into the world, following after their “previous shepherd”, which is Satan.
In discussing this problem with pastors in many different countries, I have
been given all sorts of EXCUSES, (but called statistics), that it is normal
for approximately 10-20% of all believers to fall away, during the first
year of their salvation.
They have said, in effect, that they are prepared to allow 20% of their
fruit to drop to the ground, to rot and die. I would suggest that they ask
themselves why Jesus Christ said that they are to leave the 99 sheep and
go out and find AND BRING BACK THE SHEEP THAT WAS LOST. Why
did Jesus Christ say that ??

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If Jesus Christ said that they should do it, then I would humbly suggest
that some pastors better change their attitudes to their “retention
factors”, and instead of accepting an 80% retention factor, they better
get back into the Word and go for the 100% that is required of them, so
that their garments shall not be considered soiled and their names shall
not be removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life, like is written for the
Church of SARDIS.

So after 5 churches, the score is :-

• 4 churches for Satan
• 1 church for God

Many pastors, upon reading what I have just written, may try to brush this
off as a wives tale, or just another mad author, trying to make a fast dollar.
I write it to turn people back to the Scriptures and back to the Lord. You
may think whatever you like of me, but I challenge you to check the score.
We have examined five churches so far, only one of them has been
acceptable to the Lord, without any correction.
Remember, He (the Lamb of God) is the ultimate judge, you have to
convince Him of your worthiness -- not me.
Now let us move on to church number six, the church of Philadelphia and
see what the Lord considers is good, or bad in this church.

CHURCH AT PHILADELPHIA
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

1 Works are acceptable
2 Power used wisely.
3 Test all teachings
4 The church has not renounced the name of
Jesus Christ.
5 Shown “Agape Love” in all situations, even
during trial and tribulations.
6 The church is acceptable to God.

CHURCH AT PHILADELPHIA
PROMISES GIVEN BY JESUS CHRIST FOR THIS CHURCH

ITEM PROMISES GIVEN FOR THIS CHURCH BY JESUS

CHRIST
1 Jesus places an open door in front of this
church, which cannot be closed by Satan or any
of his agents.
2 Saints kept from the trials which will come at
the “end-time”.

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 3 Hold fast to their treasures, the crown of eternal
life.
4 Made to be a pillar in the Heavenly City with a
new name.

We have some good news, when studying the Church of Philadelphia, for it
is clear that in the eyes of God, this church type is acceptable to Him:-
shout HALLELUIAH!!!.
In the eyes of God - not man, the work of this church is deemed to be
acceptable. Even though the church had little power, it has used it wisely
to glorify the Lord. The church was very conscious that false teachings could
creep into the Body of Christ and so they tested EVERY TEACHING AND
EVERY DOCTRINE, to ensure that it was in accordance with the Scriptures.
Neither the church as a whole, nor the individual believers, renounced or
denied the Lord’s name at any time. The Lord emphasizes that this church
ENDURED PATIENTLY their trials and hardships, according to the lessons
taught them by Jesus and the Apostles.
This means they endured their trials and tribulations with love for one
another, both for the believers and for the unbelievers alike. They were not
complainers, gossipers, liars, or people who caused division in the
churches, etc., but at all times, by their words and their actions, they
showed and manifested the agape love, which is the true sign of a mature
Christian.
The promises given by the Lord for this church are worthy of note also, as
they must make us examine our own thinking and attitudes.
First of all Jesus promises that in front of this church God has placed a door
and this door is open forever. No-one on earth can shut the door before
this church – not even Satan!.
Secondly, all of the false teachers, which have been identified in the other
churches so far, will be required to bow down at the feet of the saints of
the church of Philadelphia and acknowledge that Jesus has loved these
saints.
Thirdly, the saints of this church are told they will not suffer the hour of
testing, which is to come upon the world, indicating that the saints of the
church of Philadelphia shall be guaranteed a place in the rapture when Jesus
comes back for His children.
As encouragement, Jesus tells the saints of this church to HOLD FAST TO
THE TREASURE THAT THEY HAVE, so no-one can rob them of their crown (
which by right, already belongs to them).
For those people who do hold fast, they shall have written on them, the
name of God, (for their protection), become the pillars in the new city and
receive the new name of Jesus Christ.
Many Christians do not realize that after Jesus Christ comes back after the
rapture, He will rule for 1,000 years and will be given a new name, as will
all His worthy subjects. Even though this church did not have any faults, at
the time the Scriptures were written, there is still a warning given to all the
believers in this congregation.
The individual believers in this church, could lose their crowns in Heaven,
if they become complacent and ceased to hold fast to the treasures they

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have acquired already in Heaven.
This is a warning that ALL BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT TAKE LIGHTLY. If you
do not keep your fruit remaining, that is, the fruit of your repentance, your
fruit of salvation, your fruits of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which is given
severally, as the Lord wills, (not man) then you will not be deemed
acceptable, in the eyes of God, on the day of judgement and shall have to
go through the Baptism of Fire, fire of purification, to have all the chaff
burned off your spiritual body, so the remainder can be turned into the
jewels by purging through the fire.
Christians therefore have to review their spiritual positions on a regular
basis, to ensure that in accordance with Hebrews 6:1-3, we are continually
maturing as Christians, not staying at the same level of spiritual growth, or
understanding.

In reviewing the score, we now have :-

• 2 churches for God
• 4 churches for Satan

This means that in the six churches we have examined so far, 60% of the
church types are deemed not to be acceptable to God, in the form He
observed them.
To become acceptable, they all had to repent of their sins and accept the
corrective actions identified in the Scriptures for each of them.
Let us examine the final church, the church of Laodicea and see how this
church was rated by the Lord.

CHURCH AT LAODICEA
GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST.

ITEM GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST IN

THIS CHURCH
1 NO GOOD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST IN
THIS CHURCH !!!

CHURCH AT LAODICEA
BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST

ITEM BAD POINTS FOUND BY JESUS CHRIST IN THIS

CHURCH
1 Not acceptable to the Lord, because it is a
spiritual church which is not “on-fire” for the
Lord.
2 They are not hot or cold - just lukewarm. This
is a spiritual state, that the Lord will spit out of
His mouth.
3 The church covets the wealth of the world,
instead of the wealth of spiritual things.

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 4 This church is under the false illusion that it is
acceptable - but unfortunately it is not.

CHURCH AT LAODICEA
CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FROM JESUS CHRIST
FOR THE LAODICEANS

ITEM ALTERNATIVES FOR THE LAODICEAN CHURCH

1 Unless they repent they shall be rejected by
Jesus as unworthy.
2 If they repent, they shall sit beside Jesus in
Heaven.
3 These are the only two choices given to this
church.
4 It is a “take it or leave it” option. Jesus has
judged them already - they just have to decide
on which place they wish to be after
judgement time take place in Heaven.

CHURCH AT LAODICEA
PROMISES FROM JESUS CHRIST FOR THE LAODICEANS

ITEM PROMISES FOR THE LAODICEAN CHURCH

1 Dramatically change your spiritual ways &
wake up for Christ.
2 Provide treasures tried by temptations -
treasures worthy in Heaven.
3 Walk in the way of righteousness to receive
white robes.
4 Jesus chastens you and corrects you because
He loves you and does not want any to perish -
so repent before it is too late!

In the book of Colossians, 4:16, Apostle Paul instructs the people in the
Church at Colossae to read the Epistle that he has sent to them and then
to forward it on to the church in Laodicea, and to take the Epistle that he
has written to them and bring it back and read it in the Church of Colossae.
So there is an extra Epistle that was written by Apostle Paul, which is not
in our Bible today, but was around at the end of the first Century Church. 1
The church of Laodicea, is like many churches which exist today, in the
developed world. It is a church which has a flashy, impressive modern
building, with air-conditioning, modern sophisticated electronic sound and
music systems, comfortable upholstered seats, lush carpets on the floor,

1
For more information about the Epistle to the Church at Laodicea please
read the appendix.
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overhead projectors, video screens and all the other things which go with
a very affluent society.
The church pastor is given a large house, compliments of the church, plus
an expensive car and a high salary. He is a member of some of the best
society clubs around town - and in some cases, he has some businesses on
the side, (just as insurance, or to help put the children through college.)
The church appears to be very rich (and in fact in a worldly sense, it is) but
it is spiritually dying. It resembles a selective society club, where
membership is limited to the very select few, who earn high salaries, or
who are relatives of someone who does.
The church gives a token offering to the poor and a token offering to the
mission work of the church, but the attitude is one of obligation - not
because of the genuine love of God.
➢ No-one can remember when the pastor last prayed for anyone to be
healed (and a healing actually took place).
➢ No-one can remember when the last person made a genuine
commitment to serve the Lord with ALL of his life and his money and
his talents.
Even if they could, they would remark that “Johnny” always took his religion
too seriously anyway. This is a church in definite spiritual decline. It is a
church that Jesus no longer considers to be CHRISTIAN by name, as it does
not glorify Christ in any of its activities.
Jesus Christ is very harsh in His judgement on this church, but for very
good reason. Jesus clearly tells John that He will spit this church out of His
mouth if it remains in its present state and with its present attitudes.
But we know that God is merciful, God is just and God is never changing,
He is always compassionate in His ways. Jesus Christ gives this church the
opportunity to repent, to change their ways and again come back to Him,
like the prodigal son.
In Rev. 3:20, we have the famous Scripture, where Jesus says He is waiting
just outside the door to our hearts, gently knocking and waiting for us to
open the door, so He can have fresh and continual communion with us. This
clearly shows the glory of God.
Despite the fact that Jesus wishes to spit this church out of His mouth, He
will not do so without giving every individual believer inside the church an
opportunity to once again be restored to the fellowship of Jesus Christ.
What a great and mighty God we have HALLELUIAH !!!
So, in the church of Laodicea, we have a clear warning, to all financially
secure churches, who consider the appearances of their churches, and the
way they dress up their choir personnel, more important than the basic
teachings of Acts 1:8, to spread the good news to all nations of the earth.
Any church which does not have an outreach programme in their
own city, their own country, and who do not send mission funds to
assist in the spreading of the gospel, in other countries, either by
financial support to their own missionaries, or to other foreign
missionaries, are (in my view) guilty, in God’s eyes, of falling into
the category of the LAODICEAN church. Any church which allows
denominationalism, to take precedence over the Word of God (all

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the Word of God -- all of the Bible) is also guilty of belonging to this
category.
Let us now try to draw some conclusions:-
We have examined seven churches and we arrived at the startlingly score
of :-
• 2 churches for God
• 5 churches for Satan
This is not what many Christians would have expected when they
commenced this chapter, but the Word tells the truth of the situation, as
Jesus, not man, judged those churches at that time.
In the seven churches we have studied, the message to the angel of each
of the seven churches always finishes with the words :-
“He who can hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit (the
Holy Spirit) says to the assemblies (the churches).
This is the new testament equivalent, to the old testament command, which
was given by God to each of the prophets, when giving them a message to
deliver to the people of Israel. “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel”...........
This message for the seven church types, is a direct message to us from
the Lord and we must obey it, in the same way that we obey Acts 2:38-39,
when we repent of our sins, are baptized in water and receive the Holy
Spirit power into our lives.
For those churches which at present do not believe that the Holy Spirit is
for this day and age, I feel sorry, because they will therefore not heed the
warnings of the book of Revelations, and as such, their saints may not fall
into a category which is recognized (in God’s eyes) as acceptable to Him,
in the last days.
The above seven church types were recognized as being in existence at the
time, some 60 years after the ascension of Jesus Christ into Heaven.
But this warning is given to us, so that we, as individual churches today,
would not fall into some of the pitfalls and traps those early churches did.
Therefore we as individual churches, must examine ourselves in the light
of the points identified for all the previous churches and identify
(TRUTHFULLY) where we, as individual churches stand.
The following table is recommended as a checklist, to identify where your
individual church stands, in relation to the points identified as being, for or
against, each of the individual seven church types studied.
If you identify any points which God has previously identified as being not
acceptable, then the obvious solution is also to identify GOD’S REMEDY
FOR ITS CORRECTION, so that the church can again be found acceptable
in God’s sight.
After completing the checklist table for the church, (collectively) then each
individual Christian should then examine the SAME LIST FOR HIS OWN
SPIRITUAL SITUATION and follow THE SAME SET OF CORRECTIVE
ACTIONS.
In concluding this study, I trust that every person has been challenged to
have a careful look at their particular church, their teachings and
organization and in addition reflect on their own personal positions and
relationships firstly to the Lord and then to other members of the Body of
Christ.

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 ***
SPIRITUAL CHECK LIST.
For INDIVIDUAL CHURCHES, And INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIANS.

***
ITEM YOUR YOU AS A
CHURCH CHRISTIAN
[YES/NO] [YES/NO]

Is Jesus the centre of all the attention in your church?

Is your church involved with activities which help
people of different ethnic backgrounds all over the
world?
Does your church patiently endure under unrighteous
attacks, both from within and/or outside the church
body?
Does your church tolerate wicked men inside or
outside the church body?
Does your church test the teachings and prophecies,
in accordance with the Word, and expel the false
teachers and prophets, when you find their teaching
does not line up with the Word of God?
ITEM YOUR YOU AS A
CHURCH CHRISTIAN
[YES/NO] [YES/NO]

Does your church proclaim Christ and Christian

principles in all situations?
Does your church hate corruption, and do they do
anything about it?
Has your church left, lost, abandoned their first love,
which is Jesus Christ?
Does your church react correctly when placed under
physical and/or political pressure from inside/outside
the church body?
Is your church prepared to proclaim Jesus Christ in
the face of imprisonment, or even death?
Does your church have a good record of works,
produced by and through trials and strife and
achieved them through the use of faith in Jesus
Christ?
Can you see: Love, faith, service, and patient
endurance, all in operation in your church assembly?
Does the works, through faith, increase day by day,
in your church body?
Are false teachers allowed to continue to operate in
your church, in your presence, without corrective
action?
Does your church have groups, or an individual who
likes to gossip about other people?

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Is the Holy Spirit Gift of Discernment operating in
your church?
Are all the Holy Spirit gifts as per 1. COR. Chapter 12,
operating in your church on a regular basis?
Are the 9 fruit flavours of the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
as per GAL. 5:22 operating in your church regularly?
Does your church encourage and practise the
operation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in accordance
with 1 COR. Chapter 14? That is in order?
Does your church have elders & deacons appointed
as per the book of Titus?
Do the elders, control and govern the church, or is it
controlled by the pastor, as a dictator?
If your church has "daughter" churches, do they have
elders and deacons, and are they in complete control
of their own daughter church, or must they get
approval from the "mother" church for everything
they want to do?
Is there a bottle of oil in your church, so that an elder
can anoint the sick and pray for their complete
healing, as per James 5:14?

ITEM YOUR YOU AS A

CHURCH CHRISTIAN
[YES/NO] [YES/NO]

Does your church have altar calls for salvation? How

often?
When was the last time that someone accepted Jesus
Christ in your church?
Does your church call for people to receive the Holy
Spirit into their lives?
How often does this happen?
Does your church encourage the believers to be
baptized by total immersion in water? How often do
these baptismal services take place?
Does you church emphasize that your church should
be Holy?
Is your church Holy?
Does your church take positive steps to make sure
that it remains Holy all the time?
Does your church preach that your fruit must remain,
as per the words in John 15:16 ?
What action does your church take if one believer
goes out of the church? Do you follow the instructions
of Jesus, as stated in MATT. 18:12-14?
If the answer to the above is NO !!, do you put it
down to statistics of this day and age? just a sign of
the times !!!
What percentage of people who accepted salvation,
in your church, during the last 2-year period, are still
practising Christians today? (either in your church or
elsewhere)?

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As an individual church, has there been someone
accept the salvation of Jesus Christ in your church
during the last month?
How often does this happen ?
As a believer, have you ever witnessed or led a
person to accept the Lord as their personal Saviour?
Are they (your fruit) still strong practising Christians
today?
Is your church spiritually alive and awake ?
Does your church continually strengthen and
invigorate your faith into action?
Does your church give balanced lessons and
teachings, in all areas of the Scriptures, or does it
concentrate on one area only - like evangelism, but
not give proper nurture food for all new believers?

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ITEM YOUR YOU AS A
CHURCH CHRISTIAN
[YES/NO] [YES/NO]

Is your church a growing one, or is it one that just

has a constant stream of changing faces, but with
approximately the same number of people in the
congregation each week?
Does your church (and church elders) practise what
they preach; or are they hearers of the Word only?
Has your church had a series of studies on the 7
churches in Revelations, before you read this
Module?
Did they change anything in the church?
How often does this happen?
Does your church consider the church buildings more
important than spending money on the mission
program, and spreading of God's Word throughout
the earth?
Does your church, chasten, discipline, or correct its
members, when they go astray from the Word of
God?
How do they do this? As per what series of
Scriptures?
Does your church allow a marriage between a
believer & a non-believer to take place on its
premises?
Does your church allow a marriage between same
sex couples, to take place on its premises?
Does your church have a fund for widows, to help
those who are in distress, or in need in your
congregation?
How does your church select their pastor or
shepherd?
Do you place more emphasis on the person's
educational skill and qualifications, or on the "fruit"
of his ministry?
Does your church participate with other churches in
your town, to lift up the name of Jesus Christ higher
than any other name, or do you think they are in
competition with you, and that they may steal your
sheep?
Doesn't all of the sheep belong to Jesus Christ, not
the individual churches?

As you are by now aware, it is only two of the churches which are acceptable
"in God's eyes", to be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, in their present
states without any changes.
In undertaking the Spiritual Checklist shown above, you can do it as carefully
(or as carelessly) as you choose.
The point you must realize is that you do not have to convince me how good
your individual church is, you have to convince yourself!

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Finally, God Almighty already knows the score, for both your church, and for
you, as an individual Christian, so don't try to fool Him, it won't work!

If you find that you did not get a perfect score, then you need to do something
about it, as only those with "perfect scores" in God's eyes will be able to enter
the Kingdom of Heaven.

REVELATIONS CHAPTERS 4 (ONWARDS)

We have carefully studied the first vision given by Jesus to Apostle John,
now let us examine the following visions which commence in Revelation
Chapter 4. This is a partly veiled vision and shows the vision of God in
heaven, seated upon His throne, (the creator of the universe) receiving the
worship of the living creatures and the 24 elders, continually. (Rev. 4:1-
11)
The opening of the 7-sealed book:
The vision continues in Chapter 5: The opening of the 7-sealed book by
the Lamb of God (the only one who is worthy to break the seals).
This book is the title deed to the earth. This is what Jesus came to
earth for ~ this is what Jesus died for. This is expounded by the fact that
all in heaven sing a new song.
V 9: And they sang a new song, saying thou art worthy to take the
book, and to open the seals, for You were slain, and has redeemed
us back to God the Father, by the blood of every kindred, tongue,
people and nation.
V 10: And You have made us kings and priests unto God; and we
shall reign on the earth.
The song is in appreciation of the fact that Christ was slain on the cross,
that His precious blood was shed (1 Pet. 1:19) and that it was shed for
the entire world. This includes Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists,
Catholics, and Baptists, even Charismatic’s and Pentecostals.
Some Christians think they will have their own little section in heaven, all
alone – well, that is not the case. There are no fences in heaven!!! God
loves the whole world and all the disciples who dwell therein will dwell in
Unity before the Lord
The choir also sings about their return with Jesus as the King of Kings (Rev.
19:11). At that time the armies of heaven will follow Him on white horses.
At this point the angels in heaven also join in the praises with the saints.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that angels sing their praises. They recite
their praises, whereas the Church – the Body of Christ, triumphantly sings
out its glorious message in song. The angels associated with the Lord have
known Him for thousands of years – they know Him as very few saints know
Him. They praise the Lamb of God for 7 reasons:- (1) His power; (2) His
spiritual riches; (3) His wisdom; (4) His Might; (5) His honour; (6) His
glory; (7) His blessings.
Carnal Christians who refuse to bow in worship to Jesus Christ here on
earth, will do so at this time. This is a fulfilment of Phil. 2:9-11. The 4
beasts and the 24 elders lead the others in their worship. They fall down

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on their faces before Jesus. They cannot wait to worship Him – the Lord
Jesus Christ.
THE OPENING OF THE 6 SEALS (CHAPTER 6)
As we begin this chapter we have to knock away a few myths concerning
some of the signs. Some sincere Christians say: “Matthew 24:14 states that
the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached, in all the world for a witness
to all the nations, and then the end shall come. Since there are still some
tribes who have not yet heard the Gospel therefore Jesus cannot return
yet”.
Unfortunately, these people have their understanding of the signs in the
wrong place. Why? Because the Rapture is a sign-less, timeless event.
What relationship exists between the rapture and the prophetic signs?
NONE !!! The Rapture is an evacuation of believers from the earth before
the great judgement of the Tribulation Hour. Does it happen? Yes! There
are several references to confirm that. It is a meeting in the Heavens of the
believers with Christ – it is not Christ’s return to earth.
Since Jesus first coming was “to earth”, His second coming must also be
“to earth”. The Rapture is not “a coming to earth”, but a meeting in
the clouds. Seven years later, we the believers return with Christ
to the “existing earth.”
For confirmation please do the following:- Open one bible at
Revelation chapter 6, open another Bible at the following: Matthew 24,
Mark 13, Luke 17, or Luke 21. Compare the signs found in these chapters
with the signs found in Revelation: The conclusion: They are identical.
The Church is raptured in Revelation chapter 4 verse 1, and believers
(represented by the 24 elders) are placing crowns at the Saviour’s feet
BEFORE the signs and judgements of the Tribulation hour begins in
chapters 6-18!
The signs (in Chapter 6) are “Post-Rapture” and “Pre-Revelation”. The
signs point to a period within the 7 years when the TRIBULATION HOUR
COMES UPON EARTH, after we, (the saints) have already been taken
up to be with Christ, ready to come back to earth with Him to rule and
reign for 1,000 years.
The 6 seals which are identified in Chapter 6 are warning signs for the “soon
to happen” Tribulation period of 7 years.

Vision Three: Chapter 7, verses 1-8

Chapter 7 may be divided into 2 sections, the first (verses 1-8) which deals
with the 144,000 Israelites, and the second section (verses 9-17) which
deals with the multitudes of the Gentiles.
This chapter also portrays God as compassionate, merciful and loving. This
is a correct portrayal of God: because God is love (1 Jn. 4:8) and
confirmed in (John 3:16).
It is mankind’s wickedness, rebellion and sin that produces
judgement:
➢ For the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23)
➢ They that plough iniquity and wickedness, reap the same (Job 4:8)
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These judgements were released upon the earth because, they rebelled
(and continue to rebel) for thousands of years.
But God is a merciful God. He calls “time out” to give mankind one last
chance to turn from their wicked ways, to repent and turn back to Him, to
have salvation and revival ~~ BEFORE the Judgement comes.
THE 144,000 ISRAELITES:
Verse 1 states that 4 angels stand at the 4 corners of the earth. The earth
is not square, this refers to the 4 compass points of North, South, East &
West. They are to administer judgement upon the earth, but God calls a
halt so that the branding can take place.
[The wicked get their seal “666” in Rev. 13: 17-18, so this does not
refer to them.]
In verses 5-8, God identifies 12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel, calling
each of the tribes by name. So that there is no confusion, this group
cannot be the Church, because the church is multi-national and is
not defined as “Jewish”. The church is already in heaven by this time,
waiting to go back to earth with Jesus.
These 144,000 Jewish evangelists are anointed and branded by the Spirit.
Joel 2:28-29 describes these spirit-filled preachers proclaiming the Gospel
of the Kingdom of God.
We must understand here what the Holy Spirit is doing during this time and
not be confused about the actions of the Holy Spirit during this important
time. 2 Thessalonians verse 7 states: For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work; only he (the Holy Spirit) now letteth, will let, until he (the
Holy Spirit) be taken out of the way.
The Old English meaning for “letteth” is hinder. The picture being painted
here is the rise of the Anti-Christ, but it is being hindered by the power of
the Holy Spirit, until the Power of the Holy Spirit is withdrawn from the
earth, and there is no longer any spiritual power to restrain the Anti-Christ.
This is His restraining power only.
Now, we know that the Holy Spirit lives and abides in us, (Rom. 8:9) and
(1 Cor. 3:16). His restraining power is removed from the earth – but not
the Holy Spirit Himself. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is God – the third
person of the Trinity. He is Omnipresent (all knowing), omnipotent (all
powerful), and omnipresent (everywhere at all times). Therefore the Holy
Spirit is not removed from the earth, because He is in all places at all times.
David states in Psalm 139: 7-10: Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or
whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into Heaven – you
are there: if I make my bed in Hell, behold you are there. If I take the
wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even
there shall thy hand lead me, and they right hand shall hold me.
Since the Holy Spirit is everywhere at all times, only His restraining
influence over sin is removed during the Tribulation Hour.
Presently, Christians are depicted as “the salt of the earth” and “the light
of the world”. When they are removed (from the earth), the preservative
effect of the “salt” and the repelling effect of the “light” are removed; there

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is no longer any opposition to Satan’s power on the earth. When this
happens “hell will actually break loose on the earth”!!!
However, during this time of terrible spiritual darkness upon the earth, the
144,000 will produce the greatest revival in the history of mankind. This
evangelism will centre on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. “To [Jesus]
give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth
in Him shall receive remission of sins”. [Acts 10:43]. And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations:
and then shall the end come. [Matt. 24:14].
This does not refer to His first coming to earth, nor to the rapture [Rev.
4:1] but to the revealing of Jesus Christ as King [Rev. 19:16] To
understand this fully one must look back at the preaching of John the
Baptist. He preached:
(1) Repentance (one must be baptised for the remission of sins) and
(2) The Blood: behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the
world.
This was preached (the repentance and the Blood) to prepare the hearts
for the third part of the message: the coming of the King. Though Christ
was rejected by the Jews when preached by John the Baptist, He will be
accepted when this same message is preached by the 144,000 Jews during
the time of Tribulation, and a mighty revival will take place, with people
being saved IN the tribulation period.
As a result of this great Tribulation Revival a new group of persons
appear clothed in white robes in Heaven, which Apostle John does not
recognise. Thus, the 3 types of people saved at different times have 3
distinct functions to perform as detailed below:-
➢ The Church (which is saved BEFORE the Tribulation) is the Bride of
Christ and enjoys a 1,000-year honeymoon upon the earth (Rev. 20:4)
They rule as kings and priests (1 Pet. 2:9) and (Rev. 1:6)
➢ The 144,000 Jews (Branded by the Holy Spirit) serve as bodyguards
of the Lamb and His Bride (Rev. 14:4)
➢ The Gentiles (saved during the Tribulation period) will be Temple
servants, waiting upon Christ and His Bride (the Church) They serve in
the glorious Temple (described in Ezekiel chapters 40-48) which is set
up immediately after Russia (under the names of GOG, MAGOG,
MESHACH, TUBAL & ROSH is destroyed (Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39).
Because they (those saved in the Tribulation Period) refused to take upon
themselves the mark of the beast, they suffered hardship, hunger and
thirst. But when they accepted Christ there suffering was no more. [Refer
chapter 7 verses 15-17].
Vision 5: [Revelations Chapter 8: The Opening of the 7 th Seal.]
In chapter 8 we see the opening of the 7 th seal. This seal includes the 7
trumpet judgements.

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 This is such an awesome situation that all of Heaven becomes silent.
[refer Rev. 8:1]
Can you imagine it? Silence in heaven for 30 minutes.

To really understand the significance of this, one must remember that the
angels, the beasts and the 24 elders have been continually praising and
worshipping God for centuries, in fact for thousands of years; but now,
there is complete silence in heaven, in anticipation of what is to come!
These trumpet judgements are not something new. They were prophesied
by Enoch in the “Books of Enoch” and referred to again in Jude 14 &15.
They were anticipated by Psalmists (Ref. Psalm 96:13). Paul also referred
to them in Acts 17:31 and Rom. 1:18.
But before these judgements take place, we see an unusual prayer meeting
in heaven, (verse 3) where an angel makes an offering of prayers before
God.
Rev. 8:3: And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a gold
censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer
it with prayers of all the saints upon a golden altar, which was before the
throne (of God the Father).
This angel is obviously The Angel of the Lord: Jesus Christ Himself,
because He ministers both to God and to man (ref. 1 Timothy 2:5). The
Saviour appeared many times as the Angel of the Lord in the Old
Testament.
➢ He wrestled with Jacob,
➢ Walked among Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, in the fiery furnace
➢ And made numerous other visits to His people in the Old Testament.
This Mediator between God and men ever lives to make intercession
for us (Heb. 7:25) and now stands at the altar adding incense (efficacy
=> efficiency, worth) to the prayers being offered by the saints of God
on earth. They are imprecatory prayers (=>to call down harm, especially
a curse, on somebody) for judgement, as in Rev. 6:10. They cry: How
long, O Lord, holy & true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth? At this point, their prayers have reached
the throne of God. NOW PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED AND
JUDGEMENT IS PREPARED!!!
In Rev. 8:5 the situation changes. There has been silence in heaven, but
now there is fire, cast into the earth, followed by voices, thunder,
lightning and earthquakes. The seven angels prepare to sound their
trumpets. At this moment the heavenly military says: “Ready”! “Aim”!
“Fire”!
The First Trumpet.
Rev. 8:7. The first angel sounded and there followed hail and fire mingled
with blood and they were cast down upon the earth and one third of all the
trees and the grass was burnt up.
We have no difficulty understanding this verse literally. The same kind of
judgement occurred before in Exodus 9:22-23 when God told Moses to

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stretch forth His hand towards heaven that there may be hail in all the land
of Egypt. When Moses stretched for this his rod towards heaven the Lord
sent thunder, hail and fire upon the earth. It happened before – it can
happen again ~~ but THIS TIME it is upon the WHOLE EARTH ~ not just
Egypt!
The Second Trumpet.
Verse 8: The second angel sounded and a great mountain burning of fire
was cast into the sea and a third of the sea was turned into blood. [probably
a giant meteorite.] Again a similar occurrence happened when Moses went
before the Pharaoh in Egypt. [Exodus 7:19-21] It happened before – it can
happen again!!!
Third Trumpet
Rev. 8:10-11: And the third angel sounded and there fell a great star from
heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon a third part of the rivers,
and upon the fountains of waters. And the name of the star is called
“wormwood”; and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and
many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Strange: “Chernobyl in the Ukraine Bible means “Wormwood”.
This judgement also occurred in the days of Moses. (Exodus 7:17) A meteor
struck the earth and one third of the earth’s water supply became a deadly
poison. A similar thing happened in times past.
A volcanic eruption in the Aleutian Islands on 21 st March 1823 caused the
water in that area to become bitter and unfit for human consumption.

God created every star, He knows their exact locations and has named
them (Job 9:9) he named the stars Arcturus, Orion, Pleiades and the
chambers of the south. He also knows where the star “Wormwood” meaning
bitterness, is located. (Ref. Jeremiah 9:15)
Fourth Trumpet:
Rev. 8:12: And the fourth angel sounded and a third part of the sun, moon
and the stars were smitten and for one third of the day, the sun did not
shine, nor did the moon, nor did the stars.
This fourth trumpet deals with the earth’s luminaries – the sun, the moon
and the stars. Here again this event has occurred before with Moses.
Exodus 10: 21-23.
This also compares to Genesis 1:14, because on the fourth day God said:
Let there be light in the firmament of the heavens. Now at the blast of the
fourth trumpet, one third of this creation is extinguished.
BUT WORSE IS STILL TO COME! An angel is heard flying across heaven
crying: Woe, Woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth, by reason of the other
voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound. This
correlates with Daniel chapter 9 where the seventieth week is described.
The first 3½ years (1260 days) of the Tribulation are not nearly as severe
as the final 3½ years. In Matt. 24:8 Jesus described the first 3½ years as
“the beginning of sorrows”. However, Jesus referred to the last 3½
years as the “Great Tribulation”. (Matt. 24:21). As the tribulation hour

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approaches its climax, the judgements will become more severe and the
loss of life greater.
Trumpet Five: Rev. chapter 9
Rev. 9:1: And the fifth angel sounded and I saw a star fall from heaven
unto the earth; and to him was give the key of the bottomless pit.
The star John sees – a male personage, is without any doubt the devil. In
verse 1, The “fall” referred to in Greek in verse 1 is not “fall” - present
tense, but “fallen” – past tense. Isaiah describes this fall in Is. 14:12-14.
Satan's fall came through pride because he wanted to be co-equal with
God. Jesus confirmed this to His 70 disciples: I beheld Satan as lightning
fall from heaven (Luke 10:18). The fallen one (Satan) is presented with a
key to the bottomless pit – and he uses it. The Greek refers to the
bottomless pit as the “pit of the abyss”. This term is referred to 9 times
in the New Testament and in each case, it refers to containment of things
which come under God’s judgement. In Luke 8:31 the legion of demons in
the man pleaded with Jesus not to send them into the abyss, but into the
swine instead. If even Satan’s demons don’t want to go into the abyss ~ it
must be a terrible place indeed!
When Satan opens the abyss, the fallen angels are released upon the earth
and the smoke ascends from the abyss and darkens the sun and the air.
Verse 3: These fallen angels come out of the pit like locusts and they have
the power to sting and cause death. (Ref. 2 Pet. 2:4) But they are told
what they can and cannot do, and they must obey the Word of the Lord.
They can only sting those men which do not have the seal of God upon their
foreheads. [That means that these fallen angels have been given power
and authority to sting all those people who accepted the number of Satan
upon their foreheads “666”.]
Although they can kill, they are not allowed to kill them - just cause
continuous torture for a period of 5 months. It is interesting to note
that the number 5 being the signature sign of Satanic activity. – hence a
5-pointed star on most Islamic flags.
Verses 4-12 gives the gruesome details of their suffering. V 11 clearly
identifies who their leader is. And they had a king over them, which is the
angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew is “Abaddon” but
in the Greek is “Apollyon”.
This term is only found once in the English Bible but is found 6 times in the
Hebrew Bible in: Job 26:6; 28:22, 31:12; Psalm 88:11, Proverbs 15:11 and
Proverbs 27:20. The Greek meaning for Apollyon means “The destroyer” –
a word which certainly describes Satan.
One woe is past, but another 2 woes are to follow.
Sixth Trumpet:
[Rev: 9:13-14] Loose the four angels which are bound (fallen angels) in
the great River Euphrates.
As the sixth angels sounds, John hears a voice from the four horns of the
golden altar, which is in the presence of God. [Isn’t it strange that many of
the judgements of God are directly linked to the program of atonement?]

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Perhaps this is because so many thousands have rejected the message of
the altar, which speaks of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul warned the human race of the danger of refusing to hear,
acknowledge and understand this teaching. He that despised Moses’ law
died without mercy under two or three witnesses; How much more
severe will be the punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought
worthy, who have trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has
counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith He was sanctified,
an unholy thing, and has done despite unto the Spirit of Grace [Heb.
10:28-29]
THE REJECTION OF GOD’S WORD ALWAYS BRINGS SERIOUS
CONSEQUENCES!!!
Before us is a scene wherein the altar (the only place where sin can be
forgiven) and the horns of the altar (actually touched by the blood) united
cry out to God for Judgement. Therefore, never treat the message of the
precious blood of Jesus Christ lightly. Those who do will be sorry!!!
The sixth angel, instructs the release of the four bound angels. This in itself
proves that they had previously been bound when they rebelled against
God and fell with Lucifer at the time of his revolt against God (Isaiah 14:12-
14).
Once the church is safely in heaven, under the protection of Jesus Christ
Himself, four denizens (~~ a foreigner with a right of residence) from the
pit of the abyss, are released upon the earth to do their destructive work.
Earlier we have seen four angels of God holding back the judgement of
God, (Chapter 7:1). Now four wicked angels are set free to wreak havoc
upon planet earth. They are commanded to execute their judgement in the
area of the Euphrates River.
This body of water runs through Iraq and Syria and will become the point
or origin for the battle of the ages in the future.
I believe the Gulf War of 1991 was not the fulfilment of this prophecy, but
was simply the beginning of the end, as the final pieces of the
puzzle were being assembled for the future. This is part of the world
where Satan performed his destructive work against our first parents, Adam
& Eve (Gen. 2:10-14). It is the place where Cain murdered his brother Abel,
(Gen. 4:8) and where mankind made its first move against God (Gen. 11:1-
4).
Later, God made His unconditional covenant with Abraham in this location,
saying: Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto
the great river, the river Euphrates (Gen. 15:18).
This land belongs to Israel and no-one but Israel !!! and God will see
that they get it!!! Proof? Then read: Ex. 23:31, Deut. 11:24, Jos. 1:4. It is
confirmed 3 times in scripture, so that settles it!!!
At one time in history the River Euphrates becomes the border of the old
Roman Empire – which is presently being restored and will fall under the
rule of the Anti-Christ (Rev. 13:1). This area of the world will definitely
become the sore point in the world, as history progresses, for it serves as
both the frontier of the Promised Land and the boundary of the ten-toed,
ten-horned, western federation of nations that produces the Anti-Christ

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(Dan. 2:40-41, 7:23:24, and Rev. 13:1). The destruction released upon
the earth is now described in Rev. 9:15.
Rev. 9:15: And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an
hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
To get a better understanding of the magnitude of this destruction let us
do some figures:
As of 2010, the estimated total population of the world is 6.2 billion souls.
In Rev. 6:8 we have seen ¼ of this number die, thus now the earth’s
population has been reduced down to 4.65 billion. Under the destructive
power of these 4 angels mentioned in Rev. 9:15 another ⅓ of the world’s
population destroyed, leaving 3.12 billion souls.
These 4 angels are eagerly awaiting their timetable. Remember the River
Euphrates is Middle Eastern Territory, the location of present-day Iraq and
Syria. This is the world’s present and future tinderbox. The next holocaust
will also include the Soviet Union and her allies poised against Israel (read
Ezekiel chapters 38: 15-16 & chapter 39).
This is why Joel said in Joel 2:20 that he would drive off this northern army
into a barren and desolate land (Siberia) with his face towards the eastern
sea.
In Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39 Israel is mentioned 18 times as the battlefield.
There is no doubt that the Holy Land will become that location for the
greatest war on earth for all time. Russia marches against Israel (Ez. 39:1-
2 and Joel 2:20) and is then driven back to Siberia, where they gather
reinforcements and attack once again. The scope and the intensity of the
battle increases until all the nations of the earth are at war with Israel and
are assembled at Jerusalem.
God says: I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. (Zech.
14:2) When this prophecy is fulfilled, the Battle of Armageddon shall
take place. (Rev. 16:16)
This Middle East War will have the largest armies ever seen on earth. (Rev.
9:16) the army is 200,000 thousand, which means 200 million soldiers.
(Ezek. 3816) says thou will come up against the nation of Israel, as a cloud
to cover the land. They will attack with the latest weapons (Nahum 2:3-4)
and be joined in this battle by Red China, after the river Euphrates is dried
up, allowing them to attack via the dried up river bed. (Rev. 16:12)
Rev. 9:17-19 give a clear example of the types of weapons (including
chemical weapons) which are used against Israel in this terrible battle.
During this battle, the remaining ⅓ of the earth’s population is destroyed.
We are now reduced down to an earth’s population of 2.1 billion souls.
The following verses point towards this final battle:
o A fire goes forth before Him (Ps. 97:3)
o For behold, the Lord will come with fire (Is. 66:15)
o The whole land shall be destroyed by the fire of His jealousy (Zeph. 1:8) 1

1
God promised Noah that He would never again destroy the earth by a
flood and to prove it He placed the rainbow in the heavens, to remind
mankind (and Himself) of His promise. But He did say that the next
destruction of the earth would be by Fire!
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o A fire devours before them (Joel 2:3)
o For behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven. And a ⅓ part of
the trees was burnt up and all the green grass was burnt up. (Mal. 4:1)
& Rev. 8:7)
I believe that in the terrible war, both the natural, and the supernatural,
will be at war. This means that both men and demons will be involved in
the Tribulation woes.
Now what happens to the remaining 2.1 billion souls left on the earth?
Rev. 9:20-21: And the rest of the men, which were not killed by these
plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not
worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of
wood; which can neither see, nor hear, nor walk; Neither repented they of
their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor their fornication, nor of their
thefts”.
We have now seen the release of thirteen judgements (13 being the
number in the scriptures for man with sin) made up of 7 seals and 6
trumpets. After such a terrible time, under this punishment from God, one
would think that the remaining people on earth would seriously consider
repentance and eternity. But alas, this is not the case. Those who are
still alive have hardened their hearts and continue to rebel against God.
Even after they have been damned for centuries, they will continue the
gnashing their teeth, in an expression of their continued hatred against
God. The proof was clearly foretold in the Book of Matthew 13:41-42: The
Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His
kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity: and shall cast
them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Verses 20 & 21 above clearly identify 5 major sins which permeate the
Tribulation Period, namely:
(1) Occultism, (2) murder, (3) drug abuse, (4) fornication (sexual orgies),
(1) Occultism
The tribulation period will be a time of pronounced devil worship. At the
present time estimates for California in the USA indicate that more than
10,000 occult organisations already exist in this state and it is on the
increase. Stores where Satanic and sex objects can be purchased are
springing up everywhere, both nationally and internationally. GOD HATES
THIS SIN!!! Not sure about that? Then read the following scriptures: Lev.
19:31, 20:6, Deut. 18:10-12,
In addition to worshipping devils, the people still on the earth during the
Tribulation Hour will make idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood.
GOD HATES IDOLATRY1. This practise breaks His Holy Law!! (Ref. the
second law given to Moses – Ex. 20:4-5)
Even today, there are people who bow down and worship lifeless man-made
idols. Their worship however, is meaningless to God. (Ref. Ps. 115:4-8)
God condemns idolatry: Past, Present & Future!!!

1
All Buddhists please take note.
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During the Tribulation Hour, the world, steeped in occultism and idolatry,
progresses to worship the “Image of the Beast” (The Antichrist), who
proclaims himself as God. (Ref. 2 Thess. 2:4)
This image, described in Rev. 13:15 is undoubtedly the abomination of
desolation, spoken of in Matt. 24:15, which is placed in the Temple, in
Jerusalem, and which brings great heartache to the Jews of that day; The
present day rise in the occult clearly points towards this prophecy soon
becoming a reality.
(2) Murder
During this same period of time, murder becomes a sport, and judgement
does not change this situation. The wicked refuse to turn from their wicked
ways, they find pleasure in killing people, because possibly terrorism is now
so rampant.
Jesus said: But as the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son
of man be. (Matt. 24:37). Noah’s day was characterised by violence. The
earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence (Gen.
6:11) Our 21st century is certainly leading us rapidly towards this terrifying
Tribulation Hour.
(3) Drugs, Fornication & Stealing
The final three (3) sins prevalent during the end time are interrelated, and
have to do with sorceries: drugs, fornication (the practice of every
conceivable sexual sin), and theft. These sins indicate that bodies are being
sold (through prostitution) and burglaries are being committed, to support
a drug habit. Present news headlines indicate that we are already heady
down this terrible road!
There are references in the Bible which describe sorcery, sorcerers,
witches, witchcraft, and the art of bewitching. Of these at least 5 of these
in the New Testament are worth further study, for they have a direct
bearing on the situation in the world today – the present day of drugs, and
drug addiction.
In the Old Testament and in the Book of Acts, the term sorcery always
referred to “witchcraft” or “magic”.
Throughout the Whole Bible the practise has always been condemned.
There are five references in the New Testament where the word sorcery
refers to drug addiction.
In these 5 cases, the Greek word “pharmakeia” is used. From this Greek
word, we get the English word “Pharmacy”, or “drug store”. (The literal
meaning of “pharmakeia” is=> “an enhancement with drugs”, or “to get
high on drugs”, or to get a kick out of drugs”.) However, medications
prescribed by doctors, are not included in this condemnation.
Therefore, the literal meaning of verse 21 is that men repent not of their
enchantment with drugs during the Tribulation Hour. Each of these 5
references must be considered in light of this context.
They reveal:
(1) the present world condition is foretold in prophetic scriptures,
(2) there will be an inevitable result of drug addiction,

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(3) The certain and definite judgement upon drug traffickers and pushers,
as well as,
(4) the drug victim, and finally
(5) the appraisal of this terrible sin in the sight of God Almighty.
The present-day situation will continue to spiral downwards and will be
climaxed at the close of the Great Tribulation, when the full cup of its own
judgement is measured out upon the people.
The closing chapter of the Book of Revelation, graphically portrays the
terrible consequences of mankind’s enchantment with drugs. What we are
witnessing today (2010) is only the beginning of the coming disintegration
of society, during the during the Tribulation Period.
Rev. 18:23 states: For by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. The
Greek word used for Sorceries here is “pharmakeia”, as already explained.
In Rev. 21:8, But the fearful, and unbelieving and the abominable, and
murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstones:
which is the second death!!! The Greek word for sorcerers changes: The
Greek word used for Sorceries here is “pharmakeus”, (which means =>
“The enchanter with drugs” – “the drug trafficker”, or “the drug pusher”).
This results in the mass use by mankind of drugs on a world, national scale.
At tribulation, there are 8 distinct groups of people who will NOT get
into heaven, namely:

(1) The fearful,

(2) The unbelieving,
(3) The abominable,
(4) The murderers,
(5)The whoremongers,
(6) The sorcerers,
(7) The idolaters, and
(8) ALL liars.
But even in this terrible time and
under these terrible circumstances,
Jesus still shows His compassion. He
comes down to earth as the Angel of
the Lord.
Ref. (is. 63:9), (Rev. 7: 2 & 3,) and
now in (Rev. 10:1) On three
occasions (up till this time), we have
seen this Angelic messenger in
action. In His first appearing Jesus
appears as the “Messenger” – as the
“Prophet, in the second appearing,
He appears as “Priest””, and finally
as the “King”.
When He comes down from heaven he is clothed with a cloud, has a rainbow
upon His head, exhibits a countenance, which shines like the sun, and has

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feet like pillars of fire. These are the sure signs of Jesus as Prophet. Priest
and King.
Beware! He cometh like a thief in the night, Be ever watchful for
His coming.

CLASS ASSESSMENT FOR THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

The class will break up into small groups and undertake the following tasks:
1. Using these reference notes and whatever other sources you have
available, the groups will identify the timeline of the Book of
Revelations.
2. On this timeline, the group will identify the following events;
a. Past events
b. Present events
c. Future events, by using different colours for each.
3. The group will also identify:
a. The Rapture
b. the 7 trumpets and
c. the 6 judgements
4. The group will write a short essay of minimum 2,000 words,
explaining what they now understand about the Book of Revelation
and how they plan to prepare themselves for this event.
5. Each group will be assigned a group mark, which will be given to each
member of that specific group.
APPENDIX
Reference Colossians 4:15-18 (Message Translation)
“Say hello to our friends in Laodicea; also, to Nymphal and the
church that meets in her house. After this letter has been read to
you, make sure it gets read also in Laodicea. And get the letter that
went to Laodicea and have it read to you. And, oh, yes, tell
Archippus, “Do your best in the job you received from the Master.
Do your very best.” I’m signing off in my own handwriting—Paul.
Remember to pray for me in this jail. Grace be with you“.
The last paragraph of Paul’s letter to the Colossians confirms that a letter
was written and sent to the “Church at LAODICEA” and Paul commanded
the church to read that letter and to pass the letter to the church at
Colossae onto the other churches for them to read it also.
The church of Laodicea is specifically mentioned as one of the 7 church
types in the Book of Revelation by Apostle John, so I was interested to find
out what Paul had told them to do – which it appears they failed to do (refer
Revelations chapters 2&3)
This got me to searching. If Paul’s writings indicated a letter to the Church
at Laodicea, then maybe it is still available in some of the old religious
writings.

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Below is a transcript of that letter, translated from the original tongues.
This was published in a document entitled: “The Lost Books of the Bible”
published in 1926.
“THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE LAODICEANS”
Points to ponder:
V 1 He salutes the brethren, v 3 exhorts them to persevere in
good works, v 4 and not be moved by vain speaking. V 6
Rejoices in his bonds, v 10 desires them to live in fear of the
Lord.
1. Paul an Apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ,
to the brethren which are at Laodicea.
2. Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father and our Lord Jesus
Christ.
3. I thank Christ in every prayer of mine, that ye may continue and
persevere in good works, looking for what is promised in the day of
judgement.
4. Let not the vain speeches of any trouble you who pervert the truth,
that which may draw you aside from the truth, of the Gospel which
I have preached.
5. And now may God grant, that my converts, may attain to a perfect
knowledge of the truth of the Gospel, be beneficent, and doing good
works which accompany salvation.
6. And now my bonds, which I suffer in Christ, are manifest, in which
I rejoice and am glad.
7. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation forever, which shall
be through your prayer, and the supply of the Holy Spirit.
8. Whether I live or die; (for) to me to live shall be a life to Christ, to
die shall be joy.
9. And our Lord will grant us His mercy, that ye may have the same
love, and be likeminded.
10. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have heard of the coming of the Lord,
so think and act in fear, and it shall be unto you,life eternal;
11. For it is God who works in you;
12. And do all things without sin.
13. And what is best, my beloved, rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and
avoid all filthy lucre.
14. Let all your requests be made known to God, and be steady in the
doctrine of Christ.
15. And whatsoever things are sound and true, and of good report, and
chaste, and just, and lovely, these things do.
16. These things which ye have heard, and received, think on these
things, and peace shall be with you.
17. All the saints salute you.
18. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen.

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 19. Cause this Epistle to be read to the Colossians, and the
Epistle to the Colossians to be read among you.
We see that although the Biblical scholars did not think this Epistle of Paul
worthy to be included into the King James Bible in 1611, it is clear from the
writings in the Epistle to the Colossians, that such an Epistle did in fact
exist, and that it was considered important by Paul, because he told the
churches in both cities to be sure and read both Epistles in both of
their churches. PLEASE NOTE: IT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BIBLE
TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH BY WYCLIFFE IN 1384. So, for over
1300 years after Christ’s ascension, this Epistle WAS included the
Bibles of that time.
Also, in the Book of Revelation, Apostle John singles out the Church at
Laodicea for special punishment, because it is clear that they did not obey
God’s word, nor the correction given to them through the anointed Holy
Spirit, working on the life of Apostle Paul when he wrote them this letter.
It is said in the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth. And
it also says that we must not add to, or take away from that which is written
in the Book (referring to the scriptures).
I believe that at the time of the first-generation church, this was considered
to be part of the Holy Scriptures, because it is confirmed in two places in
scripture.
Anyway, the lesson to be learned from this is, make sure your church is not
like the church at Laodicea. You think you are OK, because of your wealth,
your fancy church buildings, lavish facilities, high tech media presentations,
etc. but are in fact “spiritually dry” and without faith substance, acceptable
to Jesus Christ.
Jesus proclaims through the writings of Apostle John that you are “not on
fire for Him” – you are in fact only “lukewarm”, and God will spit you out of
His mouth on the day of Judgement!
So today, if you are sitting in your comfort zone, thinking you are OK and
that maybe you should expand your barns to hold more riches, beware!!!
Because you are not building up treasures in heaven, but on earth.
The Lord says build up treasures in heaven, because where your treasures
are, there your heart will be also.
So, ask yourself this question: Where are your treasure today?

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WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE
AQTF CODE: CTTNBC – 006

Reference Books:
❖ The Bible
❖ Psalmody International: Foundation – Principles of Worship
❖ “The Worshipping You”, by Tom Inglis [ISBN 978-88-89127-67-
4]
❖ “Go Heal”, by Eddie Coe
❖ “Healing: The Power of God in Your Hands”, By Eddie Coe
❖ “Numbers in Scripture”, by E. W Bullinger

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COURSE OUTCOMES:
1. The students will identify that Praise & Worship is not just limited to
singing songs in church on a Sunday. It is a lifestyle that we choose
to follow, to give glory and honour to God. This includes working in
secular employment “as unto the Lord”.
2. Student will learn the responsibilities of being a worshipper in the
Old Testament and what were the duties of the Levites assigned to
perform worship in the Temple.
3. Students will examine if this responsibility changes after the cross.
4. Student will be required to learn basic song writing skills.
5. Student will be encouraged to develop and write basic music
melodies.
6. Students will receive basic teaching about sound systems used in
churches and how to set them up, to give optimum program quality.
7. Students will also learn about the legal requirements of sound levels
at public gatherings and the methods of audio sound measurement.
METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:
1. The students will study the Psalmody series of teachings, and
the Book entitled: “The Worshipping You” as part of this module.
2. The students will break up into small groups to write basic praise
and/or worship lyrics.
3. The students will break up into small groups to compose basic
praise and/or worship tunes, to match the lyrics developed above.
4. The students will be involved in music groups during the course of
their studies. This will include:
i. The morning devotions each morning,
ii. At Friday night youth meetings,
iii. Sunday Services,
iv. Home group meetings, and/or
v. In-country outreach programs.
b. Some will be musicians,
c. Some will be vocalists
d. Some will operate the sound desk
e. Some will operate the Overhead projectors
f. Some will operate the Multi-media recording facilities,
namely Digital video camera and/or audio recorder.
g. Other will participate as Worship leaders, or Lead
worshippers.
h. Others will develop skills to encourage people to enter
into worship, by writing a short devotional teaching

335
 about: “Worship is a Lifestyle”, having it printed, ready
to be handed out at outreach gatherings.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
The students will be assessed by their active participation in the above
mentioned activities, during the course of the whole year of their studies.
Therefore, attendance and active participation in the daily morning
devotional sessions, before the commencement of each college day shall
be mandatory.
Failure to attend three (3) morning devotional sessions without a valid
excuse, namely a doctor’s certificate, or other valid reason, shall result in
the student being sent to the Dean of Students for counselling.
Failure to attend five (5) morning devotional sessions without a valid
excuse, namely a doctor’s certificate, or other valid reason, shall result in
the student being given a fail for this subject.
PROPHETIC OVERVIEW OF WORSHIP AS A LIFESTYLE: THE CHURCH

“A time is coming when the Church will not rest, day or night.
Congregations will come together in shifts to worship God, simply because
they want to. Their theme will be: “Holy, Holy, Holy”. All activities in the
Body will give way to worship, and worship will be the central theme of all
activities. Countless thousands will be swept into churches day and night,
as congregations continually flow into the sanctuary, to worship the Most-
High God. They will be swept in like falling leaves upon a swift flowing river.
Sundays will no longer be known as the day of worship, but (just) another
day of worship”.1

The Congregations
“Congregations will not be satisfied by hearing an occasional sermon on
worship, or reading books on the subject. They will place demands on
leadership, to teach them “how to” enter into praise and worship, and live
the word of praise and worship. Churches that refuse to praise in spirit and
in truth, will empty overnight, and those that do worship will be filled to
overflowing, to the extent that congregants will stand outside on the church
grounds and in the parking lots praising the Lord”.2
The Pastors
“Pastors will have to organise their church services to accommodate praise
and worship, as the Holy Spirit leads the way. As praise and worship goes
forth, the Word of the Lord shall be clearer, to the listeners, than it has
ever been before. Pastors and teachers will be amazed at the growth of the
worshippers, and God will receive all the glory for it”

1
The Worshipping You: page 21
2
The Worshipping You: page 22
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The Children’s Minister’s & Pastors
“Get ready for a new wave of worship from children. whose understanding
of the things of God will overtake many who are unprepared. Godly children
will separate themselves [from worldly music] and praise and worship their
Heavenly Father. They will follow those who not only teach worship, but
practise it as well. These children will go forth, as a worshipping army, that
will astound even their teachers. Don’t ever discourage their worship, or
stop the flow. Encourage them, as they stand before God and worship Him.”
The Musicians
“Musicians will stand in line, totally submitted to pastors, and music
directors, waiting for the opportunity to serve in the house of the Lord.
Chief Musicians will train them, and God will give those involved in music
ministry, the capacity to receive, the equipping and anointing, He intends
for them. They will stand apart from sinful worldly music, and their lives
will speak clearly of separation unto God.”
The Schools of Praise & Worship 1
“Schools will be established, specifically to set a standard of worship in the
congregations. Psalmody schools will start all over the world, to train the
Body of Christ, psalmists, and worship leaders. These schools will blossom
like flowers in the desert after the rain, where no man has planted, and no
man has watered, but only God has prospered.
“The students from these schools will soon become the teachers and the
originals teachers will move on. There will be a continual movement
throughout the world of holy men and women with an overwhelming desire
to and objective to exemplify praise and worship. The Most-High God will
identify their job description as worshippers, and they will have no need
of anything the world can offer. They will be known by their love and loved
by their knowing.
“These men and women will have a supernatural ability to work and travel,
to uproot, to adapt, and resettle, to move quickly and be highly efficient.
They will bring glory and honour to the Most-High God wherever they go
and will never be glorified themselves.
“The servant’s attitude of these men and women will touch even the
ungodly, and they will become known as worshipping servants who are
loved and highly respected. All this will be such a work of the Holy Spirit
that no one will take any credit. Even the five-fold ministry will melt into
the congregation as we all stand before God in adoration and awe.”
The Preparation
What an awesome day that will be when these prophecies have come to
pass and people want to worship the Lord day and night, seven days a
week, just like it was in King Solomon’s Temple.
As the future leaders of the Body of Christ, in the generations to come, this
Module with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, will help bring this prophecy

1
The Worshipping You: page 23
337
to pass, firstly in the lives of each teacher and student, and then in the lives
of the people they come in contact with, not only within their family, but in
their workplaces and in their activities within the Body of Christ.
It will be the aim of this Module to teach the students “how to” live a
lifestyle of worship, 24 hours every day – not just for one hour on
Sundays.
In the Gospels there is a request by the disciples to teach them “to pray”.
Most Christians, attribute this prayer to Jesus, but if you examine the text
of this “prayer” in the Scriptures, you will see that the Disciples asks Jesus
to teach them (how) “to pray”.

In this case they would have used the Jewish word (Halakah) - “how to”
– in fact they were asking Jesus to show them “the technique of
praying”. Likewise during this module we will be teaching by theory and
practise, “the technique of worshipping the Lord” and recognising that there
is more to worship than just singing, or playing a musical instrument on
Sundays. Each and every action you do should be focussed as an act
of worship to the Lord. The scriptures tell us to work, as unto the Lord,
who is in effect our real employer, because we have been brought with a
price and we are accountable unto Him, in everything we think, say and do
(or not do) – so let’s GET READY.

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 GET READY
© Copyright 2003, Jeffry David Camm,

GET READY! GET READY!

GET READY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD,
GET READY! GET READY!
HE IS COMING BY HIS POWER, AND HIS SWORD.

FOR THE LORD IS MERCIFUL AND RIGHTEOUS,

FOR THE LORD IS LOVING AND TRUE.
THE LORD IS FAITHFUL IN HIS PROMISES
ESPECIALLY HIS PROMISES FOR YOU.

SO, GET READY, GET READY

HE IS COMING WITH A SWORD IN HIS HAND
GET READY, GET READY,
ONLY, THE RIGHTEOUS ONES SHALL STAND.
ARE YOU READY? ARE YOU READY?
ARE YOU READY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD?
ARE YOU READY? ARE YOU READY?
ARE YOU READY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD?
ARE YOU READY?

339
340
PSALMODY
LESSON ONE: INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP LIFESTYLE
(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 6 – 11)

1.1 Object of the Lesson:

To lay a foundation for the whole course and introduce the concept
of the worship lifestyle and the principle that we are a “product” of
what we worship!

1.2 Lesson Outline:

1.2.1 Created for Fellowship
1.2.2 Worship is a Lifestyle
1.2.3 We Become What We Worship
1.2.4 Disclosure of the Heart
1.2.5 Worship God Anywhere, Anytime
1.2.6 Worship God Only
1.3 Key Point from this Lesson: WORSHIP TRANSFORMS ME

LESSON TWO: THANKSGIVING

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 12 - 19)
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2.1 Object of the Lesson:

To understand the biblical purpose of thanksgiving and how it relates to our

salvation.
2.2 Lesson Outline:
2.2.1 I will tell Your Name
2.2.2 Magnify God With Thanksgiving
2.2.3 The Presence of God
2.2.4 More and More Thankful
2.2.5 Thanksgiving And Salvation
2.2.6 Instant Capacity To Be Thankful
2.2.7 Thanksgiving And The Will
2.2.8 Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
2.2.9 Continuous Thanksgiving
2.2.10 Lifestyle of Thanksgiving
2.2.11 Eternally

2.3 Key Point from this Lesson: THANK GOD FOR SALVATION

LESSON THREE: INTRODUCTION TO PRAISE

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 20 - 27)

3.1 Object of the Lesson:

To understand the purpose God has for praise and how we can fully
develop it as a lifestyle, so that it not only draws us closer to Him but
also incorporates the dynamic of faith and love.

3.2 Lesson Outline:

3.2.1 Prophetic Implications Of Praise
3.2.2 Created For Praise
3.2.3 Change – The Purpose of Praise
3.2.4 Praise Brings Success
3.2.5 God’s Word is a Catalyst for Praise
3.2.6 You Cannot be a Praiser, and a Prisoner
3.2.7 Faith – The Substance of Praise
3.2.8 Relationship – The Truth of Praise
3.2.9 Love – The Motivation For Praise

3.3 Key Point from this Lesson: WE HAVE BEEN CREATED TO

PRAISE GOD

LESSON FOUR: LIFESTYLE OF PRAISE 1

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 28 - 36)

4.1 Object of the Lesson:

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 To learn three (3) Hebrew Words of significance used for praise
[“Halal”, “Yadah”, “Barak”] their modern-day interpretation and how
they can be applied in our daily lives.

4.2 Lesson Outline:

4.2.1 Lifestyle of Love – [Halal]
4.2.2 Lifestyle of Thankfulness – [Yadah]
4.2.3 Lifestyle of Blessing – [Barak]
WE HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR A LIFESTYLE
4.2.4 Key Point from this OF LOVE, THANKSGIVING & BLESSING

Lesson:

LESSON FIVE: LIFESTYLE OF PRAISE 2

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 37 - 43)

5.1 Object of the Lesson:

To learn four (4) Hebrews words of significance used for praise.

[“Tehillah”, “Zamar”, “Towdah” and “Shabach”], their modern day
interpretation and how they can be applied in our daily lives.

5.2 Lesson Outline:

5.2.1 Lifestyle of Holiness – [Tehillah]
5.2.2 Lifestyle of Singing – [Zamar]
5.2.3 Lifestyle of Sacrifice – [Towdah]
5.2.4 Lifestyle of declaration – [Shabach]

5.3 Key Point from this WE HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR A LIFESTYLE
OF HOLINESS, SINGING, SACRIFICE &
Lesson: DECLARATION

LESSON SIX: INTRODUCTION TO WORSHIP

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 44 - 52)

6.1 Object of the Lesson:

In John 4:23 we are told that God the Father seeks those who will
worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. It is almost inconceivable to think
that the infinite, Almighty God who is in need of nothing, is actually
seeking those who will worship Him. The most amazing thing about
this is that God has made it possible for us to worship Him anywhere,
any time.

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6.2 Lesson Outline:
6.2.1 The Old Testament Concept of Worship
6.2.2 The New Testament Concept of Worship
6.2.3 Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
6.2.4 The Father We Worship
6.2.5 Worship is Always “NOW”
6.2.6 The Seeking Father
6.2.7 The Worshippers The Father Seeks
6.2.8 The Necessity of Worship I CAN WORSHIP ANYWHERE
AND AT ANYTIME
6.3 The Key Point from this
Lesson:
LESSON SEVEN: ABRAHAM’S JOURNEY OF WORSHIP
(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 53 - 59)
7.1 Object of the Lesson:
The journey of worship has only one path; it is called “Change”. It
is an unfolding journey on which God not only reveals who He is, but
who we are and how we can be transformed into His image. In this
lesson the student will obtain an understanding of the various aspects
of Abraham’s journey of worship and the lessons we can learn from
it and apply in our lives today.
[Remember: Abraham did not have a Bible, Bible study notes,
or a pastor to teach him about God. All he had was an ear to
hear, and a heart to obey].
7.2 Lesson Outline
7.2.1 Worship is Moving towards God
7.2.2 Abraham’s Journey of Worship
WORSHIP IS A LIFE JOURNEY
7.3 The Key point of this Lesson:

LESSON EIGHT: INTRODUCTION TO WARFARE

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 60 - 70)
8.1 Object of the Lesson: To Learn the principles of warfare and
how to trust in God to overcome every battle through the mighty
weapon of praise.
8.2 Lesson Outline:
8.2.1 Definition of Warfare
8.2.2 The Objective of Warfare
8.2.3 The Origin of Warfare
8.2.4 Warfare in the Natural Realm
8.2.5 Warfare in the Spiritual Realm
8.2.6 Preparation for Warfare

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 8.2.7 In the Battle
PRAISE IS A WEAPON
8.3 The Key Point of this Lesson:

LESSON NINE: HEALING AND WORSHIP

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 71 - 78)
9.1 Object of this Lesson: God wants us healthy. This lesson looks
at the influence of and relationship between healing and worship.
9.2 Lesson Outline:
9.2.1 The Source of Sickness
9.2.2 The Source of Healing
9.2.3 Worship is the Environment For healing
9.2.4 God’s Word is the Key to Healing
9.2.5 Jesus desires to Heal (The Leper)
9.2.6 The Canaanite Woman Receives Healing
9.2.7 The Ruler’s Daughter is healed
9.2.8 The Merry Heart
9.2.9 Joyfulness
9.2.10 The Influence of Music on Health
9.3 The Key Point of this Lesson:

WORSHIP IS THE ENVIRONMENT

FOR HEALING
LESSON TEN: THE HOLY
SPIRIT AND WORSHIP
(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 79 - 84)

10.1 Objective of this Lesson: To lay the foundation that the

indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit helps us to worship. We
Study the Person of the Holy Spirit and How He works in Us in
relation to Worship.
10.2 Lesson Outline:
10.2.1 The Holy Spirit
10.2.2 The Kingdom is With Us
10.2.3 The Age of the Holy Spirit
10.2.4 The Spirit of Holiness
10.2.5 Worship The Holy Spirit
10.2.6 The Spiritual Song

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10.2.7 Set Free To Worship
10.3 Key Point of this lesson: The Holy Spirit Helps Me to
Worship

LESSON ELEVEN: GLORY AND WORSHIP

(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 85 - 91)
11.1 Objective of the Lesson: The glory of God is not an event, but
the manifestation of God’s life operating through worshippers.
11.2 Lesson Outline:
11.2.1 The Definition of Glory
11.2.2 God’s Glory
11.2.3 How We Glorify God
11.2.4 The Glory of Worship
11.2.5 The Glorious Church
11.2.6 Manifestation of Glory in the World.
11.3 Key Point of this Lesson:
God is Revealed Through Me

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LESSON TWELVE: GIVING AND WORSHIP
(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 92 - 98)
12.1 Objective of this lesson: It has been said that “a shortage of any
kind stems from a self-imposed limitation of thought.” God is
limitless, and this lesson deals with the possibilities of flow of
unlimited resources when we maintain a lifestyle of worship.
12.2 Lesson Outline:
12.2.1 Giving is God’s Heart
12.2.2 Giving Should Be Our Heart
12.2.3 Giving Is A Spiritual Exercise
12.2.4 Worship And Giving Are Related
12.2.5 Release Of Finances Into The Kingdom
12.2.6 Stewardship Is A Test of Our Worship
12.2.7 God’s Treasures
12.2.8 Laying Up Treasures In Heaven
12.2.9 Giving and Worship
12.3 Key Points of this
Lesson: Worship is Giving Our Best to
God

LESSON THIRTEEN: RESTORATION OF THE TABERNACLE OF

DAVID
(Refer Psalmody Workbook pages 99 - 103)
13.1 Objective of this Lesson: The theme of God’s Word is restoration.
It has always been the intention of God to restore man to his
rightful place of fellowship with Himself and authority on the earth.
In this lesson, the student will explore the theme of restoration as
it relates to worship.
13.2 Lesson Outline:
13.2.1 Definition of Restoration
13.2.2 The Decline
13.2.3 Restoration of Praise and Worship
13.3 Key Point of This Lesson: GOD
RESTORES

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LESSON FOURTEEN: MUSIC AND GOD’S CREATION
(Class Notes: Sound and Music – as below)
Reference: Numbers in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and
Spiritual Significance,
By E. W Bullinger. (http://philologos.org/eb-nis/)
14.1 Objectives of this Lesson:
The Students will learn that God, as part of His creation plan, made man to
hear music and that He created the human ear to hear musical notes. The
students will also learn how musical notes are transmitted.
14.2 Lesson Outline:
14.2.1 Sound is the impression on the ear by the vibrations of air.
Sound waves are transmitted through air, in a similar manner to waves
being transmitted across the surface of the water, when you throw a stone
into the centre of a still pool – it goes outward in all directions.
Sound is generated as amplitude modulation waves; the higher the
amplitude, the higher the volume of the sound.
Sound can be measured in many ways. The unit of sound measurement is
the Bell. This is a very large number, so most sounds are measured in
Decibels, that is (1/10 Bell.)
Sound is measured in Decibels. And can be calculated by the formula:
Db = 10 log P1/P2. (Where P1 & P2 are voltage measurements of the sound
signal).
The Pitch of the musical note is higher, or lower according to the number
of vibrations; (faster or slower), per second. When they are too slow, or
not sufficiently regular and continuous to make a musical sound, we call it
Noise.
Experiments have been conducted which fix the number of vibrations
(frequency) for each musical note. Therefore, we can easily calculate the
differences between each musical note.
These results were finally decided and confirmed in Stuttgart, in Germany
in 1834. They were adopted by the Paris Conservatory of Music in 1859,
but it was not until 1869 that they were adopted by England by the Society
of Arts.
The following is the scale of Do showing the frequency per second in each
note and the differences between them.
The upper letters (above the music) are the names of the notes recognised
by musicians. The names below these are the sounds of the notes originally
given to each of the scale notes. (These are the same names as used in
one of the Songs in the film “The Sound of Music”.)
The upper row of figures (directly below each note) is the frequency of each
note identified in the music above. The figures in brackets between each

348
note indicates the difference between each frequency. The row of figures
below each note in brackets indicates the factors of each frequency.
From middle C to the octave C above that is exactly 264 Hz. Octaves
are in multiples of 264 Hz.
On careful examination of the notes and their information, you will observe
that the number 11 is the predominant number, which is stamped upon
music; and also, the number 7; there being 7 notes in the scale and the
8th note, (being the beginning of the new series of notes, a repetition of the
first.)
We know that 7 is God’s perfect number: 7 days in the week, 7 notes in a
musical scale, 7 Church types in the Book of Revelation; and that 8 is the
new beginning; hence 8 people in the Ark and the number for Jesus being
888.
You will notice that the frequency of each note is multiples of eleven and
the differences between the notes is also a multiple of eleven. These
differences are not always the same. We speak of tones and semi-tones,
as if all tones are alike - but they are not.
The difference between the semitone Mi and Fa is 22 Hz; while between the
other semitone Si and Do is 33 Hz. So, it is with the Tones also: The
difference between Do and Re is 33 Hz; while between Fa and Sol is 22 Hz;
between Sol and La is 44 Hz; and between La and Si is 55 Hz. The ear can
detect these frequencies and convey them to the brain only within certain
limits.
When God created the ear, He created it like a small organ or harp. Within
each ear, there are about 10,000 strings (very small fine hairs), which was
discovered by an Italian named Corti. When a sound is made these strings
(hairs) vibrate in sympathy with the created sound and this information is
conveyed to the brain. The immense number of these hairs gives the ear
the opportunity to hear an enormous number of sounds, within a specific
range.
In the scale we have described above, there are 264 distinct notes in the
musical scale, but most untrained ears cannot hear them all. However, the
ear of a skilled violinist can hear many more notes than an “untrained ear”.
The piano can only make 12 notes out of this scale shown, (7 tones, and 5
semitones) whilst a violin can make many more, and is therefore a more
perfect instrument, but it does not compare in anyway, to the human voice.
The wonderful mechanism which makes the human voice, being created by
God, far excels every instrument that can ever be made by man.
In Psalm 94:9 it is written: “He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He
that formed the eye, shall He not see? This talks about the “physical ear”
but there are also references in the scriptures about the “spiritual ears”
which hear the voice of God.
In the Book of Revelation Chapter 2:7 (and six other places in chapter 2 &
3) Apostle John tells the readers: “He that has a (spiritual) ear let him hear
what the (Holy) Spirit is saying unto the Churches.” We need both to be
operating effectively, if we wish to give glory and honour to God.
14.2.1.1 Making a Good Clear Sound - in a Church Setting

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In the Old Testament times and at the time of Jesus Christ, there was no
sophisticated amplification systems, or electric instruments like we have
today. The sound was produced and transmitted from the musical
instrument, or from the voice-box of the human to the hearer, purely by
the air and the sound waves generated. Psalm 150 gives a good example
of the types of instruments used at the time of King David.
Many churches and synagogues still use this method today – no amplified
sound – just real pure music.
Early sound systems used Amplitude Modulation to capture sound signals
using microphones, transmit them over distances, to be reproduced back
into sound waves at the distant location. There was a drawback with these
early systems because microphones only captured musical notes in the
frequency range: 40Hz up to 10,000 Hz, whilst some musical notes can be
as high as 16,000 Hz. This means that the output signals would not be a
pure reproduction of the original signals captured.

Musical
Human
Instruments
Voices

Control Desk Amplifier

Speakers
Speakers

Block Diagram of basic Amplitude

Modulation System

That is why it is so important for all people who are involved in the “Music
Ministry” to fully understand the very basics and the limitations of sound
generation, sound collection and sound reproduction; so that what we hear
is pleasing to our ears, when we sit in the congregation, or ask for music
and vocals to be sent back to the stage in the fold-back.
In 1969, a new development in technology was invented. It was the CODEC
Chip1, which allowed analogue signals to be dissected (quantised) into small
segments, translated into a finite code, transmitted to the distant location,
the finite code would be unscrambled back into pure sound, amplified and
sent to the speakers. Hence, for the first time, pure sound could be

1
I was part of the team that invented this chip, and therefore the
commencement of digital technology as we know it today.
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collected, stored, transmitted and reproduced, at the same quality as the
original signals.
With the invention of Digital Technology, major improvements have
resulted in the capture and reproduction of high-quality sound signals,
which can be beamed from satellites to earth and the quality of the sound
is just like they are sitting in the same room as the hearer, without any
distortion whatsoever.
The systems for digital sound transmission is slightly different. It has a
microphone as before, to capture the sound waves, but then it must be
converted from an analogue signal into a DIGITAL SIGNAL and this requires
a Codec device. I was involved in the development of this device, and now
(2009) it is the 40th anniversary of the development of the CODEC Chip,
which allowed the development of the digital age, which we all now take
for granted.

Musical Human
Instruments Voices

Digital Digital
Codec Codec

Digital Control Desk Digital Amplifiers

Digital Codec Digital Codec

Speaker Speaker
Systems Systems

Block Diagram of a Basic Digital Sound

System

14.3 Key Point of this Lesson: PERFECT MUSIC COMES FROM

GOD AND BELONGS TO HIM,
AS PRAISE AND WORSHIP

LESSON FIFTEEN: CREATING MUSICAL LYRICS

(Class notes + Practical Exercises)
15.1 Objective of this Lesson: The Students will be encouraged to break
up into small groups and:
(1) Study some existing lyrics of famous hymnists, as well as contemporary
Christian song-writers and/or composers
(2) Pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit

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(3) Write down any information, phrases, or visions that individuals within
each group receive from the Holy Spirit,
(4) Put these visions, phrases, lyrics into a meaningful composition.
15.2 Lesson Outline
15.2.1 Study a hymn by John Newton: “Amazing Grace”1
15.2.2 Now many of you will know this tune and the words off by heart.
15.2.3 The challenge is to put these words to a different melody.
15.2.4 Later we will try putting new words to this melody, to get your
creative juices flowing.

1
Arrangement from the Rejoice Hymnal, Melody Line Edition,
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15.2.5 Study a worship song by Jack Hayford: “Majesty”1

1
Joyful Praise Choir Books – Cliff Barrows
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end

358
15.2.6 Study a Praise song by Brian Doerksen: “Hope of the Nations”1

1
Hope of the Nations – Songbook (Hosanna Music)
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15.2.7 Study a Prophetic Praise song, by Robin Mark: “These are the
Days of Elijah”1
This is a song based upon the Scripture Isaiah 40:3: A voice of
one calling: “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord”. (NIV)

1
Revival In Belfast Songbook – Hosanna Music
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15.2.8 Students write their own new Christian Lyrics as part of a group
activity and submit them for assessment & comments. An
Example below:

THE CHRISTMAS SONG

Music: Chariots of Fire by Vangelis

Words: Jeffry David Camm - Christmas 1987

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 He came as a baby, this child from the sky,
He came as a baby, to love you and I,
God sent down the angels, the good news to tell,
The son of creation - on earth to dwell.
With signs and wonders for all to see, and salvation cleansing,
Jesus the Son of God, revealed Himself to the world.

All people are sinners, we cannot deny,

Through Jesus the Saviour, the promise is life.
The Father is calling, His people to come,
Accept the promise, through Jesus the Son.

Repent of your sins today my friends,

Jesus is the answer.
Accept His love for you and don’t be afraid.
He’ll change your life today my friends,
His love is so powerful,
Your joy and love will be so great,
Just trust in Him.

(Change key - up)

He came as a baby, this child from the sky,

He came as a baby, to love you and I.
God sent down the angels, the good news to tell,
The son of creation, on earth to dwell.
With signs and wonders for all to see and salvation cleansing.
Jesus the Son of God, revealed Himself to the world.

Repent of your sins to day my friends, Jesus is the answer,

Accept His love for you and don’t be afraid.
(Last time ending)
Just trust in Him, Just trust in Him, Just trust in Him.

You don’t have to be special to

15.3 Key Point of This write Christian music. You just
Lesson: have to want to praise and
glorify the Lord.

LESSON SIXTEEN: CREATING MUSIC FOR LYRICS

(Class Notes + Practical Exercises)

372
16.1 Objective of this Lesson: The students will be encouraged to
develop melody lines for the song lyrics developed in Lesson 15.
16.2 Lesson Outline:
16.2.1 The Students will examine the melody lines of the sample songs
of lesson 15 and then attempt to develop melody lines for the
song lyrics of Lesson 15.
16.2.2 Once satisfied with their melody lines, these will vocally record
their melody lines, to allow musicians to write the Guitar chords
and the Piano and/or violin music for use in worship.
16.2.3 Once completed, the students will then records their lyrics and
music for assessment.
16.3 Assessment Criteria:
16.3.1 The students will break up into small groups to undertake the
tasks defined above. Each Group will be assessed on their lyrics,
their melodies and the performance of these new worship tunes.
16.3.2 A Group mark will be given for each task and this mark will be
assigned to each member of the specific group.
16.3.3 The College will practise the new melodies created and present
them to the church congregation at a special College Worship
Service.
16.4 Key Point of this Lesson: Students will realise that you don’t
have to have special talents to
develop music melody lines. All they
need is a heart desire to worship God
in everything they do.
Warfare Worship.
In 2011 a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt was burnt down by Muslim
extremists, so the congregation went out in a “Warfare protest”, giving
praise unto God because they were still. Click the link below to listen and
see their worship to God. Over 70,000 people came to praise God, despite
their building being destroyed; because they knew “that they are the living
stones, God created for worship. No building made out of sand and mortar
can ever worship God Almighty!

4pm.pihsroW citpoC - ‫زيدوا المسيح تسبيح‬

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The Torah and my Bible, both opened at Exodus chapter 20, in the
Centre of Biblical Studies, Jerusalem in 1995

SERMON PREPARATION & DELIVERY

COURSE CODE: CTTNBC – 007
COURSE OUTCOMES:
The aim to this module is to give the students sufficient skills to:
1. Research a given topic
2. Prepare accurate and biblically correct sermon notes
3. Presentation methods to allow good transfer of researched
knowledge from the written pages to the recipient audience.
METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:

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The students will be given a sermon outline method, as a sample sermon
technique to be used. Other sermon techniques are also available and can
be researched independently.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
The students will each be given a specific topic and required to prepare a
15-minute sermon for delivery before the whole class. This sermon will be
video recorded and used to discuss (privately with each student) their
presentations and areas which could be improved. This sermon will be
assessed and be 30% of the module mark.
The student will then be asked to prepare a 15-minute sermon on any
biblical subject of their own choosing. This sermon will be video recorded
and used to discuss (privately with each student) their presentations and
areas which could be improved. This sermon will be assessed and be 70%
of the module mark.

For online students: You will be required to prepare the video presentation
and then forward it to the Bible College for assessment.
LESSON ONE: METHOD FOR THE PREPARATION OF A SERMON
1.1 Objective of this lesson: The student will be taught how to
research and write the skeleton for a sermon, given specific
guidelines.
1.2 Lesson Outline:
1.2.1 INTRODUCTION
The secret to good teaching and preaching is the ability to be able
to research and prepare a sermon in such a way, that it is easy to
transfer the knowledge you want to say, to others who are
listening.

NOTE: Before you commence to prepare any sermon, or text,

get down on your knees and commit this time and work to
the Lord, asking Him to send the Holy Spirit to give you
the knowledge and the method of preparing the sermon,
so that all the knowledge and glory is given unto Him.

1. Identify the single most important point that you want to say
in your sermon [it should be the climax of your address].

2. Select a Scripture (or Scriptures) that builds towards this point.

3. Give illustrations, stories, examples, events, quotes, etc. that

helps build and reinforces to this point.

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 4. Identify the response that you anticipate / desire AND remember
to create enough momentum to take you past the POINT onto a
RESPONSE! - from those listening to the sermon.

Example Sermon:

1. Point = "Women are precious to the Living God”

2. Scriptures:
➢ In Genesis: 'God made man & WOMAN' (find scripture verse)
➢ Woman was God's making: - (why was she made?)

➢ Famous Women in the Bible

➢ Research examples & explain, who they were, and what they did,
➢ How many women in the Bible were visited by angels?
➢ What are their names?

➢ Women have worth, Women are allowed to Minister

➢ (Back this statement up with a scripture – The Holy Spirit gives
gifts, as HE chooses – not man! Nor “tradition”!)
➢ And to those people who claim Paul told all women to shut up, in
his Letters to the Church in Corinth, please explain why He never
issued the same instructions to any of the other churches He
established?
➢ Now go back and research the history of Corinth, BEFORE the
Good News of Jesus was released there, and discover why Paul
issued this instruction to this church, and to NO OTHER CHURCH.

3. Stories of Famous Women (Billy Graham's Mother)

Stories of how Women have suffered because men did not

respect the Giftings & Ministries that God Himself has placed in
them.
Personal Testimony of dealing with false worth and embracing
God's worth of yourself.

4. Talk about how these truths apply and ask for a response

Women who have an unsaved husband are still of value.

(1. Cor. 7)
Women who feel neglected are still valued by God.
Women who have suffered abuse (or who are presently still
suffering abuse) are still loved and valued by God.

CLEARLY EXPLAIN THAT:

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 *** Suffering for the Gospel, is NOT THE SAME, as suffering
CRUELTY from an abusive relationship ***

Women who know God has touched their life BUT never stepped
forward, or have held back. They are nor fulfilling God’s destiny
for them in the Body of Christ. They are selfishly limiting other
people’s blessings.
CLOSE: Invite people to respond;
Women who understand what you have said and feel they need
someone to stand in prayer with them
Men who God is touching - TO CHANGE their thinking.

1.2.2 PRACTICAL EXERCISE: Sermon Skeleton provided

The students will work independently to complete the sermon
based upon the skeleton guidelines given above. The students will
submit their sermon texts for review.
Upon review, the students will correct any major mistakes and
then prepare and deliver a 15-minute sermon on this topic, which
will be video-taped and then privately discussed with each
student.
1.2.3 PRACTICAL EXERCISE: The Epistle of Jude
The students will independently study the Epistle of Jude, and
prepare a sermon skeleton, taking into account the following main
points:
o Who was Jude?
o When was the book written?
o To whom was it written?
o What is the main theme of this book?
o Why did Ark Angel Michael, not rebuke the devil?
o What should be our response to this Epistle today?
The students will then prepare the sermon and deliver a 15-minute
sermon on the above topic, which will be video-taped and
discussed privately with each student. The student will be given
30% of the total mark for this assessment.
1.2.4 PRACTICAL EXERCISE: Subject of student’s own choice
The student will select a topic from within the Bible, research the
topic, prepare the sermon skeleton and, then prepare the sermon
text.
Upon completion of the sermon text, the students shall each
present their 30-minute sermons to the whole student class for
assessment. The sermons will be video-taped for private
discussions with each student privately. This sermon shall be
worth 70 % of the module mark.
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378
JESUS IN ACTION
COURSE CODE: CTTNBC – 008
Course teaching: 20 hours
Practical Community participation: 140 hours
Total hours: 160 hours

INTRODUCTION:
Jesus “went about doing good”, and healing all those who are afflicted
by the evil one.
Jesus sent the disciples out into the highways and byways, to become the
extended hands and feet of Jesus.
After His resurrection, He commanded us to “make disciples” [ACTION
WORD] and to teach them, all He had told and taught His disciples.

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COURSE OUTCOMES:
The aim of this module is to put the commandments of Jesus Christ into
practise in our own local environments. Students will be trained, in
conjunction with local networks, to help people in our local society.
METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:
The students will be trained and then join local networks which help those
who are less fortunate that ourselves. These networks may include:
1. Drug Rehabilitation
2. Lifeline
3. TRAMS: [Refugee and Migrant Support]
4. St. Vincent De Paul
5. Salvation Army
6. Juvenile Justice
Students will be placed into teams, and spend one afternoon per week in
each of the areas identified, helping the volunteer staff in these
organisations, assist the public at large.
In addition, emergency service personnel from Police, Fire, Ambulance,
State Emergency Services [SES], will be invited to talk to the students, so
that they understand the greater role of these organisations in the society,
and how the Body of Christ, can respond rapidly when emergency situations
arise, for example: bush fires, floods, earthquakes, etc.
All students will be required to prepare a workbook detailing the following
items:

1. Name of the Community Organizations.

2. Aims of the Community Organization.
3. Dates the students attended this organization.
4. Activities undertaken at this organization.
5. Any comments about your time with this organization.
6. Possible improvements you think would benefit the people that they
serve, and why you have arrived at this conclusion.
7. Do you think that the Holy Spirit wants you to work for this
organization upon completion of this course, and give reasons why?

For Online Students:

In conjunction with your local pastor and church organizations,
students will work in Community Organizations, within their
towns/cities to apply the principles of what Jesus taught in a real
community environment. Up to 6 different organizations should be
involved in this course, so that the students understand that

380
different community organizations provide different (but needed)
services to the community at large.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:
Students will be assessed on their active involvement in these activities, on
their individual workbooks, and on report sheets submitted by each
organisation about the project(s) that they were involved in.

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AUSTRALIAN CHURCH HISTORY
AQF CODE: CTTNBC – 009

COURSE OUTCOMES:

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The students will examine Australian Church History, and the effects that
the following activities had on its formation, and how these activities
changed the Nation, its laws, and the way “the church” operates in
Australia.
1. The “Protest – ant” Reformation.

2. The Pentecostal Reformation.

3. The Charismatic Movement

4. The Apostolic Renewal

METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:

1. The students will research and study the main themes of the 4 topics
mentioned above and then how they impacted upon the Australian
Church, as the Body of Christ.
2. The students will identify the pastors, who came to Australia to serve in
the first 50 years, of the colony, and what was the activities they
initiated and what they 1achieved.
3. The students will examine the way Christian evangelism went out from
Australia to the nations of the world around us by, breaking up into
groups and researching the dates, times and nations evangelised during
the first 200 years of settlement of this nation.
4. The students will place this information onto a map which will be
displayed in the College for all to see and to remember what has been
done in this nation in the past and to encourage this generation to go
onto greater things in the future.

FOR ONLINE STUDENTS

For Students outside of Australia, they will research the Church History of their
own specific country, using the same criteria as identified above, and will create
the same map, but specifically for their own respective countries, detailing the
first missionaries to come to their countries and what activities were achieved
by these organizations, during the first 200 years of Christianity in your specific
country. All students will undertake the first four units of the subject as written.
ASSESSMENT METHODS:

The students shall be assessed by their individual workbooks, in-class

discussions, in-class research, written assignments, and a written test.
1
Reference: The Coastal Pioneers: available in the course reference
directory. For online students, please ask for a pdf copy of this book,
when you come to undertake this subject.

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 UNIT ONE: THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION

The name is derived from the fact that people within the Roman Catholic
Church “protested” against injustice, corruption, and lack of spiritual
leadership within the hierarchy of the Church at that time.

Because of this they were labelled “Protest-ants” and hence the name was
modified to become Protestants; those who wanted a closer walk with God
and who wanted to understand more about the Holy Word of God.

Question: "What was the Protestant Reformation?"

Answer: In understanding the history of the Protestant Church, and the

Reformation, it is important to first understand that one of the claims that
the Roman Catholic Church makes is that of apostolic succession.
This simply means that they claim a unique authority over all other
churches and denominations, because they claim the line of Roman Catholic
Popes back throughout the centuries, all the way to the Apostle Peter.
In their view, this gives the Roman Catholic Church a unique authority that
supersedes all other denominations or churches. According to the Catholic
Encyclopaedia, this apostolic succession is only “found in the Catholic
Church” and no “separate Churches have any valid claim to it.”
It is because of this apostolic succession that the Roman Catholic Church
claims a unique authority to interpret Scripture and to establish doctrine,
as well as the claim of having a supreme leader in the Pope, who is infallible
(without error) when speaking “ex cathedra”— that is, in the exercise of his
office as pastor and teacher of all Christians.

Therefore, according to the Roman Catholic view, the teaching or traditions of the
Roman Catholic Church as they come from the Pope, are equally as infallible and
authoritative as the Scriptures themselves.

This is one of the major differences, between Roman Catholics and

Protestants, and was one of the foundational reasons, for the Protestant
Reformation. Of course, the Roman Catholics are not the only ones who try
to claim unique authority through apostolic succession, or by tracing the
roots of their church back to the original apostles.
The Eastern Orthodox Church also claims apostolic succession, although
their claim is very similar to the Roman Catholic view. The split between
Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism did not occur until the “Great
Schism” in A.D. 1054. There are also some Protestant denominations or
groups that will try to establish a “Trail of Blood” that can be traced back
through the centuries to the first century church and the apostles
themselves.
While these Protestants do not hold to apostolic succession in order to
establish the authority of a “Pope” as an infallible leader, they still look to

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that connection to the early church in at least some small degree to
establish the authority of their doctrines and practices. [For example: the
“Church of Mar Thoma”, who can trace their origins back to the Apostle
James (the Doubter), who went to India in the first century, to start
churches there and who was murdered there, and is buried in India. So,
despite all the different religions inside India, the Christian church has had
a presence in India for over 2,000 years.]
The problem with any of these attempts to trace a line of succession back
to the apostles, whether it is Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or
Protestant, is that they all are attempts to derive, or support the authority,
of what they believe and teach from the wrong source, that of some real,
or perceived connection with the apostles, instead of deriving it from the
Word of God.

It is important for Christians to realize that direct apostolic succession is not

necessary in order for a church or denomination to have authority.

God has given and preserved the supreme authority for all
matters of faith and practice in His Holy Word, the Bible.
Therefore, an individual churches, or denomination’s authority, today does
not come through some tie to the first century church and the apostles.
Instead, it comes only and directly from the written Word of God. A church
or denomination’s teachings are authoritative and binding on Christians
only if they represent the true meaning and clear teaching of Scripture.
This is important in order to understand the connection between
Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church, and the reason that the
Protestant Reformation took place.
In regards to the history of Christianity and the claims of apostolic
succession, as well as the Roman Catholic Church’s claim of being the one
true Church with unique authority, it is important to understand a couple of
key points.
1. First, we must realize that even in the days of the apostles and the first
century church, false teachers were a significant problem. We know this
because warnings against heresies and false teachers are found in all
the later New Testament writings. Jesus Himself warned that these false
teachers would be like “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), and
that there would be both “tares and wheat” that would exist together
until the day of judgment when He separates the saved from the lost,
the true “born again” believer from those that have not truly received
Him (Matthew 13:24-30).
This is important in understanding church history, because from almost
the very beginning false teachers and false teachings have been
invading the church and leading people astray.
Despite this, there have also been true “born again” believers who
held fast to the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace alone,
through faith alone, in Christ alone, throughout all ages, even in the
darkest period of the dark ages.

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2. The second thing to realize, to correctly understand church history is
that the word catholic simply means “universal.” This is important
because in the early Christian writings of the first and second centuries,
when the term catholic is used, it is referring to the “universal church”
or “body of Christ” that is made up of “born again” believers from every
tribe, tongue and nation (Revelation 5:9; 7:9).
However, like many other words over time, the word catholic began to take
on new meaning, or came to be used in a new sense. Over time, the
concept of a “universal” or “catholic” church began to evolve into the
concept that all churches formed together one church, not just spiritually,
but also visibly, extending throughout the world. This misunderstanding of
the nature of the visible church (which always has contained both “wheat
and tares”) and the invisible church (the body of Christ which is only
made up of born- again believers) would lead to the concept of a visible
Holy Catholic Church, outside of which there is no salvation.
It is out of this misunderstanding of the nature of the universal church that
the Roman Catholic Church evolved.
Prior to the Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in A.D. 315, Christians
had been persecuted by the Roman government. With his conversion,
Christianity became an allowed religion of the Roman Empire (and later
became the official religion), and thus the “visible” Church became joined
with the power of the Roman government.
This marriage of church and state led to the formation of the Roman
Catholic Church, and over time caused the Roman Catholic Church to refine
its doctrine and develop its structure in a way that best served the
purpose of the Roman government – not necessarily the Divine
Purposes of God.
During this time, opposing the Roman Catholic Church was the same as
opposing the Roman government and carried with it severe penalties. If
one disagreed with some doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, it was a
serious charge that often resulted in excommunication and sometimes even
death.
Yet throughout this time of history, there were true “born again” Christians
who would rise up and oppose the secularization of the Roman Catholic
Church and the perversion of the faith that followed.
Through this church-and-state combination, the Roman Catholic Church
effectively silenced those who opposed any of its doctrines or practices, and
truly became almost a universal church throughout the Roman Empire.
There were always pockets of resistance to some of the unbiblical practices
and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, yet they were relatively small
and isolated.
Prior to the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century, men such as
John Wycliffe in England, John Huss in Czechoslovakia, and John of
Wessel in Germany had all given their lives (as martyrs) for their
opposition to some of the unbiblical teachings, of the Roman
Catholic Church.
The opposition to the Roman Catholic Church and its false teaching came

386
to a head in the sixteenth century, when a Roman Catholic monk named
Martin Luther posted his 95 propositions (or theses) against the teachings
of the Roman Catholic Church on the Castle Church door at Wittenberg,
Germany.
Luther’s intention was to bring reform to the Roman Catholic Church, and
in doing so was challenging the authority of the Pope.
With the refusal of the Roman Catholic Church, to heed Luther’s call to
reformation and return to biblical doctrines and practices, the Protestant
Reformation began.
From this Reformation four major divisions or traditions of Protestantism
would emerge: Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, and Anglican.
During this time God raised up godly men in different countries in order to once
again restore churches throughout the world to their biblical roots and to biblical
doctrines and practices.
Underlying the Protestant Reformation lay four basic doctrines in
which the reformers believed the Roman Catholic Church to be in error.
These four questions or doctrines are:
1. How is a person saved?
2. Where does religious authority lie?
3. What is the church? And
4. What is the essence of Christian living?
In answering these questions, Protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther,
Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and John Knox, established what would later be
known as the “Five Solas” of the Reformation (sola being the Latin word for
“alone”).
These five points of doctrine were at the heart of the Protestant
Reformation, and it was for these five essential Biblical doctrines that the
Protestant Reformers would take their stand against the Roman Catholic
Church, resisting the demands placed on them to recant, even to the
point of death.
These five essential doctrines of the Protestant Reformation are
detailed as follows:

1. “Sola Scriptura”: Scripture Alone: This affirms the Biblical doctrine

that the Bible alone is the sole authority for all matters of faith and
practice. Scripture and Scripture alone is the standard by which all
teachings and doctrines of the church must be measured. As Martin
Luther so eloquently stated when asked to recant on his teachings,
"Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason - I do not accept
the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each
other - my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will
not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe.
God help me. Amen."
2. “Sola Gratia”: Salvation by Grace Alone: This affirms the Biblical
doctrine that salvation is by God’s grace alone and that we are
rescued from His wrath by His grace alone. God’s grace in Christ is
not merely necessary, but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. This

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 grace is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ
by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual
death to spiritual life.
3. “Sola Fide”: Salvation by Faith Alone: This affirms the Biblical
doctrine that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone,
because of Christ alone. It is by faith in Christ that His righteousness
is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God’s perfect justice.
4. “Solus Christus”: In Christ Alone: This affirms the Biblical doctrine
that salvation is found in Christ alone and that His sinless life and
substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our
justification and reconciliation to God the Father. The gospel has
not been preached if Christ’s substitutionary work is not declared, and if
faith in Christ and His work is not solicited.
5. “Soli Deo Gloria”: For the Glory of God Alone: This affirms the
Biblical doctrine that salvation is of God and has been accomplished
by God for His glory alone. It affirms that as Christians, we must
glorify Him always, and must live our entire lives before the face of God,
under the authority of God, and for His glory alone.
These five important and fundamental doctrines are the reason for the
Protestant Reformation. They are at the heart of where the Roman Catholic
Church went wrong in its doctrine, and why the Protestant Reformation was
necessary to return churches throughout the world back to correct doctrine
and biblical teachings.
In many ways, much of Protestant Christianity needs to be challenged to
return to these fundamental doctrines of the faith, much like the reformers
challenged the Roman Catholic Church to do in the sixteenth century2.

They are just as important today in evaluating a church and its teachings as they
were back then 400 years ago.
So the challenge today is this: “Where does your church stand on these 5 basis
theological points”?

UNIT TWO: THE PENTECOSTAL REFORMATION

The Pentecostal Reformation (1901 - 1948)

“Late on the first Friday night in January 1901 Agnes Ozman spoke in
tongues during prayer at an out-of-the-way residence, in the south side of
Topeka. A burst of public curiosity quickly subsided, and she faded from
the scene. Five years later on a foggy spring evening in Los Angeles, a
Los Angeles Times reporter visited a nondescript mission on Azusa Street
and wrote about the howling, fanatical rites, and wild theories, that
characterized devotees of a new sect.
These events at the turn of the century marked the unlikely beginnings of
public awareness of Pentecostalism, a religious movement that relentlessly
extended its influence until in the 1990’s, its progress had become a central
theme in twentieth- century Christianity.

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 Pentecostalism not only spawned new denominations, but also interacted
with virtually every existing Christian form, often influencing both the
worship and message of the church around the world.”3 [1]
Agnes Ozman spoke in tongues in a Topeka Bible School after students had
been exhorted to make a study of Biblical baptism in the Spirit by Charles
Parham, leader of the Bible School. The release of ‘speaking in tongues’
was preached for about 4 or 5 years without becoming a global reformation
move through Parham’s Apostolic Faith Movement.

2 Recommended Resource: The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing

Protestant Reformation and The Word of God by James McCarthy.

In 1905, Parham’s Bible School was moved to Houston, Texas and from
there the seeds of the Pentecostal Reformation were sown. One of the
students of Parham’s Bible School in late 1905 was a man named William
Seymour who would be the primary catalyst of the Pentecostal Reformation
in Los Angeles, on Azusa Street in early 1906.
“William Seymour was born in Centerville, Louisiana, on May 2, 1870 to

Sadly, the racist roots of the South and Parham himself, mandated that
Seymour sit outside the hall with a door propped open in order to hear the
message of Pentecost.

former slaves Simon and Phillis Seymour. Raised as a Baptist, Seymour

was given to dreams and visions as a young man. While in Indianapolis, he
joined a local black congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church. From
1900 to 1902, Seymour lived in Cincinatti, Ohio, where he came in contact
with the Holiness Movement, … accepting the Holiness emphasis on entire
sanctification, Seymour joined the Church of God Reformation
movement…”4 [2]
Although he himself had not yet experienced the sign of ‘speaking in
tongues’, Seymour received and believed the message and in early 1906
moved to Los Angeles to help pastor a Holiness Church. “The Church, which
was connected with the Southern California Holiness Association, was
founded and pastored by Julia W. Hutchins.
In his first sermon in Los Angeles, Seymour preached on Acts 2:4, and to
the dismay of Pastor Hutchins, he announced the necessity of speaking in
other tongues as evidence of the Pentecostal experience. Because of
opposition from the Holiness Association, Hutchins locked the church door,
and Seymour was forced to find refuge in the home of Richard Asberry on
Bonnie Bray Avenue.”5 [3]
“Seymour felt compelled to continue his work at all costs and began
preaching in the home of Edward Lee and his wife, who were black
adherents of one of the Holiness missions in Los Angeles. While Seymour
was staying with the Lees, the group that had been turned out by Mrs.
Hutchins began once again to meet at the Asberry home at 214
N. Bonnie Brae Street. Seymour also attended the meetings on Bonnie Brae
Street and at one of these meetings, he laid his hands upon Lee that he
might receive the Spirit.

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Although Lee did not speak in tongues at this time, he was slain in the
Spirit under the power of God. This caused considerable alarm to his
wife, who thought he had fallen into a trance. She called an immediate end
to the proceedings. In late March or early April, Lucy Farrow and J. A.
Warren came from Houston in response to Seymour’s requests of Parham
for help in Los Angeles. Lucy Farrow had already been quite successful in
leading other people into the experience of tongues with the laying on of
hands.”6 [4]
“On Monday, April 9, Edward Lee asked Lucy Farrow to lay hands on him
for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. She fulfilled this request, and Lee burst
forth in tongues. These things took place about an hour and a half before
the meeting was to commence at the Asberry home.”
“They walked to the meeting, where Seymour was in charge. After several
had prayed and a few had given testimonies, Seymour began preaching
from the second chapter of Acts and began recounting what had happened
earlier that evening. As Lee began to give his testimony, he lifted his hands
in the air and suddenly began speaking in tongues. The others at the
evening meeting fell down to their knees. Seated at the piano, Jennie Evans
Moore also fell to her knees. An eight-year-old black boy was the first to be
baptized in the Spirit and speak in tongues, followed by Jennie Moor and
five others. Carl Brumbach, described the event: “As though hit by a bolt
of lightning, the entire company was knocked down from their
chairs to the floor. Seven began to speak in divers kinds of
tongues and to magnify God.” 7 [5]

Reformation Focus Points

The central focus of the Pentecostal Reformation was the reception of the
Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking in tongues, as described in Acts 2.
While there were times in Church history when people did speak with ‘other
tongues’, the Pentecostal Reformation was the first time it was uniformly
and theologically connected to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Related Topics:
What was the Great Schism?
Catholic vs. Protestant - why is there so much animosity? What is
the history of ChChristianity?
Are Catholic beliefs and practices Biblical?y?
Are Catholic beliefs and practices Biblical?
The Gospel According to Rome: Comparing Protestant Reformation and
The Word of God by James McCarthy.
Related Topics:
What was the Great Schism?
Catholic vs. Protestant - why is there so much animosity? What is
the history of Christianity?
\t "_self" Catholic vs. Protestant - why is there so much animosity?
What is the history of Christianity?
Are Catholic beliefs and practices Biblical?
390
 ic vs. Protestant - why is there so much animosity? What is the
history of Christianity?
Are Catholic beliefs and practices Biblical? s the history of
Christianity?
Christianity?
Acts 2:1-4: “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together
in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent
rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And
there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they
rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them
utterance.”
Acts 10:45-47: “All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were
amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the
Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with other tongues and
exalting God. Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water
for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did,
can He?”
Acts 19:1-6: “It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed
through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and found some disciples.
He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And
they said to him, “No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy
Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And they said,
“Into John’s baptism.” Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of
repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him,
that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name
of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy
Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and
prophesying.”
While the primary activating focus of the Pentecostal Reformation was the
baptism in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, the larger
focus centred on a restoration of the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit in the
Church.
Until the Pentecostal Reformation, the Gifts of the Spirit were considered
to have died out with the first century Church and the finishing of the Bible.

The Pentecostals believed that all of the gifts of the Spirit were for the present-
day Church. Does your church believe that?

1 Corinthians 12:1-1: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same
Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are
varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common
good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to
another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another
faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and

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to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of
tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the
same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just
as He wills.

Persecutions
Just as in the Holiness Reformation, the persecutions that the Pentecostal
Reformers faced were not physical but social, emotional, and relational.
Great persecution came from the “Reformed”, Methodist, Baptist and
Holiness churches. Many of the persecutions themselves were racist in
nature and saw the Pentecostal experience as being simply ‘African
emotionalism’ and ‘voodoo’.
“In his ‘Holiness, The False and the True’, H.A. Ironside in 1912 denounced
both the holiness and Pentecostal movements as ‘disgusting delusions, and
insanities, characterizing Pentecostal meetings as ‘pandemonium’s where
exhibitions worthy of a madhouse, or a collection of howling dervishes are
held night after night.”8 [6]
Even until today, despite the amazing growth and adjustments of error and
extremes from within the Pentecostal Movement itself, there are strong
critics of it and those who refuse to walk in its truth(s).
John MacArthur in his book on the Holy Spirit boldly declares that anyone
who claims to ‘speak in tongues’ does so because of one of four possibilities:
1) They are delusional,
2) They are faking,
3) They are ill, or
4) They are demon-possessed
In spite of those attacks, we press on…we retain the treasure of our
heritage!

References:
9[1] Edith Blumhoffer. Restoring the Faith (Chicago: University of Illinois
Press, 1993), p. 1.
10[2] Dictionary of the History of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements
[Stanley Burgess and Gary
B. McGee, ed.] (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing, 1988), p. 780.
11[3] Ibid., p. 780
12[4] Richard M. Riss. A Survey of Twentieth-Century Revival Movements
in North America (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1988), p. 52.
13[5] Ibid., p. 53.14[6] Vinson Synan. The Holiness-Pentecostal Movement
In The United States, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing,
1971), p. 144.

UNIT THREE: THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT:

{kair - iz - mat' - ik}
General Information

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The charismatic movement is an informal international and trans-
denominational fellowship of Christians, who believe that the gifts of the
Holy Spirit described by St. Paul in 1 Cor. 12:4-11 and Gal. 5:22-23
are manifested in these times.
The movement works in harmony with the established Christian churches,
and has been approved by the authorities of many denominations -
Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox.
Although related to Pentecostalism, the charismatic movement differs, in
not being denominationally organized and in its refusal to insist upon
speaking in tongues, as an essential element of authentic Christian
experience.
Members refer to themselves as charismatic (a term derived from the Greek
word for “Grace”) or as the new Pentecost. The origins of the movement
cannot be precisely identified, but it has gained significant membership
since the 1960’s. [Paul Merritt Bassett]

CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT: ADVANCED INFORMATION

The Charismatic Movement is an expression used to refer to a movement
within historic churches that began in the 1950’s. In the earlier stages the
movement was often termed "neo-Pentecostal"; in more recent years it has
frequently been referred to as the "charismatic renewal" or the "charismatic
renewal movement." Therefore, participants are usually described as
"charismatics."
On the American scene it is possible to date significant charismatic
beginnings to the year 1960 with the national publicity given to certain
events connected with the ministry of Dennis Bennett, at that time
Episcopal rector in Van Nuys, California.
Since then, there has been a continuing growth of the movement within
many of the mainline churches: first, such Protestant churches as
Episcopal, Lutheran, and Presbyterian (early 1960’s); second, the Roman
Catholic Church (beginning in 1967); and third, the Greek Orthodox Church
(about 1971).
The charismatic movement has affected almost every historic church and
has spread to many churches and countries beyond the United States. This
continuing growth has resulted in a multiplicity of national, regional, and
local conferences, the production of a wide range of literature, and
increasing attention to doctrinal and theological questions both within and
outside the movement.
The challenge to the churches may be seen in the fact that since 1960 well
over one hundred official denominational documents, regional, national,
continental, and international, on the charismatic movement have been
produced.
The immediate background of the charismatic movement is "classical
Pentecostalism" dating from the early twentieth century, with its emphasis
on baptism with (or in) the Holy Spirit, as an endowment of power
subsequent to conversion, speaking in tongues as the initial evidence of
this baptism, and the continuing validity of the spiritual gifts (charismata)
of 1 Cor. 12:8-10.

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Bibliography
R H Culpepper, Evaluating the Charismatic Movement (1987); J MacArthur,
“The Charismatics” (1980);
R Quebedeaux, “The New Charismatics II” published in (1983).
Because of such distinctive emphases these early "Pentecostals", as they
came to be called, found no place in the mainline churches (they either
freely left or were forced out) and thus founded their own.
As a result, there gradually came into being such "classical" Pentecostal
denominations as the Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Holiness Church,
the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Church of God in Christ,
and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
The charismatic movement, while related historically and doctrinally to
classical Pentecostalism, has largely stayed within the historic church
bodies or has spilled over into inter-denominational church fellowships.
In neither case has there been any significant movement toward the
classical Pentecostal churches. Hence today the charismatic movement,
despite its "classical" parentage, exists almost totally outside official
Pentecostal denominations.
Special Emphasis:
Particular emphases are reflected variously in the charismatic movement.
1. Baptism with the Holy Spirit
There is common recognition of baptism with the Holy Spirit as a distinctive
Christian experience. It is viewed as an event wherein the believer is "filled
with" the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Baptism with the Holy
Spirit is understood to result from "the gift of the Holy Spirit," wherein the
Spirit is freely "poured out," "falls upon," "comes on," "anoints," "endues"
the believer with "power from on high." This event and/or experience, is
the moment of initiation into the Spirit - filled life.
Spirit baptism is said to occur either at the time of conversion (through
repentance and forgiveness) or subsequent thereto. Baptism with the Holy
Spirit, accordingly, is not identified with conversion.

It is viewed as being filled with the Holy Spirit that brings about powerful
witness to Jesus Christ. Through this Spirit baptism the exalted Christ
carries forward his ministry in the church and into the world.
The gift of the Holy Spirit wherein Spirit baptism occurs is understood as
an act of God's sovereign grace. Accordingly, the gift may be received only
through faith in Jesus Christ, who is the mediator of the gift and the
baptism.
Participants in the charismatic movement emphasize the centrality of Christ
(not the Holy Spirit) and the unique instrumentality of faith in him.
It is the same Christ who through his life, death, and resurrection saves
and forgives the lost who also through his exaltation to "the right hand of
the Father" sends forth the Holy Spirit upon the redeemed. So it is by the
same faith that both turning from sin and empowering for ministry are to
be received from him.

394
Charismatics generally hold that conversion and the gift of the Spirit,
(though both received by faith), may or may not happen at the same time.
The book of Acts is viewed as exhibiting two patterns: a separation
(however brief or long) between conversion and the gift of the Holy Spirit
(the original 120, the Samaritans, Saul of Tarsus, and the Ephesian twelve),
and a simultaneous reception of both (the centurion household in
Caesarea). Hence, it is by way of faith, not necessarily at the initial
moment, that the gift of the Spirit is received.
Participants in the charismatic movement also frequently point to the
pattern of Jesus' own life, which includes both his conception by the Holy
Spirit and the later descent of the Holy Spirit upon him at His baptism in
the River Jordan.
Jesus was therefore both born of the Spirit as Savior and anointed with the
Spirit as he began his ministry. So it is said that correspondingly there is
needed both a birth of the Spirit for salvation and an anointing of the Spirit
for ministry in his name.
This leads to the emphasis of charismatics on such matters as prayer,
commitment, and expectancy, as the context for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
So it was with Jesus' life, leading up to the descent of the Spirit; also with
the 120 disciples who waited in the upper room prior to Pentecost; likewise
a number of others according to several additional accounts in the book of
Acts.
Prayer preceding the reception of the Holy Spirit particularly stands out in
the accounts of the Samaritans, Saul of Tarsus, and the centurion household
in Caesarea.
Seeing a similar pattern in the life of Jesus, the original disciples, and the
early church, many charismatics affirm that in a spirit of prayer,
commitment, and expectancy they were visited by the Holy Spirit. Such an
event, it is claimed, did not occur by dint of human effort, not through some
work beyond faith; rather it happened to those who in faith were open to
receive what God had promised to give.
Whereas the basic purpose of Spirit baptism is power for ministry and
service, charismatics speak of a number of effects. Since it is the Holy Spirit
who is given (not something He gives), many speak primarily of a strong
sense of the reality of God, the Holy Spirit dynamically present, bearing
witness to Jesus Christ and glorifying the Father. There is testimony to an
enhanced sense of the Scriptures as the written Word of God, since the
same Holy Spirit who inspired them fully is now said to be moving freely in
the lives of the believers.
Many charismatics also testify to an abounding joy, a deeper assurance of
salvation, a new boldness for witness to Jesus Christ, and an enriched
fellowship with other Christians.
On this last point, one of the most noticeable features of the charismatic
movement is the sense of “koinonia” that binds them together not only in
a local fellowship but also across ancient denominational barriers.
Accordingly, many claim that the charismatic movement is the true
fulfillment of the Lord's Prayer to the Father "that they may all be one"
(John 17:21).

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2. Speaking in Tongues
In the charismatic movement speaking in tongues, “glossolalia”,
occupies a significant place. Speaking in tongues is generally understood
to be communication with God in a language that is other than one
known to the speaker. A person does the speaking, that is, he freely
uses his vocal apparatus, but it is claimed that the Holy Spirit gives the
utterance. It is viewed as transcendent speech by the enabling of the
Holy Spirit.
Speaking in tongues is considered by some charismatics to be the
miraculous utterance of an unlearned foreign language (so in classical
Pentecostalism). This is claimed, first, on the basis of the narrative in
Acts 1, that since the Scripture says that the disciples "began to speak
in other tongues" and "each one heard them speaking in his own
language," the disciples must have been speaking the languages or
tongues of the listeners.
Second, there is the frequently given testimony that on many occasions
people have heard their own language spoken by someone who was
totally ignorant of what he was saying. However, many charismatics hold
that the otherness of tongues is qualitative rather than quantitative, that
"other tongues" are not natural (i.e., human languages) but spiritual.
Accordingly, if someone says that he heard a person speaking in his own
language, this is viewed as occurring because the Holy Spirit immediately
interpreted what was said (hence it was not a hearing of, but a hearing
in one's own language).
From this perspective there is no difference between the tongues
referred to in Acts 2 and 1 Cor. Chapters 12-14. The former were not
foreign languages and the latter ecstatic speech; both are utterances of
the Holy Spirit that can be understood only when interpreted by the Holy
Spirit.
Charismatics who have embraced this understanding of "other tongues"
believe that it best harmonizes the biblical witness, that it retains the
spirituality of tongues, and that it accords with the empirical fact that
there are no concrete data (for example, from the study of recordings
of tongues) of an unknown language being spoken.
The essential charismatic claim about “glossolalia” is that this is the
vehicle of “communication par excellence” between man and God. It is
the language of transcendent prayer and praise. In tongues there is
speech to God which goes beyond the mental into the spiritual.
Charismatics frequently state that in tongues there is a fulfillment of the
intense desire to offer total praise to God not only with the mind but also
with the heart and spirit. Therein one goes beyond the most elevated of
earthly expressions, even "hosannas" and "hallelujahs", into spiritual
utterance: the praise of God in language given by the Holy Spirit.
In the regular life of prayer, tongues are said to occupy a primary place.
Such prayer is identified with praying in the spirit or with the spirit,
which, since it is not mental, can be done at all times. This spiritual
prayer does not intend to eliminate mental prayer, i.e., prayer with the
understanding, but to afford the continuous undergirding and
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 background for all conceptual prayer.
The ideal is prayer with the spirit and with the mind (in that order).
Where prayer passes into praise it may likewise be singing with the spirit
and singing with the mind.
For the charismatic movement at large singing in the spirit, singing in
tongues, occupies an important place, particularly in situations of
community worship. Therein both words and melody are free
expressions believed to be given spontaneously by the Holy Spirit. This,
often combined with more usual singing, is seen as the apex of worship:
it is the worship of God in psalms and human and (climatically) spiritual
songs.
Speaking in tongues is understood to be not irrational, but super-ational
utterance. It is not the forsaking of the rational for the nonsensical,
hence gibberish, but the fulfillment and transcendence of the rational
in the spiritual. Charismatics are not disturbed by linguists who claim
that glossolalia has no observable language structure, for if such were
the case, speaking in tongues would not be spiritual but rational speech.
Further, speaking in tongues is not viewed as ecstatic utterance, in the
sense of uncontrolled, highly emotional, perhaps frenzied activity. While
containing a strong emotional (even a rational) element, glossolalia runs
deeper than the emotions. Both reason, (or mind) and emotions are
aspects of the human psyche (psyche), whether on the conscious or
subconscious level.
Speaking in tongues is thus understood to be trans-psychical; it belongs
to the realm of the spirit (pneuma). Most persons in the charismatic
movement view speaking in tongues as directly connected with the
event of Spirit baptism.
The Scriptures in Acts which specifically record speaking in tongues
(2:4; 10:46; 19:6) state that it occurred with persons who had just
received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Glossolalia in Acts therefore is closely
linked with Spirit baptism, as an immediately ensuing activity. Hence,
most charismatics believe that there can be no speaking in tongues
without prior Spirit baptism (this is the opposite of saying that there can
be no Spirit baptism without speaking in tongues).
The reason would seem to follow from the very nature of baptism in the
Spirit: a fullness of the Spirit that overflows into transcendent prayer and
praise. Granted this fullness, the outpouring of the Spirit, glossolalia may
be expected. Further, according to Acts when speaking in tongues occurred,
the Scriptures state, or imply, that everyone present, did so.
Thus, charismatics generally conclude that speaking in tongues is not
limited to some, but is the province of all. Also, these very tongues may
thereafter become an ongoing part of the life of prayer and worship. Such
tongues are sometimes called "devotional tongues," and are viewed as an
important part of the prayer life of the “Spirit– baptized” believers.
In addition to viewing glossolalia as a concomitant of Spirit baptism and
belonging to the Spirit filled life, most charismatics affirm that though one
may speak in tongues as a consequence of Spirit baptism, he may not have
"the gift of tongues" for public ministry in the body of believers. This is

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based not on Acts, but on 1 Cor. 12, where Paul depicts tongues as one
of several manifestations of the Holy Spirit for the common good.
In this situation, tongues are to be spoken as the Spirit apportions, by the
few not the many, and only when there is one present to interpret. Though
all may be able to speak in tongues (Paul's expressed desire), not all are
so directed by the Holy Spirit.
The phenomenon of tongues is the same, whether in Acts or 1 Cor., whether
in the life of prayer or in the body of believers; it is addressed not to men
but to God. However, the practice of tongues is said to be quite different in
that what belongs to the life of the Spirit filled believer is not necessarily
exercised by him in the Christian fellowship.
Finally, there are those in the charismatic movement who place little
emphasis on speaking in tongues. They do not disregard glossolalia, or by
any means rule it out, but, focusing almost entirely on 1 Cor. chapters 12-
14, view speaking in tongues as only one of several manifestations of the
Holy Spirit. Hence if one does not speak in tongues, this does not signify
any lack of Spirit baptism; it is only that the Holy Spirit has not apportioned
to such a person that particular gift.
Such a view based more on the distribution of gifts in 1 Cor. than the
association of glossolalia with Spirit baptism in Acts, is obviously quite
different from what has previously been described. Accordingly, to many
other charismatics this failure to relate glossolalia primarily to the gift of
the Spirit as its concomitant and as an ensuing expression in the life of
prayer and praise is to overlook the basic purpose of tongues.
3. Spiritual Gifts
By definition the charismatic movement is concerned with “charismata”,
the Greek term for "gifts of grace." Everywhere throughout the
charismatic movement there is the claim that all the charismata, or
charisms, mentioned in Scripture are, or should be, operational in the
Christian community.
Whereas in large sectors of Christendom many of the gifts have
been viewed as belonging only to first century Christianity, the
charismatic movement stresses their continuing importance.
Many charismatics prefer the name "charismatic renewal" to
"charismatic movement" to lay emphasis on a renewal of the gifts in our
time.
It is generally recognized that the biblical charismata include a wide
range of gifts as described in Rom. 12:6 - 8; 1 Pet. 4:10 - 11; and
1 Cor. 12 - 14. (The word
"charisma" is also used in Rom. 1:11; 5:15 - 16; 6:23; 1 Cor. 1:7; 7:7;
II Cor. 1:11;
1 Tim. 4:14; II Tim. 1:6; "charismata" in Rom. 11:29.)
All these gifts, charismatics hold, should be functional in the body of
Christ. The focal point of charismatics, however, is 1 Cor. 12 - 14,
especially 12:4-11. They suggest a number of reasons for this:
1. These suggest a number of reasons for "the manifestation of the
Spirit," hence they have a unique importance as the direct expression
and action of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual gifts, accordingly, make for
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 a dynamic, vital community life.
2. The spiritual gifts are "power tools" for the upbuilding of the
community. Each one functioning properly is essential to the full life
of the body.
3. The exercise of the spiritual charismata by all makes for total
ministry. It is not just the few (e.g., pastors, elders, deacons) who
are to be channels for the Spirit's manifestation, but each person in
the community.
4. A body of Christians in which spiritual gifts, along with other gifts and
ministries, are operating, is a community of spontaneity in worship,
dynamism in ministry, and rich fellowship with one another.
5. It is through the exercise of these spiritual gifts that the church
comes alive to "high voltage" Christianity: an extraordinary sense of
the exalted Lord's presence in the Spirit moving powerfully among
his people.
A profile on charismatic understanding of the spiritual gifts would include
the following:
1. All the gifts of the Spirit are viewed as extraordinary, supernatural,
and permanent. The spiritual charismata as described in 1 Cor. 12:8-
10 are not arranged in a hierarchy so that "word of wisdom" is the
highest and "interpretation of tongues" the least. The greatest gift
at a given time is that which edifies most.
2. All the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy (the direct utterance of God
to his people in their own language), are earnestly to be desired (1
Cor. 14:1); thus, an attitude of "seek not" about any gifts is a
violation of God's intention for his people.
3. The gifts of the Spirit, because of their high potency and possible
abuse, need to be carefully ordered. Abuse, however, does not call for
disuse but proper use.
4. The spiritual gifts will not cease until we see him "face to face";
then they will be no longer needed for the edification of the
community.
5. Love is the "way" of the gifts, without love they profit nothing, and
love will endure forever.
A word should be added about the relation of baptism with the Holy Spirit
to the gifts of the Spirit. Charismatics often state that baptism in the Spirit
is initiation into the dynamic dimension; the gifts of the Spirit are dynamic
manifestation. Hence baptism with the Spirit is for living in power and glory;
the spiritual charismata are works of power and glory. Many charismatics
affirm that whenever Spirit baptism occurs, the gifts, which are already
resident in the Christian community, become all the more freely and fully
exercised.
Finally, charismatics generally recognize that spiritual gifts cannot
substitute for spiritual fruit. The fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, etc.
(Gal. 5:22), represent the maturation of the believer in Christ. The most
immature believer, if he is open to the Holy Spirit, may be Spirit filled and
exercising extraordinary gifts, and yet have experienced little of the Spirit's

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sanctifying grace. Such a person needs all the more to grow up into Christ.
4. Evaluations
Outside evaluations of the charismatic movement vary today from
outright rejection to mixed acceptance. More than one hundred official
denominational documents earlier mentioned demonstrate on the whole
an increasing openness, but with reservations, to many of its features.
Critics of the theology of the charismatic movement have expressed
disagreements variously.
1. Baptism with the Holy Spirit: some hold that it is improper, biblically
and theologically, to refer to this as an experience possibly
subsequent to conversion; others claim that whereas Spirit baptism
may be a second experience, the primary purpose is not empowering
but sanctification.
2. Speaking in tongues: some do not recognize glossolalia as having any
longer a connection with Spirit baptism (the book of Acts being
viewed as transitional) but consider it as only a lesser gift of the Holy
Spirit available to some, or no longer available at all.
3. Spiritual gifts: some divide the spiritual gifts into "temporary" and
"permanent," claiming that the former have been withdrawn whereas
the latter continue; tongues and prophecy in particular are said to
have ceased with the completion of the canon of Scripture. It is
apparent from such criticisms that much more theological work needs
to be done.
*** Notes from: J R Williams : (Elwell Evangelical Dictionary)
Bibliography
Charismatic: D J Bennett, “The Holy Spirit and You”
L Christenson, “Speaking in Tongues and Its Significance for the Church” S
Clark, “Baptized in the Spirit and Spiritual Gifts”
H M Ervin, “These Are Not Drunken As Ye Suppose” M Harper, “Power for
the Body of Christ”
K McDonnell, ed., “The Holy Spirit and Power: The Catholic Charismatic
Renewal” J Rea, “The Layman's Commentary on the Holy Spirit”
R P Spittler, ed., “Perspectives on the New Pentecostalism” L J Cardinal
Suenens, “A New Pentecost?”
J R Williams, “The Era of the Spirit, The Pentecostal Reality, and The Gift
of the Holy Spirit Today”
A. A. Hoekema, “Holy Spirit Baptism”
J F MacArthur, “The Charismatics: A Doctrinal Perspective” J R W Stott,
“The Baptism and Fullness of the Holy Spirit”
J D Camm, “The Gifts, Administrations and Operations of the Holy Spirit”
(Reference directory)
The individual articles presented here were generally first published in
the early 1980's. This subject presentation was first placed on the
Internet in May 1997.

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 For further study, this page Charismatic Movement is at:
http://www.mb-soft.com/believe/text/charisma.htm

UNIT FOUR: THE APOSTOLIC RENEWAL15

The students will undertake private study of these two books to get an
understanding of the Apostolic renewal Movement across the globe and how
it affects the Body of Christ in Australia, as we move into this 21st century.
[Apostolic Strategies for Kingdom Reformation by Israel Onoriobe: [ISBN
1-920135-19-4] [Apostles Today, by Paul Galligan]
The students will provide their workbooks for examination and assessment
for this unit of the course.

UNIT FIVE: THE FIRST CHAPLAIN TO THE COLONIES IN NEW

SOUTH WALES
Even before the First Fleet set off from England, King George III had already
decreed that Christianity would go forth with the sailors, the army guards
and with the prisoners. From His own purse, the King provided the funds
for the commissioning of the “Chaplain of the Colonies”, to go forth and
preach the gospel in this new land, making sure that the Word of God was
the basis upon which the new settlement was founded.
The Reverend Richard Johnson was appointed the first “Chaplain to the
Colonies” in 1787.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS:

"..at 4 am fired the gun and made the signal to weigh, weighed and
16

made sail, in company with the hyena frigate, supply armed tender, six
transports and three store ships, at 9 am fired a gun and made the signal
for the convoy to make more sail."
With these words the logbook of HMS Sirius recorded the departure of what
we know today as "The First Fleet". The eleven ships of the fleet under the
command of Captain Arthur Phillip RN took their leave from Portsmouth,
England early on Sunday 13 May 1787 bound for a virtually unknown shore
eight long months - and half a world away.
The escort vessel, HMS Hyaena stayed with the fleet until it was clear of
the English - channel and into open waters.
15
Apostolic Strategies for Kingdom Reformation by Israel Onoriobe:
[ISBN 1-920135-19-4] Apostles Today, by Paul Galligan
16
Extract from the Coastal Pioneers, by JD Camm

401
The ships of the First Fleet were: Charlotte, Borrowdale, Alexander,
Fishburn, Golden Grove, HMS Sirius, MS Supply, Lady Penrhyn,
Prince of Wales and Scarborough.
Aboard were some 750 convicts from Britain’s overcrowded prison
system. They were bound for Botany Bay, there to establish the first
European settlement on Australian soil.17
The first fleet saw the start of the “Boat people” to come to Australia,
however with one major difference. The boat people of the 20 th and 21st
centuries leave their countries, to escape the terror or persecution of the
regimes in power, whilst the “boat people of 1787” were carefully chosen
by the finest magistrates and judges in the United Kingdom, and sent to
Australia, because of their crimes. They had no choice in the matter; they
were forcibly transported to this nation.
The ships set off from England under the responsibility of Captain Arthur
Philip in the middle of 1787 and arrived in Botany Bay in early January
1788. They found no fresh water at Botany Bay and decided it was not a
pleasant site for a colony and moved to the next bay, Port Jackson.
17
Extract from the account: The First Fleet 1787-1788 The Voyage

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 This later became known as Sydney Cove, then as Sydney Harbour, where
they raised the flag of England, Scotland & Wales18 (not the Union Jack) on
January 26th 1788, the day we now celebrate as Australia Day. But
unfortunately, not so for the aborigines, who were to receive a terrible
reception from the “new” arrivals.
The sketch below19 shows how the early colony was to be established. But
that is enough about Sydney Cove, because greater researchers and
authors than I, have committed many books to this topic. Let us go on with
the story about The Coastal Pioneers and the early settlers of this nation
and the pastors, evangelists and preachers who came to this nation to
spread the Word of God in this nation and into the wider Pacific Region.

ISBN: [978-0-646-52443-
6]
From the writings of Rev. Sir Marcus L. Loane, in his book: “Hewn from
the Rock”20, we get a rather interesting insight to early settlements in
New South Wales, as he recounts the events and problems of the early
Christian Chaplains, who were commissioned by the Crown of England, to
come to New South Wales and to teach and maintain good Christian moral
values.

18
See the Spiritual Significance of our Australian Flag in the appendix.
19
from the National Library of Australia
20
Hewn From the Rock by Marcus L Loane ISBN 909827 68 0

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DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNS IN NEW SOUTH WALES21
This is a different method of documenting the development of Australia and
the region. I have used the commencement of “church, or other services”
in each place to denote its existence. This may seem strange to some
readers, but many do not realise that Australia was founded on very strong
Christian evangelical principles.
The first Christian Service was held in Sydney Cove one week after
the fleet arrived on the 3rd February 1788 by the Rev. Richard
Johnson, Chaplain to the Colonies.
It was held under a “great big tree” with a mixed group in the congregation
of soldiers and convicts. The text for that first service was from Psalm
116:12: “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits
towards me?”
To some of the convicts this may have seemed a strange sermon theme,
especially as they had been forcibly taken from their homes and loved-ones
in England, charged, convicted of some minor crime, like stealing a half loaf
of bread and ordered to be “transported to the colonies”.
But God had a purpose for them here in this land and many cases are shown
where their original talents and skills were made use of here at Sydney
Cove, designing buildings, constructing roads and bridges, which still stand
today.
Church Services were extended to Parramatta in 1790. This was followed
by services to Toongabbie in 1791.
Many people probably do not realise that Australian missionaries went out
into other countries, while we were yet still a very young colony. Richard
Johnson commenced services on Norfolk Island among the soldiers and
convicts in 1791 – just three (3) years after the colony was established.
He sent Rev. James Bain to Norfolk Island in 1792, where he remained
until recalled by Grose in 1794. He then returned to England. Samuel
Marsden replaced Rev. James Bain as Assistant Chaplain of the Colonies in
March 1794.
Richard Johnson was very concerned with the illiteracy of convicts, free
settlers, aborigines and the lack of formal education in the colony. He
should be recognised as the pioneer of education in this nation.
By March 1792 he had established schools in Sydney, Parramatta and
Norfolk Island. There were more than 150 students in the school in
Sydney some six years later.

It was said by John Newton (the composer of the famous hymn Amazing Grace) about
Richard Johnson: “The seed you sow in the Settlement may be sown for future
generations and be transplanted in time far and near. I please myself with the
hope that Port Jackson may be the spot from whence the Gospel light may
hereafter spread in all directions”.

This hope outlined above is what actually happened. The Gospel of Jesus
Christ went out from Sydney Cove to New Zealand, New Guinea, to the
South Sea Islands and to most parts of Asia and Africa within the next
100 years.

404
21
Extracts from the book entitled: “Hewn from the Rock” by Rev. Sir
Marcus Loane KBE MA DD

Samuel Marsden received a Crown Grant in Hunters Hill of 100 acres in

1794 and later a further 101 acres in grants. He purchased an additional
239 acres from other settlers. By 1805 his holdings had increased to 1730
acres and he was running over 1000 head of sheep, as well as cattle, pigs,
growing fruit trees and a market garden.
His land holdings expanded rapidly after the discovery of a way over the
Blue Mountains by Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth in 1812. He had holdings
in Hunter’s Hill, Parramatta, Windsor, Richmond, and beyond Bathurst. His
three daughters received grants along the Molong Creek, which later
developed into the property known as Gamboola Station. In 1795, Samuel
Marsden was appointed magistrate of the Hunter Valley.
In the early days it was not uncommon for clergy in England to have the
role of “moral teacher” and “legal disciplinarian”. Here in the colonies this
was necessary for the civil authorities to be able to carry out their duties.
Unfortunately for Marsden, his role as a magistrate caused him a lot of
trouble, in that his punishments were more severe compared to other
clergy/magistrates of that period. Can you imagine hearing a sermon on
Sunday, then being arrested and facing the same pastor (now the
magistrate) who tells you: “I told you last Sunday in church that the Bible
says “Thou shall not steal”, but here you are before me, charged with
stealing; Well, I have to forgive you for your sin because I am a Christian
– but as the magistrate, I have to order your punishment. Bailiff – Take
this man out and give him ten lashes – one for each of the 10
commandments”.
Most people did not understand Marsden’s vision(s) for this country and
what potential He foresaw the sheep industry would have to this nation. In
1813 he exported the first 8000 lbs of prime wool from Australia
back to England and so became the real pioneer of the wool export
industry.
Marsden was a many facetted person, who wanted the gospel to be spread
far and wide. In 1798 missionaries who had been in Tahiti returned to Port
Jackson, among them Rowland Hassall, who was later to become one of
Marsden’s most capable farm managers.
In 1806 Samuel Marsden - purchased with his own funds, a small ship
called the Hawkesbury, so that the missionaries could travel among
the islands of the South Pacific.
In 1812 King Pomare made a commitment to Jesus Christ and by 1814
there were more than 50 converts on Tahiti alone.
In December 1815 Marsden wrote to the Directors of the London Missionary
Society the following words about the missionaries: “I rejoice exceedingly
that their labours are at last crowned with wonderful success. The natives
of the Society Islands have literally cast their gods into the fire.”
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 Marsden’s attention was then directed towards New Zealand because of
visits by Maoris to Port Jackson in whaling vessels. In 1803, a Maori chief
called Te Pahi visited Sydney Cove and regularly asked questions about
God, Jesus Christ and the English form of religion. In addition, he often
attended church services in Sydney and Parramatta.
In 1808 Marsden discussed a proposal with the Church Missionary Society
to have missionaries go and establish a work in New Zealand. As a result
of this discussion William Hall, a carpenter and John King, a textile worker
came to Sydney Cove to start this work in New Zealand. They arrived in
Australia in February 1810 only to learn that there had been a Maori
massacre of the crew of the Boyd in the Bay of Islands a few months
earlier. In the meantime Marsden set about putting these two
“missionaries” to work among the Aborigines in and around Parramatta.
In 1814 Marsden - purchased with his own funds, a 110 ton brig called
the Active, to transport the families, provisions and supplies to New
Zealand. On this voyage was William Hall (mentioned above) and Thomas
Kendall, a school teacher. Their task was to reconnoitre the Bay of Islands
and the surrounding areas. They returned to Sydney with several Maori
chiefs and the Governor at last allowed Marsden to go to New Zealand to
commence this important work.
He sailed from Port Jackson on 28th November 1814 with Kendall, Hall and
King, together with their wives and five children. At this occasion he is
recorded as saying: “I hope to erect the standard of Christ’s kingdom
there and to hear the sacred trumpet sound the glad tidings of
salvation.”
They crossed the 1,000 miles of the Tasman Sea and anchored inside a
cove in the Bay of Island on 23rd December 1814. The next day plans were
made to hold the first-ever church service in New Zealand.
On Christmas morning 25th December 1814, with the text given by the
voice of angels to the shepherds in Bethlehem some 1800 years before, his
voice rang out: “Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy.” (Luke
2:10)
“In this manner the Gospel has been introduced into New Zealand and I
fervently pray that the glory of it may never depart from its inhabitants till
time shall be no more” wrote Marsden of this special historic occasion.
[Comment]: It is interesting to note that here was a man, called by God to preach the gospel and to
administer moral justice to the community. “Out of his own funds” he purchased 2 ships to be used
for the transportation of missionaries, their families, goods and supplies to other countries, so they
could commence their missionary work.
Some 200 years later I do not see ministers of religion in the Christian churches in Australia with the
same amount of zeal to give up their own lifestyle and comfort zones to purchase transportation
vehicles, to assist missionary work in other countries. Look where we are now and how far we have
fallen.

Till the end of his life his love for the ministry in New Zealand was very
close to his heart and he made a further 8 trips to New Zealand to inspect
the work and to encourage the new converts and the missionaries alike.
His last visit was in 1837 and Maoris came from near and far to have “one
last very long steadfast look at the old man, because he cannot live
long enough to visit us again”.

406
At this stage there were in New Zealand:
• 11 mission stations
• 35 missionaries
• 51 schools
• 178 communicants
• 2176 worshippers
In 1836 William Grant Broughton became the first Bishop of Australia and
Samuel Marsden was able to transfer some of his duties and live a quieter
life.
He had consecrated churches in:
• Parramatta in 1803
• Church Hill in 1810
• Windsor in 1821
• Hobart in 1823
• King Street in Sydney in 1824

He was the first President of the New South Wales Auxiliary of the Church
Missionary Society, and promoted missionary projects among the
Aborigines, the first being in the Wellington Valley in 1832.
He died in the parsonage at Windsor on 12 th May 1838 and was buried in
St. John’s Cemetery in Parramatta.
After his death the Church Missionary Society paid him this tribute: “With
paternal authority and affection, and with solemnity of one who felt himself
to be standing on the verge of eternity, he then gave his parting benediction
to the missionaries and the native converts”

The services of the first two chaplains to Sydney Cove covered a span of fifty years. Rev.
Samuel Marsden was a Chaplain for forty-four years of that period.

It is said that both Richard Johnson and Samuel Marsden were third
generation evangelists, “of the awakening” under Whitfield and John
& Charles Wesley.
As a result of their untiring efforts their names must be held in honour by
the churches in both countries until “time shall be no more”.
In the late 1700’s the Government of England, under the kingship of George
III considered it of great importance that a Chaplain be appointed, to go
with, console, counsel and preach Christian values to the people who were
going to create this new colony and a new nation.
Some 200 years later here in Australia, we have stooped to a position where
in some states it is now not lawful for Christian religious education to be
taught in public schools, Creation Theory, as told in the Bible, is forbidden
in state schools and Evolution Theory is now widely taught in our schools
and universities.
In just 6 generations we have moved away from strong Christian principles
to a moral world view which is satanic in nature, with little or no recognition
of a Supreme Power, which rules all of creation.
The sanctity of life, the definition of marriage, and the rule of law, are now
all in jeopardy. Now the rights of sinful minority groups (gays & lesbians)
are more important than the truth that is clearly spelled out in the Holy
Scriptures.

407
Clergymen have been charged under the vilification laws from saying things
about Muslims which is clearly written in their Book – the Quran. They have
been charged and found guilty for speaking the truth!!!
Below is a list of Christian Chaplains and ministers who came to Australia
in our early formative years. We should never forget them.
It is said that Prophetic words are history written in advance, well the
history of Australia is far from over. Great Prophets of the 18th, 19th and
20th centuries have all said the same thing – God is not finished with this
nation, nor is he going to let the evil which exists in this world destroy His
ultimate plans for His sovereign people.
As it was in Old Testament times, God Almighty chose an insignificant
people (Israel) and set them apart, as a witness and as an example to that
the nations upon the earth. He would show through this nation what
happens when a nation is obedient to His laws and His plans (there is
peace and prosperity in the land), but He would also show in the nation
what happens when a king, or a prophet fails to follow the words and the
Plan of God Almighty. (There would be famine, wars, torture, persecutions
and death across the land).
So, it shall be in the end times. God will again take an insignificant nation
(Australia) and set it apart as an example to all the nations of the earth.
God will rise up His standard in this nation and God will rise up and equip
mighty people of God to go out from this nation to all the nations of the
earth to preach, teach and evangelise all nations.
This will be in the midst of extreme hardship and persecution, both from a
government who has turned completely away from God’s laws, God’s
precepts and God’s values, and from a people who consider it more
important to worship “sun gods”, or “cricket gods”, or “football gods” than
to worship the Creator, who willingly gave up His only Son, Jesus Christ, to
be sacrificed and die for our sins.
Even though we are unworthy as a nation, God still wants to use us. Only
future historians will be able to tell if we proved worthy of this task.

Name Arrived Date Comments about Died in

Port their service
Jackson
Richard “ 1788 Returned to England in 18001827
Johnson
James Bain “ 1791 Returned to England in 1794
Samuel “ 1794 St. John’s Parramatta 1838
Marsden
Henry Foulton “ 1800 Castlereagh & Richmond 1840
William “ 1809 St. Phillip’s Sydney 1858
Cowper
Robert “ 1810 Collector 1856
Cartwright
Benjamin Vale “ 1814 Returned to England 1816 1863
John Youl “ 1816 Tasmania in 1819 1827

408
Richard Hill “ 1819 St. James, Sydney 1836
John Cross “ 1819 Port Macquarie 1858
George “ 1820 Resigned from the ministry 1848
Augustus in 1827, then changed his
Middleton mind and was Re-Licensed in
1837
Thomas “ 1820 Campbelltown 1838
Reddall
Thomas “ 1822 Cowpastures (Cobbitty) 1868
Hassall
Frederick “ 1825 Suspended in 1830 1866
Wilkinson Re-Licensed in 1833.
Returned to England in 1837
Thomas Hobbs “ 1825 Returned to England 1829 1860
Scott
Matthew “ 1825 Retired in 1860 1878
Devenish
Meares
John Espy “ 1825 Returned to England in 1841
Keane
Charles “ 1827 Newcastle 1859
Pleydell Neale
Wilton
Elijah Smith “ 1828 Returned to England in1870
1831. Returned to NSW in
1851
John Vincent “ 1828 Penrith 1854
Joseph Docker “ 1828 Resigned in 1833 1865
William Grant“ 1829 Consecrated Australia’s 1853
Broughton first Bishop in 1836
Thomas “ 1830 Retired in 1870 1877
Sharpe
Charles “ 1831 Hunter’s Hill 1839
Dickinson
George Innes “ 1831 The King’s School, Sydney 1832
Robert Forrest “ 1832 The King’s School, 1854
Parramatta
Harold Tarlton “ 1833 St. Matthews, Windsor 1867
Stiles
George “ 1834 Maitland 1859
Keylock
Rusden
William “ 1834 Stroud 1902
Macquarie
Cowper

409
APPENDIX:
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG

There have been many comments lately about removing the “Union Jack”
from our national flag – but most Australians would not know how this flag
is made up – or its Spiritual significance.

1. THE COMPOSITION OF OUR FLAG

Righteousness, exalts a nation. A nation’s heart is in its flag. The flag

is made up of several pieces – but most of us have no idea of their
spiritual significance.

[Psalm 60:4] says: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear

thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.”

The cornerstone of Australia’s heritage is based upon the Bible and
Christian truths, which are symbolised in our flag.

410
[Psalm 20:5] says: “In the name of our God we will set up our banners”.
It is a visual reminder that we are a covenant people, first under law, and
now under grace.
The Red Cross on a white background is the ancient Hebrew Flag used by
King David. It clearly defines our link to Christ – the Line of David which
will have no end.
This was the flag of England, from the time of the Romans in approximately
100 A.D, right up until 1606 and used by the Crusades, from all Christian
nations in Europe, as they went to claim back Jerusalem from the Turkish
Muslim Empire.

2. The Flags of Scotland and Wales are added in 1606

This is the same year that Capt. Janzoon in the Dufkyen, mapped 300 miles
of the Queensland coastline and Capt. Ferdinand De Quiros claimed this
southern region for Jesus Christ, as the Great Southland of the Holy
Spirit.

In fact, it was this flag (the Flag of England, Scotland & Wales)
which was raised up at Sydney Cove on the 26 th January 1788 [Not
the Union Jack – because the Union Jack was not created until 1806, when
the flag of Ireland was added.]

3. The Flag of Ireland is added in 1806, to create what we call the

Union Jack today.

411
The Australian Flag at Federation
This national flag was selected by a competition, just like the design
for the Opera House was selected by an international competition. That
is also what makes our flag so special; there was democracy in
operation in selecting our national flag.

The stars on the Australian flag represent the Southern Cross – our
geographic location, and Federation.
5 of the 6 stars have 7 sides. Scripturally, the number 7 means perfection
and completeness.

4. The Colours in our Flag.

• The three colours of “Red”, “White” and “Blue” were used in the
tabernacle in the wilderness for the curtains, according to God’s
specifications.
• The “white” linen represents the white robes of righteousness, given by
the Lord to His people.
• “Red” signifies the blood covenant fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and the

412
 sacrifices of our troops in many conflicts to keep our country safe.
• “Blue” is the national colour of (Ancient) Israel, and of God’s right to rule
over mankind.
• For more information: read Numbers 15:36-41. [Numbers 15: 36-41:
Israel was instructed to wear a “ribbon of blue” as a remembrance to
keep God’s commandments and to be holy throughout the generations.]

5. God’s Signature is on our Flag

The Lord said: “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.” This
is as recorded in the Book of Revelation.
These are the first and the last letters in the Greek alphabet, in which the
New Testament was recorded.
However, Jesus would have spoken to Apostle John in either Hebrew, or
Galilean Aramaic (His native tongue).
In the Ancient Hebrew, the first letter of the alphabet was Aleph [x] and
the last letter was Tau [+]

When placed upon each other, you have the Union Jack. This

clearly says: I, Jesus the First and the Last, have put my signature

upon your flag.

The three crosses also signify the three covenants of Abraham, Moses and
Christ, that God made with Israel.

6. The Genius of God

What a wonderful fulfilment, that a flag consisting of the symbols of an
invisible hand would be displayed in these latter days, before His return, as
a reminder of His covenant with His people.
Whether or not the people embrace Him or reject Him, our heritage is God-
given and our flag is the history of God’s plan for us.
To reject our flag and the Union Jack is nothing more than the rejection of
God’s name. It reflects our state of heart.
To replace it with pagan symbols (trees, kangaroos, etc) is rebellion against
God Himself. To turn our backs on our God-given heritage is inviting fatal
consequences.
It is an honour to have these divine symbols on our flag.
How thankful our chosen nation should be. We should never allow these
symbols of God’s protection to be removed from our national flag.

413
PRINCIPLES & CHARACTERISTICS OF SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
AQF CODE: CTTNBC - 010COURSE HOURS:
Teaching: 10 Research: 30
Assignments: 20
Total: 60

COURSE OUTCOMES:
The aim of this module is to identify the Principles and Characteristics
of Spiritual Leadership, that is required in the church today.
The students will identify and recognize that God establishes special types
of leaders, for different types of situations and events.
Different types of leaders will be identified by researching the following
biblical leaders.
• Moses
• Nehemiah
• David
• Solomon
• Isaiah
• Paul

METHOD OF COURSE DELIVERY:

The students will review the documentation in class notes entitled: “What
Makes Good Leaders?” and the book entitled: “The Seven Pillars of
Christianity”
The students will then break into small groups to research and develop a
matrix of principles and characteristics of spiritual leadership from the
information provided, from the scriptures relating to these identified
leaders, and from other references sources.
The students will examine if these attributes are different in the secular
world and give reasons for their findings.
The students will examine the 5-fold ministry template of Ephesians 4:11
and identify how these ministries to the Body of Christ are to be
implemented, using the matrix identified in (2) above.
The students will identify if there are any contradictions between the
identified matrix principles of (2) above and the implementation of the 5-
fold ministry template of Ephesians 4:11 and give reasons for the
contradictions.

ASSESSMENT METHODS:
The students will break up into small groups and research the
information identified in the Method of Course Delivery.
The small groups will prepare a group presentation, to be presented to
the whole class, including the following points:
Identifying the results of their investigations and list their principles and
characteristics for spiritual leadership.

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Present their small group matrix on the Principles and Characteristics of
Spiritual leadership and if it varies from secular leadership.
The principles of the 5-fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11, and suggest how
this can be implemented into the Body of Christ today.
Identify any foreseen problems of implementing the principles and
characteristics of spiritual leadership into the Body of Christ today.

For Online Students:

Where it says break into groups, you either do that in groups in
the town/city where you live, or you have to do it all by yourself,
unless you interconnect with other students on-line.

LESSON ONE: WHAT MAKES GOOD LEADERS IN THE CHURCH

TODAY?

What makes good leaders is a question, which has been travelling around
the Religious Conference circuit now, for nearly half a century, but still our
leaders do not seem to be getting any better. Why is that?
Firstly, I think that the leaders of today, have failed to recognise that one
type of leader does not fit all types of situations, hence the “one shoe fits
all mentality” is not founded on scripture. For example:
Moses:
When God wanted a leader to go and face Pharaoh, and demand that God’s
people be allowed to leave Egypt, God raised up Moses ~ a man raised and
educated inside the Egyptian culture, a man who could read and speak
like a native, and who understood the etiquette of the Pharaoh’s house.
Prior to sending him back to Egypt, Moses was honed and changed in the
desert for 40 years, until he was ready to heed and obey the Master’s call.
Was Moses an enthusiastic follower of His calling? No! He made all the
excuses under the sun as to why God should pick someoneelse – but
eventually He agreed to take up the challenge and doas God commanded.
Moses wandered the desert for 40 years moulding the people intoa nation,
establishing scriptural administration and aleadership structure, within the
nation of Israel.
This was a very special type of leadership for a special situation and time
in the life of the nation of Israel.
Moses was a special type of leader selected by God for a special task.
Nehemiah:
When God needed the walls around Jerusalem to be rebuilt, God did not
call a “Moses” type leader to undertake this task, He raised up Nehemiah –
an encourager prophet, to plan and encourage the people to rebuild the
wall around Jerusalem.
Here again God selected a special kind of leader, for a special type of task
within the nation of Israel.
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David:
When God wanted the nation of Israel to experience the golden era of
peace and prosperity, God raised up a man after His own heart – David: a
warrior, prophet, priest, musician, and king to the people of Israel.
A “Moses” type leader or a “Nehemiah” type leader would not have
been adequately equipped to do this task.
God had to rise up somebody especially equipped to fit the requirements
of leadership to meet all the requirements of thetask set before Him.
David was a special type of leader selected by God for a special task.
Solomon:
When God wanted to build His temple, not even King David, was an
adequate choice.
God raised up King Solomon, a man gifted with a double portion of wisdom
to undertake this enormous task.
Here was a man who was able to organise all types of artisans to work
independently and collectively on one of the major construction projects of
that period. King Solomon was one of the first Project Managers of the
Bible era.
Here again, God selects a special leader for a special task.
Isaiah:
When God needed a statesman/prophet, none of the leadership types
already identified was right for the task.
God chose Isaiah to lead and advise the nation of Israel, but also to
prophecy into the distant future; events which would happen.
Here in 66 chapters are some of the greatest prophetic utterances of the
whole Bible.
Isaiah was able to prophecy:
How the Son of God would be born?
What would be His role on earth?
What would be His ministry on earth?
How He would be captured?
How He would be tried with a “kangaroo court”
How He would be put to death?
How He would be raised up to glory?
Isaiah had the revelation of salvation in all its fullness, through the blood
of Jesus Christ.
All these prophecies were made some 42 generations before Jesus was
born.
A very special type of leader, for a very special task.
Paul:
When God needed a fearless church planter, He did not choose from
the leadership types mentioned above, nor did He choose any of the 12
disciples who spent 3 years with Him as apprentices, to become the 12
Apostles. No! Jesus took a man who firstly opposed Christianity.

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He changed his life on the road to Damascus.
Remoulded his theology in the Arabian Desert, in Holy Spirit Bible School.
Gave him a burning desire to teach & preach the message, that the Messiah
had come, the one all the Jews were anxiously waiting for.
When this message was rejected by the Jews, He took the message of
salvation to the Gentiles and the “Age of the Gentiles” began.
Through the revelation of the Holy Spirit to Apostle Paul, we have many of
the Epistles of the New Testament and some of the best theology about
leadership, giftings, order of service and church administration available in
the Bible today.
A very special type of leader for a very special task.
Points to note:
Throughout all of Biblical history, whenever God has needed someone to
plan, initiate, organise, revive or implement a “God project”, He has raised
up leaders to do this task.
As we have seen from the examples above, God selects a different type of
leader for each “different type of task”. A “one shoe fits all” mentality
of leadership, does not line up with scripture. [Salvation Army, PLEASE
TAKE NOTE!]
It is this SPECIAL TYPE OF LEADERSHIP, in today’s church, which is going
to listen to, and obey, the voice of the Holy Spirit.
To receive a vision, or creative event, for the biblical functioning
community, that God is trying to establish, in a specific city, town, or
nation.
It is that type of leadership, which is going to insist that teaching, and
fellowship, will bring a revelation into the lives of the believers.
When revelation occurs within the Body, transformation can then take
place, in the individual, and the collective lives, of the whole corporate Body
of Christ.
It is the leadership of the Church, which will instil the importance that the
Church be a “House of Prayer” [24/7] and that prayer, is one of the
cornerstones, of our daily communication with God, not just when we are
in trouble, when we want something, or for a few minutes on a Sunday
morning.
It is this type of leadership, who recognises that teaching, on the
importance of the Blood of Jesus Christ, must continue in the church today.
It is this type of leadership, who insists that the Holy Spirit gifts are to
be active, and in use, in the Body of Christ today.
It is type of leadership, which recognises the importance of the 5- fold
ministries, as defined in Ephesians 4:11 and these are still needed in the
Body of Christ today, so that all may be elevated, toa higher level of
spiritual maturity, continually approaching the likeness of Jesus Christ.
It is this God appointed leadership, who will coordinate ministries, establish
small group structures, within individual churches and/or cities, and lift up
the importance of worship as a lifestyle; (not just 30 minutes on a Sunday
morning) and inspire the congregations, under their care, to reach out to
people, who are spiritually lost, in the communities around them.

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Who will do all this? Leaders, that are who!
Romans 12:6-8 give a clear picture of what we all have to do as individuals
in the Body of Christ.
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to us. If a man’s gift
is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let
him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him
encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give
generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing
mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
In churches over the last 100 years, many of our churches have not been
led by leaders, but by teachers.
Leaders and teachers are two distinctly different types of giftings, and they
have two completely different viewpoints, behaviour patterns, and points
ofemphasis.
Both have important roles in the Body of Christ, but teachers cannot lead,
because they are focussing on a different agenda.

Teachers want to edify the Body of Christ, which is very important, and there will be no
change in the Body of Christ, without gifted and dedicated teachers.

Leaders on the other hand, want to take the congregation on a mission, intouncharted
territory, where their faith will be tested, where their gifts will be utilised, where they will be
forced “out of their comfort zones” and into active duty for the glory of God.

Teachers concentrate on Biblical studies and message preparation, but are

not quick to pick up the warning signs, and implement corrective steps,
that should take place within the church.
Programs maybe starting to deteriorate, the financial base of the church
maybe starting to be eroded, or the congregations’ morale could be
starting to fade.
Teachers will not pick up the early signs of these events, and sometimes
when it does become apparent to them (the teachers), it is almost too late
to correct without major surgery.
On the other hand, people with leadership giftings walking around in the
church, will have warning bells going off inside their heads. They will be
continually identifying problems:
We need to pay more attention to this!
We need to solve this problem ~ NOW!
We need to get this program back on track.

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We have to analyse why we are still doing this program this way, when
it is clearly not working.
We have to initiate a new program and focus on something else, asthe
Holy Spirit leads us.
Teachers want to bring all members of the congregation to a place where
they are biblically sound and not tossed back and forth by every different
doctrine.
On the other hand, Leaders want to encourage the individual members of
the congregation “to get involved” in the vision of where God wants to take
the Church.
From these examples, we can see that God has equipped Teachers and
Leaders with two different lenses, through which to view their roles and
their responsibilities within the Body of Christ. Both are important – but
both are distinctly different.
Whenever a person tries to minister in a position outside of his giftings, heis operating in the
flesh. Whenever that happens, God cannot bless the efforts, because God cannot go against His
own word.

In their book “Rediscovering Church” by Lynne & Bill Hybels1 they identify
eight ( 8) important points for leaders.

• Leaders have the ability to cast a vision.

• Leaders have the ability to release people into their giftings.
• Leaders have the ability to inspire and motivate people.
• Leaders have the ability to identify the need for positive change; and
then make it happen.
• Leaders establish core values.
• Leaders allocate resources effectively.
• Leaders have the ability to identify entropy2
• Leaders love to create a “leadership culture”.

1
Rediscovering Church: ISBN 0-310-20408-9
2
Entropy: (a) Lack of pattern or organization disorder; (b) The measure of
the efficiency of a system.

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IN CONCLUSION: WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER?

He/she is a person who is continually attuned to the Holy Spirit, and in-
tune with the Holy Spirit’s instructions, for their own individual lives, and
the lives of those people who the Holy Spirit has put under their care.
They have a clear vision and instructions from the Holy Spirit about their
tasks, and how to go about them.
They have the ability to impart the vision to their congregations and to “get
them actively involved in the vision, releasing individual people to utilise
their God given gifts, within the vision, and the congregation.
They are people who consider prayer to be of utmost importance, not only
for themselves, but also for the whole congregation, and actively encourage
people to become “People of Prayer”.
Leaders, are people who have the revelation that “Worship is a
Lifestyle”, and make sure that adequate teaching and resources are
available for the congregation to actively participate in worship on a daily
basis.
Finally, a good leader is a person who never expects his congregation to do
anything that he is not prepared to do himself. A good leader leads by
example.

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The Seven Pillars Of Christianity
By

Rev. Dr. Jeffry David Camm

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Copyright
The contents of this book remain the copyright property of the author, Rev.
Dr. Jeffry David Camm. Permission is given for the use of parts of this
document for Bible Study Groups, Evangelism, or Private Study. Permission
is given for the whole of this document to be reproduced by Christian
organisations for evangelistic and/or Bible College reference purposes,
provided it is not sold for profit.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to God the Father, Jesus the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, who lifted me out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock of
salvation, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Through the Divine
Word, the revelation of the Holy Spirit and the cleansing blood of Jesus
Christ, I have been miraculously healed and blessed to travel with my wife
to 43 countries to preach God’s Word and to see people turn from their
sinful ways and follow Jesus Christ. It is true what is written in God’s
precious word: “He raises up the poor out of the dust, and he lifts up the
beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them
inherit the throne of glory; for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, and
He has set the world upon them. He will keep the feet of His saints and the
wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.The
adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces: out of the heaven shall
He thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He
shall give strength unto His king, and exalt the horn of Hisanointed.” [1
Samuel 2:8-10]

Foreword
The rise of Islamic militancy and the continued bombardment through
various forms of the media, (including parliaments around the world),
against Christian ideologies, morals and values, have prompted me to write
this book, as a challenge to all Christians to “wake up out of their sleep”!

I believe that Jesus Christ has already sent out the invitations for the ten virgins to gather at
the entrance of the house of the bride, because thebridegroom (Jesus Christ) is getting ready
to come to back to earth and claim His bride.

In Eastern culture, it is an honour to be personally chosen by the

bridegroom, to be one of the persons standing outside the bride’s house,
to sound the alarm of rejoicing, when the groom is first seen approaching
the bride’s house. The persons chosen will be personal close friends of the
bridegroom.

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In the case referred to above, it means that the people chosen to be the
honoured ones, standing outside the bride’s house, will be very close
friends of Jesus Christ Himself.
However, sadly, in the parable of the ten virgins, told by Jesus in the Gospel
of Matthew chapter 25, only five of these personal friends proved to be
worthy to enter into the house and partake of the celebrations, to witness
the marriage celebration and to have a seat at the marriage supper of the
Lamb.
The bride that Jesus Christ is coming back to claim, will be a perfect bride;
a bride without blemish, and a bride anxiously waiting for His return.
Unfortunately, many people in the Churches today are not perfect; are not
without blemish; and are not anxiously waiting for the bridegroom’s return.
This is because they have lost their first love; they have become bogged
down in religiosity and doctrinal double-talk. They fail to hear the still small
voice of the Holy Spirit, calling them to get ready; nor do they recognise
the signs of the times; which have been prophesied for centuries, telling us
what to look out for, prior to His coming again.
The scripture clearly tells us that when Jesus returns for His bride there will
be some who will be excluded from heaven (just like the five virgins)
because Jesus says to them: ”I don’t know you”, even though they will
claim that they have done many things for Him, in His name.
I trust and pray that you will not be one of those that are rejected by Jesus
Christ on that day!!!
Now is the chance for you to “wake up out of your spiritual sleep”
and go back to serving God with all your heart, body and soul.

THE BRIDEGROOM COMES

The dawn is fast approaching; I can see my glorious bride The dawn is bright
and glorious; as my bride is by my side The Marriage supper table is laid
out - all on show
The angel band is playing; the Heavens are aglow Rejoice, rejoice, let us
come, and sing one and all, Rejoice, rejoice, the writing is on the wall!
Rejoice, rejoice, and let us shout in victory,
The bride is now in Heaven; for the entire world to see.
THE SEVEN (7) PILLARS OF CHRISTIANITY
“Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out her seven pillars.”
[Proverbs 9:1]
The number seven (7) indicated throughout the Word of God, the Holy Bible,
signifies: perfection, completeness, and the imprint of God Almighty’s hand
upon His Word, and upon all of God’s creation.

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Islam claims to have 5 pillars and therefore in not perfect, is not
complete; and does not have the imprint of God Almighty upon its pages.

In the Book of Revelation, there are references to the “unveiling”,

“revealing” or “uncovering” of signs and events, which will shortly take
place.
Revelation comes from the Greek word “akopalupis” meaning unveiling,
or uncovering. Elsewhere in the scriptures, this same word is used and
translated as: “manifestation” (Romans 8:9), “A coming” (1 Corinthians
1:7), “a revealing” (2 Thessalonians 1:7), and “an appearing” (1 Peter
1:7).
Therefore, the Bible, the Divine Word of God, is God Almighty’s way of
unveiling His plans and purposes for humanity to read, contemplate and
understand.

The Book of Revelation is in fact history being written before it

comes to pass.

As we study significant parts of God’s word, we will be continually

challenged to review our present positions and relationship with God the
Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and His Holy Spirit. This will be a significant
challenge for many of us.
Notice that the first four (4) letters of the word “significant” is sign. I trust
that as you study this book you will be challenged to go back and study
God’s Word; and identify the many signs and wonders that are revealed to
us through His Word and by the revelations of His Holy Spirit.
Therefore, through this divine revelation may there be a subsequent
transformation within your spirits to the things of God, because
transformation cannot occur without their first being a revelation from God.

FIRST PILLAR: THE DIVINE WORD OF GOD

Throughout more than 7,000 years, the Word of God has been verbally
handed down from generation to generation, recorded by Moses and more
than 40 other authors, throughout biblical history. In Genesis chapter 1,
God reveals His divine method of creation, which has been argued by
scholars since time began, but has never been disproven.
As scientists learn more and more about the universe and the molecular
structures of matter, they are confirming what the Bible hasbeen saying
all along - in fact for centuries. Creation wasn’t an accident
– it didn’t happen with a “big bang”, because no-one can explain who was
there to pull the switch to set off the explosion. Even if they can explain
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 that someone was there for the “big bang”, they would then have to
acknowledge that it did not start with the “big bang”; it started when that
“someone” came into being. The scripture clearly identifies who that
“someone is”.

It says: Before creation, before time existed, God was, and after all
that we know today has passed away – God will still be; because God
is eternal.

God Almighty has set about dividing His divine program into time segments,
so as to clearly identify and uncover the different facets of Jesus Christ’s
personality. There are many passages in the scriptures indicating that God
Almighty has a divine plan for the ages: Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Daniel
2:31-45; 7:1-28; 9:24-27; Hosea 3:4-5;
Matthew 23:37; 25:46; Acts 15:13-18; Romans 11:13-29; 2 Thessalonians
3:1-12; Revelations 2:1-22, 31.
As indicated above, Jesus Christ is the very centre of this program [Hebrews
1:1 & 2; 9:26; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 1 Timothy 1:17]
Therefore, the ages (or time segments) are the time periods within which
God Almighty is revealing His divine purposes and programs, as it centres
and focuses on Jesus Christ.
God’s plan is carefully laid out, for all to read and understand; but along
comes Satan and the Antichrist, (the opposition to Christ) to try and divert
your attention away from God’s plan of light, salvation and eternal joy, with
Jesus Christ in heaven.
Satan wants to keep you in a place of darkness, pain and sin. Hell is such
a place; a place where you are eternally separated from God.
Before Jesus Christ returns to set up His kingdom of peace, Satan will enter
into a man’s body and present his counterfeit [the Antichrist, as the
Messiah]. This internationally deified dictator will set up a world peace
program, which holds the world spell-bound for 42 months (three and
ahalf years).
When the world rejoices, believing that Utopia has finally arrived, Satan
pulls the plug and the bottom falls out of everything.
In the middle period of the seven (7) years of tribulation, the Antichrist
(as the ultimate deceiver) breaks all his promises and destroys his
contractual obligations with Israel [Daniel 9:27 and 1 Thessalonians 5:3].
The Antichrist will arise out of a consortium of western nations (Daniel
9:26). He will be defeated when he is cast into the “lake of fire”, along with
the “false prophet”, after Jesus Christ conquers him at the battle of
Armageddon (Revelations 19:20).

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 The denial of Jesus Christ as the Son of God is the principle motivating
force of all people and religions, who have come under the influence
and domination of the evil forces of Satan.
Satan's prime aim on earth is to destroy anything and everything, which
gives glory and honour to God. He uses lies, deception, sickness,
depression, doubt, and fear, as his main tools.
That is why here in Australia in 2010, there is a movement to try to change
our Australian Flag, not because of its “historical significance”, but because
it clearly has many “spiritual signs” upon it, which people who oppose Jesus
Christ want removed.3
In addition, he takes great delight in watering down the power of God’s
word, or causing division and disunity, within the corporate Body of Christ,
by the introduction of divisions (denominations) different traditions,
dogmas and religious practises.

Satan is not worried that people go to church!

Satan is worried if Christians become pure, holy, and righteous, and determined to follow God’s
word, and in unity, use God’s Authority, through the power of the Holy Spirit against him.

Remember: even if you give your testimony Satan has to flee!!!

3 [See full details in the appendix].

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The latter-day Body of Christ, must become aware of these ploys of the
enemy, and take our God-given authority and cast them aside in Jesus’
name.

Born again believers are not VICTIMS – they are VICTORS!!!

Therefore, let us act like we are VICTORS – not VICTIMS!!!

SECOND PILLAR: THE OLD COVENANT – BLOOD SACRIFICES

Even before the Law was given by God to Moses, people knew they had to
offer up blood sacrifices unto God. In fact, the first murder was the result
of Cain getting angry because God Almighty accepted the blood sacrifice of
Abel and not the grain sacrifice of Cain. The spilling of the blood of Abel put
a curse upon the earth and this curse was not lifted until the blood of Jesus
ran down the post of the cross into the ground, many thousands of years
later.
Throughout Biblical history man has offered up blood sacrifices to God in
obedience to His word – but these sacrifices did not remove the sin – it only
covered it up for a given period of time.
In the book of Exodus chapter 12, verse 1, The Lord spoke to Moses and
Aaron, in the land of Egypt saying these words: [Notice that God Almighty
speaks to both of them, not just to Moses only.]
“This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first
month of the year to you.”
Yes, before this time the Jews had a linear calendar long before this,
because they were able to count the years of the lives of their ancestors.
But God was telling Moses that this was the beginning of Israel’s spiritual
calendar; the month of Nisan. All spiritual events would now becounted
from this date.
God goes on to inform Moses to tell the people that in 10 days’ time, each
household was to purchase a sheep, 1 year old, without blemish and care
for it until the 14th day, when all of the nation was to kill their sheepat
the evening. (14th day of Nisan)
They shall then take the blood of the lamb and put it on their 2 side
doorposts and on the upper posts above the door jambs. They shall then
roast and eat the flesh of the lamb. They shall eat all of it with bitter herbs
(hyssop) and what is left over they shall burn in the morning; bones and
all, so that nothing is left of the sacrifice.
God commanded the nation of Israel to eat this food in haste, with
yourselves fully clothed, with shoes on your feet and with your staff in your
hand. This shall be called the Lord’s Passover.
God told Moses that during this night, the Lord Himself would pass through
the land of Egypt and kill the firstborn of all mankind and the animals, in
all the houses which did not display the blood on the doorposts. When God
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saw the blood on the doorposts He would “Passover that house” and the
plague which God sets upon Egypt shall not fall upon that house.
In verse 14, God commands Moses that this shall be a memorial; and you
shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; you shall
keep it a feast by ordinance, forever. Then the word goes onto explain the
feast and the contents of the feast and what it means, and in the Talmud,
it is explained “How to” conduct this feast.
Each year they prepared the house they had set the table, (with a spare
chair, in case the Messiah wanted to visit them) lit the candles, and had all
the food on the table before the sun went down.
They would read the scriptures as a remembrance and the youngestat
the table would ask the oldest why they were having this feast? – Why was
it so special? The oldest man at the table would reply and explain from the
scriptures why they were holding this feast as a celebration to the Lord, for
His mercy in “Passing Over” the houses of the Israelites in Egypt.
They would take the unleavened bread, and offer up prayers ofthanksgiving
unto God. This complete piece of bread signifying the completeness of God
Almighty and they would then break it into 3 pieces.
They would take the second and third pieces, and interchange them and
then take the second piece of bread and cover it up and hide it.

Chair left vacant for the "Bridegroom" - the Messiah

Specially made bread with 6 folds in the weaving of the crust - to remind us that 6
days God provided manna from heavens and on the 6 th day He provided enough
for the Sabbath also.
The first piece of broken bread represented God the Father. The second
piece of bread represents The Messiah - Jesus Christ. The third piece of
bread signifies the Holy Spirit. When they took the second piece of bread
and interchanged it with the third piece, they were in fact proclaiming (by

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their actions) that Jesus was going to be hidden for a time, and then
reappear. While he was away, the Holy Spirit would be here in His place.
The second piece of bread was covered and returned to the plate at the
completion of the feast. The young child who found the hidden piece of the
bread was rewarded with silver. (Remember, Jesus was sold for 30 pieces
of silver). During the Passover Feast, there are 4 cups of wine to be drunk.
The nation of Israel had been observing this feast for over 3,500 years
before Jesus Christ was born, but they still did not understand fully what
they were doing, nor what the symbols really meant.
The scripture records that Jesus said: “I did not come to abolishthe law
– but I came to fulfil the law”. Therefore, from this statement we know that
Jesus must have attended at least 32 Passover Feasts before the one that
is recorded in the scriptures. Even during His ministry onearth, He must
have attended two other Passover Feasts, but they are not recorded in
scripture – so why is this one so important?
I believe that the two previous Passovers were celebrated with His “Earthly
Family”, but this Passover was to be special because it was to be with His
new “Spiritual Family”. Even the way this Passover is established is special.
In Luke 22, verse 8 – 9. Jesus commanded them to go and prepare the
Passover feast. They asked Jesus “Where should they prepare it?Should it
be like last year, at your mother’s house, or somewhere else?”
Jesus answers in verse 10: You will see a man carrying a pitcher of water.
This should have set alarm bells ringing in the heads of Peter & John. Men
do not carry water pitchers in Israel – this is women’s work. Follow this
man into the house wherever he goes.
Verse 11: The Good man of the house. “Good man” means the person who
is renting the house.
Notice, that Jesus did not tell them to ask politely may they use a room to
celebrate the Passover, No! Jesus commanded them to demandthe room
where the Master shall celebrate the Passover.
Jesus then goes on to prophecy that the man renting the house shall show
them a large upper room, which they shall then make ready for the
Passover Feast. Verse 13 confirms all that Jesus said, so they made ready
the Passover Feast.
When I was studying at the Centre of Biblical Studies in Israel in 1995, I
went with a study group to a room, which is guarded by the Israeli Ministry
of Antiquities.
We were told to take off our shoes (for the place where we stand is holy
ground) and we climbed the staircase into an upper room, which is said to
be the room where Jesus had this Last Supper with His disciples. There we
had the Passover Feast and celebrated Communion, just like I am describing
it to you here today.
In verse 14, Jesus sat down, with His disciples to partake of the Passover
Feast.

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In verse 15, He states that He earnestly desired to celebrate this Passover
with them, before He was to suffer. Why was this Passover so special?
Because it was to be the LAST PASSOVER FEAST: the fulfilment of the Old
Covenant, and the beginning of the New Covenant.
Verse 16: Jesus says He will not eat until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of
God.
Verse 17: And He took the cup and told them to divide it among
themselves. Notice Jesus took the cup first. This is the third cup, which was
used in the Passover feast.
Verse 18: I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God
shall come.
Verse 19: And Jesus took the bread. This is the second piece of bread that
had been covered and returned to the table, which represented The Messiah
- Jesus Christ in the Passover Feast. He took it, and gave thanks and then
He broke it and gave it to His disciples, telling them that this second piece
of bread from the Passover Feast represents His body, whichis given to
them. This do in remembrance of Me. Jesus was publiclydeclaring to His
disciples that He was the Messiah.
Verse 20: Likewise, after supper He takes the fourth cup saying: This cup
is the New Testament (New Covenant) in my blood, which is shed for you.
So the teaching about the Passover Feast, the significance of each of the
emblems, and what Jesus commanded, has been explained to you from the
scriptures. As we come now to partake of this special New Covenant Feast,
let us understand what is to happen, as this communion will be slightly
different to what we normally do at our communion services.
We will each come out in an orderly manner, not as part of a congregation,
but as His disciples, row by row, to each break off a piece of the bread and
eat it, remembering that Jesus told us that this is His body which has been
broken for us (His Disciples).
We will then drink out of the chalice, remembering that this represents the
shed blood of the New Covenant, which Christ has offeredup for us on
the cross.
Let us Pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you today, through the blood of
Jesus Christ your Son, to remember His sacrifice on the cross, in obedience
to your command and to do your will. We acknowledge His resurrection and
that He is now seated at your right hand in heaven, continually interceding
for us. We give you thanks today Lord for the presence of your Holy Spirit
in this place and in our lives. We ask that you empower us today, by your
Holy Spirit, as we eat this bread and drink this juice, and that you will give
each and every one of us the boldness to step out of our comfort zones and
be a witness for you in this city. We ask these things in Jesus’ precious
name. Amen.
When you return to your seats, remember that when the water and blood
run down from the cross onto the earth, that the curse of Cain was released,

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 and the earth is no longer cursed by the blood of Abel when Cain murdered
him. Through the body and blood of Jesus Christ, we have been set free
from our sins and have been once again allowed to enter into a direct
relationship with God the Father.
We have direct access into the throne room of grace and we can
glorify His name with worship and praise. Let us therefore worship and
praise Him today as we leave this place in victory. Amen.

THIRD PILLAR: THE NEW COVENANT ~ THE BLOOD OF JESUS

CHRIST
Approximately two thousand years ago, a decree was issued at the
judgement seat of God Almighty, in heaven. It provided “divine legal
protection” for believers against Satan and his evil forces.
When Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again, the “ruler of this world”
(Satan,) was judged (John 16:11). Our sins and our debts were nailed to
the cross of Jesus Christ and cancelled, and never to be remembered again,
and principalities and powers were disarmed.
In truth, because of Jesus Christ, we have a legal right, not only to be
protected from our enemy, but to triumph in victory over him as well
(Colossians 2:13-15).
It does not matter what nation you came from, or the colour of your skin,
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was so complete, and the judicial decision from
God Almighty against Satan so decisive, that divine protection has been
granted; enough to cover every need known to Christians, in their daily
lives. (Revelations 3:10).

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the divine lawful platform
from which Christian disciples rise up to do spiritual warfare. His Word
is the eternal spiritual sword we are to raise against all wickedness,
and establish his victory!!!
However, we must acknowledge unfortunately that the Body of Christ has
rarely walked in such victory, since the first century church. WHY?
At least partly, the answer is this: To attain the protection of Jesus Christ,
we must embrace the intercession of Jesus Christ. We must become a
House of Prayer.
The Temple at the time of Jesus Christ was a place where believers could
go and pray 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. But the Jewish hierarchy had
polluted the temple and that is why Jesus got so upset that He started
turning over the merchant’s tables within the temple. And He
said to them in Matthew 21:13: “It is written, My house will be called a
house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves!”
If we want to have the blessings and protection of Jesus Christ, we have to
get back to basics and to the Word of God and make the Church a “House
of Prayer” once again.
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 In many places in this 21st century, when you walk down the streets the
churches are all locked up, and only open for a few hours on Sunday
mornings. Instead of the church being a house of prayer, we have turned
it into a memorial – a sepulchre; a place to remember the dead; not a place
to rejoice for the living. It should be a place to come to give thanks to God
Almighty and lift up our prayers to His holy throne room and to His holy
name.
In the first century church, the church leadership was devoted to the Word
of God and to prayer (Acts 2:42; 64). Every day, (not just on Sundays) the
leaders gathered to pray and to minister to the Lord (Acts 3:1). Notice,
they ministered unto the Lord – not unto men.
In this clarity of vision and simplicity of purpose, the Church of Jesus Christ
never had greater power, or capacity to make true disciples. Today
however, our qualification for Church leadership includes almost everything
BUT devotion to God’s Word and prayer.
Leaders are expected to be organizers, counsellors and individualswith
winning personalities, whose charm alone can bring people into the Church.
In Luke 18:8, Jesus challenges our modern traditions. He asks, “When the
Son of Man comes, and will He find faith upon the earth?”

His question is a warning to all Christians and to all Christian leaders,

who want to limit the power of God at the end of the Age of the
Gentiles.
Jesus is calling us to resist the downward pull of our traditions; He is asking
us, as individuals: “Will I find faith in You?”
Before we respond to this challenge from Jesus Christ, let us remember
that Jesus associate’s “faith” with “day and night prayer” (Luke 18:7). Jesus
is not asking us: “Will I find correct doctrine in you?” The question from
Jesus does not concern our “head knowledge” but rather it concerns the
attitudes of our hearts.
What we believe is indeed important, but how we believe and put that belief
into practise, is vital in securing the help of God.
Procuring the supernatural help of God is exactly the point of Jesus’ parable
in Luke chapter 18. His intent was to show us that “at all times,and in
all situations” we ought to pray and not lose heart.
In Luke, 18:1 Jesus illustrates the type of faith He is seeking from us. He
followed His admonition of the Jews with a parable in Luke 18:3 about a
widow woman who petitioned a hard-hearted judge for “legal protection”.
Although the judge was initially unwilling to grant her petition, yet by her
continual and persistent coming, she eventually gained what was legally
and rightfully hers. Jesus concluded this parable with these words: “If an
unrighteous judge will respond to a widow’s persistence, shall not God
avenge quickly his elect, (the people who are called by His name), who cry
out to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?” Jesus answers

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His own question: “I tell you that He will bring about speedy justice
for them” (Luke 18:1-8).
Our Heavenly Father will not “delay long” over His elect, but sometimes He
will delay. God’s definition of “speedily” and ours are not always the same.
The Lord sometimes incorporates delays into His overall plans, because
delays work trust and perseverance in us. So, crucial is perseverance and
endurance to our Christian character development, that God Almighty is
willing to delay important answers to prayer, so as to allow revelation,
transformation and renewal to take place in us.
Therefore, we should not interpret divine delays as divine reluctance. Divine
delays are tools that God uses to perfect out faith and take us to a new
level in spiritual maturity. Christ is looking to find a tenacity in our faith
that prevails in spite of delays and setbacks. He seeks to create a
perseverance in us that outlasts the tests of time, a resolve that actually
grows stronger, not weaker during delays.
When the Father sees this quality of persistence in our faith, it so touches
His heart, that He grants “legal protection” to His people. This is why
Desperation produces Change; and change produces Transformation.
It is significant that Jesus compared His elect (the Body of Christ) to a widow
who is continually harassed by an enemy. This image is actually liberating
if we think about it. We tend to conceptualise the heroes of the faith to be
people like King David or Joshua; individuals whose successes obscure their
humble beginnings.
But each of God’s servants has, like the widow, a former life before
salvation. Each of God’s servants has a past, which is brimming with
excuses and reasons to waiver from the divine path that Jesus Christ has
called each of us to follow.
Let us look at the widow woman more closely: She has many legitimate
reasons to quit, but instead she is determined to stick it out and by doing
so she prevails. She refuses to exempt herself from her high potential (in
Jesus Christ) simply by her present low estate.
She makes no apologies for her lack of finances, knowledge of the
scriptures, or having any charm or attractiveness. She gives herself no
reason whatever to fail, she unashamedly places her case before the judge,
where she pleads for and receives what is legally hers: legal protection
from her enemies. How did a common widow woman gain such strength of
character? We don’t know for sure, but we can imagine that there must
have been a time when, under the relentless pressure of her enemies, she
became desperate, and this desperation worked to her advantage.
Desperation is God’s hammer for change. It demolishes the strongholds of
fear and shatters the chains of our excuses. When our desperation exceeds
our fears, progress begins, and then change and transformation occurs.
Today, the force that is prodding many Christians towards greater unity
and prayer has not been the sweetness of fellowship; but more often it is
the assault of the enemy trying to destroy us. We are now in desperate
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times. When it comes to touching God’s heart, other than for a few essential
truths, unity of desperation is more crucial that unity of doctrine, because
desperation brings transformation and spiritual growth, moving us towards
spiritual maturity.
We Are God’s Elect: Our nation is suffering from a deep social and moral
collapse, with murders, sexual abuse and suicides higher than ever before
recorded. If we ever needed God’s anointing on our lives it is now.
But where are God’s elect? Where are the people whom Daniel says“know
their God” and “will display strength and take action”? (Daniel 11:32). Is
there no one divinely empowered, who can go out and attack and kill the
Goliaths of our age? But perhaps we are looking in the wrong places. Maybe
we only need to look into our bathroom mirrors. Maybe –just maybe, you
are the one God wants to use.
If you believe in Jesus Christ and are desperate for God, then you qualify
as one of God’s elect. Remember, in the parable discussed above, the
widow typifies Christ’s chosen ones. We have erroneously believed that
God’s chosen one (God’s elect) would never be assaulted by the enemy,
much less driven to desperation and “day and night” prayer.
This very desperation, is often the very crucible in which the elect of God
is forged and purified. Jesus portrays this characteristic, metaphorically in
the picture of the widow; He reveals the means through which His elect will
prevail in battle at the end of the age of the gentiles.
It is also possible that the widow referred to in the parable may well have
been a corporate body of Believers; a “widow church”, united inChrist
in a singular, desperate prayer for protection against her enemies. Here in
Australia, we need the “legal protection” that a national revival provides.
But it will not come without unceasing united prayer!!!
You may ask: “Where was the prayer behind the Charismatic Renewal?”
The Lord revealed to me that the Charismatic Renewal was His answer to
the cries of a million praying mothers; women who refused to surrender
their children to sex, drugs and the devil.

It is now our turn to pray for this generation and for ourchildren and
our grandchildren’s generations.

We have to recognise that we must become the widow who cannot give
herself any reason for failure; God will answer us if we cry out to Him in
prayer “night and day”. Therefore, let us position ourselves at His
throne, on behalf of our cities and our nations. As we persevere in faith,
the Lord will hear our prayers and grant us “legal protection” from our
enemies.
Let us all take time out to pray, right now, for our cities and our nations.

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FOURTH PILLAR: HOLY SPIRIT REVELATION
Throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit revealed certain messages
to God’s appointed and anointed prophets, so that they could go and warn
kings and/or nations of situations, which pleased or displeased God
Almighty.
The Holy Spirit has been involved in the Bible with mankind, since Genesis
chapter one. It is not a new thing of the New Testament. When Jesus was
baptised it is recorded that the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and rested
upon the shoulder of Jesus Christ, whilst an audible voice was heard from
Heaven saying: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I AM well pleased.” As it
was in Genesis chapter one, so it was at the baptism of Jesus Christ: all
three parts of the Trinity were present and singularly identifiable.
Later, during the ministry of Jesus Christ, He asked the disciples who they
thought He was. Peter answered that He was the Messiah, the onethat
was foretold would come. Jesus replied that his 6 senses had not revealed
this truth to him, but that this revelation had come to Him from the Holy
Spirit.
Throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit was
in evidence, and many people were healed, raised from the dead, had
demonic spirits removed from within them and people’s hearts were turned
back to God.
It was the Holy Spirit that Jesus breathed onto the 70 disciples thatHe
sent out into the highways and the byways, who then came back to report
the mighty things which had happened while they had been away. This in
itself, showed that this gift was not restricted to just Jesus Christ, but was
available to all people who were prepared to follow after Jesus Christ.
It was the power of the Holy Spirit, that gave Jesus the power to be
resurrected from the dead, as visual evidence to people for all generations;
that Jesus had overcome Satan, hell, and death, and had taken the keys of
the kingdom of darkness, and that those who put their trust and faith in
Him would never die spiritually, but would live with Jesus Christ eternally –
that is forever.
In the last chapters of Matthew and Mark, Jesus commands thedisciples to
go out into all the highways and the byways (in fact to all tribes, tongues
and nations) and make disciples (not believers), teaching them all that
Jesus had taught to the original disciples, and He promised that He would
be with us forever.
Jesus also said in Acts chapter 1 to tarry until the promised one (the
Comforter) had come and that when the Comforter had come He would
give you power to go and to witness, firstly in your local township, then in
the next province, then the rest of your nation and finally to all of the
nations of the world.4
Of the 500 people who are recorded as physically seeing the resurrected
Jesus, only 120 were obedient and tarried for the promised one to come.
Isn’t it a shame for those 500 people who actually saw the risen Jesus
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Christ, that “seeing” was not “believing”, because only 120 tarried as
commanded by Jesus Christ.
It is recorded in Acts chapter 2 that when the Holy Spirit came over those
in the upper room it was like tongues of fire were resting upon their heads
– but they were not burning – just like Moses saw the burning bush in the
desert. It was a Divine visitation into their midst. They began to speak in
languages they had never learned before; not a language from within their
minds, but a language from within their hearts.
There were present is Jerusalem for the festival of weeks (Shavuot) [we
call it Pentecost] Jews from all the then known countries. They beganto
hear a message in their own language spoken to them by these “unlearned
fisherman”. It is reported that some thought them to be drunk
– that they were babbling – but Peter stood up and made it quite clear by
referring to the scriptures in Hosea 4:6 that in the last days God would
pour out His Spirit upon ALL Flesh, and that-old-men would see visions,
and young men would have dreams. Peter went on to chide the people:
How could they be drunk, it is only 9 o’clock in the morning?
Under the power and anointing of this Holy Spirit, Peter continues to
expound the scriptures with authority and without any fear of
contradiction. As a result, 3,000 people gave their hearts to Jesus Christ,
turned from their wicked ways and began to follow Him. Here is the power
of the Holy Spirit being put into action. One man gets up and preaches and
3,000 souls come to Jesus Christ. There are two other records of similar
events recorded in the scriptures.

4
Acts 1:8

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The first is when Jonah goes and preaches to the nation of Nineveh and
tells them that if they do not repent and turn from their wicked ways God
Almighty will destroy their nation. It is recorded that when the King of
Nineveh heard this terrible judgement upon his nation that he rent his
clothes, put on sackcloth and poured ashes over his head, so that the
whole nation turned back to God.
The third is a most unlikely event – the woman at the well as recorded in
John chapter 4. Here was a widow woman, who had been widowed 5 times
before, now living with the relatives of her last husband [not is a sinful
relationship as many western theologians teach] having been
acknowledged by Jesus Christ as a woman who tells the truth – [not a
woman who commits sin], going to the elders of the city and saying to
them that she has spoken to a man who knows all about her life [whom
she suspects is the Messiah).] They return with her to the well and invites
Jesus to come into their village.
Here is a woman who brings a whole village face to face with Jesus Christ.
She did not go to Bible College, she does not have any “man appointed”
position within the church body; No! she is a woman who fears God and
wants to spread His truth to all those who live around her, so that they can
share in the wonderful revelation that she has been given to her life.
If God can use a man who witnessed and supported the murder of Steven
(Saul); or a woman who has been widowed 5 times (the woman at the
well), or a drunken captain of a slave trader (John Newton), or a person
who was a quadriplegic, who just wanted to walk again (Me) 5; then God
has promised to use any vessel, which makes itself available for His service.
The scriptures tell us that we are the temple of the “living God” and that
we have living inside of us the same spirit that raised Jesus Christfrom
the dead. The scriptures also tell us that greater things shall we do now
that Jesus has gone to be with His Father.
Jesus was able to do mighty miracles, but only at one place and at one
time. I believe that what God has done is like the miracle of the 5 loaves
and 2 fishes. God through His miraculous powers of multiplication was able
to feed a crowd of 5,000 men + women and children and there were 12
bags of bread left over.
Today, through that same miracle of multiplication, the Holy Spirit is able
to perform many miracles simultaneously, in many different parts of the
world, because we have the Spirit of God living in us, wherever we are
physically upon this earth.

5
Read this story in “On the Potter’s Wheel” available free, if you send an
email request from this site: www.facebook.com/cammbooks.

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The Holy Spirit is our edifier, our exhorter and our comforter. The Holy Spirit
also reveals to us ALL TRUTH, and through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and
the fruit of the Holy Spirit, He equips us with the necessary tools to be a
victorious labourer for the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Ephesians 4:11, the word of God lays out God’s plan to bring the Body
of Christ to a higher level of spiritual maturity.“ Some of us have been
given special ability as apostles; to others He has given the gift of being
able to preach well; some have special abilities in winning people to Christ,
helping them to trust Him as their saviour; still others have a giftfor
caring for God’s people, as a shepherd does his sheep; leading them and
teaching them in the ways of God. Why is it that He has given us these
special abilities to do these things best? It is so that God’s people will be
equipped to do better work for Him, building up the church, the Body of
Christ, to a position of strength and maturity; until FINALLY we all believe
alike about our salvation and about our Saviour, God’s Son, and all of us
become fully grown in the Lord – Yes, to the point of being completely filled
(full to the brim and overflowing) with Jesus Christ”.
God has put these scriptures into His Word for our benefit, ouredification,
exhortation and our comfort, but unfortunately in this 21stcentury,
more and more churches are saying they don’t want to haveanything
to do with the Holy Spirit giftings, especially prophetic utterances.
They are rejecting God’s word and grieving the Holy Spirit. Needlessto
say, they wonder why their churches are lifeless, without direction and
spiritually dead. These type of churches are heading back into the dark
ages; a time when the Spirit of God was not able to use the mainstream
churches because the church hierarchies are “man dominated” not “God
directed”.
This is why in the Book of Revelation, Jesus was so upset with the church
of Laodicea, the spiritual church of the 20 th and the 21st century; a church
which thinks it is more important to have magnificent buildings and glorious
salaries, than to go out into the highways and the byways and leadpeople
the Jesus Christ.
God is coming back for His church, but it shall be a pure, holy and righteous
church that He will be seeking. A church which is prepared to suffer
hardship and persecution, to step out in faith to preach God’s word, having
no thought of their own safety, but to reach the lost at any cost. This is the
type of church that Jesus proclaimed He will honour, whilst a lukewarm
church He will spit out of His mouth into the lake of fire.
So the challenge, as we close the fourth pillar is this: ”Which type of church
do you belong to? Not sure? Then please go at once and read the Book of
Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, which outlines the seven church types which
existed throughout the Age of the Gentiles. Only two of these seven church
types are acceptable to Jesus Christ in their present formats. The other five
church types have to have major surgery to be acceptable to Him.
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FIFTH PILLAR: DIVINE LEADERSHIP ORDER
In the fourth pillar we mentioned the divine gifts which have been given
and appointed to the Body of Christ, by the Holy Spirit, not by man. They
were outlined in Ephesians chapter four and are commonly referred to as
the Apostolic gifts, or the 5-fold Ministry gifts to the Body of Christ.
These 5 ministry offices are God appointed, not man selected, hence we
have to recognise their appointment and why God has placed people into
these offices in the New Testament Church.
In the Old Testament, God appointed the Prophet, to be His mouthpiece to
the nations, both to the nation of Israel and also to the nations of the
Gentiles. These people were recognised, not only by the people at large,
but also by Kings and Priests.
Sometimes the people listened to what they had to say and other times
they did not. When they listened to them and obeyed their warnings, the
nation was blessed. When they rejected their message and tried to “kill the
messenger” God’s tribulations befell their nations.
Likewise it is today within the Body of Christ. God has tried and testedmany
of these people over a period of many years before they are raisedup to
a spiritually appointed office as referred to in Ephesians chapter four.
The Rise, Fall & Rise of the Apostolic Ministries in the Body of Christ
In Ephesians chapter 4, commencing at verse 10, Apostle Paul reveals some
interesting revelations under the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit.
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens,
that he might fulfil all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For
the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the
stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is
the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and
compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual
working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto
the edifying of itself in love.
Jesus ascended into heaven: so that He might fulfil all things.
Therefore, the giving of the Apostolic Ministries to the Body ofChrist
was part of that fulfilling of the commandments of His Father, so that the
Body of Christ could do certain things, which are identified in the following
verses of scripture.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers;

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Who gave these to the Body of Christ? Jesus Christ Himself – under the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Notice this is a God-given office, not a “man- appointed office”.
As has been seen many times in the past, and the Old Testament, whenever
“man” steps into a role which belongs to God, problems start to happen.
So it is with the 5-fold ministry gifts referred to here.
The leadership of the “denominations” in the Body of Christ, tried to restrict
the impact and the use of these offices within the Body of Christ, even
stating that they died out with the first generation apostles. Of course they
did not read further into these verses, because if they did, they were
stating that that these offices were no longer needed in the Body of Christ,
because we had now all reached maturity in Christ Jesus, we were all in
unity, and that there was perfection in the Body of Christ, as the bride
“without blemish” which Christ is coming backto claim.
Of course any blind Freddy would know that that is definitely not the case,
with violence, sexual abuse, gossip and adultery all rife in the Body of
Christ, some of the offences even being suppressed by church leadership,
because it is too close to home to deal with effectively.
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of theministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ.
For the perfecting of the saints: Do we need these gifts inthe church today
to continue to “perfect the saints”, or do we all claim to be perfect? The
obvious answer is “Yes”, we do still need them operating in the Body of
Christ today.
for the work of the ministry: Is the work of the ministry finished on earth?
No, therefore we still need them operating in the Body of Christ today.
for the edifying of the body of Christ. Is the Body of Christ fully edified
today? No, therefore we still need them operating in the Body of Christ
today.
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness
of Christ.
Till we all come in the unity of the faith: Is there unity of faith in the Body
of Christ in your city, your state, your country? The honest people would
have to declare NO!!! therefore we still need them operating in the Body of
Christ today.
and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man: Does
everybody on earth know about Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as a
perfect man? No, therefore we still need them operating in the Body of
Christ today.
unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: Has everybody in
your church reached the stature and fullness of measure in Christ? No,
therefore we still need them operating in the Body of Christ today.

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That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive:
The fact that Paul refers to the church as children, clearly indicates that we
are not mature, easily swayed by false doctrine, craftiness and the
deceivers, who are in the church leadership waiting to steer people away
from the truth. All very good reasons for having these offices actively
working in the Body of Christ today.
If we look at the early first & second-generation churches, they grew and
become mature, even in spite of hardship, and persecution, because the 5-
fold ministries were in active operation within the Body of Christ and the
church leadership fully understood the reasons why they were thereand
from whose authority they were operating.
The rise of the Catholic Church, and the suppression of Church truth,
resulted in “man” taking over the leadership role within the church. As a
result, there were church splits (clearly not unity), kingdoms fought against
kingdoms for power, the truth of the Bible was suppressed into a dead
language (Latin) and was only able to be revealed to the congregation by
so called “learned priests”.
When people like Tyndale had a revelation from God to make the Bible
known by translation into the “local language”, the “earthly Priesthood” put
out contracts to have them killed. But God is still in control Hallelujah!!!
Because He could not get His message out through the established
channels, they were bypassed and God Almighty raised up new channels to
use to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. With revelation comes revolution
and transformation!!!
This happened in the 17 & 1800’s and then later in the 1900’s and later in
the 20th century. Now in the 21st century God Almighty is flexing His
spiritual muscles once again.
The established churches still refuse to promote the Fruit of Spirit, for the
development of the individual believer, to become a disciple, nor do they
actively encourage the 9 gifts of the Holy Spirit to freely operate within
their churches.
They have forgotten that it is not “their” church, but the Church belongs to
Jesus Christ, He purchased it with His blood. Until the Body of Christ, - “the
church” gets the revelation that the church will not grow until, these offices
are:
Actively recognised by the church leadership
Actively encouraged to work within the Body of Christ
Invited to participate in seminars, to reveal the plans andpurposes of God
to the wider body of the leadership.
Encouraged to teach and equip leadership within the Body of Christ for the
plans and purposes of God in the 21st century.

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 Then unfortunately, the church will remain stagnated (like the Jews)
wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years, until all that generation
have died and God raises up a new generation to fulfil His divine purposes
on earth before He returns to claim His perfect bride. Therefore the $64
dollar question is this: Which generation do you want to belong to?
THE RISE OF THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY
In The Rise, Fall and Rise of the Apostolic Ministry, I identified that the Lord
was starting to re-educate people about the reasons why the 5-fold
ministries were placed into the Body of Christ. Moving on from that, let us
now examine why the Lord has placed a spiritual template in place, for the
leadership within the Body of Christ.
In the Old Testament, there were leaders appointed by Kings and there
were leaders appointed and commissioned by God Almighty Himself. The
Pharaoh was appointed by man, but Moses was appointed and
commissioned by God to go back into Egypt and take the Jews out of the
nation of Egypt.

When people who are called by God Almighty and commissioned by Him, are obedient to their
divine calling, God moves mountains to allow them to achieve their objectives and give the glory
back to God Almighty.
Without the obedience of Moses, the nation would not have been freed from
the persecution, slavery and sin of the Egyptian nation of that time.
In Isaiah chapter 22 we see that Shebna had been appointed the Governor
of Jerusalem by man (the king) and was building a name for himself (and
corrupt riches for himself) and not giving the glory of hisoffice to God,
nor was he honouring the Lord in his actions.
In verse 15 God commands Isaiah to give Shebna a message, which was
straight from the throne room of God. “Who do you think you are building
this beautiful sepulchre in the rock for yourself?” God says in this message
that God allowed Shebna to be elevated to this high position, but because
he had not honoured God in this position it was to be taken away from him.
God tells Isaiah that God Himself will appointsomebody to replace Shebna
and that person will be loyal and responsible to God – not to man.
In the early churches, God appointed people and commissioned them as
apostles to go break new ground, plant churches and set the spiritual
template of leadership in place.
In 1 Corinthians 12: 18, Apostle Paul writes these words: “But now, has
God set the members every one of them in the Body, as it pleases Him!”.
“But now” refers to all time, the past, the present and the future. “Has
God (himself) set the members – everyone on them- as it has pleased Him.”
Whereabouts in this scripture does it say that the (Pope, or the Archbishop
of Canterbury, or any other denominational official) sets the members in
the Body. NOWHERE!!!

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Apostle Paul is clearly prophesying here of things to come, which are not
according to God’s plan and purpose for His church. Notice that it says:“As
it pleases Him”.
If we don’t follow God’s template, then how can we please God? The
obvious answer is that we cannot!!!
If we cannot please God, then how do we expect to reach maturity? The
answer is simple – we never will – unless we repent and go back to the
Word of God and do exactly what it says in His word. Obedience is better
than sacrifice!!!
In 1 Corinthians 12:28 Paul, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit lays out
clearly the spiritual template of leadership in the Church Body.
“God has set some in the Church Body”: Who has set? Not man –but God
Almighty Himself. This is God’s appointments and this is God’s hierarchy of
leadership.
“First apostles”: These are God’s appointed leaders within the Body of
Christ, who have been given the authority to break new ground, plant, lead
and perfect the Body of Christ.
“Secondly prophets”: The Apostle and the prophet set up the spiritual
leadership of the Body of Christ within a nation, state or region. Notice
there is no mention in the Bible of denominations, [just the Body of Christ]
nor is there mention of any fences in heaven [just a complete and
harmonious unity].

Denominationalism is a satanic idea placed into the minds of

man, to cause grief and destruction among the Body of Christ and
prevent it from reaching its ultimate glory.

“Thirdly teachers”: Teachers of the Word of God, are to change

“believers” into “disciples” and then move them to a place of spiritual
maturity, within the Body of Christ, so that the Apostle and the Prophet can
“equip them for the work of the ministry”.
“After that, miracles”: There should be people raised up in the Body of
Christ who are recognised as “miracle workers” because of the fruit of their
ministries.
“Then, Gifts of Healings”: This is not restricted to the leadership of the Body
of Christ, this is available to all who earnestly desire spiritual gifts.
“[Then] the gift of Helps”: This is one of the most important gifts in the Body
of Christ, because the gift of helps are the people who grease the wheels
and keep the Body of Christ moving, on a daily basis. In many instances
they are the unseen forces, the humblest of people, who just see a need
and get in there and do it – not wanting any applause, norrecognition, but
just knowing that they are doing all they can to give glory and honour to
God, because they know that they are building up treasures in heaven.

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“[Then] the gifts of government [administration]: Here again, are
people raised up and gifted by God Almighty, to make sure that all the
“legal issues” are taken care of; who make sure that the newsletters are
compiled and published on time; that the pastors diary does not have
duplicate bookings; nor that he is overloaded; but has sufficient time put
aside, to commune with God on a daily basis, so he/she are always in tune
with God’s plans and purposes, for the Body of Christ.
“[and finally] diversities of tongues”: Last on the list is the recognition
that tongues is still part of God’s plan and purpose for the Body of Christ
today.
It did not die out with the first-generation church, nor will it die out until the
Holy Spirit leaves the earth at the time of the rapture.
So, for those denominations who do not allow tongues in corporate worship,
you are professing just one thing – you believe that the rapture has
already come – and you have been left behind!!!
So, to you I say this: Wake up out of your sleep, study the scriptures once
again, and earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit, which is still here in on the
earth in 2021 to “lead you into all truth!!!
So, what do we do now?
Based upon these scriptures, there is a spiritual template of leadership, to
be put back into place, in the Body of Christ.
Here in Australia, we were given a chance to put this in place when Billy
Graham first came to Australia in 1948, to preach revival, salvation and
a return to God’s plan and purpose for the church within Australia.
Did the religious hierarchy in 1948 listen and acknowledge this for
Australia? NO!
Because it was a message they did not want to hear, and for those who did
actually hear it – it went deep down into their spirits and tormented their
spirits and their consciences.
What did it mean for them? It meant that they would have to give up their
“man appointed offices” and pray for God to raise up “spiritually appointed
men” in their place.
This did not happen and that is why the revival of 1948 only lasted 3- 4
years and died out.
Billy Graham came back in 1959 to Sydney, and again in 1979, and I was
at both rallies. Here again Billy Graham preached salvation, revival and a
return to Godly governance. Many people accepted Christ at these rallies
and went on the follow Jesus Christ for the rest of their lives – but did the
governance of the Body of Christ change?
Unfortunately, NO!!!
Three times, God has sent His messenger to this nation, to enlighten us,
from His word, and to encourage His Body, here in this nation, to follow
His spiritual template for governance of the Body of Christ. Three times we
have turned our backs on God’s messengers and His word.
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In 1984 Leighton Ford came to Australia for a series of rallies, once again,
my wife and I were part of that team, and spent almost a whole year
preparing for that revival series and preparing the choir in Coffs Harbour
for that revival.
47 churches up and down the coast, from all different denominations,
studied the same book entitled: “In the Spirit of Love” and miraculously
came up with the same spiritual answers.
There was a level of unity in the Body of Christ, which had never been
experienced before. People were invited to go and attend services in other
churches. [UNHEARD OF BEFORE] Pastors were encouraged to open
their pulpits to priests and pastors from other denominations and
to preach from the Word of God. [UNHEARD OF BEFORE!] Guess
what? It was found that we all believed in the same Jesus Christ.
He died on the cross for all of us!!! THERE WAS UNITY IN THE
BELIEVERS, AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS!
Churches who had never heard about the gift of tongues, began to
experience them in their own churches. Healings and miracles were in
abundance. The Body of Christ became alive!!!
In 10 days of crusades in Coffs Harbour alone, more than 1100 people,
made decisions for Jesus Christ. This was an opportunity for the Body of
Christ, right across Australia to receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the
revelation of His Word ,and to implement His placement of persons of the
5-fold ministries within the Body of Christ.
Unfortunately, for the fourth time, the Body of Christ in Australia, rejected
His Word, and the unity, which was experienced prior to, and during
the crusades faded away.
Now in 2021, some 37 years later, the Body of Christ has another
opportunity to re-examine God’s word, hear His distinct voice through the
scriptures, listen to the Holy Spirit, who has promised to “lead us intoALL
TRUTH”. In Toowoomba, the “Tent of Promise” has arrived, an opportunity
for people from all walks of life, to see the Bible Story in pictures, with the
relevant scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation.
This is an opportunity to set in place the correct leadership template within
the Body of Christ, for each region, each state and for the nation. God is
not looking for a glorious denomination ~ WHICH HE CAN CALL ~ HIS
CHURCH!
God is looking for a united Body of Christ, without barriers, without fences,
all worshipping to the same words, to the same music, because they
are all of the same spirit – in one accord. God is not looking for quantity.
God is looking for quality and maturity within the Body of Christ.
In Hebrews chapter 6: verses 1 & 2 the writer clearly tells us that we have
to put aside “childish ideas” (the milk of the Word) and move on to a more
mature understanding of God’s word – (the “meat” of the Word).

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Verse 3: BUT – we will not move on unless God allows it to take place. God
has to give us permission to become more mature, by the evidence in our
faith and our actions as disciples, within the Body of Christ.
If we don’t pass the test, we will continually remain in “spiritual
kindergarten.” Whose fault will that be? The leadership in place in the
church today!!! Remember: God’s word says quite clearly that God judges
those in leadership and authority more harshly than God judges others. So
to the leadership in the Churches in Toowoomba, the rest of Queensland,
and the rest of Australia, I ask this very pointed question: “How are you
going to give an account of yourselves before the Master about keeping
the Body of Christ as “spiritual kindergarten students” – instead of leading
them to a higher level of maturity in Christ Jesus, so that they can receive
all the promises and blessings, of the scripture which should be available
to them”?
Now you may want to kill me for what I have written. OK, but that will not
change the fact that I am quoting God’s word, and you really have to deal
with Him - not me. He is the author and the finisher of His word. It is to
Him that you (and I) are to be held accountable. The choice and the
challenge is now up to you! What are you going to do about it???
SIXTH PILLAR: UNITY IN THE BODY
Many of us could quote the saying, which says “where there is unity, God
commands a blessing”. Many of us would even say that this is a scripture,
which comes from the Bible.
However, if you do a search using a concordance for the word “unity” in the
N.I.V. translation, there are only seven (7) references in the whole bible of
this word and none of them refer to the saying mentioned above.
It is so easy these days to fall into Satan’s trap and develop a truism from
what is not true, from the LOGOS word (the written word) of God.
The first reference to “Unity” in the scriptures is recorded in 2 Chronicles
30:12; which says: “Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to
give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had
ordered, following the word of the Lord”. [NIV]
In other translations, this is referred to as “all one heart”. “At the same
time, God’s hand was on the people in the land of Judah, giving them all
one heart to obey the orders of the king and his officials, who were following
the word of the LORD” [ KJV translation].
When you study this scripture, we find that “unity” is not mentioned as
a word at all in the original Hebrew texts: [Logos – written word].
However, the “Rhema” or spiritual significance of this word, is evident in
the explanations given to the actual words in this text. The term “one” of
“one heart” is shown below.
H259 ‫ ד ֶחא‬ʼechâd ekh-awd' A numeral from H258; properly united,
that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first: a, alike, alone, altogether, and, any (-
thing), apiece, a certain [dai-] ly, each (one), + eleven, every, few, first,

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+ highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together.
So, we see that to be “united” or “in unity” means to be “of one heart”, or
“of one purpose”, having the “same direction”, having the “same goals”,
having the same “love for one another”.
The early records in the Old Testament clearly show that when the nation
of Israel was of “one heart”, then God moved miraculously in their midst.
A prime example is when Joshua told the army of Israel to march around
the city of Jericho for 7 days without making any sound, just blowing on
the trumpets at his command - and giving out a great shout – the shout
of breakthrough!
When this happened, God intervened and the walls of Jericho fell down.
These walls did not fall inwards because of the shout; they fell outwards,
clearly showing that God broke down the walls of Jericho – not mankind.
In a similar incident in the New Testament, it is recorded in Acts that they
were all together with “one accord”.
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” [Acts 1:14]
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place” [Acts 2:1]
“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, andbreaking
bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness
of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord
added to the church daily such as should be saved. [Acts 2:46-47]
“
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord
and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the
sea, and all that in them is:” [Acts 4:24]
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of onesoul:
neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was
his own; but they had all things common”. [Acts 4:32]
“And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought
among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.”
[Acts 5:12]
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, andran
upon him with one accord.” [Acts 7:57]
So, when we look at just a few scriptures referring to “one accord”, what
do we identify from these scriptures.

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 Reference Words Actions

Acts 1:14 One accord In prayer and in supplications

Acts 2:1 One accord In one place

Acts 2:46-47 One accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house
to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, Praising God, and having
favour with all the people. And the Lord added
to the church daily such as should be saved

Acts 4:24 One accord And when they heard that, they lifted up
“

their voice to God with one accord

Acts 4:32 One heart, “And the multitude of them that believed were
& One soul of one heart and of one soul
Acts 5:12 One accord “And by the hands of the apostles were many
signs and wonders wrought among the
people; and they were all with one accord in
Solomon’s porch.”

If you look carefully at these references, you will see that there is a definite
result from God when people are in “one accord”. We see that when they
were all in one accord, they were:
In prayer and supplication,
In the temple: (daily) – not just on Sundays!
Breaking bread: (Holy Communion) from house to house,
With singleness of heart,
Praising God with gladness,
Having favour with all the people,
The Lord added to the church daily, all that should be saved.
They lifted up their voices to God,
The multitude believed with one heart and one soul.

These are the attributes, that the Holy Spirit has responded to in the
Body of Christ, when that Body is in “one accord” that is “In Unity”.
I think that we still need these attributes working in the church
today, so that people can receive the maximum blessings from God

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So, what is wrong in the churches today? Many go to church for the
wrong reasons. They go because they:
• Have to; their parents make them go.
• Their friends do. (Peer pressure).
• To check out the beautiful girls – definitely the wrong reason!
• To be seen in the music team, or as a guest speaker; to get secular
approval.
• Because you believe that is the right thing to do on Sundays.
• The music is good.
• To get free tea or coffee.
None of those things are relating to the things, which allowed God, the Holy
Spirit, to move mightily on the first-generation church in the Book of Acts.
If we want the Holy Spirit to move mightily in the Body of Christ today, just
as it did back in the first-generation churches, then we have to get back to
the basics, which were effective in the first generation churches, that is:
Unity of Purpose!
As I have stated already, the first-generation churches met daily, the
apostles and church leaders prayed and ministered to God daily. and there
were elders appointed to look after the congregation and their needs. [ON
A DAILY BASIS!]
It was the elders who were called to go and lay hands upon the sick (James
chapter 5) not the pastors!
As defined already in Ephesians chapter 4, the Apostles and Prophets (to
the Body of Christ) are God’s “appointed people” to God’s “appointed
offices”, and are responsible to God Himself, for breaking new ground,
hearing from God and making these things known to the congregations
(the Body of Christ).
In association with the God “appointed teachers”, they are to build up the
Body of Christ, until it reaches a level of maturity, defined by God Almighty
in His word. Unfortunately, some churches nowadays, do not want the
5-fold ministries and offices to be anywhere near “their churches”.
They want to “keep control of their churches”, they don’t want the Holy
Spirit to come in and start to interfere with “ what they have been doing
for God.”
It is unfortunate that I have to make these comments in this 21 st century,
when we have so much knowledge available to us from the scriptures. With
the Bible being printed in our own languages, many different reference
books and concordances available to us for references; look up tables and
maps on our computers, to show us many things from the scriptures, etc.
However, the one thing we have failed to do is learn this simple lesson:
OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE.
If we are disobedient to God’s Word, then God is handcuffed and
cannot help us. He will not go against His word. Unless we go back to the
“First Generation Church Model”, with the 5-fold ministries clearly being in
operation within the Body of Christ, then there will be no opportunity for
the Body of Christ to reach maturity.

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Yes, some small parts may reach maturity; but that is not what the word
says: IT IS WRITTEN: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For theperfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of theknowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of
the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to
and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of
men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
Which is the head, even Christ:
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the
measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love.
It is clear from the scriptures why these offices are “God appointed” to the
Body of Christ, so that the Body can become:
Perfected saints,
Be equipped for the work of the ministry,
To edify the Body of Christ,
We all come into the Unity of the faith,
With the complete knowledge and understanding of the Sonof God,
So that all disciples can become perfect in God’s sight,
That we all take on the measure and stature of the fullness of Jesus Christ,
That we no longer be like children in our understanding of the ways of God,
That we are no longer carried away by every wind of doctrine, which seems
to be good. (That we live by faith – not by feelings).
That we don’t become sidelined by cunning or deceptivemembers within
the Body of Christ.
That we speak the truth in love at all times (here is a warning for all
politicians!)
Grow up into the headship of Jesus Christ.
That the whole Body of Christ becomes neatly fitted together, into the Body
of Christ, according to God’s design – not man’s interpretation, or man’s
design.
That each portion of the Body of Christ pulls its weight, according to the
skills and powers given to it by the Holy Spirit.
This is so that the Body of Christ is perfect, without blemish, ready and
anxiously waiting for the Lord’s return, to collect His Bride.
Many people in western society do not understand the significance of the
betrothal ceremony in the Eastern Culture marriage. If they did, they would
understand that when we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal saviour,
we became betrothed to Him – in fact in a sense, we are engaged to Him.
At some appointed time in the future there will be a wedding, andif we
are deemed acceptable, we will be part of the bride, which Christ comes
back to claim for Himself.

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To some, this maybe a surprise thinking that, they could be excluded from
the wedding feast. The scriptures are very clear; Jesus Himself told His
disciples; that on the appointed day, there would be many whom He does
not recognise. He will tell them to leave, because He does not know them.
He will explain that: “when I was sick, you did not care for me, whenI
hungry, you did not give me food to eat; when I was in prison, you did
not come to see me”. They will ask perplexed “Lord, when did we see You
sick? When did we see You hungry? When did we see You in prison?” Jesus
will answer: “When you did not do it to these the least of My people, you
did not do it unto Me. Go away from Me, I do not know you”.
It is clear; Jesus recognised that at the judgement time, there would be
people from within the church body who will not be allowed to enter into
the Kingdom of Heaven, because they did not have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, or a “love relationship” with the Body of Christ
I am saddened, that over the years, I hear less and less sermons, coming
from pulpits out of the Book of Revelation, especially when it is the only
book of the Bible, which promises the pastors a blessing, if they preach
from this book.
Rev: 1:3 says: If you read this prophecy to the church, you will receive a
special blessing from the Lord. Those who listen to it being read and do
what it says will also be blessed. For the time is near when all these things
will come true.
I am surprised that pastors do not want to receive blessings from God. I
am also surprised that pastors would be so selfish as to refuse to allow God
to bless their congregations also, because if pastors do not read this word
from the Book of Revelation, then their congregation cannot hear it, nor
obey it and hence God cannot bless them.
Isn’t it about time we put aside our foolish pride and just went back tothe
Word of God and do what it says? Then and only then can God move
amongst us. 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 is a classic opportunity to show this
point.
THEN, if my people will humble themselves and pray and search for me,
(seek my face) and turn from their wicked ways, [THEN] I will hear them
from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen, wide
awake, to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple
and sanctified it to be my home forever; my eyes and my heart shall always
be here.
What can we learn from this scripture, bearing in mind what we have just
been discussing about the Book of Revelation?
If my people… We claim to belong to Christ; we claim to be Christian,
therefore we are His people and so this Old Testament scripture isexpressly
talking about us, right here in the New Testament.
This is not talking about SOME of the PEOPLE, but it is referring to ALL OF
THE PEOPLE. UNITY OF PURPOSE, ONE HEART AND ONE MIND.
Whose responsibility is it to teach the congregation this truth and lead
them by example into this position? The Leadership of the Body of Christ.
If you are in leadership, then this means YOU!!!

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Will humble themselves… [The scripture tells us that pride comes before a
fall, but those that humble themselves before God, He Himself will raise up.
And pray.
And seek My face. The first generation church was a praying church, a
church which continually was seeking after God’s face. Because of that
fact, the Holy Spirit added to the church daily.
THEN: This statement by God is conditional. If we do as He has commanded
us, then (and only then) will God hear our prayers from heaven, forgive
our sins and heal our land. In other words: If WE don’t, then GOD won’t.
Don’t you think it is about time we had people preaching these simple truths
from every pulpit across this nation, so that we could get back toGod
and God can get back to us? Because if we don’t - He won’t!
God cannot bless any nation that does not obey His word, because God
cannot go against His own word. If we want God to pour out His unlimited
blessings upon us, then we must be prepared to honour and obey His word
in everything we say and do.
It seems so simple, but we have not got our head around this truth in the
last 200 years in this nation. The nation of Israel wandered around in the
desert for 40 years to complete a journey which would have only taken 11
days, if they had only believed and obeyed God’s word.

Do you want to be part of the generation who dies wandering around in the desert for 40
years, or do you want to be the generation which obeys God, takes possession of the land
and lives in victory? Only time (and future history) will tell!

SEVENTH PILLAR: ETERNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST

Throughout the whole of the scriptures, there is the promise of eternal
fellowship with God once again. That is what all the Old Testament
prophets were telling the people and it is what was confirmed by John the
Baptist, Jesus, His disciples and all the books of the New Testament.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins, His
resurrection from the dead, as proof of His power over sin and death, and
His ascension back to heaven, and His position at the right hand of God the
Father, continually interceding for His people, all this confirms the promises
of the scriptures. This confirms that we are once again able to come into
His eternal presence, firstly while we are here on earth, and then once the
rapture occurs with Him in heaven.
How can we have eternal fellowship with Christ here on earth? Well there
are some basic scriptural teachings that we have to look at:
If you believe that you are born again and have been filled with the Holy
Spirit, then Jesus lives in you; you have the possibility of a God-
relationship with Christ every day, when you make the effort to
acknowledge His presence in your life.
When we worship the Lord, we have the right in the scriptures to go directly
into the throneroom of grace, because the curtain outside the Holy of Holies

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has been forever split, and we have direct access into the heavenlees, right
up to the foot of the throne itself.
When we are in this place, we have the same rights and privileges as all
other saints who have gone there before us. What a glorious promise this
is. We can join in with the 24 elders and all the angels crying out in worship:
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come”.
“Worthy is the Lamb who sits upon the throne”.
We have the right whilst being here on earth to do great and mighty things
for God’s kingdom, because the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within us.
This is the same Holy Spirit that raised up Jesus Christ from the dead.
Jesus Himself said that greater things would we do because He goes to
be with His Father.
This means that we can heal the sick, we can raise the dead, we can make
people who are now blind, able to see once again.
We can have direct prayer access to God, 24/7 not just for an hour on
Sundays.
Our lives should become a life of worship. In fact we have to get the
revelation that “worship is a lifestyle” and we should be doing it every day
– in fact 24/7.

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APPENDIX: 1
THE SPIRITUAL MEANING OF OUR AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL FLAG
There has been many comments lately about removing the “Union Jack”
from our national flag – but most Australians do not know how this flag is
made up – nor its Spiritual significance.
The challenge for Christians in Australia today is to realise that thereis a
war going on right here in our nation. It is a war for the hearts and minds
of our children and our grandchildren. If we do not want our children to grow
up in an Islamic nation, then please read the following appendix carefully.

THE COMPOSITION OF OUR FLAG

Righteousness, exalts a nation.
[Psalm 60:4]: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that
it may be displayed because of the truth”.
The cornerstone of Australia’s heritage is based upon the Bible and
Christian truths, which are symbolised in our flag.
[Psalm 20:5]: “In the name of our God we will set up ourbanners”.

A nation’s heart is in its flag.

The flag is made up of
several pieces – but most
Australians have no idea of
their spiritual significance. So
let us look carefully at how
our flag is made up and let
us get the revelation about
what our flag really means to
this nation.
It is a visual reminder that
we are a covenant people,
first under law, and now
under grace. The Red Cross
on a white background is the
ancientHebrew Flag used by
King David. It clearly defines our link to Christ – the line of David, the root
of Jesse, which will have no end.
In modern times, it is referred to as the Cross of St. George. This was the
flag of England, from the time of the Romans in approximately 100 AD,
right up until 1606 and used by the Crusade knights, from all Christian
nations in Europe, as they marched across Europe to claim back Jerusalem
from the Turkish Muslim Empire. The Flags of Scotland and Wales are
added in 1606. This is represented by the cross of St. Andrew.

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 This is the same year that Capt.
Janzoon in the Dufkyen, mapped
300 miles of the Queensland
coastline and Capt. Ferdinand De
Quiros claimed this southern region
for Jesus Christ, as the Great
Southland of the Holy Spirit. It was
this flag (the Flag of England,
Scotland, & Wales) which was raised
up at Sydney Cove on 26th January
1788 [Not the Union Jack], which
people incorrectly state today,
because the Union Jack was not
created until 1806, some 18 years
later, when the flag of Ireland was
added.6

The Flag of Ireland is added in 1806,

to create what we call the Union Jack
today. The small red-lined cross
inserted into the white cross of St.
Andrew, represents the cross of St.
Patrick of Ireland. This was added
after the British invaded Ireland and
secured half of the country and added
it to the British Isles.

The Australian Flag at Federation in

1901
This national flag was selected by a
competition in 1900, just as the
design for the Opera House was
selected by an international
competition in the 1950’s. That is
what makes our flag so special;
there was democracy in operation in
selecting our national flag.
As a result, the Australian flag
belongs to the people, not to the
Queen, or to the Parliament.
It belongs to the people and it cannot be changed, unless the people vote
in a referendum for it to be changed.

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The flag at Federation (1901) had a six-pointed star, representing the six
states, which were part of the referendum to vote on federation. It was
later changed to a seven-pointed star, to include the two territories.

6
For confirmation, please look at the picture in the NSW parliament foyer
of the House of Representatives, which correctly shows the flag being
raised up at Sydney Cove on the 26th January 1788.

The Union Jack on our flag, as already explained, contains the following
crosses. The cross of St. George; the cross of St. Andrew, andthe cross
of St. Patrick.
These three crosses also represent the three covenants that God gave
through Abraham, Moses, and Jesus Christ.
The stars on the Australian flag represent the Southern Cross – our
geographic location, and Federation. They were placed into the heavens by
God at creation, as a reminder to all nations that He has His hands
protecting this nation. Five (5) of the six (6) stars have seven (7) sides.
Scripturally, the number “7” means perfection and completeness.
The Southern Cross also represents the Cross of Christ. The four (4) stars
which have seven (7) points represent the places where the blood run from
the head, hands and feet of Jesus Christ upon the cross. The 5- pointed
star, represent the place where Jesus’ body was pierced by the lance, and
the blood flowed forth.
The Colours in our Flag.
The three colours of “Red”, “White”, and “Blue” were used in thetabernacle
in the wilderness for the curtains, according to God’s specifications.
The “white” linen represents the white robes of righteousness, given by the
Lord to His people.
“Red” signifies the blood covenant fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and the
sacrifices of our troops in many conflicts to keep our country safe.
“Blue” is the national colour of (Ancient) Israel, and of God’s right to rule
over humanity.
For more information: read Numbers 15:36-41. [Numbers 15: 36-41:
Israel was instructed to wear a “ribbon of blue” as a remembrance to keep
God’s commandments and to be holy throughout the generations.]
God’s Signature is on our Flag
The Lord said: “I AM the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last”. This
is recorded in the Book of Revelation. These are the first and the last letters
in the Greek alphabet, in which the New Testament was recorded.
However, Jesus would have spoken to Apostle John in either Hebrew, or
Galilean Aramaic (His native tongue). In the Ancient Hebrew, the first
letter of the alphabet was Aleph [x] and the last letter was Tau [+]7. When
placed upon each other, you have the Union Jack. This clearly says: I,
Jesus, the First, and the Last, have put my signature upon your flag. The
three crosses also signify the three covenants of Abraham, Moses and
Christ, that God made with Israel.

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The Genius of God
What a wonderful fulfilment, that a flag consisting of the symbols ofan
invisible hand would be displayed in these latter days, before His return, as
a reminder of His covenant with His people. Whether the people embrace
Him or reject Him, our heritage is God-given and our flag is the history of
God’s plan for us.
To reject our flag and the Union Jack is nothing more than therejection of
God’s name. It reflects our state of heart, our intentions to rebel against
His divine plans for us as a nation.
To replace it with pagan symbols (trees, kangaroos, etc.) is rebellion
against God Himself. To turn our backs on our God-given heritage
isinviting fatal consequences. This is proven, time and time again in the
scriptures when Israel turned its back upon God, or God’s laws. It is an
honour to have these divine symbols on our flag. How thankful our chosen
nation should be. We should never allow these symbols of God’s protection
to be removed from our national flag.

I believe that God has put the 5-pointed star upon our flag as a
warning to the nation of Australia.
If we, as a nation, do not uphold the Christian laws and values, upon which
this country was established, then God Almighty will allow Satan
(symbolised by a 5-pointed star) to rise up in this nation and his agents
will take over this nation for Islam.
The Muslims have already stated that they plan to take over this nation of
Australia by 2050 and make it an Islamic nation. When this happens, then
we will have a new flag flying over this nation. It will not be created by a
democratic referendum, or a democratic competition. It will be green in
colour, it will have a 5-pointed star upon it (the symbol of Islam) and it will
have a moon on it as well (shaped like a boomerang, to appease the
aborigines), because Islam worships a false light, signified by the moon,
not the real light, which is symbolised by the sun.

7
For proof please check out Psalm 119, where each of the stanzas of this
Psalm start with the letters of the Hebrew Alphabet.

If this prophecy comes to pass, there will be nobody to blame for this
catastrophe except the Christians of this nation who, because of their
complacency, disunity and just “laid back indifference” to what is going on
in the spiritual realm, sat back as the “silent majority” and did nothing,
expecting that “She’ll be right mate”, “no worries”, “everything’s OK”.
Because of our lack of caring after God, He will turn His back upon us,
withdraw His divine protection and like is recorded in the Book of Job, allow
Satan to have his way with this nation.
As is written in 2 Chronicles7:14: “If My people, who are called by My
name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from
their wickedways; THEN I will hear fromheaven, and will forgive their sins,
and will heal their land”.

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The scripture is very clear: If we DON’T! then, He WON’T!!! As I have stated
in my introduction in this book, “It is now high time for the Christians to
wake up out of their sleep, for if they don’t ,they shall have to an account
as to why they allowed this nation to fall into Satan’s hands, and allow this
flag to fly above Canberra.

LIST OF PUBLISHED BOOKS & BIBLE COURSE NOTES: WITH

LINKS.
Here is a list of my published books and Bible College Course Notes, with
links to allow you to read them online, or download them free of charge.
7 PILLARS OF CHRISTIANITY
https://www.scribd.com/.../1506.../7-Pillars-of-Christianity
A CRY IN THE WILDERNESS
https://www.scribd.com/.../150642352/A-Cry-in-the-Wilderness
AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
https://www.scribd.com/document/479169892
BE HEARERS AND DOERS OF GOD'S WORD
https://www.scribd.com/.../Be-Hearers-Doers-of-God-s-Word
COMMENTARY - BOOK OF ROMANS
https://www.scribd.com/.../3898.../Commentary-Book-of-Romans
GETTING CLOSER TO GOD - THE PRAYER SERIES
https://www.scribd.com/document/150642373
IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH
https://www.scribd.com/document/151229414
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF MY MASTER
https://www.scribd.com/document/361397033
IN THE IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST
https://www.scribd.com/document/500508639
JOURNEY TO THE KINGDOM
https://www.scribd.com/document/150642441
LIVING IN THE SECRET KINGDOM
https://www.scribd.com/document/150642468
ON GOD'S JOURNEY

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https://www.scribd.com/document/150642888
ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL
https://www.scribd.com/document/150643134
ON THE POTTER'S WHEEL - AGAIN!
https://www.scribd.com/.../On-the-Potter-s-Wheel-Again...
ON THE WINGS OF ANGELS
https://www.scribd.com/document/262223995
ON THE WINGS OF EAGLES
https://www.scribd.com/doc/289621378/On-Wings-of-Eagles...
OPENING HEAVEN'S GATES
https://www.scribd.com/document/150643159
OUT OF DARKNESS
https://www.scribd.com/document/150643187
PRAISE GOD TO THE HEAVENS - WORSHIP BOOK
https://www.scribd.com/.../Praise-God-to-the-Heavens...
PROPHET, PRIEST & KING
https://www.scribd.com/doc/151830759/Prophet-Priest-King...
ROOTS OF OUR BELIEFS
https://www.scribd.com/doc.../150643235/Roots-of-Our-Beliefs
SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
https://www.scribd.com/doc.../150643257/Showers-of-Blessings
THE 21st CENTURY CHURCH
https://www.scribd.com/.../150643264/The-21st-Century-Church
THE AWAKENING CHURCH
https://www.scribd.com/doc.../150643277/The-Awakening-Church
THE CALL OF GOD ON YOU - IDENTIFYING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS
https://www.scribd.com/.../The-Call-of-God-on-You...
THE COASTAL PIONEERS - REVISED EDITION
https://www.scribd.com/document/150643339
THE FINGER OF GOD - IS POINTING AT YOU
https://www.scribd.com/document/150643339
THE FIRE OF GOD
https://www.scribd.com/document/389806537/The-Fire-of-God
THE GIFTS, OPERATIONS & ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
https://www.scribd.com/.../The-Gifts-Operations...
THE GREAT INTERCESSORS
https://www.scribd.com/.../2828.../The-Great-Intercessors...
THE MARTYRS CRY OUT
https://www.scribd.com/doc/234364286/The-Martyrs-Cry-Out...
THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF OUR AUSTRALIAN FLAG
https://www.scribd.com/.../The-Spiritual-Significance-of...
THY WORD IS TRUTH
https://www.scribd.com/document/150643433/Thy-Word-is-Truth

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WALK HUMBLY BEFORE YOUR GOD
https://www.scribd.com/.../Walk-Humbly-Before-Your-God
RECOVERING THE BIBLICAL BORDERS OF ISRAEL
Recovering The Biblical Borders of Israel | Book Of Exodus | Israelites
(scribd.com)
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH & LAMENTATIONS
https://www.scribd.com/document/507325034/Commentary-of-the-
Book-of-Jeremiah-and-Lamentations
COMMENTARY ON THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
A Commentary On The Book of Ezekiel | PDF | Ezekiel | Babylonian Captivity
(scribd.com)

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