Power of the Resurrection

April 2004

Power of The Resurrection

Matthew 28:6 - He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

The Words: “He is risen” were spoken at the tomb of Jesus Christ.

He remained on this earth for 40 days in his resurrected body.

During this time he was seen by over 500 people.
Signs, Miracles and Wonders were done by the Believers.



Thomas is reunited with the other Eleven Apostles after being absent when Jesus gave them instruction.
They tell him of Christ’s appearance in verse 25 of John 20.

John 20:24-25 - But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Thomas was doubtful of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but later believes.

John 20:26-29 - And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. 27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

This appearance was probably for the benefit of Thomas and his lack of believing.
“My Lord and my God…” means that Jesus was his Lord (Master) and represented God.

John 20:30-31 - And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

This is the purpose for these records in the Word.
They were written so that people will believe that Jesus Christ was risen, and that he is the only begotten SON OF GOD.

Let's continue in John 21:1-3 - After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

Tiberias and Sea of Galilee, Looking South


John 21:1-3
“Sea of Tiberias” = “Sea of Galilee.”
[This Sea today is 13 miles long and 7 miles wide.]



This record takes place near the location where this photograph was taken

John 21:4-14 - But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. 9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead. 15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

-In the morning, Jesus, standing on the shore, instructs his disciples to cast their nets over the right side of the ship. At this point they didn’t know it was him.
-They obey, and they catch more fish than they can bring into the ship.
-One of Jesus’ disciples recognizes him and tells the rest of them.
-Peter was so excited that he didn’t wait to paddle to shore; he jumped in the water and swam to meet Jesus.
-On the shore there was a fire, and when the rest of the disciples got there they broke bread and ate fish that Jesus had prepared
-In verses 15-17 Jesus tells Peter to “Feed My Sheep” three times establishing that he was responsible for all of God’s people as a leader.

Verse 25 sums up the impact of this record beautifully.

John 21:25 -  And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

Several Of Christ’s other resurrection appearances are listed in:
I Corinthians 15:4-8 - He was seen of over 500, and of Paul

Jesus Christ’s ascension is recorded in the book of Acts 1:1-9

And the “Promise of the Father” from Acts 1:4 is unveiled in Acts chapter 2:

Acts 2:1-4 - And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

They received holy spirit and manifested the proof and evidence of eternal life which is speaking in tongues.  There are also 8 other manifestations available which are listed in I Corinthians 12 7-11

Many Wonders and Signs were done by the Apostles in the days following:

Acts 2:38-43 - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Three Thousand people were born again in a single day!

“Jesus Christ left no reason for doubt that indeed he was risen.”
Signs, Miracles, and Wonders were seen and done by believers!
People were born again by the THOUSANDS!
Our God has not changed!

Power in Discipleship

February 2004

“Power in Discipleship”

This Teaching is about the power that we have as disciples of God and followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Jesus always did the Father’s will, so he is our example.

Who is this “power of discipleship” available to?
-Anyone and everyone who desires to love God.
You cannot be a servant (disciple) of God unless you first become a child of God.

Romans 10:9-10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Once you are born again, you can serve God fully.
There are many people out there who want to serve God.

What is a Disciple?
-A disciple is a Disciplined Follower of Jesus Christ

How we receive (utilize) this power-
This power we have as disciples comes when we follow the Lord Jesus Christ first, and then lead by our example of humility and meekness to the Word of God.

You have to follow before you can lead.

Quote:  “My weeks in Boot Camp at Parris Island taught me that you have to know how to follow before you can lead. To stretch beyond what I had previously thought were my mental and physical limits. Later, as a 2nd Lieutenant, I learned Leadership, the quintessential quality, without which no matter how great the other resources, no organization can be successful.”

-Robert A. Lutz
2001 Chairman of General Motors North America
fmr. United States Marine Corps

1 Corinthians 7:22 - “For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant [follower] is the Lord’s freeman: [free to lead, free to serve] likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. [follower]”

As you serve, you are also leading whether you recognize it or not.

How do we lead according to God's Word?
With a humble and meek heart.

James 1:21 - Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

Philippians 2:7-9 - But [Christ] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

When do we lead?
Right Now!

Ephesians 5:16 - Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Where is our sufficiency?

II Corinthians 3: 5 - “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves……but our sufficiency is of God.”

Our power is given to us by God as we obey his Word and discipline ourselves to it!

God Bless You!

Power in the Hope: The Final Victory

December 2003

Power in the Hope: The Final Victory

The Two Things to learn from this teaching are:
    1) The revealed mystery benefits us today.
    2) The revealed mystery will benefit us in the future.

What is the Mystery?

Ephesians 3:1-6 - For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation [administration] of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

The mystery was hidden from the ages before Jesus Christ came.  It had to be hidden or the adversary would not have crucified him.  When Christ gave his life and was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God, it gave access for anyone and everyone to be born again of God's holy spirit.  The mystery had been concealed until Christ ascended and the believers manifested the evidence of the new birth on the day of Pentecost.  We are now fellow-heirs with Jesus Christ of God's inheritance.  We can have Christ in us, the gift of holy spirit and eternal life!

How it benefits us Today
I Corinthians 15:1 - “Moreover, brethren, I declare [make known] unto you the gospel [good news of the mystery] which I preached unto you. Which ye [also] have received, and wherein ye stand; [in which ye stand also.]”

This verse instructs us not only to receive the good news, the hope of Christ’s return, but also to “stand” and live the mystery today as we walk with the power of Christ in us.

How it benefits us in the Future
I John 2:28-29 - “And now, little children, abide [remain] in him [Jesus Christ]; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and be not ashamed before him at his coming.”

“If ye know that he [Jesus Christ] is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.”

Jesus Christ is returning someday. We have that hope.
Hope [in the bible] refers to something that is not presently available. (still future.)
Believing, however, refers to something that can be seen immediately.

Who is Jesus Christ returning for?

I Thessalonians 4:13-18 - “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.

For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep.

For the Lord [Jesus Christ] himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

This is the truth of the return of Jesus Christ written plainly from the Word.  Those who are born again and have died will be raised again.  Those of us who are still alive will be caught up together with Christ and will live eternally with him.

I John 3:1-3 - “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.”

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and [but] it doth not yet appear what we shall be [future]: but we [do] know that, when he [Jesus Christ]; shall appear, we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.”

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he [Jesus Christ] is pure*.”   
* Greek word hagnos- “to keep lustrous.”

When Christ returns, there will be no more death, no more evil.

Revelation 21:4 - “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Death is an enemy, never a friend.  Your life is so precious to God, to your family, to your friends.  God's will is for you to live, and live abundantly!  When we are born again we have the assurance of eternal life!

I Corinthians 15:26 - “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (death will be no more.)

We have the immediate victory of Christ in us when we become born again.
We have the ultimate victory when Christ returns and death shall be destroyed.

I Peter 3:12-15 - “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.

And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

But sanctify (set apart a special place for) the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (respect.)”

We have power immediately and ultimately as we believe the truth of God's Word.

God Bless You!

The Power of His Good Pleasure

November 2003

The Power of His Good Pleasure

We are God’s children. We will see the immensity of His love for us in the book of Isaiah, by way of some beautiful figures of speech. A figure of speech is any expressive use of language in the Bible.

Figures of Speech used in the Bible: Their intent is to draw special attention to the verse where they are used. They grab the reader’s attention and emphasize an important point.
Figures of speech are for our learning, and unlike where they are used in secular literature, the words of the Word are written perfectly.

Here are some examples of different figures of speech:

Simile - uses the words “like” or “as”, (or as used in the Bible): “like as” or “even as”
The two things being compared are not intended to be one and the same. It’s a comparison.

Psalm 5:12- “For thou, Lord wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.” God’s favour is around us like a shield.

Acts 2:3 says “…Cloven tongues like as of fire…” (Referring to the initial outpouring of holy spirit on the day of Pentecost.)

III John 2 says: “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

Metaphor - To use one thing to represent another. The two things spoken of can literally be taken to mean the same thing. Ex: “Joe” is the “Son of James & Sharon” - The two describe the same person in a different way.

Psalm 84:11 - “For the Lord God  is  a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold them that walk uprightly.” The Lord is literally our sun (light) and shield (protection) because we walk uprightly.

Antithesis - A direct opposition of one thing to another. It emphasizes the contrast between the two things. Usually uses “and”, “but”, or “so”
I John 1:5 - “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

A practical example of a figure of speech would be:
Instead of:         “The farmer’s crops need water.”
You might say:   “The farmer’s crops are thirsty.”
Crops can’t “thirst,” that is a human attribute. It must be a figure of speech. God’s word is the same in the way it refers to God.

Anthropopatheia (Condescensio):
God is Holy Spirit. He is all knowing, all powerful, and everywhere present. John 1:18 Says “No Man hath seen God at any time …” God cannot be seen by the human eye, nor can He be known by any of the other five senses. So, it is the figure of speech; “Anthropopatheia” (Greek), (or “Condescensio” in Latin) when the Word applies human characteristics to God:

Isaiah 43:25 - I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. (Anthropopatheia) “Forgetting” is a human attribute; God is “all-knowing,” He cannot forget. The point is: Our sins are forgiven because of Jesus Christ's accomplishments and resurrection.

Isaiah 49:15 - Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. (Anthropopatheia and Antithesis) It would be incredibly difficult for the mother of a newborn Child to forget about her baby, yet we are only human and it could be possible to forget. God’s remembrance of us is beyond human comprehension.

Isaiah 49:16 - Behold, I have graven [tattooed] thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls [hands] are continually before me. (Anthropopatheia) God doesn’t literally have hands with which to tattoo upon. The point is: God cannot (and will not) forget his most wonderful children.

It is an orientalism in the bible to tattoo the names of those you dearly love somewhere on your body. To say that you tattooed the palms of your hands would be an incredible thing; the human palms are far too sensitive to endure the pain of a tattoo. But God has “graven” our names there.

God’s remembrance of us is [as indelible (and unchangeable) as the lines graven in the palms of our hands.] –“Figures of Speech in the Bible”

Just like each one of our hands have a different pattern of lines; God has remembered us individually as his children. To God, we are as unique and different from each other as the palms of our hands are.

I Corinthians 12:27 - “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”
Ephesians 2:19 - “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Antithesis)

It is a great thing to understand figures of speech and how they apply to the word of God.
They make reading the bible so much more vivid and alive.

God has “forgotten” our sins, but will never “forget” us.
He has “graven” us on the “palms of his hands."
He has called us to his household to be members in particular.
These are all Promises in the Word.
   
Let’s go out boldly keeping in mind that God “remembers” us!
God Bless You!

The Five Gift Ministries in the Church

September 2003

The Five Gift Ministries in the Church

The five gift ministries are listed in Ephesians 4 verse 11. 

In this teaching we will see:

-what these gift ministries are

-their purpose

-then some of the benefits and impact that these gift ministries have in the household, and to those searching for the truth.

Ephesians 4:1- I (Paul) therefore the prisoner of the Lord, beseech (lovingly implore) you that ye walk worthy of the vocation (function) wherewith ye are called.

Paul admonishes us to walk in the calling of God.

Ephesians 4:2-8 - With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; ³ Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ One Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. ⁸ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Verses 9-10 are the figure of speech parenthesis - This is a figure of speech offering an explanation and we can skip to verse 11 without losing any of the meaning of the record.

Ephesians 4:11 - And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers

Here we see the five gift ministries that God gave to the Church:

Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers

Here are the definitions of these ministries according to the Random House College Dictionary, (my comments in parentheses)

Apostle: A pioneer of any reform movement. (Movement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ)

Prophet: A person who speaks for God by divine inspiration.

Evangelist: A preacher of the Gospel. (Good news)

Pastor: Of, pertaining to, or consisting of shepherds. (Flock)

Teacher: A person who teaches or instructs (The Word)

Here are the Biblical meanings of each of these ministries:

An Apostle is one who brings new light to their generation. The same revelation may have been given in the past, but it is new to this generation.

           

A Prophet is one who speaks for God to God’s people. They can help return lost sheep to the flock and back into fellowship with the Father.

An Evangelist is one who brings people to (an experiential) knowledge of the new birth. They see the person born again and saved into God’s household unto eternal life.

A Pastor is one who cares for and ministers to the individual needs of the household, the called out body of believers, the flock.

A Teacher is one who brings forth the accuracy and truth of God’s wonderful Word to the believers.

Here is Ephesians 4:11 from the the Amplified Bible:

And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us,] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the gospel), some pastors (shepherds of His flock), and teachers.

Why did God initiate these ministries?  We read on and find out:

Ephesians 4:12-16 - For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:12-shows the effect of the energizing of these ministries.

…perfecting of the saints… (or maturing of the saints, the believers In their walk with God)

Ephesians 4:13-tells us how long these ministries will exist. (Until Jesus Christ returns, see I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Ephesians 4:14-“That” (indicates purpose.) So that we are no longer children, spiritually speaking.

Ephesians 4:15-But… (In contrast to: being tossed to and fro, carried about…)

…speaking the truth in love…

Ephesians 4:16-Every part… (Every person has the ministry of reconciliation) …maketh increase of the body…

Ephesians 4:29 - Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

The spoken word ministers grace and peace to those who hear it.

Ephesians 4:32 - And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 

We are to be kind to one another and readily forgive people who may have wronged us or made a mistake.


So what are these gift ministries?  They are people.  God gave us the gift of people in the household who love him, serve him, and excel at the specific function that he has called them to fulfill.

God has given us the gift of people - People who operate in these gift ministries to bless the household by the spoken word, by caring for the flock, & by speaking the truth, so let’s give the gift of the household to people as we speak the Word of God.

God Bless You