The centurion watching Jesus saw the earthquake, and

feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

2

In this issue:

4. Vanguard of an Invasion Force Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)

5. You are NOT a Captive Ken Legg (Australia)

6. Faith: The Sixth Sense Reinhard Bonnke (CfaN)

8. The Poison of Unbelief (Part 2) Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)

9. Faith-builders Bible Study Luke 1:57–80 Derek Williams (UK)

11. In Depth Study – Zechariah 9 Mathew Bartlett (UK)

14. Stephen the Pentecostal Deacon Haydn O. Williams (UK)

15. The Winning Bet Bible Studies Online

16. Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection Mathew Bartlett (UK)

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3

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4

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

permission of Harvey Publishers. Image© Elultimodeseo

Pray ye...Thy kingdom come. Thy

will be done (Matt. 6:9, 10).

The kingdom of heaven suffereth

violence, and the violent take it by

force (Matt. 11:12).

The kingdoms of this world are

become the kingdoms of our Lord

(Rev. 11:15).

Don Richardson in a Memorial

Service for the martyred

missionaries in West Irian had this

inspired explanation to give for the

hatred and abuse heaped upon the

loving ministries of the Christian.

This holds true in other than

heathen lands but merely is shown

in a more polished manner:

“We may well ask, ‘Why is it that

people who are loyal to Jesus Christ,

who endeavor to be as He was,

holy, harmless, undefiled— people

whose desire is to live and teach the

ethic of Heaven itself— why should

they be, in every age, the objects of

such furious hatred?’

“There are, perhaps, many reasons.

I will name what I believe is the

main one. The ungodly of this

world persecute the body of Christ

because they instinctively recognize

that body as the vanguard of an

invasion from another world, a

world diametrically opposed to this

one. The ungodly are fighting to

hold this planet against this

invasion, even though it is an

invasion by the greatest love and

goodness that ever was. The

ungodly want to keep this planet a

place where they can practice

independent meaning in rebellion

against God, even though the

penalty for that rebellion is death

itself, and so they resent every

encroachment from that other

world where the rule is that men

practice dependent meaning in

submission to God.

“Some imaginative men have

speculated about the possibility

that this world may someday be

invaded from outside itself. Little

do they realize that an invasion of

this world occurred two thousand

years ago, an invasion far more

subtle, far more sophisticated, far

more certain of success than

anything that the wildest flight of

man’s imagination could conceive.

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ was

that invasion and He is still carrying

on His conquest, not by bringing in

armies to suppress the earth, but by

transforming His enemies into

citizens of His kingdom through His

Gospel.”—Helen Manning.

The continuance of this invasion is

largely maintained by the secret

prayer warriors described by S. D.

Gordon:

“The victor’s best ally in this conflict

is the man, who while he remains

down on the battlefield, puts his life

in full touch with his Savior-Victor,

and then incessantly, insistently,

believingly claims victory in Jesus’

name. He is the one foe among

men whom Satan cannot withstand.

He is projecting an irresistible spirit

force into the spirit realm. Satan is

obliged to yield. We are so

accustomed through history’s long

record to seeing victories won

through force, physical force, alone,

that it is difficult for us to realize

that moral force defeats as the

other never can. . . .

“Every time such a man prays it is a

waving of the red-dyed flag of Jesus

Christ above Satan’s head in the

spirit world. Every such man who

freely gives himself over to God and

gives himself up to prayer is giving

God a new spot in the contested

territory on which to erect His

banner of victory.”

Vanguard of an Invasion Force

Christian to arms! Behold in

sight

The treacherous,

threatening sons of might;

To arms! or thou art put to

flight;

Attest thy glorious chivalry.

Each moment’s respite sees

thy wrong,

Supinely thou hast dwelt

too long.

Thy foes, alas! they grow

more strong.

Arise! Acquit thee valiantly!

—Selected.

5

You are NOT a Captive by Ken Legg

When a circus elephant is just a

baby its leg is tied to a leash which

is attached to a peg or stake and

hammered into the ground. As it

tries to pull on the leash, the chain

cuts into its leg causing soreness

and bleeding. Over time, the wound

becomes so sensitive that even the

slightest pull on the chain is painful,

and so eventually the elephant

stops trying to free itself.

Amazingly, when it is full grown, the

same chain and stake keep it bound

to one location even though the

adult elephant could easily pull the

stake out of the ground. Why is

that? The memories of the animal’s

painful attempts to free itself in the

past have become embedded in its

mind. It has been programmed to

believe that it is as powerless in the

present as it was in the past. It is

now held captive, not by the chain

and peg, but by wrong thinking.

Before we were born again we were

in the kingdom of darkness and

under the dominion of Satan and

the power of sin. But now we have

been delivered ‘from the power of

Satan to God’ (Acts 26:18). Paul

says, ‘He has delivered us from the

power of darkness and conveyed us

into the kingdom of the Son of His

love’ (Col.1:13).

This has happened to us as a result

of our union with Christ. In Romans

6:10 Paul explains, ‘For the death

that He died, He died to sin once for

all; but the life that He lives, He lives

to God.’ What does this mean?

In other places the apostle tells us

that Christ died for sin. But here he

says He died to sin. It is obvious that

he is not suggesting that Jesus

stopped sinning, because He never

sinned. What he means is that

whilst Jesus temporarily left heaven

and came to live in a realm where

sin dominated, i.e. Earth, He no

longer lives in that realm. After His

death, resurrection and ascension,

He left Earth and was raised to the

Father’s right hand in heaven. Now

He lives unto God. Sin has no place

or power in this realm.

In the following verse he says, on

the basis of our union with Christ,

‘Likewise you also, reckon

yourselves to be dead indeed to sin,

but alive to God in Christ Jesus our

Lord’ (Rom. 6:11).

He is not suggesting that we have

died to the possibility of temptation

or sinning, but that we have died to

the sin nature which was the

dominant power which reigned in

us. In Christ, we are now seated in

the heavenly places and alive unto

God. We are partakers of the divine

nature. Another power, much

greater than sin, rules in us now;

that is, the power of His grace.

We stand in the grace of God (see

Rom.5:2; 1 Pet.5:12). Godliness is at

the core of our being. It is the

essence of our new nature. In the

same way that sin produced the

certainty of sinful behaviour, grace

produces the certainty of holiness.

As far as our unredeemed bodies

are concerned, sin remains and will

make its appeal to us from that

base. If we are suffering from ‘circus

elephant syndrome’ we will think

that we are just the same now as

when we were in Adam, so we will

give in to sin’s demands.

That’s why Paul has taken time in

the preceding chapter to explain

that we are not in Adam anymore.

We are now in Christ. Therefore, sin

is not our master. We are

empowered by grace to reign: ‘... as

sin reigned in death, even so grace

might reign through righteousness

to eternal life through Jesus Christ

our Lord’ (Rom.5:21).

We must not fall for the lies of

some branches of modern

psychology which would have us

believe that we are victims of our

upbringing and therefore doomed

to problematic behaviour. That may

be true of those in Adam, but not of

those in Christ.

It’s not the way that we were raised

that matters, but the way that He

was raised! He died and was raised

out of the realm of sin and death

and now lives unto God. We were

raised with Him that we might reign

in life by the mighty working of His

power in us. ‘Those who receive

abundance of grace and of the gift

of righteousness will reign in life

through the One, Jesus Christ’

(Rom.5:17)

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6

Introduction - Common Faith

This Bible study has been taken

from chapter 2 of FAITH THE

LINK TO GOD'S POWER

Some people have very odd

ideas about faith, so odd that

here we need to clarify what, in

fact, we are discussing when we

talk about faith. Faith is not

believing something you know is

not true; neither is it believing

something for which there is no

evidence. That is simply

foolishness. The Bible is a big

book all about faith, and in it, we

find a few facts about faith that

will help us get the definition

straight.

The elementary fact is that faith

is a built-in part of all humans.

We are born to be believers. If

you think you have no faith, try

it! Try not believing in anything

or anybody—your wife,

husband, doctor, bank, boss,

baker, or chef. There are no

guarantees, yet we put our lives

into the hands of surgeons, and

we trust drivers of trains, cars,

and airplanes without thinking

of faith. But that is what it is.

Faith is a kind of immune system

to filter out fears that otherwise

would paralyze all activity. When

it fails, we develop all kinds of

phobias and compulsions. It is a

nervous breakdown. Jesus said

to not have phobia but faith.

(See Luke 8:50.)

If you stopped using this faculty

of faith, you would never get out

of bed in the morning or step

outside. You might think the sky

could fall down. In this world, a

million cobra troubles are coiled

to strike, but we carry on,

usu­ally quite aloof from them

and confident. The Bible says,

“God has dealt to each one a

measure of faith” (Romans

12:3). Christ said, “Only believe”

(Mark 5:36), because we can.

Getting married is the best

illustration of faith I know of.

Has any bride or bridegroom

ever imagined the other was

perfect? Yet they commit

them­selves to each other for

life, for better or worse. One

bride refused to repeat the

Faith: The Sixth Sense by Reinhard Bonnke Image © Grace21

Article reproduced with kind permission of Christ for all Nations

7

words, “I take thee for better or

worse.” She said, “I only take

him for worse. I know he’ll never

be better.” She still went ahead,

confident but not optimistic!

There is no mystique about faith.

Perhaps little children are the

biggest believers. Many times I

have lifted a child in my arms,

but not once has the child

screamed for fear of falling.

Jesus Himself carried a child as

an illus­trated sermon. He said

the child carried a passport to

the kingdom of God. Faith does

not come by murdering common

sense. It is not a peculiar

psy­chology developed with

great effort by saints in caves

and living on bread and water. It

is not peculiar at all. It is natural.

Doubt is peculiar—irrational in

fact. It is the only thing that ever

surprised Jesus.

Sinners Can Believe

The next thing we must

understand is what it means to

be holy, to be a saint. People

often confuse faith and virtue.

Virtue is developed. By

con­trast, faith does not come in

the same way that one learns

the piano, grade by grade.

People talk about “big believers”

as if believing came in sizes, like

suit jackets. But we can have

faith even when we know we are

not very good. Sinners can have

faith; otherwise, they could

never be saved. Nobody is good,

but Christ taught us that all can

believe. He commended some

people for their faith, but they

were foreigners, quite ignorant

of doctrine.

The Bible does the same. It has

an honor roll listing heroes and

heroines of faith. (See Hebrews

11.) They are remembered not

for valor or kindness but for

their complete reliance upon

God. Faith is a perfectly ordinary

thing that makes us outstanding

in the eyes of God, since

“without faith it is impos­sible to

please [God]” (Hebrews 11:6).

By faith it is possible to please

God, and faith is possible for

everybody.

Believe in What?

Another fact about faith is that

we are what we believe. Thus,

we need to monitor what we

believe. We make the decision

to believe, and what we believe,

in turn, will define us. Some

believe in UFOs, or that the

earth is alive, or in voices from

the dead; perhaps they just want

to be different. In our lives, we

are presented with millions of

things we could believe in, but

God is supreme. Above all else,

He is the one worth believing in.

Even in this modern world,

surveys show that practically

everybody believes in God—in

some sort of God, somewhere.

The question is, what sort?

Faith, the Character Test

In this way, believing tests us.

The kind of God we believe in is

a window into our souls—for

example, the difference

between believing in Christ or

Karl Marx. We are what we

believe. What does it say about

us if we follow a faith that only

demands a few prayers?

Minimum-effort religions can be

quite popular; they make small

demands and gain a big

following, cheap faith for

lackadaisical people.

Jesus Christ asks for everything:

“Son, give Me your heart.” A

broad religion is an easy road,

but it gets narrower and goes

nowhere. Faith in Christ is a

narrow road that gets wider and

leads somewhere. “The path of

the just is like the shining sun,

that shines ever brighter unto

the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18).

BUY: Faith The Link With

God's Power

International Evangelist

Reinhard Bonnke draws from his

years of personal study and

vibrant ministry to reveal that

Faith itself is not the power, but

it links us to the power source. It

is not the size of our faith but the

size of the God we believe in that

determines the results. There is

no link to God’s power without

faith.

8

In Matthew 17:14-21, a certain

man with a demon-possessed son

had come to Jesus’s disciples for

help, but when they could not cast

out the evil spirits, they asked Jesus

why they had been so unsuccessful.

He said to them, “Because of your

unbelief” (v. 20). This is a very clear

and precise explanation that Jesus

reiterated by going on to say, “For

verily I say unto you, If ye have faith

as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall

say unto this mountain, Remove

hence to yonder place; and it shall

remove; and nothing shall be

impossible unto you” (v. 20). So far

this seems very straightforward. But

the simplicity and clarity of this

statement is often overshadowed

by confusion over the next words

Jesus spoke: “Howbeit this kind

goeth not out but by prayer and

fasting” (v. 21).

It almost sounds as if Jesus

contradicted Himself. When asked

why the disciples had not been able

to exorcize the demon, He said it

was because of unbelief. But now

He seems to be saying that it is

because they had not fasted and

prayed enough. Which is it? The

confusion comes when we fail to

realize the moral of the story. At

first glance it may appear that the

demon is the focal point of this

account, but a closer look will reveal

that the real antagonist in this story

is not the demon but the spirit of

unbelief. The disciples were

concerned about the demon inside

the boy, but Jesus was concerned

about the unbelief inside His

disciples. The disciples’ question

was about casting out demons, but

Jesus’s answer was about casting

out doubt. Jesus knew that once

unbelief has been cast out,

exorcizing demons would be a piece

of cake.

Sometimes we have to pray long

prayers and fast for many days

before we get the victory, but it is

not because our appeals coerce

God into doing something. And it is

not because we have finally earned

the answer to our prayers by

logging enough credit hours into

our spiritual bank account.

Much fasting and prayer may be

necessary and useful in helping us

gain victory over our own stubborn

flesh and cast out the spirit of

unbelief that blocks God’s power

from flowing through us. It is this

kind of unbelief that goes out only

“by prayer and fasting. It is also

worth mentioning that some

manuscripts do not contain the

statement about prayer and fasting

at all, which is why many Bible

translations have left it out

completely. Any way you look at it,

faith is the key to powerful prayer.

This is the point Jesus made in this

story.

In Matthew 9:25, when Jairus’s

daughter died, Jesus had to send

everyone out of the room before He

could raise her from the dead. Why

didn’t He allow all those scornful

skeptics to see the miracle with

their own eyes? Because He had to

cast the unbelief out. Peter did the

same thing in Acts 9:40: “But Peter

sent them all out and knelt down

and prayed, and turning to the

body, he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And

she opened her eyes, and when she

saw Peter, she sat up” (NAS). Jesus

taught His disciples a lesson: Cast

the spirit of unbelief out, and

nothing will be able to stand against

you. Demons, death, and even the

most formidable mountains will

obey your command.

Investors often “diversify” their

investments because if one venture

doesn’t work out, they want to have

something else to fall back on. So a

common idiom in the business

world is, “Don’t put all your eggs in

one basket.” That means, don’t put

all your resources into one

investment because if one of your

“baskets” breaks and all your “eggs”

are in it, you will lose everything.

You see, if you are holding back

some of your “eggs,” it means you

are not 100 percent confident that

a particular basket will hold. You

may be 50 percent confident or

even 99 percent confident, but that

small percentage of apprehension is

what I am calling “unbelief.” So how

do you know when you’ve gotten

rid of all the unbelief? When you’ve

put all of your eggs into God’s

basket.

The Poison of Unbelief Part 2 Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda (CfaN) Photo: © Ellah

By kind permission of CfaN, an extract from Daniel’s new book-

Live before you die. £9.99 BUY NOW.

9

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

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

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

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

Below is an extract from the study notes for Luke 1:57-80

The Birth of John the Baptist

1:57-58 Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

When the time came, Elizabeth gave birth to a son just as the angel Gabriel had said; and all her neighbours and relatives heard God had been merciful in healing her barrenness, and they gathered to share her joy.

1:59-61 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother replied, "No! He must be named John." They said to her, "But none of your relatives bears this name."

According to the Law of Moses, when the boy was eight days old they took him to the synagogue to be circumcised (Genesis 17:10-14). They were about to call him Zacharias after his father, but Elizabeth stopped

them, insisting that his name was John. The people could not understand why she would choose a name other than that of her husband or another respected relative.

1:62-63 So they made signs to the baby's father, inquiring what he wanted to name his son. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they were all amazed.

It is strange to think that they made signs to Zechariah to ask what name he wanted to give his son, for he was not, so far as we know, deaf, only dumb. Another translation puts they asked him. In reply, he motioned for them to give him a writing tablet and he wrote on it that the child’s name was John.

1:64 Immediately Zechariah's mouth was opened and his tongue released, and he spoke, blessing God.

As soon as Zechariah had done this, as the angel had previously commanded him, his speech was restored and he began praising God.

1:65 All their neighbours were filled with fear, and throughout the entire hill country of Judea all these things were talked about.

Great awe fell on all those who were present and on all throughout the Judean hills who heard the news of what had happened.

1:66 All who heard these things kept them in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the Lord's hand was indeed with him.

Clearly, the people thought that the manner of John’s birth and naming, involving Zechariah’s vision, dumbness and subsequent healing foreshowed that God would be involved in this child’s life – and they wondered for what purpose God would raise him up. The only other children since the patriarchs whose birth was spoken of in such terms in the Scriptures were Moses, Samson and Samuel, all great judges and prophets. And throughout his lifed, God’s hand was with him.

The Faith-builders Bible study series

Luke Chapter 1:57-80 By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem

Mark Chapter 2 (abstract) By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem

10

Zacharias’ Prophecy

1:67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.

Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied concerning his son in terms of his God given mission of preparing the way for the long awaited Messiah, Jesus; and so he begins by praising God for the coming Messianic kingdom.

1:68 "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.

Zechariah first praises God for visiting His people. The birth of John announced that the coming near of Go din the person of the Messiah was imminent. Zechariah further reveals the purpose of this coming; he (God, through the Messiah) has come to redeem His people and Zechariah’s new-born child would grow to announce this coming to Israel.

1:69-71 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us.

A ‘horn’ is a figure for a mighty deliverer; a king from the lineage of David (Psa. 18:2). In Zechariah’s eyes he would save the people of Israel from their enemies, just as God had made known through His prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21-24). Perhaps Zechariah especially has in mind the first prophecy in the Bible (verse 70 can read ‘since the world

began’), where the enemy who brought sin, death and estrangement from God into the world is depicted as being defeated by the Messiah, and the effects of his work are undone (Gen. 3:15; 1 John 3:8).

1:72 He has done this to show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant.

He is fulfilling His promise of mercy that He made to Israel’s forefathers (especially Abraham) and has remembered the covenant He had made with them; a covenant which Paul explains was to be made with all people through one of Abraham’s descendants -the Messiah (Gal. 3:15-17).

1:73-75 The oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham. This oath grants that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, may serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him for as long as we live.

Indeed, Zechariah elaborates on what he has said already. This is the covenant which He made with Abraham after he offered up his son Isaac (Gen. 22:16-17), granting Israel deliverance from sin so that they could serve Him in holiness, consecration and righteousness (Eph. 4:24) without any fear (Isa. 45:17).

1:76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.

Zechariah’s prophesy now turns to John, who would be called the prophet of the Most High for he will go before the Lord Jesus Christ preparing the way for Him (Mal. 3:1 and Mal. 4:5).

1:77 To give his people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins.

John was to make known the way of salvation to the people, firstly through preaching that they should repent in order to be ready for the Messiah; and then by pointing him out to them, the one who would forgive their sins (Luke 3:3).

1:78 Because of our God's tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high.

Thus the mission of John and that of Christ would be accomplished by God's tender love, mercy and grace. What is more, the time is imminent for Messiah’s appearing; the sun is about to rise for a new day of grace.

1:79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Through the Messiah’s coming, God will cause his light to shine into the hearts of those who are lost in the darkness of sin and held captive by the fear of death (Eph. 5:8 and Heb. 2:15); leading sinners into the way of peace (Eph. 2:14).

1:80 And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he was revealed to Israel.

John grew up and become spiritually strong, that is mature his knowledge, understanding and strength of the Lord. He lived in isolation in the desert until the time came for him make himself known to Israel.

11

Prophecies Against Israel’s Enemies

9:1 This is a message from the

LORD: His eyes are on everyone,

especially the tribes of Israel. So he

pronounces judgment against the

cities of Hadrach and Damascus.

(CEV)

An oracle is a heavy burden, a

prophetic message which weighed

the prophet down because of its

gravity and seriousness. The oracle

concerns the nations along the

Mediterranean coast which were

Israel’s enemies and neighbours –

Syria and Philistia. Originally, when

Israel invaded the Promised Land,

God included these territories in

their inheritance (Num. 34:5-6); but

Israel had never conquered them

completely. Hadrach was to the

north of Hamath, and Hamath was

nearer to the Syrian capital

Damascus. Tyre and Sidon were also

along this same coast.

The prophet speaks of the defeat of

these fortresses as coming from the

Lord, without naming the armies

responsible or giving further details

of the time and circumstances of

these conquests. For this reason

experts argue over when these

prophecies were written (and

consequently whether or not they

were all written by Zechariah). It is

possible that each verse depicts a

different time in history. Baldwin

explains that some suppose the

defeat of Hamath and Damascus by

Jeroboam II to be depicted here (2

Kings 14:28); but it is also true that

the Assyrians and Greeks fought

these cities in later times, and that

it was Alexander the Great who

eventually overcame Tyre. The

Philistine cities mentioned in vv. 5-6

were subdued by Nebuchadrezzar

before the exile, and so some

scholars suppose that this is an

earlier prophecy inserted by the

editor.

The key to why this allusion of

God’s actions against Israel’s

enemies is made by the prophet is

found in verse 8. Many of the

returned exiles faced hostility from

the surrounding nations (e.g. Neh.

2:10), and God wanted to reassure

them that he would keep them safe

from enemy invasion. Clearly this

promise was not open ended –

Jerusalem and the temple were

much later invaded by the Romans;

but it was a promise which held for

that time. God’s eyes were upon

the children of Israel to watch over

and guard them, just as his eyes

were upon their enemies in order to

bring calamity on them. I have

quoted the CEV above because I

think it is a better rendering than

those translations which suggest

humanity’s eyes being on the Lord.

9:2-4 as are those of Hamath also,

which adjoins Damascus, and Tyre

and Sidon, though they consider

themselves to be very wise. Tyre

built herself a fortification and piled

up silver like dust and gold like the

mud of the streets! Nevertheless the

Lord will evict her and shove her

fortifications into the sea — she will

be consumed by fire.

Using its wisdom – the technology

available in those days – the island

of Tyre had built an almost

impenetrable sea defence, and

became a wealthy trade centre.

Nevertheless, Alexander overcame

these defences ‘by building a mole

from the mainland’ and dealt

ruthlessly with the people of Tyre. It

never again rose to power.

9:5-7 Ashkelon will see and be

afraid; Gaza will be in great

anguish, as will Ekron, for her hope

will have been dried up. Gaza will

lose her king, and Ashkelon will no

longer be inhabited. A mongrel

people will live in Ashdod, for I will

greatly humiliate the Philistines. I

will take away their abominable

religious practices; then those who

survive will become a community of

Our In Depth Study

Zechariah Chapter 9

By Mathew Bartlett

Photo © Jacob Gregory Scripture taken from the NET Bible®.

This article is an extract from The Prophet of Messiah – a Zechariah Bible Commentary

Buy Paperback £3.73

12

believers in our God, like a clan in

Judah, and Ekron will be like the

Jebusites.

What is interesting about the

depicted humbling of the Philistines

is that God would use it to bring

them into fellowship with himself

and his people. They were to be

absorbed into the population of

Israel just as the Jebusites (the

original inhabitants of Jerusalem)

had been by David when he took

Jerusalem. It was necessary of

course for their religious practises

to change for this to become

possible.

Nevertheless, perhaps it was not

until the days of the early church

that this scripture was entirely

fulfilled. For when Philip came to

this region (Acts 8:40), it seems

many were added to the Lord, and

the text of Acts shows how these

were commanded to abstain from

blood etc., and became fully

accepted as part of the people of

God, with Israel and the Gentiles

were made equal partners in God’s

new believing community (Eph.

2:15).

The Lord Defends His People

9:8 Then I will surround my temple

to protect it like a guard from

anyone crossing back and forth; so

no one will cross over against them

anymore as an oppressor, for now I

myself have seen it.

Whilst this verse refers in the first

instance to the temple itself, its

message encompasses the whole

nation which was home to that

temple. God would be on guard and

keep watch (‘I myself have seen it’)

over his people continually. Baldwin

notes the structure of this poem

follows that of the earlier verses,

and so we might infer the unity of

this chapter’s composition, even if it

was a redaction of various original

sources. Nevertheless, the details of

this section remain somewhat

obscure and it requires a good deal

of interpretation of the context in

order to understand them. We will

assume the messages to be relevant

to the post exilic period; although

they also contain a good deal of

Messianic allusions. Whatever the

circumstances and time of the

prophecy, the truth expounded to

God’s people is enduring. God

would uphold and defend the cause

of his own people and fulfil his

purpose for the nations in relation

to the coming of the Messiah King.

The Coming King and His Reign of

Abundance and Peace

9:9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of

Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!

Look! Your king is coming to you: he

is legitimate and victorious, humble

and riding on a donkey — on a

young donkey, the foal of a female

donkey.

This verse was used by the gospel

writers to relate to the time of

Christ’s entry into Jerusalem (Matt.

21:5; John 12:15). The rightful and

eternal King of Israel comes with

meekness, riding the young

unbroken colt, accompanied by its

mother, into the city of Jerusalem

to shouts of rejoicing and cries of

‘hosanna’. As Zechariah depicts, he

comes bringing salvation; though

the nature of that salvation was

until his death and resurrection

quite unknown to humanity.

9:10 I will remove the chariot from

Ephraim and the warhorse from

Jerusalem, and the battle bow will

be removed. Then he will announce

peace to the nations. His dominion

will be from sea to sea and from the

Euphrates River to the ends of the

earth.

The Messiah being King over Israel

is not the total extent of his glory.

He will reign from sea to sea, from

the River Euphrates to the ends of

the earth. This is a worldwide reign

of peace – and the verse insists that

it is only the Christ who will

introduce this peace to the nations.

The chariot, war horse and bow

were the artillery, cavalry and

infantry of the ancient world. Today

one might think in terms of the

removal of tanks, war planes and

guns, but the picture is the same.

The reign of Christ over the earth

will bring an end to war.

9:11-12 Moreover, as for you,

because of our covenant

relationship secured with blood, I

will release your prisoners from the

waterless pit. Return to the

stronghold, you prisoners, with

hope; today I declare that I will

return double what was taken from

you.

There is some debate over who the

prisoners are who are in this

waterless pit, and what that pit

represents. It may be that God is

promising the removal of affliction

and famine conditions, to restore

his exiled people to the stronghold

of Jerusalem and to bless them with

a measure that would outweigh the

pain of their exile in captivity.

On the other hand, the verse can be

used to describe the work Christ

had achieved through his

introduction of a new covenant

ratified with his own blood shed on

the cross. He has delivered those

who were prisoners of sin and Satan

and who therefore were without

the living water of a relationship

with God and who were doomed to

13

an eternity in the waterless pit of

hell where ‘the fire is not quenched’

(Mark 9:43). In this case, the

stronghold referred to would be

God our refuge, or even Christ our

refuge (Heb. 6:18) who rescues us

from the wrath to come (1 Thess.

1:10). As for the ‘double’

restoration of God’s blessings upon

those redeemed by Christ’s blood,

these could be enumerated at

length from many New Testament

writers. As Isaac Watts in his hymn

‘Jesus Shall Reign’ succinctly notes

that ‘In him the tribes of Adam

boast more blessings than their

father lost.’

9:13-14 I will bend Judah as my

bow; I will load the bow with

Ephraim, my arrow! I will stir up

your sons, Zion, against yours,

Greece, and I will make you, Zion,

like a warrior's sword. Then the

LORD will appear above them, and

his arrow will shoot forth like

lightning; the Lord GOD will blow

the trumpet and will sally forth on

the southern storm winds.

We may be uncertain of the exact

circumstances in which this promise

was given. Perhaps the returned

exiles feared the rising power of

Greece, or perhaps this note was

inserted by a later writer to

encourage Israel at a time when the

Greeks actually did invade the land.

Actually, the mention of Greece has

been omitted by some translators

altogether, who see in this verse a

broader reference to God’s victory

over all nations. Whatever the case,

the overarching message of the text

remains clear. God is not helpless

against his enemies. He is able to

take hold of human weakness and

glorify his name. Nor will he

abandon his chosen people, for he

will take hold of little Judah and

Ephraim to defeat far more

powerful foes; he will take hold of

the foolish to confound the wise

and the weak to confound the

strong (1 Cor. 1:27-29). In the

picture given in verse 14 we see

God acting on behalf of his people,

regardless of human agency.

We might be weak, foolish and few,

but the Lord can give victory to his

people by his own supernatural

agency.

9:15 The LORD who rules over all

will guard them, and they will

prevail and overcome with sling

stones. Then they will drink, and will

become noisy like drunkards, full

like the sacrificial basin or like the

corners of the altar.

No matter what weapons come

against the people of God (here

sling stones may be used against

them as much as by them) they will

overcome because it is God who

guards them. Their victory will be

complete; as symbolised by the

fullness of their cups, (not actually

cups of alcoholic drink nor blood,

but full cups of blessing brought

about by the blood of the new

covenant) – a fullness further

symbolised by the basins used in

the temple to collect the blood of

sacrifices (Lev. 4:7). The noise of the

victorious crowd, although

resembling that of drunkards, owes

its origin to a more noble cause; as

was seen on the Day of Pentecost

as the fullness of the Spirit becomes

the church’s possession as a spoil of

Christ’s absolute victory (Acts 2:15;

Eph. 5:18).

9:16 On that day the LORD their

God will deliver them as the flock of

his people, for they are the precious

stones of a crown sparkling over his

land.

God’s people with whom he has

made his covenant are precious to

him: they are the flock of which he

is pleased to be the shepherd, and

they are the crown of his glory – as

the writer of Ephesians explains,

nothing will so glorify God

throughout eternity as those whom

he has redeemed by his grace (Eph.

1:12).

9:17 For how great is his goodness,

and how great is his beauty! corn

shall make the young men cheerful,

and new wine the maids. (AV)

I have elected to use the Authorised

Version for this verse, since it seems

to make better sense. Admittedly,

the subject (who is great in

goodness and beauty?) is unclear in

this verse, but perhaps in context it

is in praise of all that God has done.

God’s grace itself is a beautiful

treasure; and the objects of grace

are also made beautiful by him

(Eph. 5:25-27). His abundant

blessing (symbolised by new wine

and grain) is poured out on all,

whether male or female.

Baldwin sees in this a more direct

reference to God not only

protecting his people but also

providing for them. There was to be

no more famine, but sufficient rain

to produce bumper crops, if God’s

people would inquire of him for it

(10:1); and this would result in great

rejoicing throughout this pastoral

society of Judah. Nevertheless,

Baldwin points further to the

abiding spiritual significance of

these words. To be alienated from

God is to be in an arid and barren

place; whereas to be reconciled to

God is to be blessed in unspeakably

bountiful terms.

14

Stephen the

Pentecostal Deacon

Acts 6:8–8:1

Brief extract of a forthcoming book

based on studies by the late Haydn

O. Williams. Image © Dvest I give Stephen the title ‘Pentecostal

Deacon’ not as a denominational

tag, but because he was filled with

the Holy Spirit as were the 120 on

the Day of Pentecost, and was

gifted with the gifts of the Holy

Spirit in the same way. This

remarkable man was:

Characterised by Fullness

The word of God gives the

qualifications for deacons (1 Tim.

3:8) though when Stephen was

chosen these had not yet been

committed to writing. Instead,

Peter said to the church “look ye

out seven men full of the Holy Spirit

and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). These men

were tested and known to be of

honest report. They were to serve

the church and the cause of the

Lord. There is a great reward for

such ministry.

Filled with the Spirit and Faith

It was not long after the church

began to multiply that they found

they needed deacons. Stephen was

chosen because he was full of the

Holy Spirit. We don't know if he was

one of the original 120 who were

filled, but he was known for his

fullness in the Spirit. In my

experience I have discovered a

great difference between a filled

and a non-filled believer.

(Acts 6:5). Stephen was also notable

for his faith, his ability to believe

and trust God. This was evidenced

by the works of faith which he did,

the signs and miracles which were

done through his ministry.

Filled with Wisdom

(Acts 6:5) The deacons were chosen

because they were full of wisdom.

Stephen exercised great wisdom,

but it was not merely human

wisdom; it was given by the Holy

Spirit. When Stephen was

persecuted, his enemies could not

resist the wisdom by which he

spoke (or rather, by which the Holy

Spirit spoke through him) Acts 6:10

(see Matt. 10:20).

Filled with God's Word

Acts chapter 7 contains 60 verses

mostly spoken by this Pentecostal

deacon, giving an account of God's

dealings with the children of Israel;

showing that Stephen was well

versed in Old Testament history.

Filled with Power

(Acts 5:8) Jesus said you shall

receive power when the Holy Spirit

comes on you. How true this was in

Stephen's experience. It was

nothing of physical or mental

ability. He was full of the Holy Spirit,

and the faith, wisdom, and

knowledge that come with it. God

can and will give us the same gifts.

Characterised by Fearlessness

When Stephen began to

demonstrate the power of God, he

met with opposition. The word of

God has forewarned us, ‘in the

world you will have tribulation’. So

Stephen found persecution, lies

were told about him. When we

begin to work for God, the devil

does not like it. He will stir up

trouble for us. Yet Stephen was

given strength and courage to speak

out against evil the sin of the

people who had rejected Jesus.

Fearless in Death

The words of Stephen brought out

their wrath as they shut their ears

and took him out of the city to

stone him to death. As Luek

describes Stephen’s vision of Christ

standing at the right hand of God, I

cannot help feeling that Jesus was

thrilled with the faithfulness of

Stephen. He was a faithful witness,

unto death. He would have heard

our Lord say to him, ‘Well done,

good and faithful servant’.

Forgiving in Death

He was truly filled with the Holy

Spirit for he not only demonstrated

the power and gifts but also the

fruit of the Spirit. His dying prayer

manifested the nature of a Christ-

like Spirit. ‘Lay not this sin to their

charge’ he prayed in Acts 7.60; an

echo of what Jesus prayed on the

cross, ‘Father forgive them.’

15

I grew up around horse racing. In

our house all the talk was about

the tip for the 2:30 at Chepstow

or who was favourite for the

3:30 at Newmarket. I knew the

names of jockeys and trainers

and I could work out the odds on

an each-way accumulator before

I was 10!

As a young boy—even though it

was illegal—I would sneak in to

see my mum in the betting shop

where she worked. All the men

(it was usually men) were

watching the horse racing and

exchanging tips. One thing all

the punters were looking for was

a winning bet, especially if the

odds were long. Many times

someone would put a pile of

cash on a ‘dead-cert’ only to lose

heavily. They found out the hard

way that the only certainty with

gambling is this – the bookmaker

always wins.

Of course, there are some things

which are certainties in life.

Death, for instance. No one

knows when death will come,

and we all hope it will not be too

soon, but death will surely come

to us all. We simply cannot avoid

it; it is appointed for people to

die. Equally certain is the fact

that all of us will one day stand

before God to be judged for our

sins.

For centuries people have

sought for a way to avoid death

and to live forever. Many books

and films have been made about

the subject – it is a problem

which vexes the whole human

race.

Yet God has already given us the

answer to this seemingly

insurmountable problem. Jesus

Christ came to abolish death and

bring eternal life and

immortality to the human race.

God’s eternal son left heaven

and became one of us, sharing

our flesh and blood nature, so

that he could die.

Everyone has sinned, and since

the penalty for sin is death, all

humanity was awaiting

punishment of eternal death and

separation from God in hell. But

Jesus allowed himself to be

nailed to a Roman cross and

died in our place—bearing our

sin—so that we might live

forever.

After Jesus had died, his friends

took his body down from the

cross and laid it in a nearby

tomb. Three days later, Jesus

rose from the dead and now he

is alive forever. He has immortal

and eternal life–and is willing to

share it with you.

When you ask Jesus into your

life, his spirit enters into your

heart, so that you share eternal

life with him. When this

happens, all your sins are

forgiven and you become a child

of God. The death sentence for

sin no longer has power over

you. Think of it this way: if you

committed a crime, and the

penalty was a fine—but a friend

paid the fine for you—would you

have to pay the fine as well?

Jesus died to pay the price for

your sin so that you will never

need to.

God loves you, and he has

promised to give you eternal life

if you put your faith in his son

Jesus. Have you put your trust in

the Lord Jesus? Have you asked

him to save you from your sin?

When you do so, he will give you

a life that will never end. And

when inevitably death comes for

you, you will no longer have to

face judgment – instead you will

be immediately present with the

Lord Jesus, in a place of joy

where there is no pain or sorrow

forever.

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16

Every Easter Sunday we celebrate

Christ’s rising from the dead. But

that was not the end of the story.

The Bible says that Jesus appeared

again and again to his disciples in

various ways over the 40 days

following his resurrection, giving

them many infallible proofs that he

was alive. What was the purpose of

these post resurrection

appearances of Christ?

They Were Regenerating

When Christ appeared to Mary

Magdalene, the women, the eleven

disciples, and all the others in the

upper room after his resurrection,

his purpose was that by believing in

him (as the Christ who had died and

was risen) they might be born again

to eternal life. This new birth is

called regeneration. In the upper

room, Jesus Christ breathed on his

disciples and through the operation

of the Holy Spirit they were born

again—or born from above—with a

new spiritual nature, the nature of

God.

It is the same for every one of us

today. Jesus died and rose again for

you. He wants you to believe this

even without seeing him. There is

enough power in his resurrection to

bring you from spiritual death to

spiritual life.

That is why the Bible says “if you

confess with your mouth that Jesus

is Lord and believe in your heart

that God raised him from the dead,

you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9 ESV)

One of the apostles, Thomas, was

not with the others when Jesus

appeared to them on the first

Easter Sunday, and he refused to

believe their story without seeing

the risen Christ for himself. When

the Lord appeared to Thomas one

week later, he rebuked him for his

unbelief, and said "Have you

believed because you have seen

me? Blessed are those who have

not seen and yet have believed."

(John 20:29 ESV)

Today when you believe on the Lord

Jesus Christ who died for you, and

who rose again and is alive today,

you will experience a spiritual

regeneration—you will be born

again and receive the gift of eternal

life.

Restoring

You may remember that before his

crucifixion all of Jesus’ disciples

failed him. Not only did they fall

asleep in the garden of Gethsemane

(when he had commanded them to

watch and pray), but they all

forsook him in his hour of need and

fled for their lives.

Whilst all of them had failed the

Lord, the one most keenly felt his

failure was Simon Peter. He had

followed Jesus to the High Priest’s

house where he saw the Lord stand

trial before the Sanhedrin—but

when challenged by a young servant

girl, Peter denied his Lord three

times.

Peter wept bitterly over his failure,

as Satan sifted him as wheat. But

Christ had spoken of his restoration

even before his failure. When Peter

declared “Lord, I am ready to go to

prison with you and die with you.”

Jesus answered, “The cock will not

crow till you have denied me three

times. But the Lord said this “Simon,

Simon, behold, Satan demanded to

have you, that he might sift you like

wheat, but I have prayed for you

Christ’s Appearances after His Resurrection

Sermon Outline by Mathew Bartlett

Image © Connie Larsen

17

that your faith may not fail. And

when you have turned again,

strengthen your brothers.” (see

Luke 22:31–32, 61)

Peter watched his Lord’s crucifixion

afar off. During the three says that

Jesus body lay in the tomb, he no

doubt thought that he had failed

too miserably to be restored. But he

had not taken into account the

resurrection power of Jesus—its

ability to renew and restore. After

all, the power that brings life from

death is able to transform any

situation; it will restore the failing,

revive the fainting, and renew the

backslider’s faith.

So on the first day of the week,

before he appeared to all the

disciples together, but after he had

been seen by the women, Christ

appeared privately to Peter. We are

not sure of the details of this

encounter. After Peter had

discovered the empty tomb, we are

simply told that he left, wondering

about what had happened (Luke

24:12). But by that night the

apostles said “The Lord is risen

indeed and has appeared to

Simon!” (Luke 22:34) They were not

prepared to accept the testimony of

the women—but Simon, whom they

held as their leader (after Christ),

that was a different matter.

Peter had experienced

regeneration, but there was more

work to be done. He now had to

experience restoration.

On another occasion when Jesus

appeared to them, quite early on in

those 40 days, Peter and some

other disciples were fishing on the

Sea of Galilee. The Lord stood on

the shore and called out “Children,

have you any fish” No they replied,

for although they had fished all

night they had caught nothing (see

John 21:1–14). In their hearts they

could remember the very first time

they had encountered Jesus and

were challenged to follow him. On

that occasion too they had fished all

night and caught nothing. Following

his resurrection the Lord repeated

the miracle that had first convinced

them that he was the Son of God.

Christ had taken them right back to

the same place and the same

experience they had when they first

met the Lord. He has to do the

same for us sometimes. The trials of

life, and the problems we

encounter, can cause us to lose

faith, and lose sight of Jesus. But

how gracious our Lord is, the God of

restoration brings us back to

himself to restore our faith in God.

I notice the one great difference

between this second miracle and

the first miraculous catch of fish—

on this second occasion the nets

were not broken; a symbol of the

power which had conquered death

and of the person for whom nothing

is impossible. If Christ wanted the

nets to break they would have; but

if Christ said they would not break,

then they would break not even if a

hundred Great White sharks swam

into them.

When they got back to shore, Jesus

invited the disciples to have

breakfast with him, for he had a fire

already burning with hot coals and

the fish was already cooked. Now, I

wager anything that Christ did not

dirty his hands getting that meal

ready—it was spoken into existence

by the word of God—yet it was real

fish (had he not spoken fish into

existence on Day 5?) and it made a

very good meal.

Having ministered to the stomachs

of the disciples, refreshing them

after a night of toil with food and

friendship, Jesus turned his

attention once again to Peter,

whom he invited to walk with him

in private conversation along the

beach, a little out of earshot of the

others. Jesus did not want to

embarrass Peter in front of the

others. In the past Jesus had

rebuked Peter in front of them all,

but here was a matter to be dealt

with in private. It was between the

two of them.

Peter had denied his Lord three

times and the Lord knew how to

restore him. Three times he looks

into his soul and asks “Do you love

me most of all?” (see John 21:17)

Peter was hurt that the Lord

demanded he say it three times.

When a wound scabs over, if it is

infected, it must first be reopened

before the poison can be taken out.

The Lord did not bring up Simon’s

failure because it had not been

forgiven. He was not telling Peter

that he needed to repent all over

again; he was simply healing the

wound. He was restoring Peter so

that he could start again. And Peter

responded to the restoration.

The word of God tells us today that

those how fall into sin are to be

gently restored in this way—the

word used for ‘restore’ is the same

as that which is used for setting a

bone after it has been fractured.

We have been forgiven so much; we

ought to help others find

forgiveness too. James writes that

“whoever brings back a sinner from

his wandering will save his soul

from death and will cover a

multitude of sins.” (James 5:20)

Even the adulterer at Corinth was

(after discipline) fully restored,

which was the intention of the

discipline all along—there was no

other reason for it. Paul said “I

wanted you to know the proof of

my love for you…Now you ought

18

rather to forgive him and comfort

him.” (see 2 Cor. 2:4-8)

If you have failed the Lord, or failed

in your faith, the risen Lord Jesus

Christ is still able to restore your

soul. As the scripture says, “If we

confess our sins he is faithful and

just to forgive our sins and cleanse

us from all unrighteousness.” (1

John 1:9)

God’s restoration is never partial,

only complete. In the words of an

ancient hymn “perverse and foolish

oft I strayed, and yet in love he

sought me, and on his shoulders

gently laid, and home rejoicing

brought me.”

Instructing

Luke recounts how after his

resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ

appeared to them over 40 days, and

spoke about the kingdom of God.

Whatever did he teach them about?

We have some of his post

resurrection teaching recorded for

us.

He instructed them in the

fulfilment of scripture.

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus,

beginning with Moses and all the

prophets, explained all things that

were written about him in the

scriptures: “Was it not necessary

that the Christ should suffer these

things and enter into his glory?"

(Luke 24:26) On appearing to his

disciples again he “opened their

understanding to the scriptures”

(Luke 24:45).

The preaching of the gospel

His opening their minds to

understand the scriptures meant

that now they could preach the

gospel. He instructed them in this.

He said, in effect, “I am sending you

just as my father sent me. I am

giving you a message of

forgiveness.” (see John 20:23) The

apostles announced the grounds on

which sins may be forgiven; being at

the same time forewarned that

their mission to preach the gospel

would eventually reach every

creature.

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

And behold, I am sending the

promise of my Father upon you. But

stay in the city until you are clothed

with power from on high." (Luke

24:49 ESV)

The Second Coming of Christ

As Jesus gathered his disciples at

the top of Mount Olivet, the last

time he appeared to them, with

over 500 present at once, they

asked him again “Lord, is this the

time you will restore the kingdom

the Israel.” To which Jesus replied,

“It is not for you to know the times

or seasons.” (see Acts 1:6–8)

It was at this time that “as he went,

behold, two men stood by them in

white robes, and said, "Men of

Galilee, why do you stand looking

into heaven? This Jesus, who was

taken up from you into heaven, will

come in the same way as you saw

him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10–11)

In the midst of all this post-

resurrection instruction, perhaps

the most famous part of it, was the

great commission.

Christ’s post-resurrection

appearances were commissioning

Go into all the world and preach the

gospel to every creature. He who

believes and is baptised shall be

saved and he who believes not shall

be damned. Teaching them to

observe all things whatever I have

commanded you. (Mark 16:15–16

and Matt. 28:19–20)

In the great commission Christ gave

his disciples:

Purpose

Go into all the world and preach the

gospel... We have a message of

salvation to proclaim and we must

proclaim it fearlessly to all mankind,

regardless of whether they accept it

or not. Theirs is to accept or reject,

but ours is to proclaim it without

prejudice. God is not willing that

any should perish. Pentecostal

pioneer missionary and apostle

William Burton said when he

arrived in central Africa “We

couldn’t got the wrong place—we

had to preach it to them all.” For all

our lives we have a purpose. Every

little church across the countryside,

and the big churches in the cities, all

have an equal share in this

purpose—to make the gospel

message known to all people so

that they might be saved. Let’s get

on with the job. Through platform

preaching, tract distribution,

personal witness, and in many other

ways, the gospel must be made

known. Every church should have a

prayer meeting and every prayer

meeting, whatever else it may

contain, must always contain

fervent prayers for the lost, for it is

God's heart and God wants us to

enter in and share his burden

through prayer.

Power

You will receive power after that the

Holy Spirit has come on you and you

will be my witnesses. Having

instructed them to preach the

gospel in all the world, Jesus then

delayed them. Remain in Jerusalem

until you have been clothed with

power from on high. There is no

point going to work without your

tools. And the tools given by a

supernatural Christ for a

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supernatural task are necessarily

supernatural.

And these signs will accompany

those who believe: in my name they

will cast out demons; they will speak

in new tongues; they will pick up

serpents with their hands; and if

they drink any deadly poison, it will

not hurt them; they will lay their

hands on the sick, and they will

recover. (Mark 16:17–18)

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had

spoken to them, was taken up into

heaven and sat down at the right

hand of God. And they went out and

preached everywhere, while the

Lord worked with them and

confirmed the message by

accompanying signs. (Mark 16:19–

20)

The tragedy of evangelism today is

that many who go forth to preach

who have not yet received this

power from on high. They are like

men going to dig the road with a tea

spoons—they have not got the

proper tools for the job. Far worse,

it is disobedience to the Lord Jesus

Christ and irreverence for God’s

way of doing things.

When Paul preached he said my

preaching was not with wise and

persuasive words but with a

demonstration of the Spirit and of

power that your faith might not rest

in the wisdom of men but in the

power of God. When we preach the

gospel today we must do so in the

fullness and power of the Spirit of

God; we must expect supernatural

manifestation to confirm God’s

word.

Presence

Go into all the world…And lo I am

with yo always to the end of the

age,

Wherever we go with the gospel,

whatever challenges we face, even

the rejection and persecution of the

people, God is still with us. The Lord

Jesus Christ accompanies us.

It was because of that presence that

the apostles could sing when locked

in jail, bleeding from a beating. It

was because of that same presence

that the earth shook, the prison

doors opened and a number of

souls were added to the church.

We cannot stop the progress of

God. He will build his church and no

man can stop it. Let opponents of

the cross atheists write as many

books and produce as many films as

they like—no one can stop the Lord

from accomplishing his purposes.

Let us be humbly encouraged by

this. We are weak but God is strong.

On one occasion, Moses said to God

“if your presence goes not with us

let us not go up hence”, but God in

reply assured him “My presence will

go with you and I will give you rest.”

(see Ex. 33:14-15)

To Joshua, the Lord said—as he says

to us—“I will be with you, I will

never leave you nor forsake you.”

(see Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5)

The Prophet of Messiah

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

Available at Amazon

The Prophet of Messiah: The Book of Zechariah

Paperback: £3.73 & free UK delivery.

KINDLE: £2.96 (free to members of KINDLE unlimited)

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Contact Us Editor: Mathew Bartlett

Living Word Magazine and Bible Studies

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