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The case for once saved always saved Is it possible for a true born-again believer to lose their salvation and end up in the eternal lake of fire, separated from God forever? The question usually arises when someone we know or even perhaps ourselves, who previously professed Christianity but is now living far from Jesus and does not seem to even care. As we begin this important study it is crucial to remember that not everyone in any given fellowship may be truly born again! Our question in this study is focused on those who have truly been born-again. This study has three parts to it. 1. The need for holiness in the believer’s life. 2. Bible evidence to support ‘once saved always saved’. 3. Responses to those scriptures which appear to contradict this. Part 1 It is clear from the teaching of the Bible that the Lord wants and indeed expects us to lead holy lives that bear fruit. It does matter how we live in every area of our lives and we must not grieve the Holy Spirit who indwells us by living in constant sin. The grace of God and His righteousness in us are not a license to sin. Even if we do stumble our hearts should be quick to confess our sins to the Lord. Calvinists and Armenians Calvinists (John Calvin 1509-1564) generally believe in Eternal Security. They believe that God knew everyone who would believe from before the foundation of the world, and because of this He called and chose each one. In this viewpoint God has done all the work for salvation in the past and the people will be saved in the future. One drawback from this point of view is that because it is so focused on the past it leaves out how the believers live in the present. When taken to extremes this could be taken to mean that it really does not matter how the Christian behaves and hence opens the door for widescale immorality. Arminians (Jacob Arminius 1560-1609), on the other hand, concentrate much more on the present. They also believe God has called and chosen us, but that this calling works only on a day to day basis. So, if we live a holy life today, we are still saved, but if not, we are in instant danger of losing our salvation. Some Arminians become very legalistic and keep long sets of rules perhaps even to the extent of keeping all the law of Moses. Some are in more bondage to the law than any legalistic Jew! Most of what the Calvinists believe is scripturally correct, but a balanced biblical viewpoint must take the present into account. Jesus is alive today and .... He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever liveth to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:23-25). Israel needed a high priest to represent the people to God and in the same way Jesus Christ our high priest makes daily intercessions for each one of us. Our eternal security and salvation do not only depend in what the Lord has done in the past but also on the fact that Jesus Christ is interceding for us today. This means there is a present aspect to our salvation. In other words, if Jesus stopped interceding for us perhaps, we might lose our salvation. Praise God however that He can save us to the uttermost (panteles) meaning completely, utterly, or finally, or even better everlastingly (forever). This present aspect of our salvation means that God requires something from us today! Our present-day sin is still loathsome to God. Although Jesus paid the price in full for all our sins when we sin today, Jesus has to say to His Father ‘I suffered and died for that sin’. So, there is still a reaction in heaven when we sin though He graciously forgives us when we repent. Our sins are still of real significance today and we must remember that obedience is better than sacrifice. Ephesians 4 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. The basis of our eternal security is founded in two equally important things. 1. The work and calling of God in the past 2. The living intercession of Christ for us. If we remember both aspects, they will keep us from extremes of considering sin unimportant or trying to live under the Law. Our love and gratitude to Jesus will lead us into greater holiness. Some Arminian preachers are frightened to preach on God’s grace in case it will promote sin in the believer’s lives. The Bible however teaches that as we acquire an understanding of the grace and love of God and a revelation that Jesus is constantly interceding for us, then we will be inspired to lead holy lives. The supporting scriptures for this motivation to holiness are given below [1]. From these scriptures it is clear that God does not employ fear or outward things to spur us on to holiness but rather it is the truth inside us that will cause a response from our hearts. We respond to God’s love and grace. Those forgiven most, love most! Holiness needs a new nature No matter how good on external appearances people are, only the new birth can really change their nature. People who have only received the Gospel in their heads are often more difficult to convert because they think they are already saved. Part 2 Two Views of Salvation Some people would say that man’s work can help him earn salvation, whereas others say salvation is entirely God’s work. If salvation can be earned or deserved in any way, based on our actions, then there is a possibility that we might stumble and lose it again. This is in effect a ‘social gospel’ a gospel based on good works. This would mean that salvation was gained by doing good works and implies a necessary standard of conduct. If, like most Christians we believe that salvation is entirely the work of God, then we could only lose it through some failure on God’s part. This is of course impossible. The Bible is clear on this point that salvation is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Four Foundational Principles for Eternal Security 1. God’s omniscience; he knows everything, past, present, and future. He knows each one of us at our worst (faults and failings) and at our best. He knew what he was doing when he saved each one of us. He was big enough to complete the task of preparing us for eternity. Romans 8 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. See also 2 Timothy 2 13, Isaiah 46 9-10. 2. The nature of a gift from God; Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. A wage is earned, but a gift is given, the Greek word for gift charisma means a gift. Eternal life is a gift and the Scripture says in Romans 11 :29 ... the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. If we could lose our salvation, then surely God’s omniscience and grace would be in doubt! 3. The work of the Trinity in our salvation All three personalities of the triune Godhead co-operated in our salvation. The idea that any or all of them failed is absurd. a) The work of the Father. Ephesians 1 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Father God planned our salvation and has adopted us into his family. Philippians 1 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: It was the Father who began the good work in us, and He will faithfully complete it. b) The work of the Son Jesus died for every sin; past, present, and future. If even one sin was not covered by his blood, then we would be in grave danger. But thank God that no sin can now affect God’s plan, because they have all been considered since Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus is our advocate (1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:). The parakletos (advocate) means one called alongside to help. Jesus does not turn his back on us when we sin but rather, he rushes to the Father saying, ‘Yes I know he is guilty, but I paid for that sin on the cross’. When we get to heaven there will be great rejoicing ‘He (Jesus shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied (Isaiah 53 11). Jesus is both judge and advocate (John 5 22+27). The court is biased in our favour! c) The work of the Father and Son Together. John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The Father gives men to the Son and He will lose none of them! John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never[2] perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man can pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. d) The work of the Holy Spirit. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest [3] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. We are sealed now of salvation. This implies a ‘done deal’. God owns us from that moment forever. The King of King’s seal cannot be reversed. 4. The family or kindred relationship. We are born-again into God’s family; Galatians 3 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Even if we deny Our Father, He remains faithful to us. Responses to scriptures which appear to be against eternal security There are Christians who believe that they can lose their salvation. It is worth considering just for a moment, that there are only two positions on this matter. Either you can or you cannot lose your salvation! In general, two types of error can be made when trying to interpret a passage of scripture. 1. Either or the verse or passage is misapplied i.e. it is talking about a different subject altogether (and not salvation in this case). 2. A verse can be taken out of context and so it is meaning becomes distorted. An example of such an error is where some people say that because Galatians 5:4 [4] says that we can ‘fall from grace’ then this means we can lose our salvation. This passage is talking about how to lead the Christian life not about salvation! Scriptures used to oppose the doctrine of eternal security Generally, they can be divided into five main groups. 1. Passages dealing with fruit and the judgement of believers works. e.g. In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3-9) the main thrust of the story is about people’s hearts and the fruit that they will produce when salvation comes. Only the first category the hard-hearted person who refuses the seed of God’s word is an unbeliever. See also Hebrews 6:7-10 and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. 2. Passages about God disciplining believers. Although God does discipline his children, he does not throw them out of his family. The unforgivable sin is of course the sin of not believing what the Holy Spirit and the Word God say about Jesus Christ and can only be committed by unbelievers! In Acts 5:1-11 Annanias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and died! This does not imply that they lost their salvation, but it was a judgement of their works. Their dead works will be burned up in heaven just like ours! See also the story of King Saul in 1 Samuel 28 and especially v.19 ...you and your sons will be with me. 3. Passages taken out of context. Matthew 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. The context of ‘saved’ here is that of delivered i.e. will not die but survive. Matthew 7:21-23 ...I never knew you; depart from me your evil who practise lawlessness. This talking about judgement day (every knee ...) and is clearly talking about unbelievers. 4. Passages exhorting believers to live in fellowship. Hebrews 6:1-6 careful study of this passage shows that the ‘repentance of v.6 is referring to the same repentance from dead works’ as verse 1. This is talking about believers who are out of fellowship with the Lord and need to get rid of their dead works. 5. Miscellaneous scriptures. Revelation 3 5 ‘Overcomers’ Some people assume that some believers will not be overcomers and hence lose their salvation. However, in 1 John 5 4-5 defines who the overcomers are i.e. one who has faith in Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:11-13; ‘If we deny (disown) Him....He will also deny us. If God remains faithful our salvation is secure in Him. Conclusion The grace of God should promote holiness in our lives. We are in a relationship with God which cannot be broken although our fellowship can. Your eternal life has already begun so let us live and act in a worthy manner! Jude:24-25 24 Now unto him that can keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion, and power, both now and for ever. Amen. Teaching adapted in part from BBS TAPES 9-11 by the late Roger Price (Chichester CF) see additional resources for links [1] Titus 2 11-13. Ephesians 2:8-10. Romans 6:11-15. 1 Corinthians 6:15-20. Ephesians 3:20 -4 22. 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12. Collossians 3:1. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. 1 John 3:13. [2] Double negative in Greek for emphasis ‘never ever’. [3] Guarantee or down-payment. [4] Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit In Part 1 we considered the gift of God the Father- Jesus Christ (see John 3:16). In Part 2 we considered the ascension gifts of God the Son (see Ephesians 4:8-13). Now in Part 3a we begin to consider the nine gifts of God the Holy Spirit. Our keynote passage is found in 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. 2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led. 3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. 4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit. 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to other divers’ kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. Please notice in verse 7 the gifts are given to every man to profit the body of Christ. These gifts are not just speaking about natural talents, e.g. the gift of tongues means that someone is good at foreign languages. This cannot be referring to the spiritual gift of tongues since there are many unbelievers who are gifted at languages! There are nine gifts of Holy Spirit are described here and these can be conveniently divided into three groups for study purposes. 1. The verbal gifts; tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. 2. The inspirational gifts;(God shows us something we otherwise could not know) word of knowledge, word of wisdom and discernment of spirits. 3. The power gifts (demonstrating the power of God); healings, miracles, and faith. Although the power gifts may be the most spectacular of the gifts the emphasis of the bible is on the verbal gifts with over half the Scripture about the gifts devoted to these. 1 Cor 14 teaches solely about the verbal gifts. There is not a whole chapter devoted to either the inspirational or the power gifts. We are also taught to desire the gift of prophecy above all others! In the early church we find that the verbal gifts were the gifts most manifested in the church. If we follow the example the Corinthian church there should be tongues, interpretation, and prophecy at every church meeting! Interestingly the other six gifts tend to be used more in personal ministry with occasional manifestations in the church meetings. The verbal gifts are often the gifts that open us up to begin to move in the other six gifts. In some ways they are easier to move in since these gifts are under our control i.e., we can either speak or keep silent! Regular use of the verbal gifts keeps us open and ready to operate in the other six gifts when the Holy Spirit gives them to us. They help us to recognise the voice or leading of the Holy Spirit. The gift of tongues is especially useful to us in that we can use it for our personal edification anywhere, doing the ironing, in the car and we can use it without speaking out! For those of us who can speak in tongues it should be a daily exercise so that in addition to our personal benefit we are ready to give a tongue at church if the Spirit wills. Amen Personal Prayer Next time in the Gifts of the Godhead Part 3b we focus on the verbal gifts of the Holy Spirit.

The ascension gifts of the Son Jesus Christ In Part 1 we covered The Gift of the Father as described in John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Father's gift to mankind was his son Jesus Christ. See also the link at the bottom of the page. In Part 2 we now consider; The ascension gifts of the Son, Jesus Christ Ephesians 4:4 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 on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors, and teachers. 12 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 fullness of Christ: Comments v8 Victorious Roman generals on returning to Rome paraded the biggest and strongest of their captives so that the Roman citizens could see the extent of the legion’s victory. They would also have their men shower the crowds with trinkets such as coins and small pieces of jewellery so that the people could share in the victory. So it was that when Jesus Christ won the greatest victory of all time triumphing over the devil and all his powers and principalities and Jesus made an open show of them! When he ascended back to heaven, he showered men (the church) not just with trinkets, but the wonderful and precious gifts described in verse 11. These gifts are known as either the five-fold or four-fold ministry gifts and their purpose is to bring the church of Jesus Christ into a full maturity so that the body can perform the ministry. All these five ascension gifts are dependent on the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and it may well be that these gifts are not just limited to the ministry gifts (v.11) but also include many other (if not all) the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the gift of gifts Himself! We will cover the gifts of the Holy Spirit in Part 3. The ascension gifts of Jesus Christ the Son are people set apart to perform the five-fold ministry gifts in the church to bring the body of Christ into a full maturity. Amen Prayer The gift of the Father https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/immanuel-our-best-ever-christmas-gift

Guest blogger Linda Morris (aka Batnabas) What is the difference? Is it important? Those of you who know me, or have read other things I have written, will not be surprised that my answer is ‘Yes.’ An emphatic ‘Yes.’ Because this is partially to blame for the church – in general – moving away from its Hebraic roots. Pentecost is an important date in the Christian calendar. We sing songs proclaiming that God poured out His Holy Spirit on that day and “the church was born.” You will hear people preaching the same. Well it was not, and I am sorry if this offends you. But I am not apologising for it. Jesus did NOT come to start a new religion. Neither did Paul. The crowd in Jerusalem, in Acts chapter 2 were primarily Jews, but some gentiles (non-Jews) would have been there too. We know that the disciples plus Jews and others who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah were among them. The reason they were there was to fulfil the Biblical command to observe the feast of Shavuot. They were to present the firstfruits of the wheat harvest to God (Lev 22:15-17). Nowadays, it also represents the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. So they celebrate God’s provision for them physically and spiritually at Shavuot. They received another gift from God that day – the Holy Spirit! Jesus is called the firstfruits (1 Cor 15:23). At Shavuot, the Book of Ruth is read, mainly because it is a story about a harvest, but it also tells the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman, joining herself to the Jews. This gives a little hint that God would join the gentiles to His people in the future, through Jesus. Ruth is one of 4 women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus, who were all gentiles. The only other woman in this list was His mother, Mary, who of course was Jewish. Ruth said, “your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” Ruth joined herself to the Jews, but many Christians have at best, separated themselves from the Jews, and at worst turned against them, even hating them. The beginning of this was in the 4th century at the Council of Nicea when the church split from its Jewish roots. One of the results of this is that some years there can be a gap of a few weeks between the Jews celebrating Passover and the Christians celebrating Easter, depending on our calendars. Another is the erroneous teaching that the Jews were unfaithful to God, therefore He broke His Covenant with them and replaced them with the church! This is called ‘Replacement Theology’ and is quite rife in the Christian church. Don’t you see? If God broke His Covenant with the Jews He can just as easily break His Covenant with us! Are Christians perfect? Are we always faithful to Him? If we believe that God breaks His Covenants, then what are we doing going to church? If He is not a Covenant-keeping God, then we are wasting our time! Unfortunately, we have lost a lot by casting off our root, particularly in the area of understanding the Bible. I have often thought that as Christians we just float along the surface in Bible study. By discovering and accepting our Hebraic roots we gain such a deeper understanding of Scripture, of God, of Jesus. It brings the Bible to life. Tom Bradford, a Bible teacher in America, has said that ‘even open-minded Bible commentary writers find themselves at the end of a promising road to new discoveries of the Bible because they are unwilling to pursue it. It could be disruptive to the inner workings of the institutional church.’ He also says that in recent years there has been an upsurge internationally in Christians turning to Hebraic Roots teaching which he attributes to the Holy Spirit. So it seems that many Christians are realising that there is so much to gain, so much to learn. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Once you start, you wonder why you did not do it sooner. I am not in any way advocating that we all convert to Judaism. That is a backward step. The Messianic Jewish movement (Jews who have accepted Jesus as their Messiah) is growing rapidly in Israel and among Jewish communities in other countries. When people in the UK accept Jesus, they say ‘the prayer’ committing their lives to Jesus and approach the faith through Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Messianic Jews have the whole story. The Covenant with God, the ‘Law and Prophets’ (The Tanakh – our Old Testament) which tells the whole story of God’s love for His people and the promised Messiah. We are not New Testament people – we are Bible people. It is a fascinating book, and you will discover and be amazed and excited by all the new things you can learn when you look at it in its Hebraic setting. If you need help with how to access this aspect of Bible study let us know and we will be glad to guide you. Amen Prayer

On the road to Emmaus How does God communicate with you? How does God make His will known to you? This is an important question for each one of us as we are all seeking the way ahead with the Lord. God speaks and makes His will known to us in many ways. Firstly, the Lord speaks through the words in the bible e.g. You shall not steal. Also, God can speak through the still small voice of the Holy Spirit saying, ‘This is the way walk you in it.’ Sometimes the Lord gives us a check in our spirit, where we just know not to do or say something or to go someplace. Remember Paul was forbidden by the Spirit of Jesus Christ from going in to preach the Gospel in Asia but rather received in a dream the Macedonian call. God sometimes speaks through circumstances; you ask God for something and you do not get it, the door is closed etc., sometimes this is because the thing requested is not God’s will for you. However, we must be careful that it is not the enemy holding back God’s answer causing us to give up too soon. There are probably other ways that God will speak and make His will know to us e.g. seeing His blessing on something or receiving a supernatural confirmation (I had a dream one night of the pastor’s wife sending me a parcel in the post. It arrived at my door the next morning!). Today we are going to look at two men who were beaten, disappointed and downtrodden. Two men who did not know just what to do next. All their hopes were dashed, where could they possibly go from here. Luke 24:13 And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, what manner of communications are these that you have one to another, as you walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said to him, are you only a stranger in Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said to them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. 22 Moreover certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre. 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went into tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood amid them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. Sometimes when the Lord is communicating with us, our hearts are burning within us, even though we do not recognise that it is the Lord who is speaking. The two disciples recognised retrospectively that it was Jesus who had been speaking to them. When they sat down to a meal, Jesus blessed the bread and gave it to them, then their eyes were opened, and He vanished before their eyes. But what happened next? They somehow understood that they had to go back up to Jerusalem to be with the other disciples. But what has this to do with us today? Well, we are going to have a communion meal with the Lord today. Jesus has given us true bread and true drink. Jesus has been speaking to us all the way (over the last few weeks and months) and maybe our hearts have been burning but we did not know why. Perhaps as we meet with Jesus in communion today our eyes will be opened to the Lord and his will and then we will know what to do next. In closing, my idea is that yet another way for the Lord to reveal His will to you and I, is to give us burning heart, producing a great enthusiasm, and thus showing us what to do next for the Lord. Amen Prayer: Lord God, give us a burning heart and a great enthusiasm to do your perfect will today and to find the way ahead in every area of our lives, we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen

How can we maximise our nutrition from the bible? In Part 2 we considered what Jesus meant when he said, ‘I am the bread of life’ and saw that we absorbed from Jesus the bread of life, his life, his character, his example, his teaching i.e. food for our souls. We need to feed on God’s word (bible) every day of our lives because it contains the nourishment we need for our souls. Today in Part 3 we consider how can we maximise the benefit from what we can take from our daily bread? We now consider the practice of Christian meditation on the word of God (bible). Does anyone have a favourite scripture or keynote verse? Psalm 1 is the keynote scripture for my life. 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. When Psalm 1 was written the law was most of the bible that existed at that time. We can extrapolate it today to include all the bible (word of God). The Hebrew word for meditate means ‘moving the lips’ or ‘mutter’. In a sense we talk to our ourselves about the verse. Another analogy is that we should be like a cow chewing the cud i.e. we chew the food and swallow then let it come back up so we can chew it again and again. In practice this means that we should choose a verse or portion of scripture and keep chewing on it until its meaning becomes clear to us. I did this with the verse ‘I am the bread of life’ that Jesus spoke in John 6. What does bread do, what does life mean and so on? Ask yourself about the meaning of the passage of scripture you are reading. Here are some other scriptures that show believers taking God’s word into themselves. Jeremiah 15:16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty. Ezekiel 2:8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” 9 Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, Rev 10:9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but ‘in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’” Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. So, the idea of eating or taking God’s word into yourself is thoroughly biblical. Let's do it! Amen Personal Prayer

I am the Bread of Life In Part 1 of our mini-series ‘Give us today our daily bread’ we saw that we need both physical bread to nourish our bodies and spiritual bread to nourish our souls. The spiritual bread is the word of God that we read in the bible. We need to feed on the bible each day. In Part 2 we begin to explore what Jesus means when he says that ‘I am the bread of life’. John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. When we ‘feed’ on Jesus who is the Word that was made flesh, it somehow satisfies the hunger and thirst of our souls. John 6:48 I am the bread of life. When we partake of Jesus by the reading the bible (God’s word) it brings life into our souls and bodies. The zoe life described here is both physical and spiritual. All life (2222 /zōḗ), throughout the universe, is derived – i.e. it always comes from and is sustained by God's self-existent life. Jesus the bread of life sustains our physical and spiritual lives. John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” God sustains us physically and meets the less tangible needs of this life. More than that, He fulfils our spiritual needs. He is the bread that satisfies our spiritual hunger. He sustains our hearts. When we ask God for our daily bread, we are humbly acknowledging Him as the sole giver of all we need. We are living day by day, one step at a time. We are exercising simple faith in Him to provide just what we need, when we need it – for every area of life. Natural nutritional value: Breads are rich in complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are an important part of our diet as they provide us with energy. Our bread contains various B vitamins, including Thiamine (B1), Niacin (B3), and Riboflavin (B2) which are essential for releasing energy from food. Bread also contains proteins, fibre, calcium, and iron. Spiritual nutritional value: if you are what you eat, when we eat the bread of life (Jesus) he becomes part of us, his life, his character, his example, his teaching etc. Jesus says we are becoming one with Him through our daily bread. We become integrated (one) with Jesus when we eat his flesh and drink his blood (communion). In summary as we feed on Jesus by reading the bible, our souls are nourished and we begin to grow and mature as Christians. Amen Prayer

Give us today our daily bread Today we begin our new 3 part mini-series named 'Give us today our daily bread'. You will recognise our topic is part of the Lord’s prayer. Matthew 6:9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread.12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one…’ As human beings we have basic needs for our body, our soul, and our spirit. Our bodies need food and water, clothing, and shelter. Our souls (minds) need emotional stability, confidence, and the correct degree of self-esteem. Our spiritual needs can only be met by Jesus. When we pray for "daily bread" we pray for all that we need to sustain life, not just our food and clothing, but all that we need for the wellbeing of our mind and soul and for our spiritual needs. It is a prayer of dependence, admitting that God is our provider. Jesus after a 40 day fast in the wilderness was then tempted by Satan, who told him to turn the stones into bread. Jesus’ reply was very instructive. Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Notice that man shall not live by bread alone, does indicate that we also need our physical daily bread to nourish and feed our bodies. Jesus is quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. We find that ‘every word’ coming from the mouth of God is contained in the bible. In the same way as we need physical bread to feed us, we need a daily portion of God’s word to nourish and sustain our souls. In Deuteronomy 3 there is a clear parallel in gathering a supply of manna each day and us needing to seek and feed on a portion of the bible. If you want to follow Christ, then this feeding on the word is essential. 1 Peter 2:2 tells us that we ought to Like new-born babies, crave pure spiritual milk (of the word), so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, When we take in God’s word and act on it, we will grow spiritually. Are you taking it in and acting on it? Amen Please note that the Lord is also calling the more experienced believers to renew their love affair with the bible! Prayer For full text for printout and access to other parts 'Our daily bread' click below https://www.psalmonesermons.com/post/our-daily-bread-part-1

Hebrews 10:19-25 The world is changing fast today, and it often seems that the historical Christian faith is under attack from many directions and worst of all sometimes the historical faith is attacked from inside the church. When the storms of life spring up, we can seem like ships that are tossed to and fro by the wind and waves and we feel that we are in danger of being shipwrecked. We must remember to hold fast to God’s word and his promises which are like an anchor to our soul and keep us fixed and safe no matter what the storms of life try to do to us. Talking of 'holding fast' several years ago my son-in-law asked me to join him going on the the world's fastest roller coaster, the Formula Rossa [1] in Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi. I had to hang on for dear life, I lost a shoe, and my hair was standing on end. In hindsight this gave me gave some insight into what it means to hold fast. What does it mean to hold fast to something? “Holding fast” in the Bible means to hold your position or fix your gaze and not lose sight of what is true. So this means that our attention -and therefore our actions- are fixed on God. After that, we need to obey His instructions — which is really the next logical step if your gaze and heart are locked on God. There are a number of scriptures that tell us to hold fast. The key scripture for this study is found in Hebrews 10:19-25. Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. God has made a new and living way into his presence for believers and encourages us to draw near to him confidently knowing that our hearts and minds have been cleansed from sin. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith [2] without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Based on these wonderful facts, what must we do now? We must not lose our nerve but rather declare the hope that we hold in eternal life because that is what Jesus Christ promised us and he is completely faithful to his word. No need to waver, no need to doubt because We can trust Jesus, we can trust all his promises to us. 24 And let us consider one another to provoke [3] unto love and to good works: The practical results of our unwavering faith and hope in Christ should be that we set an example to the Christian community stimulating each other to show love in action which results in Holy Spirit led good works such as charity, compassion, and kindnesses. 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together [4], as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Another practical outworking of holding fast to our confession of faith is that we will actively encourage the believers to assemble and thus be mutually encouraged. As Christians we need to know what to hold fast to: 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things: hold fast to that which is good. Prove all things means don’t just accept everything you hear, test it against the bible, discuss it with people you trust. Once you believe something is true then hold fast on it. Proverbs 4:13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her for she is thy life. We receive instruction from the bible and from our pastors/ ministers, we need to grasp that which is good teaching and apply it to our lives for it keeps us living right. 2 Timothy 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which you have heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Paul tells Timothy to hold fast to the good doctrine that he had been taught by Paul for it was given in the faith and love of Jesus Christ. Revelation 2:25 and 3:11 Jesus tells two [5] of the seven churches to hold fast what they have that no one steals their crown. To the faithful remnant in Thyatira who had not fallen into Satan’s depths Jesus tells them to hang on to receive their great rewards. To the faithful in Philadelphia Jesus says he knows their good works , and that they have a little strength left , they have kept his word and have not denied his name. Conclusion The Lord is calling each one of us today to hold fast onto all that is good in our lives. Hold fast onto the Lord himself. Hold fast to the word of God in the Bible. Hold fast onto all the good Christian practices that you have learned over the years. Hold fast onto your own personal faith in Christ. Amen Personal Prayer Footnotes [1] Ferrari World Abu Dhabi for example is home to a pair of record-breaking roller coasters, and one of them, the Formula Rossa, just happens to hold the Guinness World Record for the World’s Fastest Rollercoaster — clocking in with a blistering max speed of 240 km/h and traveling 52 meters into the sky in just 4.9 seconds. [2] Ellicott’s Commentary: Let us hold fast the profession/confession of the (Christian) hope (rather than faith). Hope here refers to eternal life as God’s children and heirs of Christ which we can rely upon since God is faithful to all his promises. [3] Original meaning of ‘to provoke’ means ‘to arouse,’ ’to excite,’ or ‘to call to action’ our fellow believers. [4] Hebrews 10:25 The most obvious interpretation of ‘assembling’ is ‘for public worship’ see Barnes Notes on the Bible. [5] The churches of Thyatira and Philadelphia, respectively.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood... In various places in the Bible we catch glimpses of the unseen spiritual realm. A good example of this is found in 2 Kings 6 when the King of Syria send soldiers to capture Elisha and his servant. 2 Kings 6:14-17 There is also a fascinating story over in Daniel 10 in which Daniel has been praying and fasting for three weeks or so. Daniel 10:12-14 In this chapter we find angels battling through with the answer to a man`s prayer. In the New Testament a passage which gives us great insight into the spiritual realm is found in Ephesians 6:10-18. 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; The bad news is that the heavenlies [1] are teeming with a huge host of organized malignant spirits who hate God and his people. The good news is that Jesus Christ has completely defeated them with his victory on the cross, and by his resurrection and ascension. Colossians 2:9-15 Verse 15; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. By His victory [2], Jesus has made it obvious that these evil spirits were powerless to prevent his resurrection, and because of this, this verse shows us that we should not fear death as he is able to resurrect each believer in turn. He has also given us a full suit of amour [3] to stand against the devil, which in essence is just living a deliberate holy lifestyle. So, as we are in a battle with these wicked spirits (they are the ones who stir up persecution and write the scripts that set the standard for what goes in society), we must continue to struggle against them and their influence on individuals and groups. But let us not forget that Jesus disarmed them by taking away their ability to put the fear of death into God`s people and hence we can stand against them and bring in God`s will into any particular situation. Amen Personal Prayer Explanatory footnotes [1] The church is engaged in a spiritual war, and its enemy is Satan and a host of unseen angelic and celestial enemies whose power vastly exceeds our own. With a few exceptions, our enemies remain invisible to our eyes, but they nevertheless are real, and so is their opposition. These celestial enemies come in various forms, as is suggested by the variety of terms used by Paul to identify them: “rulers ” these are the 5 star generals, “powers,” “world forces of this darkness,” “spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”. In this war Satan employs a variety of strategies to oppose and to defeat the Christian. Paul does not speak of one single “scheme”, but of his many “schemes” (plural), likewise, there are different parts of God’s armour that we must put on to counteract each of them. Satan’s opposition against the church is not a frontal attack, but a subversive attack through intrigue, deception, and trickery, so we must remain prayerful and alert (Eph 6:18, 1 Peter 5:8). [2] Victory with the devil under our feet Psalm 110:1The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Victory over demons Colossians 1:15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. Victory over sin and the ability to pull down strongholds 2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. [3] When we put on the armour, we are putting on Christ. Of course, the whole armour of God is describing a day-to-day lifestyle lived in the knowledge of all that God has provided to protect us. Please note we should always be praying. Sometimes we can extend the shield of our faith over others, what do you think? It is important to remember that when we put on the “full armour of God” we are putting on Christ (Rom. 13:14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. (Eph 4:23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Our protection against Satan’s attacks is assured only when we take up the full armour of God. Satan’s schemes are many, and he attacks us at any point where we are weak. Our armour must be complete. We cannot pick and choose what parts of the armour we prefer, but rather we must put all of it on. We must be completely equipped, or we will be vulnerable to his attacks.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Protecting your thought life Do you think that politicians and local government are influenced by public opinion? Of course, they are, if not they would soon be voted out-of-office. But who influences public opinion and where do the ideas come from? Public opinion says it is ok to gamble, to live together before marriage. Public opinion says it is ok to practice same sex relationships. Public opinion largely supports abortion. Public opinion no longer supports the family. Public opinion has growing support for euthanasia. Who is the script writer for public opinion? If most people in your country are unbelievers, and if they are, then their opinions and beliefs will be influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil. The word of God is alien and incomprehensible to them. We as believers in Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, must not be deceived by the opinions and ideas of the world. The aim of this message today, is to remind the church, to continue to question popular beliefs and public opinion to find out where their source lies. Going beyond this, we need to begin to pull down mental barriers and strongholds in our minds, so that our thinking continues to conform to the truth, the truth of God`s word. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to world`s standards. Do not be conformed to world`s ideas. Do not be conformed to world`s morals. Do not be conformed to world`s thinking. Do not let the world squeeze you in its mould. Be transformed into the image of Christ. Be transformed from glory to glory. Be transformed into the full stature and maturity of Jesus Christ. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Renew your mind by reading God`s word. Renew your mind by meditating in the scriptures. Renew your mind by listening to voice of Holy Spirit. Renew your mind by reading and obeying God`s word. Then, and only then... You will know and prove what is good. You will know the truth and it shall set you free. You will know where every idea, whether public opinion, or the private opinion of yourself and others, whether it comes of God or not. All our lives before we were being saved, when we were children, the world, the flesh, the devil sowed wrong ideas and thoughts into us, which grew up in us and became wrong beliefs that are contrary to God`s word and God`s will for our lives. Is this part of your life story or testimony? Do not tell your kids that “they will never amount to anything” for this is a self-fulfilling prophecy. God wants to break down such mental barriers (stronghold: castles in our minds). He wants to make the ‘unthinkable’ to become ‘thinkable’. I`d could never do… God can enable you I`ll never be able to give up this bad habit …Says who? Not God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not God, the Son. Not God, the Holy Spirit. We need to ask; says who? and only accept God’s true words and thoughts! We have the mind of Christ, the Creator’s mind. We should hear the voice of Spirit. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; God has given us mighty weapons, given us power in the name of Jesus Christ. Given us power to bind and to loose, power to tread on the enemy! Are you using it! 2 Corinthians 4:2-4; Blinded minds cannot see truth, blinded by the preconceptions and ungodly ideas. Strongholds examples: My husband/wife and I will never be able to get on... Says who? I`ll never be a leader… Says who? I`ll never have a ministry…Says who? I`ll never speak in church… Says who? I`ll never be able to pray like so and so…Says who? I`ll never become a mature believe... Says who? I`ll never be able to quit drinking and smoking etc. … Says who? The devil does not need to limit your opportunities. If he has limited your mind with mental barriers to stop you progressing in God, then here is what you need to do… 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Test every thought or idea that pops into your mind, do not be pushed over by wrong thoughts! Check it against God`s word. If it passes, act on it. If it fails, use the word of God as the sword of the Spirit on it to demolish it. If you are tempted to steal use the sword of the spirit on the temptation… It is written thou shalt not steal. Jesus did this three times when tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Strongholds- are mental prisons, or chains that bind us to wrong behaviour/thoughts. My husband/wife/dad/mother will never get saved… Says who? If you believe this, you`ll stop praying and witnessing, and your church will not grow... Do not let your thoughts allow poison seeds to be planted in your mind from the enemy of your soul. Ephesians 6:12;Put on the whole armour of God including the helmet of your salvation. The armour can be viewed as daily lifestyle lived in the revelation of your identity in Christ. We take every thought captive and only release the good seeds (thoughts) into our minds after first testing them. This will bring us, and our brother and sister into maturity as believers. Summary We need to keep strict control over our thought lives. Not just new ideas and thoughts that pop into our minds but also established habits thought life and test them versus God`s word. Do not let the devil sow poisonous seeds and weeds in your mind. They are tomorrow`s strongholds, cast them out now. Amen Prayer

The battle between Bios and Zoe The battle between Bios (natural biological life) and Zoe (abundant life from God) is fought in the mind and each decision is made by our will, which should always be for Zoe to win. This battle between the life of God in us and the old sinful nature of the flesh is being fought out in our being everyday of our lives. Zoe will transform us into sons of God Bios will transform us into selfish failures Who do you want to win, Zoe or Bios ? You get to choose. If Bios wins you will be a carnal Christian, lukewarm in your faith. Concerned not so much with God`s will as your own convenience, You will become a self-pleaser or a man-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser. You will not be prepared to make any sacrifices since Bios always looks after No. 1. You will take part in envy, strife, and division. You will gradually fall away from God. If you choose Zoe, you will grow spiritually and develop into a full maturity in Christ. You will manifest the fruit of the spirit in your life such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control. You will fulfill all your destiny in Christ Jesus and become a son of the Living God. Our Bios natural life must be crucified for Zoe to have the victory. Look to the Master Jesus Christ, he was rejected of men, lead a life of humility, he was misunderstood by his closest family, betrayed by an intimate friend, jeered at, beaten by the Roman authorities, tortured, and finally executed by death on the cross, just the perfect way to kill the self-life! Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. The joy set before him is part of Zoe. The joy opened the way to be able to endure the suffering shame and death. What was the Joy set before him? 1. His obedience to Father 2.His salvation of his Church “Follow me” says Jesus Christ. Will you endure crucifixion of your bios life for the joy set before you? John 6:67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Do you also want to go away now that you know that you will have to co-operate with God in the crucifixion of your natural life? It is not going to be easy! Or do you say with Simon Peter in John 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life (Zoe). Amen Personal Prayer