Praying in the Spirit!

A look at how prayer in the Spirit is used to fight Satan.

Morning my friends, hope you are all well. 

I'm presently watching the following message from pastor  Yannick Christos-Wahab 

in Stockwell Baptist Church. 

I thought that I'd share it with you as it is a very important message.  

Midweek Bible Study

290 views Streamed live on Jul 27, 2022

Today's psalm: psalm 91

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

1 Thessalonians 1

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11

At the beginning of his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul thanks the Lord for them. What does he mention?

1- your work produced by faith

2- your labour prompted by love

3- your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus-Christ!

This epistle gives us lots of information about Paul's life and his 'mission' when he was with them. 

Dear visitors and friends, don't hesitate to leave a comment, I will contact you! 

James 2

Message by Malcolm Ingram, Civray 86

1st May 2022

The Sin of Partiality

2 My brothers,[a] (A)show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, (B)the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” (C)while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become (D)judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, (E)has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be (F)rich in faith and heirs of (G)the kingdom, (H)which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you (I)have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who (J)drag you (K)into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable (L)name by which you were called?

8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, (M)“You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you (N)show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point (O)has become guilty of all of it. 11 For he who said, (P)“Do not commit adultery,” also said, (Q)“Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under (R)the law of liberty. 13 For (S)judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith (T)but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 (U)If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 (V)and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[b] is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith (W)apart from your works, and I will show you my faith (X)by my works. 19 (Y)You believe that God is one; you do well. Even (Z)the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 (AA)Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that (AB)faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed (AC)by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, (AD)“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a (AE)friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also (AF)Rahab the prostitute justified by works (AG)when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Apologetics for the resurrection of our Lord Jesus-Christ

1 Corinthians 15:12-34

The resurrection of Jesus

Isaiah 55:1

Invitation to the Thirsty

1“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,

and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me;

listen, that you may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my faithful love promised to David.

4 See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a ruler and commander of the peoples.

5 Surely you will summon nations you know not,

and nations you do not know will come running to you,

because of the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.”

For I was hungry and you gave me food,

I was thirsty and you gave me drink,

Isaiah 55:1

I was a stranger

and you welcomed me- Matthew 25:35

The New Heavens and New Earth 21:1-22:5 | Sunday Service

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SUBSCRIBEd

A depiction of the glorious future that God has promised to bring about for those who trust Him.

Sermon preached by Nathan White on Sunday, 20th February 2022. 

Previous message in series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMq9h... 

Find other messages here: https://www.stockwellbaptistchurch.co.uk

Building God's Kingdom! The book of Nehemiah

 Building God’s Kingdom      Message by Pastor Derek Chittick, Eglise évangélique Civray 86000

 Introduction 

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are set in a time of make or break crisis for the people of God. After the foreshadowing of the Kingdom of God which took place during the reigns of David and Solomon, the nation of Israel was split into two separate kingdoms – Judah in the south continuing to be ruled by the descendants of David, and Israel in the north being ruled by a succession of kings and dynasties of short duration.

Neither of the kingdoms ever recovered the glory, power and influence of Solomon’s days, and both kingdoms degenerated spiritually in a progressive way due to the initial introduction of idolatry and foreign gods under Solomon. 

This was fostered in Judah by several of the kings, though resisted by others. It was compounded in Israel by the establishing of a calf-worship cult as a political move by its first king, Jeroboam.

In spite of the ministry of prophets such as Elijah, Amos and Jeremiah, proclaiming the impending judgement of the Lord on the rebellious kingdoms, and calling both Israel and Judah to repentance, and in spite of the efforts of good Kings Hezekiah and Josiah in Judah, the people refused to listen. 

The judgement of God fell, and first Israel in 722 B.C. then Judah in 56 B.C. were taken into exile so that the land could “enjoy its Sabbath rests.” (2 Chronicles 31; 21)

The possibility of such a situation arising had been written into the covenant blessings and curses given in Deuteronomy 27 and 28 and recognised by the Israelites in the ceremony enacted on Ebal and Gerazim at the birth of Israel’s nationhood (Joshua 8; 30 – 35).

In a way, such a removal was written into the constitution of Israel as the kingdom under God’s rule, and the faithlessness of Israel was the trigger that then brought about the fulfilment of the curse. In that situation, the prophets were the guardians of the Covenant, proclaiming the intention of the Lord to bring into force the constitution that He had laid down for Israel. 

Indeed, Moses himself had prophesied these events even before the people had entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 31; 24 – 29). However, the prophets were also the agents of the Lord to proclaim His message of hope beyond the seemingly ultimate disaster. 

Jeremiah, one of the foremost in announcing the forthcoming judgement, was also one of the most specific in announcing the new dawn after the darkness: “’This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years. But when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will punish the king of Babylon and his nation.... for their guilt,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 25; 11, 12) 

Isaiah, speaking years before Jeremiah, is even more specific: “This is what the Lord says, - your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: ‘I am the Lord who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself..... who says of Cyrus, “He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say in Jerusalem, ‘Let be rebuilt,’ and of the Temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’”’” (Isaiah 44; 24, 28. See also Isaiah 45) Godly people among the exiles fortified their faith with these promises, so that we find Daniel using Jeremiah’s prophecy to fuel his intercessions for the return of God’s people to the land (Daniel 9; 1 3), and in due course the first wave of exiles returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel (a descendant of David) and Jeshua (see Ezra 1 and 2).

Imagine the excitement and anticipation of these folk as they first of all gathered together for the journey to Judah, then set out and finally arrived in Jerusalem! Not only were they being allowed to return to their homeland, they were also being allowed to rebuild the Temple - destroyed by the Babylonians along with the rest of Jerusalem. 

For some of them, those who remembered the original Temple, laying the new foundation stone brought to the surface all their hurts and hopes: “When the builders laid the foundation of the Temple of the Lord.... all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former Temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of the Temple being laid, while others shouted out for joy. No-one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.” (Ezra 3; 10 – 15)

In spite of this initial enthusiasm, work on the new Temple languished for a while, until the ministry of the prophets Zechariah, Haggai and possibly Malachi stirred the people into repentance and renewed zeal. 

Desire for material prosperity and comfort had taken pre-eminence in the peoples’ minds over the work and call of the Lord. (In how many pastors’ hearts does that stir a chord of recognition?) Even after the completion of the Temple, however, the people didn’t seem able to move into the full enjoyment of their renewed establishment in them Promised Land. The Temple was built, but the rest of the city was in ruins, and the walls were still broken down. 

Opposition to the building programme had already halted the work on the Temple for a time (see Ezra 5 and 6), but after a new influx of returning exiles under Ezra (Ezra 7 and 8) opposition to any further work of rebuilding was so great that nothing more could be done. This is the situation at the beginning of the Book of Nehemiah. 

The dream of a rebuilt Jerusalem as the capital of a re-established nation under the protection of the Lord, and where His glory would dwell among the people, had died. The glory had departed, the enemies were all around, and they were too strong for the small remnant living in Judah. That same sense of frustration, disappointment and defensiveness is all too common in the church of Jesus Christ in the Western world today. In many places, the triumphalism of the mid to late 80s of the Twentieth Century has given way to a growing lethargy. 

The excitement of the expectation of the establishment of the Kingdom of God in a new, vital form has been tested in the fire of opposition so that much of the froth has evaporated. Fresh forms of life in the Spirit of God have in some places been fossilised into set forms of liturgy. 

In some areas of doctrine, traditionally Biblical Evangelicals have modified Scripture teaching in the light of trends in modern thought, and much of the defense of these doctrines has been undertaken in the flesh rather than in the Spirit. 

Was the dream of building the Kingdom of God in our day just a passing fancy, or do Jesus’ emphasis on the Kingdom and His teaching on its imminent arrival have any relevance for the church today?

 How do we go about building God’s Kingdom in the here and now, in the face of the rising tide of secularism and unbelief within as well as outside the church?

I believe that the Book of Nehemiah has answers to these and other important questions that bear on the life and growth of the Kingdom of God, and trust that through seeing how the Lord moved in Nehemiah’s day to transform a seemingly impossible situation into one of establishment and growth, we will be encouraged to believe that the Lord can do it in our time too. 

Not only that, but let us also have the courage to apply what we learn from Nehemiah by putting God’s Word into action in our own situations and seeing how the Lord moves in response. We may well be surprised!

God will bring justice for his chosen ones! Luke 18:1-8

Luke 18:1-8 

Good morning my friends,

Happy new year!

At times, we may think that the Lord is taking so long to answer our prayers that maybe we are asking for the wrong things and we should forget about it. 

In this specific example, Jesus considers a widow who has trouble getting justice. We are not told exactly why however there is no doubt in her mind that she won't give up. 

1- Jesus explains the parable! 

2 - Was this judge a good judge? It seems not. Jesus stresses out that the judge didn't fear God or care about men. 

3- The character of the widow. Being a widow in those days (or our present days) was difficult! She was a woman and women weren't always respected! However she was a fighter! She wouldn't give up! She persevered! 

4- The core of the issue: justice! This is not a trivial matter in the eyes of our heavenly Father. God is just, it is part of his character! A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” (Psalm 89:14)

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).

Today, it may be that you live in a difficult situation and that you struggle, do not fear any longer, do not delay, keep on asking our Father to bring justice in your life!

We are the temple of God!

Peter’s Vision

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’s House

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

The trinity: the Holy Spirit!