Partake Module 6 - New Life - God’s Purposes & Will

Partake Module 6 - New Life - God’s Purposes & Will

"God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfil his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ - everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan." (Ephesians 1v9-11).

These verses tell us about the counsel of God's Will (Ephesians 1v11). God's Will is inextricably linked with the future and Things to Come. The future has us naturally wonder what are God God's Purposes and Will? What are His decrees and how is Jesus interacting with us now?

1. God's Purposes

What is the reason for creation? (Ephesians 1v3-11; Revelation 4v11). The glory of God - that God will be praised.

a) God's purposes and plans are in eternity (Psalm 33v11)

b) God's purposes originate in God's wisdom and holiness.

c) God is free to do anything in accordance with His character. He cannot do anything contrary to His character.

2. God's Will

Directive Will - Things God determines to come to pass. (Isaiah 14v24)

Permissive Will - Things God allows or permits to occur.

Sin and rebellion (not directive will). God is big enough to grant and cope with the free will He as given humanity.

Sin - God permits sin, but is not the author of sin. God made man with a free will, allowing for the possibility of sin. Although sin and corruption entered the world with great human loss, and the resulting death on the Cross: God thought freedom of will was worth giving to us. It is to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1)

Salvation - Election - God chooses individuals to fulfil His purposes (Romans 9). God chooses those who are/will be saved (John 15v16). These are the chosen ones or the elect. However, it is not His will that any should perish (2 Peter 3v9), it is His will all men should be saved (1 Timothy2v3-4).

We need to accept both these statements as equally and absolutely true. When we use words about God with a time element such as 'chose', 'elect', we need to use these in God's infinite time framework (timelessness), not in our human finite time framework.

Preservation - Doctrine of Continuance

God maintains the existence of all He has made. God has created but not left the universe while He watches from a distance. This thinking is erroneous because it stipulates that God rules only by natural laws and simply observes its progress. However, the Bible tells us that God is actively involved in sustaining creation. For without His involvement, the universe would cease to exist. He does this in two ways.

Continuous Creation - God maintains the universe by continual creation.

Concurrence - God co-operates with all subordinate powers. Men retain their natural powers and exercise them but without God's concurrence, no force or person can continue to exist or act. (Colossians 1v17; Acts 17v28; Hebrews 1v2-3)

Particular Names Of God reflect His Purposes and Will

Jehovah Jireh - (Genesis 22v14) - The Lord will provide

Jehovah Tsidkenu - (Jeremiah 33v16) - The Lord our righteousness

Jehovah Nissi - (Exodus 17) - The Lord is our banner / leader

Jehovah Shalom - (Judges 6v24) - The Lord is our peace

Jehovah Rapha - (Exodus 15) - The Lord is our healer

Jehovah Rohi (Psalm 23) - The Lord is our Shepherd

Sovereignty of God or His decrees.

The sovereignty of God dictates that God is in control at all times and nothing can occur outside of His control and will. God is not impersonal and He is involved with all creation. God loves His creation and cares for it. He has created all humans with the power to make decisions by them self. God wont deny our humanity when He deals with us. He speaks to our minds though the Bible and seeks us to respond to him with love and affection.

Sovereign decree: When God says "Eternal life is available for all. You may choose to accept or reject it. Those that accept it, I will call my children." Our reaction as Christian Disciples should be to trust and obey.

Conditional decree: When God says "I am willing to give you my opinion and help when you ask." Our reaction as Christian Disciples should be read the Bible, to pray and talk with God.

Natural decree: When God has created a lemon tree, that lemon tree won't produce potatoes." Our reaction as Christian Disciples should be to plan ahead knowing the way the natural laws work..

How does Jesus interact with Christian Disciples?

Jesus interacts with us by faith in four ways: caring, praying, coming and helping.

Jesus cares and is concerned for us We all go through storms and troubles. When we find ourselves in these situations, we have four assurances about Jesus as Christian Disciples.

By faith - He is praying for us Jesus Christ is making intercessions for Christian Disciples (Romans 8:34). He knew the disciples troubles (Mark 6:48), just as He knows our troubles now. He feels our cares and knows what we are going through (Hebrews 4:14-16).

By faith - He will come to us Ever felt like God is far away? Well you aren't alone! King David often felt God was far away and unconcerned. However he also knew God would ultimately rescue him. Paul, the great Apostle, also felt "burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life" 2 Cor 1:8 Jesus always comes to us through difficult times, although He may not come in the time we think He should come, because He knows when we need Him most.

By faith - He will help us to grow Take the example of when the disciples were in the storm and Jesus came to them walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33). The purpose of this incident was that Jesus would be leaving them soon, so they had to learn to trust in Him when He wasn't physically present. Perhaps this is what he was thinking of when he later wrote in his letter "for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayers" (1 Peter 3v12). This all helped Peter to grow in the knowledge of the Lord

By faith, He will see us through

Jesus said "Come" and Peter went with Him and walked to the ship. The other disciples must have encouraged by this. Seeing Jesus' power they worshipped him. Whatever troubles we are undergoing are temporary, and Jesus, for His praise and glory, will see us through.

For more to think about please do ask your self the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Read Colossians 1v15-20. How can I deepen my relationship with Jesus knowing these things about Him?

Q2. Read Acts 17v24-28. How is God reaching the nations through me?

Q3. How does knowing about God's Purposes and Will affect my life as a Christian Disciple?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.



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Partake Module 6 - New Life - Guidance

Partake Module 6 - New Life - Guidance

Solomon writing in Proverbs 3v5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

The Prophet Isaiah speaking in Isaiah 6v8: “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Perhaps the most common question all Christian disciples ask at some point is: “How can I know God’s will for my life and His guidance?” There are at least three main parts about being guided, as a Christian disciple, into what is God’s will for them. These involve being controlled by the Holy Spirit, through counsel and circumstances and through making wise decisions. Of course being active in prayer and studying the Bible also play major roles, but we have already discussed those previously.

1. The Christian disciple is guided by being controlled by the Holy Spirit

So firstly, the Christian disciple is guided by being controlled by the Holy Spirit. Another way to say this is by submitting to the Spirit’s leading. Fundamental to being guided by the Spirit, is for the Christian disciple to be filled with the Spirit, or controlled by the Spirit. When the Spirit is quenched (1 Thessalonians 5v19) or grieved (Ephesians 4v30), then the Spirit no long has control of the Christian disciple. In order to allow the Spirit control, the Christian disciple needs to resubmit them self to God and do the following daily:

• The Christian disciple confesses all known sin (1 John 1v9) and accepts the assurance of being forgiven for quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit.
• The Christian disciple devotes themself to being a living sacrifice (Romans 12v1-2)
• The Christian disciple enable the Holy Spirit to convict them of sin (Psalm 139v23-24)
• The Christian disciple seeks the Holy Spirit’s divine power in order to serve Jesus Christ (Galatians 5v16; Ephesians 3v16)

Part of being controlled by the Holy Spirit, the Christian disciple is to yield to Him. Romans 6v13 and James 4v7 command this. In yielding to the Holy Spirit, the body (1 Corinthians 6v20) and mind (Romans 12v1-2) are given to Him sacrificially for the glory of Jesus Christ. Both the body and the mind are yielded, because the body activates what is conceived in the mind. It is a total dedication of all thoughts, plans and actions into God’s hands and the seeking of His divine wisdom.

2. The Christian disciple is guided through Counsel and Circumstances

Additionally to submitting to the Holy Spirit, other people and circumstances are also great helps in regards to guidance. Proverbs 24 reminds us that: “The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers. Wisdom is too lofty for fools. Among leaders at the city gate, they have nothing to say.”

We may not go to war, but seeking the advice of others in trying to understand God’s guidance, plays an important role in deciding God’s will in the life of the Christian disciple. When seeking the advice of others bear in mind that the person should be a reliable, godly and faithful servant of God. As Proverbs 25v19 says “Putting confidence in an unreliable person in times of trouble is like chewing with a broken tooth or walking on a lame foot”. However, the Christian disciple must also be aware that even the godliest of people make mistakes, such as Nathan the prophet when he exhorted David to construct the temple (2 Samuel 7). In the end, each Christian disciple is responsible for his or her own actions and for knowing God’s guidance for themselves.

Then we have circumstances, which are a great learning tool. Circumstances surround us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, Christian disciples are to live above all circumstances, yet be aware of them. Through circumstances, God often discloses his perfect will. As Paul writes in Romans 8v28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

Some examples of where God’s will was discovered through circumstances include:

• · Abraham being asked to substitute a ram caught in a thicket for his son, Isaac (Genesis 22).
• · God arranging for Pharaoh’s daughter to be bathing in the River Nile as the baby Moses floated by (Exodus 2).
• · Paul’s nephew over hearing a plot to murder Paul, and then reporting it to the authorities and therefore saving Paul’s life (Acts 23).

Now some may sceptically claim that these are purely coincidental, but if they are, and all others like these are, its an awful lot of coincidence!

3. The Christian disciple is guided by making wise Decisions:

A great way to make wise decisions is by endeavouring to maintain a right attitude, and asking yourself the following questions:

• Have I prayed and meditating on God's Word regarding the decision?
• Have I given every area of my life to Christ?
• Am I prepared to be obedient to God? (Proverbs 3v5-7)
• Am I willing to sacrifice my desires for God's Will?
• Am I loving towards the other person?
• It should not control me habitually (1 Corinthians 6v12)
• Will it cause another person to sin/stumble? (1 Corinthians 8v9-13)
• Does it build Christian character? (1 Corinthians 10v23)
• Does it bring glory to God? (1 Corinthians 10v31)
• Can I thank God for this activity - could Jesus accompany me?
• If in doubt, throw it out! (Romans 14v22-23) ·
• Abstain from all appearance of evil (1 Thessalonians 5v22)

For more to think about please do read Isaiah 6. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Am I willing to do whatever God commands me to do?

Q2. Am I willing to be humble enough to ask other people’s advice?

Q3. Am I willing to sacrifice my desires so that God’s Will is achieved and His glory acclaimed?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. I would love to hear from you and if these are making any difference at all to your continual Christian discipleship! Thank you.

If you have found this podcast helpful to you, please do prayerfully consider how little or how much you may like to donate. Thank you

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Partake Module 6 - New Life - Blessed

Partake Module 6 - New Life - Blessed

Paul to the church in Rome, and in Chapter 4 he talks about Abraham’s journey into faith and of his faith. Now in Romans 4v22-25, Paul writes: “This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.”

Today I want to take us briefly through Romans 5vv1-11 and show that as Christian disciples, we are blessed in seven ways because of Jesus Christ and the work He did on the cross.

1. (v1). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ”,

We have peace with God. God in His great mercy, has declared peace to all those who accept salvation through Jesus' death on the Cross. 'Mercy & truth are joined, righteousness and peace have kissed each other" Psalm 85:10

2. (v2a) “through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

We have access to God. When Jesus died, He tore the veil (Luke 23:45) and broke down the wall (Ephesians 2:14). As Christians, we have immediate access to God, through our faith in Jesus Christ. No other religion or faith can say that!

3. (v2b). “And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

We have a glorious hope. Peace with God takes care of the past - He no longer holds our sins against us. Access to God takes care of the present - we can come to Him whenever we desire. A glorious hope takes care of our future - all Christians will one day share in His glory.

4. (v3-4). “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

We develop Christian character. Being justified is no escape from the sufferings and trials in this world, but for the believer, suffering and trials are for our own good (Romans 8:28). We bring them on ourselves by our own foolishness and sin. We endure for the sake of the Gospel. Suffering develops our patience and perseverance; patience and perseverance grows our character, and through character we have a glorious hope.

5. (v5-8). “And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

We have God's love within us. The love of God is poured into our hearts. We experience love, peace and joy. This inner experience of this love is through the Holy Spirit who sustains us as we go through sufferings. Faith, hope and love all combine to give those who love God, the patience to endure the trials of life.

6. (v9-10). “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!”

We have salvation from future wrath. He will keep on saving us, now that we love Him. We need strength to endure suffering and persecution, remembering that he who stands firm in faith, will in the end be saved.

7. (v11). We have reconciliation with God. We have fellowship with God, because we are reconciled with Him because of Jesus’ death on the cross. God in His mercy, sent Jesus as a peacemaker, that men may return to fellowship with Him. We are to rejoice in our present enjoyment of reconciliation with God (Romans 5:1b,10), and rejoice that all this comes through Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.

The only way to be with God is through Jesus – that is the Gospel message of good news. Fellowship with God is only because of the cross of Jesus. There is no other way to having life in God but through the cross of Jesus Christ! Jesus’ death on the cross signifies that God was willing to suffer so that we may have life in him, if we choose it. That is why it is so important we believe that Jesus was both fully human and fully God! I could never in a million lifetimes be a Buddhist worshipping in a temple with an impassive statue of the Buddha, which is aloof from all suffering. The God we serve as Christian disciples knows suffering intimately. The cross is where God suffered and died. As Christian disciples we are blessed through the cross of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we have these seven blessings: peace; access; hope; transformation; indwelling love; salvation and reconciliation!

What are we to do with these blessings? We are to tell others and a good way to do that is to live a life worthy of these blessings so that people who are not Christian, can ask the reason you have such hope! If you give them no reason to ask, they probably wont! These 7 blessings show how certain salvation is in and through Jesus Christ, for those who choose it. As Christian disciples we are blessed, and we are blessed to be a blessing to others!

For more to think about, please do read for yourself Romans 6:1-14 and ask yourself the following two questions. Why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend or two, so that you can discuss and pray over any issues together.

Q1 – What areas of my life have been transformed since I became a Christian disciple?

Q2 – What has happened in my life that will get people to ask me for the reason I have hope?

Q3 – Who can I pray for, so that opportunity will arise?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partakes(at)googlemail.co.uk. I would love to hear from you and if these are making any difference at all to your continual Christian discipleship! Next time I hope to be talking more about the Christian Disciple and the new identity. Thank you.

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Partake Module 6 - New Life - New Identity

Partake Module 6 - New Life - New Identity

Colossians 3vv1-4: If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Jesus is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Jesus, in God. When Jesus, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

About four years ago, I slipped into a coma as a consequence of a brain bleed on a Saturday evening. After that I had terrible memory problems for a while. If left on my own, I would forget things like eating lunch. I would forget to brush my teeth unless reminded strongly! Normal everyday things, I would simply forget to do!! That is the same for all Christian disciples and their spiritual life. If we listen carefully, the Holy Spirit is constantly reminding us of our status before God. He reminds us of our new identity as God’s children! Those four verses from Colossians that I read at the start tell us that as Christian disciples, we have a new identity, and Paul here give us five facts about that new identity.

I must add here that these five things are not hypothesis, symbolism or theory. They are existent facts about all Christian disciples. We are not marked as Christian disciples because we go to Church regularly, though it’s a good idea if we do. We are not marked as Christian disciples because we were baptized, though I hope that we are. We are marked as Christian disciples, not because of any outwardly visible mark, but because of these 5 facts. So what are these 5 facts?

1. We died with Jesus (3a). Jesus not only died for us, but we died with Him. Jesus not only died for sin, but also died unto sin to break its power. As Christian disciples we died with Jesus. Ergo, we can conquer our old sinful nature if we choose to. Our new identity is Jesus and we have died with Him.

2. We are raised with Jesus (1a). Just as we died with Jesus, we are also raised with Him. We are raised with Him and we rule with him, seated at the right hand of the Father. Your new identity is Jesus and you have been raised with Him.

3. We live with Jesus (4a). As Christian disciples, Jesus is our life and our eternal life, is Jesus. We are dead to sin, yet alive to Jesus. Our new identity is Jesus and we live with Him.

4. We are hidden with Jesus (3b). For those of you who like a good mystery, here is one for you. We are hidden with Him!! We no longer belong to this world, but we belong to Jesus. We are hidden with Him in heaven. That is not to say we are to neglect our earthly duties and responsibilities, but rather that our motives and strengths are to come from Jesus. Our new identity is Jesus and we are hidden with Him.

5. We will be glorified with Jesus (4b). When Jesus comes again, we will see Him face to face, and He will take us home. So, we will not be hidden with Jesus perpetually because when Jesus is revealed in glory, we too shall be revealed in glory. We already have in part some of this glory, but one day the full extent of this glorification will be revealed.

These five events... These five facts cover all three tenses in time - past, present and future... In the past, we died and were raised with Jesus. In the present, we live with Jesus and we are hidden with Him. In the future, when He comes again, we will be glorified with Him. His death covered all sins – past, present and future sins.

Because we share in Jesus’ death, resurrection and future glorification, we are to stop sinning and to stop thinking about ways in which to sin. Our minds are to be with Jesus, focusing on ways in which to serve Him. Don’t sin is the message, and yet we continue to do so…

Every time we succumb to temptation and commit sin, we forget who we are in Christ. I forget my new identity as a child of the Living God. You forget that you have died and been raised with Jesus. You forget that you live in Him and that you are hidden in Him. I forget that one day He is coming again and that I, as his disciple will be glorified with Him. So when faced with temptation, tell your old nature that it is dead and that you have a new nature which you seek to serve and a new Master to obey! Talk to yourself – it’s a sign of maturity!!

For more to think about please do read for your self, Colossians 3vv1-16. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1 – What makes me forget who I am as a Christian disciple?

Q2 – What are the things Paul lists as things all Christian disciples should do in verses 12-16

Q3 – What practical steps can you take to put them into action?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake@hotmail.co.uk. I would love to hear from you and if these are making any difference at all to your continual Christian discipleship! Thank you.

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Partake Module 5 - Spiritual Matters - Angels

Partake Module 5 - Spiritual Matters - Angels

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 148v2-5 :

Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.

There has in the Western world over the last few years a great deal of interest in angels! Any bookstore will have hundreds of books written by people claiming to either be some form of authority on angels or as a messenger relaying a message from angels for us humans. Amazon.com had over 20,000 different titles when I did a search on there about angels, with the vast majority of these would not be written from a Christian or even a biblical viewpoint. So what does the Christian Disciple’s authority, the Bible, say about angels.

1. What Bible says -

Angels are mentioned frequently in the Bible; at least one hundred times in the Old Testament and 175 times in the New Testament.

We know that they are created beings (Psalm 148v2-5) possibly created before humanity (Job38v7). Hebrews 1v14 tells us that these spiritual beings also serve humans who are inheriting salvation! They appear in human form, as in Abraham’s visitor (Genesis 13 - Angel of the Lord). They do not die (Luke 20v36), and they do not marry(Mark 12v25).

From the information we have, we know that they are personal, intelligent & able to communicate with humans. They have a will (2 Peter 2v4), are separate from humanity (1 Corinthians 6v3) and powerful yet also finite. There are large companies of angels (Revelation 5v11), and they do not naturally increase unless God creates more. They are organized and there are ranks of angels. For example: Michael the archangel (Jude 9) and legions of angels (Matthew 26v53). Cherubim are another class of angel. Their job was to protect (Genesis 3v24) and also were seen on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25v17-22).

2. Their service

As the Greek word Angelos means Messenger, we know that they carry God’s message in times such as at the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1). For Elijah, they provided food (1 Kings 19); for Daniel they protected him from the lions (Daniel 6) and ministered to Jesus after the temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4v11). This personal service however does not justify the thinking that some people have, that we all have a “guardian angel”. We also know that they were created to be holy (Matthew 8v38), and that they praise & worship God (Psalm 89v7). This is seen in their rejoicing at God’s work (Revelation 5v11-12); rejoicing in a sinner’s conversion (Luke 15v10); and they rejoiced in the birth of Jesus (Luke 2v13). They watch over Christians (Hebrews 1v14; Psalm 24v7; Psalm 91v11) and carry out God’s judgments (2 Kings 19v35; Matthew 16v27). Daniel 10-12 would seem to intimate that they also guide nations and the early chapters of the Book of Revelation seems to indicate that churches have angels to watch over them.

Finally, the job of spreading the Gospel is not for angels. It is for Christian Disciples to do as commanded by Jesus (Matthew 28). God obviously thinks it is a much more efficient and effective method, than getting angels to do it!

Fallen Angels

At some point in time, some obviously chose to rebel against God (2 Peter 2v4; Jude 6). Their leader is Satan and these fallen angels are called wicked (Matthew 12v45) and evil (Acts 19v13). We know that they know Jesus and His authority and that they know their eternal fate is destruction and torment (Matthew 8v29-31). Because of this, they want to take as many humans with them as possible. So they tempt humans to disobey God (Genesis 3); possess people (Mark 5) and give inspiration to false teachers (Galatians 1v8).

How can we know the difference between unfallen angels and fallen angels? We listen to what they are telling us. If what they say is bringing all glory to God, then they are truly from God, for in the Biblical accounts, they always give the glory to God. If they don’t, then they cannot be from God.

Two dangerous teaching about fallen angels are these. Firstly, we forget they are not our only enemy as Christian Disciples. There is also our old nature trying to rear its ugly head (Ephesians 2v3) and the world (James 4v4). Of course satan and his fallen angels can use our old nature and the world to tempt us to disobey God, but the old nature and the world are also two of our foes. Secondly there is the danger that fictional Christian novels concerning the spiritual world and satanic darkness, can be turned into factual doctrine, regardless of the lack of biblical warrant.

Our interaction with Angels.

If you seen an angel, how would you react? Would you be afraid, as the women at Jesus’ tomb seemingly were when the angel told them about Jesus having risen from the dead (Matthew 28v5)? Would you bow to worship them like the Apostle John endeavoured to do, before the angel rebuked him and said "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" (Revelation 22v9)?

We know from these and other Bible stories that humans have seen angels. Jacob did when on his way to meet Esau (Genesis 32v1) as did those who witnessed Jesus’ ascension (Acts 1v10). As they are God’s messengers, they need to be listened to as well as allowing them to serve and minister.

By practising hospitality, particularly to those we don’t know, we may well be unaware that we are entertaining angels according to Hebrews 13v2. We know that Angels are not to be worshipped, both according to Paul (Colossians 2v18) and to angels themselves (Revelation 22v8-9). Also, according to Paul, we will be judging the angels (1 Corinthians 6v3)!.

Perhaps one of the best book on this subject is “Angels: God's Secret Agents” by Billy Graham. It is well worth a read.

For more to think about please do ask your self the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Read Revelation 7v11-12. How does this encourage me to worship the Lord even more than I currently do?

Q2. Read Hebrews 13v2. What change could I make in regards to offering hospitality?

Q3. Read Psalm 91v11-12. How does that encourage me in my day to day life as a Christian Disciple?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

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Partake Module 5 - Spiritual Matters - satan

Partake Module 5 - Spiritual Matters - satan

Paul writes in Ephesians 6v10-12: “God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”

I said last time that I was going to probably start discussing more directly about the God we enjoy and in whom we have an abundance of life as Christian disciples. However, it was laid on my heart by God, that it would be prudent to do two more discussions in regards to dealing with sin & temptation.

Paul here says that just as God is strong, He wants us to be strong against sin, the world, our old nature and our ultimate enemy, satan. We have seen enemies in the world. But behind the world and the old nature, is the unseen enemy in the spiritual domain. A bit like the terrorists who try to strike surreptitiously at our cities. Satan is real, and we know this because Jesus spoke about him more than anyone else! Two errors made by the church are to have blind ignorance about satan or giving him far more importance and privilege than he deserves or warrants.

So who is satan and his minions? What does the Bible say about him? Some angels fell, rebelled against God and were put out of heaven (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28). Their leader is satan who has established his kingdom on earth. The role of Satan against the Christian is summed up by his various names’ adversary, devil, accuser, angel of light, the arch-deceiver. He stands hatefully opposed to all God’s work, God’s people and resourcefully promotes defiance among people (Mark 4:15; Job 2:4-5).

When satan sinned, he was expelled from Heaven (Luke 10:18), although apparently he still had some access to God (Job 1:6). A multitude of angels decided to follow him in his fall and subsequently became the demons mentioned often in the Bible (Matthew 12:24; Revelation 12:7). Although Satan’s doom was secured by Jesus’ death on the cross (John 16:11), he will continue to hinder God’s program until he and his demons are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10)

1. Satan’s kingdom - darkness

• The Prince of this world (John 14:30)
  
• Controlling the whole world (1 John 5:19)
  
• Prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)
  
• The God of this age. (2 Corinthians 4:4)
  
• Ruler, authority, power of this dark world (Ephesians 6:12)

Other names of Satan

• The adversary (means Satan). Devil - The accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10); Murderer (John 8:44); Liar - the father of all lies (John 8 44); Tempter (1 Thessalonians 3:5); Deceiver (2 Corinthians 4:4); Schemer (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11); Destroys by Death (Heb. 2:14); Destroys by Disease (Luke 13:11, 16); Destroys by Devouring (1 Pet. 5:8)
  
• The Wicked One - snatches away the good seed (Matthew 13:19); sows bad seed (Mt. 13:39)
  
• Masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14)
  
• His servants masquerade as angels of righteousness

2. Satan’ s attack on believers.

What Satan does to us?

• Goes around like a roaring, devouring lion (1 Peter 5:8)
  
• Deceives, and leads astray - wrong thinking (2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 4:1; James 3:15)
  
• Temptation (1 Thessalonians 3:5)
  
• Attacks (Ephesians 6:16) & sifts (Job; Luke 22:31) by God’s permission only.
  
• Cause doubt, uncertainty, confusion, fear, anxiety and darkness.

3. How to resist the attacks of Satan.

He is defeated

• Christ came to destroy satan and his works (1 John 3:8)
  
• Christ’s death leads to satan’s destruction (Hebrews 2:14)
  
• Satan has been disarmed (Colossians 2:15) & condemned (Matthew 25:41)
  
• Christ is greater than satan (1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:18)
  
• Resist satan and be steadfast in the faith (1 Peter 5:9). Resist and he will flee, when we submit to God (James 4:7). Don’t give Satan an opportunity/foothold in your life - anger, lust etc. (Ephesians 4:22).

Remember this:

• Do not blame Satan for your own sin.
  
• Don’t believe the lies he tells you in your head! For example if you sin and you hear in your head “You are a failure now. God wont forgive you again.” These are lies!! Lies! Lies! Don’t believe it! That is him trying to undermine and discourage you! Yet we know the truth is that if we confess our sins, that God will forgive us 1 John 1:9
  
• Rely on the authority of God’s Word (Mt. 4:1-11)
  
• He is a defeated creature! He was defeated when Jesus went to the cross and rose again 3 days later!
  
• Being a Christian is the best thing that could ever happen to anyone! Don’t believe anything to the contrary.
  
• Remember also what John wrote in 1 John 4: “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” You have the victory because the Holy Spirit indwells you as a Christian disciple.
• Finally, put on full armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). This is what I will discuss next time. But as a preliminary, know this about the armour: it is given and designed by God so it is a key part of Christian discipleship and of living the Christian life. A fantastic book to get about the spiritual battle and our armour is William Gurnall’s seminal work: “The Christian in Complete Armour”. It comes as either one large book or an abridged version in 3 small books.

For more to think about, please do read for yourself Ephesians 6:10-18. Ask yourself the following question and suggestions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. Who are our real spiritual enemies?

Q2. What are the gaps in my armour and what can I do to fill those gaps?

Q3. Is there somebody I can talk to if I am feeling weak and discouraged?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. I would love to hear from you and if these are making any difference at all to your continual Christian discipleship! Thank you.

By using this Paypal Donate button you will be helping to provide these resources... Prayerfully consider how little or how much you may like to donate. Paypal is totally secure and is operated by the same people as eBay. There is absolutely no obligation to do so if you desire not to and all downloads will continue to be free of charge... Thank you


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Partake Module 5 - Spiritual Matters - Armour of God

Partake Module 5 - Spiritual Matters - Armour of God

Paul writing in Ephesians 6v13-17: “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armour so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery darts of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

We have learnt previously something of satan’s strategy. Satan wants you, as a Christian disciple, to compromise your faith. He wants you to be fearful. He wants you to have doubts and blasphemous thoughts. He wants you to be a hedonist that only thinks of themselves and living a materialistic life. He wants you to put off till tomorrow what you can do today. He wants you to be an individual, instead of being involved in your local Christian community. At times we feel like giving up being a Christian disciple with the pressure applied on us by sin & temptation. The thoughts that satan implants in our minds like “Did God really say that?” or in the insatiable thoughts of lust, revenge or pride. Doubts set in. Guilt appears constant. To help His people, God has designed spiritual armour for us to wear during our constant battle with sin & temptation. This armour is what God wears according to Isaiah 59v17, when He goes out to battle! What are the hallmarks of this spiritual armour? Cast all thoughts of a Roman soldier out of your mind!

• Truth - know, understand and live truth. Our lives are to be controlled by truth as revealed in Scripture. When we know truth so well, we can recognize the lies that we are told!
• Righteousness - live a righteous life. Live the truth! When we started as a Christian disciple, before God we were given the righteousness of Jesus! But that righteousness needs to be lived out in the lives of Christian disciples. If it isn’t, then satan will attack!
• Gospel - be ready to share it and rely upon it. Because we have peace with God, we are able to withstand without fear the attacks of the enemy! We have peace with God, but we are also to exhibit peace with others. Where peace is, the discord of our enemy cannot prevail!
• Faith – show total trust in God for your life. The faith we have is a defensive weapon against the mistruths that come into our head: lies, blasphemy, lust, greed, selfishness are all little darts thrown at us by satan. By maintaining our trust in God’s promises and God’s power, these little darts are extinguished.
• Salvation - assurance of salvation. Be assured! Let your mind be controlled by the Holy Spirit, so that you are not led astray. Your salvation rests in nothing apart from God’s promises and Jesus’ righteousness!
• Bible - read and study God’s Word. The Word of God, the Bible, is our attack weapon! That is why we are to study it and learn from it, trusting in the Holy Spirit to lead and reveal it to us! We are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus according to 2 Peter 3v18 and that is only achieved through studying the Scriptures! Then when we hear that nagging little voice that says “God didn’t say that”, we can say “Oh yes, He did!!”
• Prayer – talk to God. This is how we are energized! Fighting in our own power is useless! When we talk to God, we strengthen our relationship with Him! When we ask other Christian disciples to pray for us, the Church unity is strengthened! A solo Christian is an anomaly. Except in extreme circumstances, there is always a way to ask for prayer and help.

How do we put on the armour? It is not through some mystical, deep and secret process that the spiritual armour is put on. If it were, not many of us would be wearing it! It is revealed, whenever we resist the works of satan, and don’t listen to the lies he tells us in our head. When our marriages, reflect the sacrificial love that Jesus has for the church, our spiritual armour is displayed. When children are taught the Gospel and instructed in the Lord, our spiritual armour is being worn. When we are diligent in the workplace, our spiritual armour is exhibited. When God is glorified in your life, you are wearing the spiritual armour! When are living fruitful lives for God, and giving all glory and honour to Him without compromise, we show we are wearing our spiritual armour! We can stand up for Jesus and say with honesty and integrity that He is our Lord and our master. When we meditate on God’s word, we nourish our minds with the truth of salvation! When we tell others of this message of peace with God, our enemies flee! When we ask others to pray for us, as Paul did, we show we are part of the Church, the beautiful bride of Jesus! All these and more, reflect that as Christian disciples, we are clothed in spiritual armour. It is our own responsibility to wear it and use it with confidence. We are to be alert to the prowling of our enemies and relying solely on God’s power to overcome sin and temptation. In our own strength we will surely fail, but by using God’s strength and clothed in His armour, we will prevail and overcome. The Christian disciple prevails and is an overcomer when reliant solely upon the God they seek to serve wholeheartedly.

For more to think about please do read for yourself Psalm 1. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. What are the contrasts between the ways of the godly and the ways of the ungodly?

Q2. In what ways am I bearing fruit in my life for God and showing I meditate on His word?

Q3. What can I do this week, to stop somebody walking down the path that leads to destruction?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partakes(at)googlemail.com. I would love to hear from you and if these are making any difference at all to your continual Christian discipleship! Thank you.

By using this Paypal Donate button you will be helping to provide these resources... Prayerfully consider how little or how much you may like to donate. Paypal is totally secure and is operated by the same people as eBay. There is absolutely no obligation to do so if you desire not to and all downloads will continue to be free of charge... Thank you


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