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By Guest Blogger Batnabas aka Linda Morris I don’t know if you’re like me, confused about who we are worshipping in church these days? We sing songs about Yahweh, Jehovah, God although mostly about Jesus, but then speak about having worshipped Jesus and that we worship Him alone! This isn’t a problem in itself – because we worship Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  But a study I have been taking part in for the last few months made me begin to look at it in more depth. We have been listening to Tom Bradford’s teaching in The Torah Class, on the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.  He is an excellent Bible teacher and I recommend listening to his teachings. He speaks a lot about the name of God and points out that in our Bibles it is usually translated from the original Hebrew יהוה (Yehoveh/Yehovah) to Lord. We also see אלוהים (Elohim) in the Hebrew being translated to ‘God’ in our English translations. Exodus 3:2 says “And the Angel of the Lord”.  The Hebrew says the Angel of  יהוה (Yehoveh) Exodus 2:25 says “And God looked”.  The Hebrew says And  אלוהים looked (Elohim) The most frequent use of Elohim in the Hebrew Bible (The Tanakh) refers to the God of Israel, the one true God.  However, Elohim also refers to other beings in the spiritual realm, such as angels, members of God’s heavenly council, or the gods of other nations, though these are distinct from the supreme God, Yehoveh. Deuteronomy 5:6 says “I am the Lord your God”. In Hebrew “I am Yehoveh, your Elohim”.  It’s a bit confusing , isn’t it? Genesis 1:1 says “In the beginning God created”.  In Hebrew “Elohim created”.  The ending of the Hebrew word is “im” which is the masculine plural in Hebrew. This has led scholars to say that it means more than one person so implies that Jesus was there at the beginning with the Father. However, we find the unique name of God in Exodus. When Moses asks God what His name is, He says יהוה Yehoveh (Exodus 3:14).  The Jewish people call it the Tetragrammaton and say that they have lost the understanding of how to pronounce it.  As it is a Holy name they stopped using it, preferring either HaShem (the Name) or Adonai. The Jewish people I know say HaShem. Whilst this is all very interesting, I have to confess that I kept wondering why Tom kept going on about God’s name.  Why is it so important to us Christians?  It took a while, but I finally got it.  To the point where it now irritates me when we don’t distinguish between who we are praising!! You may have been thinking, like me for many years, and probably hundreds of others, that the churches mainly talk about Jesus – King Jesus.  Most churches don’t talk about God.  We have become very Jesus orientated, and that’s not wrong. Through His death on the cross we have received our salvation. We owe Him everything.  We are eternally grateful.  He deserves our praise. However the problem with this is that it is part of the reason why the churches are moving away from the roots of our faith.   A lot of Christians don’t read the Old Testament.  We have developed New Testament thinking, in that we see the Old Testament through the eyes of the New instead of the other way round.  Now I’m not saying every Christian – but a lot of them.  Someone said to me recently that in order to know God we have to know Jesus.  I replied that it is rather that in order to know Jesus we have to know God! Almost every time the name יהוה in the Hebrew Tanakh appears in English it is translated ‘Lord’.  Occasionally ‘Adonai’.  The problem with this is that when we read the New Testament and it says ‘Lord’ it’s referring to Jesus.  So the names become the same. I remember a teaching I received long ago that said that Jesus came to point the way to the Father. John’s Gospel in particular sees that Jesus often referred to His Father. John 5:30 “I can do nothing on my own. I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just because I do not seek my own will but the will of Him who sent me” John 14:6  Jesus said to him….. “No-one comes to the Father except through me” John 14:10 “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” John 14:24 “He who does not love me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me” John 15:15 “all things I heard from my Father I have made known to you” John 16:25  “the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father” John 17:4 “I have finished the work that You have given Me to do” John 17:6 “I have manifested Your name to the men You have given me out of the world” These are only a few of them.   1 Corinthians 15:24-28 tells us that at the end of time, Jesus delivers the Kingdom to God the Father when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and all power, and the Son Himself will also be subject to God. The doctrine of the Holy Trinity is a church-made theology. We recognise the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as being equal but ultimately God is the head.  The church must not side-line God! We need to read the Old Testament to discover the character of God.  Just recently I read about God’s soul – I haven’t noticed that before.   It’s God who rolls up his sleeves on behalf of Israel (bares his Holy arm the scripture says). When you see how God interacts with the characters in the Old Testament you understand His nature.  God is truly amazing and where do you get that from?  The Old Testament. I love reading it because I see more and more of the beautiful attributes of God.   The Bible tells us that Jesus is the image of God (Colossians 1:15).   Why would we not want to read the Old Testament? This is so important to us as Christians.  Separating from God and the Old Testament has led way to the church separating from it’s Hebraic roots and we are losing out! We can’t let that happen!  This has also added to the alarming rise of antisemitism among Christians.  Antisemitism has no  place in the church!!  How are you going to feel when you come face to face with Jesus?  How will you answer Him when He asks you why you are against the Jews?  It’s time to put this right and it’s up to YOU to do this.   Linda Morris August 2025

Set your mind on things above Colossians 3:1-2 Sometimes we need to get our problems out from under the microscope and gaze into the observatory of God’s creation. This will help us keep a sense of perspective about our difficulties and problems. James says that ‘We must be both hearers and doers of God’s word.’ We must put the word of God in practice in our day to day lives. We have been made alive in the Spirit and so we must walk in the Spirit. This means that every day we must remember what God had said about us rather than what our circumstances say about us. Remember when Jesus told Peter to step off the boat and walk on the water to him. When Peter looked at the circumstances, he began to sink yet when he walked on Jesus’ word he began to walk on the water. Jesus of course caught Peter and that what he will do for you when you step out on faith on the word Jesus has given you. Amen. Returning now to our keynote scripture, the word ‘walk’ [1] in Galatians 5:16 means to walk around i.e. walk around in the Spirit e.g. he walks around if he owns the joint ! Walk around in this verse means that you are putting into practice what you believe in your heart and are convinced about in your mind . So in other words we need to be convinced of the spiritual realities that Jesus has achieved for us. Jesus tells us that we are more than conquerors so why do we end up giving in so easily? And so often? Believers who walk around only in the natural flesh tend to be defeated in their lives and can often become grumpy and unhappy. Believers who walk around in the Spirit usually walk around in victory and uplift our brothers and sisters. Let us put off the deeds of the flesh. Amen Last passage of scripture Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth . 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Set your minds on things above-learn them – and believe them. We find them conveniently in Colossians chapter 3. Here are some examples of setting your mind above: Put to death the earthly (Col 3:5-8) Put on the new man (Col 3:11) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Col 3:15) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Col 3:16) Give thanks to God (Col 3:17). Summary If we want to have victory in our daily life, we need to walk in the Spirit. this includes Practicing all the regular spiritual disciplines including chewing the cud (meditating on the Word). Being continually aware of the Lord and Practice the presence of God- draw near to him-develop a lifestyle of inviting him into your life. Be aware of your heavenly position as you walk on earth and consider the spiritual realm just as real as the natural realm. Set your minds on the things above. Amen and Personal Prayer [1] Greek peripateo

Being in two places at the same time Part 3 Third angle or approach Can a person be in two places at the same time? This is the question at the heart of Stephen King’s (I prefer John Grisham) bestseller, The Outsider . King’s story begins with the public arrest of Terry Maitland, a popular small-town baseball coach, for a murder committed a few days earlier. Maitland is placed at the scene of the murder by multiple witnesses, fingerprints, and DNA evidence but has a cast-iron alibi to the extent the police must consider the possibility Terry Maitland was in two places at the same time! Curiously, bilocation – the phenomenon of one person being in two places at the same time – also featured prominently in one of the big box office movies of 2017, the Last Jedi. At the end of the film, the audience sees Luke Skywalker fighting Kylo Ren on the planet (Crait) while simultaneously meditating on another planet, (Ahch-To). As surprising as it may sound, bilocation has intrigued and exercised philosophers, scientists, and theologians for centuries . The Roman Catholic version of the Eucharist suggests that the actual body of Christ is present at all locations everywhere the mass is celebrated at the same time. Interestingly quantum physics suggests it is theoretically possible to exist in more than one place at the same time. There are some interesting parallels between quantum physics and faith! So what relevance, if any, has the idea of bilocation to each of us as Christians? What I mean is that our lives are lived and governed in two places (which are) firstly in heaven and secondly on earth. We need to walk in both places. Some believers are so earth-bound that they are not aware of the spiritual realm in heaven. They forget that they need to believe, walk in, and live out the heavenly realities as well. Let me demonstrate this by giving you an example. Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus , 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Spiritual truth may appear to contradict natural truth. Right now you are seated here in our local church ( put your right hand up and keep it up ), but you are all also seated in heavenly places in Jesus Christ ( put your left hand up and keep it up). If you have both hands up say Praise The Lord that I am bilocated, I am in two places at once . Amen . Here is another biblical example of bilocation (seeing both the natural and the spiritual dimensions at the same time) from Elisha and his servant 2 Kings 6:14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire [1] all around Elisha. Elisha was walking in two dimensions, but the servant’s eyes could only see the natural circumstances. Elisha had been reading the Psalms, particularly Psalm 91 . The servant lacked the information that Elisha had. Who are you more like in this this respect Elisha or his servant? You might not be able to see the angels guarding the people of your church right now, but they are with you right now. Lord open our eyes that we may see all your protection and provision. We get our facts about the spiritual realm from the bible. We need to realise that the things that the Lord says about the spiritual realm in the bible are just as true, if not more so than what we can learn from our five senses. We need to be real about the spiritual realm as well as the natural realm. Here is a final example involving Moses, Aaron and Hur where the battle was fought in two places, one natural but the other supernatural. Exodus 17:8 Now Amalek [2] came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Moses knew that the battle being fought in the spiritual realm (dimension) was affecting the outcome of the physical battle in the earthly dimension. Another way of understanding being in two places at the same time is the example from the clean animals of the Jewish Law which both chewed the cud and were cloven footed. So with clean Christians; chewing the cud means meditating on the Word and cloven-footed means that the hoof stands on two separate places on the ground. Cow chewing the cud Cloven footed animal We need to realize that we live in two places at once and that both the heavenly truth and earthly truth are necessary to live our lives in a good balance. Which is more real do you think, our natural life on earth or our spiritual life in heaven? Well my guess is our heavenly life because it will last forever, our natural earthly life will pass away. [1] Remember Eric Liddell and Chariots of fire. [2] Many rabbis in Jerusalem still refer to God’s enemies as Amalekites e.g. a former Iranian president... . Amen Personal Prayer

Approaches in how to walk in the Spirit Part 2 In this study we consider various aspects (looking at it from different angles) of walking in the spirit, so that we can develop an overview of how we ought to go about it. In this part we are going to consider 2 of 3 approaches of looking at how to walk in the Spirit (Notes: The word 'Spirit' in Galatians 5:16 =the Holy Spirit not our human spirit. The Greek grammar allows us to say walk ‘by’ the Spirit as well as walk 'in' the Spirit) The three approaches that we will consider in teaching us how to walk in the Spirit are a) Awareness of the Spirit b) Practicing the presence of God c) Being in two places at once (see Part 3) a) Awareness of the Spirit (first angle) Walking in the Spirit simply means living each day of your life and being continually aware that you are in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit indwells each believer from the new birth. A useful way to look at this is to use Jesus’ model of the Vine and the Branches from John 15 where Jesus tells us to abide in the Vine. When we are abiding (living) in the Vine, the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5 ). In other words the Holy Spirit is likened to the sap that brings life to the vine. If we are aware that we are abiding in the Vine, then we are also conscious of the fact that we are walking in the Spirit. We can only produce the fruit of the Spirit when we are abiding in the Vine, or you could say when we are walking in the Spirit. So walking in the spirit is having a continual God-consciousness . It is having Christ in first place in all your passions/ affections. It is pursuing God whole-heartedly, as commanded. It is to have no other idols before Him and no other gods before Him, but to serve God alone with all your heart . Amen It is important when we walk in the Spirit or abide in the Vine, we ought to continue to practice the basic Christian disciplines in our lives. We should be regularly practicing Bible study and meditation, several types of prayer, fellowshipping with believers, going to the church meetings, witnessing, and serving other people etc. These disciplines help keep us in the right mindset to help us walk in the Spirit or walk by Spirit. The late great American pastor and famous author A W Tozer said this (photo): Beloved, we either will walk in the Spirit or be walking in the flesh. These two are mutually exclusive. You get to choose! Take a moment. Choose life! Angle ii) Practicing the presence of God (modern language-drawing near to God) I once read a small book called ‘The practice of the presence of God’ written three hundred years ago by a monk called Brother Lawrence [1] . In this book it is described how Brother Lawrence was able to cultivate a continual awareness of the Lord being present in his life thus bringing immense joy. But you might say that is fine for him being a full-time monk with nothing else to do; no work to go to, no ironing or chores. But in fact, he was the cook for the monastery, and he believed it was easier to be aware of God’s presence when doing his kitchen chores than at any other time! [2] [3] Summary If like Bro. Lawrence you want to live constantly in the presence of God which brings fullness of joy ( Psalm 16:11 ) then practice these three things. 1 . Commit every task to Him (invite Him in). How about inviting the Lord to go for a walk with you? 2. Thank him for his supply and provision. True thanksgiving is not an event but a lifestyle and mindset . 3. Perform each task because you love Him and do it in a way that brings honour God. Brother Lawrence would pick up a flower out of love for the Lord and present it to him. Is there a gesture of love you want to make to the Lord today or later? [1] Bro Lawrence was a Carmelite layperson (1614-1691) [2] Prayer "Lord of all pots and pans and things... Make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates" [3] Quotation “Our only business is to love and delight ourselves in God.” Amen Personal Prayer

Galatians 5:16-18 Background to the book of Galatians: The Galatian churches were a Celtic people like most of us Scots. So this epistle may have special significance to Celtic peoples however it is certainly relevant to all Christians today. Galatia was in Central Turkey, which is near modern day city of Ankara. Theme: By way of context the main theme of the letter to the Galatians is the warning not to add anything onto the Gospel. The true gospel is ‘believe in Jesus Christ’ but with no additions. The problem of the day was the Judaizing teachers who taught that believing in Jesus Christ was not enough, but the believer also had to be circumcised and keep the entire Law. God wants all his children to walk in victory in our day to day lives. Amen This should involve us recognising all that Jesus Christ has done for us, in us and through us. We ought to have Satan under our feet and live with victory over the demons and even be able through prayer to pull down the enemy strongholds in our own lives and the lives of others (things like ingrained bad habits/thinking and addictions etc.) Part of our victory is achieved by walking in the Spirit . In Part 1 we are going to explore what it means to walk in the Spirit. Keynote scripture Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Paul is drawing from the Old Testament metaphor where ‘walk’ means how to conduct your daily life or you could say your lifestyle. Traditionally a person’s daily conduct in the Old Testament simply was not just defined as “walking” but more accurately as “walking in the law’’. [1] If you are not sure which actions are performed by those walking in the flesh as opposed to those walking in the Spirit, Paul helpfully lists them; 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery. fornication [2}, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. The great commentator Matthew Henry said this of lust Lust by definition can never be satisfied or happy! Our problem is that the flesh does not stay dead. When we become careless about our spiritual lives or when we feed our flesh, it rears its ugly head and causes us serious problems. This struggle between flesh/spirit is graphically portrayed for us by Paul in Romans chapters 7 and 8. Paul makes it clear in chapter 8 that the outcome of our struggle with the flesh is determined by what we "set our minds on ". In Romans 8: 5-6 he says "for those who are according to the flesh "set their minds" on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. And you get to decide! What is your mind set on today? If your mind is set on the Spirit here is what will happen. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The FOS is the character of JC reproduced in the life of the believer). 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Here is what the theologian John Stott said Walking in the Spirit stops us from conducting the sins and lusts of the flesh. The lusts of the flesh will cause us to feel defeated and to be ashamed. As previously stated this is part of the victorious Christian life. You may say ‘that is great, and we all say Amen’ but how do we learn to walk in the Spirit? Unfortunately, there is surprisingly little sound teaching in the broad church about this! I hope that today’s message will help us all gain some understanding of what Paul is saying in this scripture and that we can indeed put it into practice in our daily lives. Amen Your prayer [1] Halakhah is the legal term Jews use to refer to the rules and regulations found in both the law and the rabbinic traditions of their ancestors. While Halakhah usually is translated “the Jewish law,” the word actually is based on the Hebrew word for “to walk” and literally means “the way of going. The first Christians were also said to be ‘in the Way’ as in the W, T, and L. [2] Galatians 5:19 sexual immorality The word Paul uses is porneia "fornication") "broad, general word for unlawful and immoral sexual intercourse and relationships” In Part 2 we look at how to go about walking in the Spirit from three different angles.

Introduction and background Galatians 5:16-18 Background to Galatians: The Galatian churches were a Celtic people like most of us Scots. So this epistle may have special significance to Celtic peoples however it is certainly relevant to all Christians today. Galatia was in Central Turkey which is near modern day city of Ankara. Theme: By way of context the main theme of the letter to the Galatians is the warning not to add anything onto the Gospel. The true gospel is ‘believe in Jesus Christ’ but with no additions. The problem of the day was the Judaizing teachers who taught that believing in JC was not enough, but the believer also had to be circumcised and keep the entire Law. God wants all his children to walk in victory in our day to day lives. Amen This should involve us recognising all that Jesus Christ has done for us, in us and through us. We ought to have Satan under our feet and live with victory over the demons and even be able through prayer to pull the enemy strongholds in our own lives and the lives of others (things like ingrained bad habits and addictions etc.) Part of our victory is achieved by walking in the Spirit . In Part 1 we are going to explore what it means to walk in the Spirit. Keynote scripture Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Paul is drawing from the Old Testament metaphor where ‘walk’ means how to conduct your daily life or you could say your lifestyle. Traditionally a person’s daily conduct in the Old Testament simply was not just defined as “walking” but more accurately as “walking in the law’’. [1] If you are not sure which actions are performed walking the flesh and walking in the Spirit, Paul helpfully lists them 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery. fornication [2}, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. The great commentator Matthew Henry said this of lust Lust by definition can never be satisfied or happy! Our problem is that the flesh does not stay dead. When we become careless about our spiritual lives or when we feed our flesh, it rears its ugly head and causes us serious problems. This struggle between flesh/spirit is graphically portrayed for us by Paul in Romans chapters 7 and 8. Paul makes it clear in chapter 8 that the outcome of our struggle with the flesh is determined by what we "set our minds on ". In Romans 8: 5-6 he says "for those who are according to the flesh "set their minds" on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. And you get to decide! What is your mind set on today? If your mind is set on the Spirit here is what will happen. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The FOS is the character of JC reproduced in the life of the believer). 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Here is what the theologian John Stott said Walking in the Spirit stops us from conducting the sins and lusts of the flesh. The lusts of the flesh will cause us to feel defeated and to be ashamed. As I said this is part of the victorious Christian life. You may say ‘that is great, and we all say Amen’ but how do we learn to walk in the Spirit? Unfortunately, there is surprisingly little teaching in the broad church about this! I hope that today’s message will help us all gain understanding of what Paul is saying in this scripture and that we can indeed put it into practice in our daily lives. Amen Your prayer [1] Halakhah is the legal term Jews use to refer to the rules and regulations found in both the law and the rabbinic traditions of their ancestors. While Halakhah usually is translated “the Jewish law,” the word actually is based on the Hebrew word for “to walk” and literally means “the way of going. The first Christians were also said to be ‘in the Way’ as in the W, T, and L. [2] Galatians 5:19 sexual immorality The word Paul uses is porneia "fornication") "broad, general word for unlawful and immoral sexual intercourse and relationships” It includes fornication, adultery, same-sex activity, and perverted sexual practices In Part 2 we look at how to go about walking in the Spirit from three different angles.

The Gift of Freedom in Christ “Let us pray together as we open God’s Word to Galatians 5 Lord, open our hearts to the freedom You have won for us in Christ. Help us not just to understand Galatians 5, but to be transformed by it. Teach us to walk by the Spirit, not by the flesh, and bear the fruit that glorifies You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Paul opens Galatians 5, verse 1, with a powerful statement: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” This raises an important question: What does freedom mean to you? Defining Freedom According to the dictionary, freedom means: The power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants. The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. In our modern world, freedom is a celebrated cry. We yearn to live life on our own terms. Many people desire freedom from financial burdens, illnesses, emotional pain, and even existential fears. The list goes on. Freedom in the Kingdom of God So, what does freedom look like in the Kingdom of God? Paul points out that Jesus bought us true freedom through His death on the cross. This freedom is more than a ticket to Heaven; it’s about being reconciled with God through faith in Jesus. It’s a transformative experience. This perfect freedom involves recognizing that we are captives to sin. We cannot liberate ourselves, but in Jesus, we find complete freedom. By His grace and through our repentance, we are forgiven. Jesus has indeed set us free from the chains of sin, death, and despair. As He said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” The Galatians' Faith Journey Initially, the Galatians were standing strong in their faith and enjoying their freedom in Christ. They were running a good race. However, they became sidetracked by false teachings that crept into the Church. Some teachers insisted that non-Jewish, or Gentile, believers had to adhere strictly to the Mosaic Law, including circumcision. Personal Reflection Growing up in the Roman Catholic Church, I was taught that cleanliness is next to godliness. I believed that behaving well would win God's love and help me earn my way to Heaven. I now understand that it’s solely through faith in Jesus and His grace that we gain acceptance. This realization opened the door to true freedom. We achieve good works not to earn anything but as a natural response to God’s love. Paul urges us to recognize that this gift of freedom can be easily lost. We must stand firm, or we might fall back into a life of bondage due to misleading teachings. It’s essential to remember that Jesus alone grants us this profound freedom. “Christ set you free; stand firm therefore... as it says in [Gal 5:1].” Stand firm against distractions! This is our responsibility. The Battle of the Flesh In Galatians 5, Paul outlines the acts of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, and more. These acts do not align with the freedom that Christ purchased for us. Paul encourages us to walk by the Spirit and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Understanding the Fruit of the Spirit The fruit of the Spirit includes: Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-control It’s crucial to note that Paul refers to the “fruit” of the Spirit, not “fruits.” This implies a unified expression produced in our lives when we walk by the Spirit. Let's explore the essence of each fruit: Love : A selfless love that seeks the welfare of others, modeled after Christ. Joy : An enduring sense of happiness rooted in our relationship with God. Peace : A tranquil spirit, essential for harmonious relationships. Patience : The ability to face challenges with composure. Kindness : A compassionate approach to others, particularly the vulnerable. Goodness : A strong inclination to do what is morally right. Faithfulness : Reliability in our commitments and relationships. Gentleness : A considerate, humble demeanor towards all. Self-control : Mastery over our impulses and desires. Taking Action From Galatians 5, key takeaways include: Christian freedom must be used to serve and love others, not as an excuse to indulge in sin. An ongoing battle exists between the flesh and the Spirit ; however, God is on our side. The Spirit leads to transformation , visible in our actions and character. Walking in the Spirit exemplifies true Christian living, reflecting the freedom Christ grants us. As we conclude, I encourage you to take a moment. Ask the Holy Spirit if there’s one or two areas in your life where He wishes to deepen His work in you this morning. Closing Prayer “Lord, thank You for the freedom we have in Christ. Help us stand firm and not return to old ways. We appreciate the deeper work You have done in us. Let Your fruit grow within us that the world may see and Your name be glorified. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Remember, embracing and actively pursuing this freedom is our choice. It’s vital that we engage with God's Word and lean into His love every day.

What can we learn from them? To the Church in Laodicea-the lukewarm church Laodicea was built on a confluence of three major highways and became a successful commercial and trade city. Located near hot springs the water temperature analogy would be particularly clear to these believers. Likewise the city had at that time a well-known school of medicine and so the analogy of eye salve would be understood . The citizens had a reputation for being very rich and knowing it and hence were considered conceited and proud. So too the church in this city had been influenced by such worldly thinking and had started to boast about their spiritual riches. Revelation 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Jesus is disgusted with these Christians because of their tepidness, half-heartedness, and spiritual blindness. He warns them in severe tones to get sorted out from their delusions because He wants to see them return to spiritual vitality and to be able to see clearly again . He wants them zealous and passionate about Him and His things. Their affluence had blinded them to their true spiritual state which was of poverty rather than riches. True gold will be those works inspired by the Holy Spirit that will stand the trial by fire at the bema judgement of the righteous. 19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me. Jesus now speaks tenderly to them... 21 To those who are victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Those who obey Jesus will receive tremendous rewards.... Their affluence had blinded them to their true spiritual state which was of poverty rather than riches. Further Commentary from Linda Morris (see reference materials at the end) LAODICEA Laodicea was founded around 250BC by the Greek Antiochus and named after his wife. It was the capital of the region of Phrygia. It had 3 roads and 2 rivers and was a trading centre, bringing lots of Jews to the town. In the census of 62BC there were 7,500 Jews living there. The main industry was clothing, particularly clothes made from the wool produced there which was black and shiny. (Compare v18 ‘buy from me white garments’ It was a wealthy town which had everything, including theatre, stadium, etc. One of the things it was known for was a centre for banking and finance. Cicero changed his letters of credit in the banks there (like travellers’ cheques). There were a lot of wealthy homes therefore the city teemed with beggars hoping to be given money. (Compare v17 ‘you say “I am rich”...you are poor’). The other thing it was known for was a city for health. The local god they worshipped was ‘Men’, the god of healing. They had a medical school where a famous ophthalmologist practiced, a hospital, and offered expensive treatments. It was famous for its perfumes, ointments, and medicines. They had ointment for sore ears, and powder known as ‘ Phrygian powder ’ was an ingredient of eye lotions. (Compare v18 ‘anoint yourselves with eye salve’) It was 10 miles from Hierapolis where Philip was martyred and buried, and the same distance from Colossae. The water supply in the city was lukewarm , probably carried by the aqueduct. Hierapolis had hot springs and Colossae had cold, pure water so the water was tepid by the time it reached Laodicea. You could drink the water hot or cold, but if you drank it lukewarm it made you sick. (Compare v16 ‘you are lukewarm.... I will vomit you out of my mouth’) The church was founded by Epaphras and was meeting in the house of a lady called Nympha. Onesimus came from Laodicea. Later it mentions a leader of that name, so could be the same person. Unlike most of the other churches, the church in Laodicea had no problems. They were large and prosperous. Laodicea is mentioned a few times in Colossians, and the letter to the Colossians was also to be read out to the people in Laodicea. Paul wrote a letter to the church in Laodicea (Col 4:16) which was also to be read out in Colossae, but nobody knows where it went. Perhaps the fact that it was lost shows that it did not do any good. The letter to the church in Laodicea begins with the most intense description Jesus gives of Himself – the ‘Amen’ (meaning absolute truth), ‘Faithful and True Witness’, ‘the beginning of the creation of God (the source of God’s creation, the Creator). The accusations against them They are neither hot nor cold – they are insipid, cannot be bothered. When a house is on fire, people come and look! You cannot do anything when people are tepid because they are satisfied. It is a hopeless situation. Jesus says lukewarm people make Him sick! They are independent. Self-sufficient. They are proud. They needed no help and could fall into the trap of thinking that God was blessing them. When they were struck by an earthquake in 60AD they refused help from the Roman Empire and rebuilt the city by themselves. They were ignorant . Self-deceived. Jesus’ “ counsels ” (advises) them (v18). It is not a command . He knows they will not obey His orders. We cannot buy spiritual gold from Jesus but here (v18) Jesus is speaking to them as people who measure everything in monetary terms. He is saying, ‘ do business with me !’ He is telling them to exert themselves (v19) - it takes effort to lift yourself out of apathy and turn from sin. Jesus wants them to let Him in so that He can have fellowship and be intimate with them (v20). Summary It is interesting seeing the comparisons between how they live their lives and how Jesus uses these things to challenge them, and made me think – if Jesus were to write to a church in our city/town what aspects could He use? Does that relate to our churches? Even today rich, self-made people do not see their need for Jesus and there is more openness to the Gospel in poor countries than it is in the Western world. We need missionaries to come to the UK from Africa!! Amen Reference materials: Jewish New Testament Commentary by David H. Stern Studies by David Pawson

No more puny prayers! Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Do you ever get fed up with making or hearing puny prayers? That is not how the apostles prayed , they prayed mighty and powerful prayers, prayers that changed the world they lived in. This prayer contains a progressive revelation (each of the 5 steps from v16-20 builds onto the previous step). Step 1 v16 , to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. We need the dynamic power of the Holy Spirit indwelling us to help us progress spiritually and without this power we cannot proceed with steps 2-5. Step 2 v17 tells us that the consequences of  Christ may dwelling in our hearts through faith; is that we become  rooted like a tree and grounded in love like a building with Jesus Christ as your foundation. This means that our Christian walk of obedience to Christ is based on us responding to the love Jesus first gave us. Step 3 v18 When we are strengthened with might in our inner man, and Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith, we become rooted and grounded in his love. We then are in a position to begin to comprehend or discern spiritually what are the dimensions of God’s which cannot discerned by mere human knowledge. Here are some features of God’s love. Breadth a -boundless           Length b-endless Depth c-fathomless             Height d- measureless a How broad? All men of every race and colour at every stage of development from a foetus to an old man on his death bed, embraces every man from Adam onwards. This breadth of the fathers have told the early Jewish believers the He even loves the Gentiles. It speaks to our heart of the different parts of the body pf Christ, Baptist, Pentecostal, faith people, love people in my father’s house there are many mansions. God’s love is so broad it takes in all barriers of rank or position intelligence, personality etc. b How long? Invites us to meditate on the eternal nature of God’s love. He loved us before the world was made and has promised to love us from everlasting to everlasting [Jeremiah 31:3] is for each one of us. c How deep? Let’s look back to where we came from spiritually dead on the way to hell, no joy, peace or hope. Take a minute to think on the depth of love that caused Jesus to go through the cross for you to pluck you out of Satan’s hand. [Ephesians 2:3] We were children of wrath by nature, engrossed in sinful lives. He loved us so deeply he paid the full price of our sins. d Height, breadth boundless, length endless depth fathomless then the height is measureless in trying to comprehend the height we may look to both our present privileges and our future promises as clearly identified in the word of God. To describe God’s love as a sea is not enough since seas have limits Think of God’s love on the cross. Step 4 v19  We must experience the love of Christ, each one of us that agape love that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5). For when we are filled to overflowing with divine love then we attain the fourth part of the progression that is we have the richest measure of the divine presence, and we become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. To be filled with all the fulness of God in the Greek suggests a continuous process where the vessel expands to continue being filled i.e. our hearts will expand and take in more and more of God. Step 5 v20 Paul goes on to say after having given us such a tremendous revelation of the word that the Lord can give us infinitely more than we dare to ask or think, infinitely above our highest hopes, prayers, desires, thoughts or dreams . Wow! Conclusion No more puny prayers! Would you dare to make such a prayer for yourself or your church fellowship?    Closing prayer Father God, we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us and we say Amen and Glory to your name.

The width, length, depth, and height of God's love Ephesians 3:18-19 Picking up from Part 1 in Ephesians 3:18 we see that there is a supernatural order of the dimensions of God’s love. The Holy Spirit directs our attention as follows. A. What is Breadth? We have some difficulty in seeing the breadth of God’s love to all men of every race and colour, every age from a foetus in the mother’s womb to a man on his death bed, embracing each one of these. In all time past, back to Adam and forward to Christ’s second advent. This breadth tells the Jewish believers of God’s love for the Gentiles and tells us now of His love for all the various parts of the body of Christ. In my Father’s house there are many mansions. God’s love is so broad it embraces His whole family beyond any man-made barriers. He is not a respecter of rank or position. His love is so broad it includes from the humblest to the most exalted of his people. B. Length , this invites us to meditate on the eternal nature of God’s love. Christ loved us before we got born again. 1 John 4:19 tells us that we love him, because he first loved us and as his love knows no end, so it has no beginning and is from everlasting to everlasting. Jeremiah 31:3 Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness. I have drawn thee the Lord says this to each one of us. His drawing of us unto himself is the effect of his love. John 13:1 Jesus loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. Romans 8:35-39 Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Are you catching a glimpse of its length? C. Depth, another way to look at the depth of God’s love is to look back to where we came from, dying and on the way to eternal death. Each one of us can take a minute to meditate on how deep our Father’s love was to raise us up out of the pit of our sinful lives. We were children wrath by nature see Ephesians 2:1-6. Does this not speak to your heart of the Depth of our Father’s love? D. Height, so far, we have seen the love of God has a boundless breadth, an endless length, a fathomless depth then surely its height is measureless? In trying to comprehend the height we may look to both our present privileges and our future promises as clearly identified in the word of God. 1 Samuel 2:8, Isaiah 56:5 Romans 8:16-17, 1 John 3:1, and Revelation 22:4-5,19 that we might know the love of Christ which passes knowledge by the Holy Spirit that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Did Paul get carried away with it here or was the Holy Spirit showing us the summit of the prayer? Are we not heirs of the Father, joint heirs of Christ? If we ask for bread, will he give us a stone or a snake instead of a fish? This is the point; the word of God tells us that God wants us at filled with all His own fullness. Our hearts and minds must constantly be occupied with the love of Christ to be prepared for the being filled with all his fullness. Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness as in Matthew 5:6? The Greek for ‘filled with all the fullness’ suggests a continuous process, a progressive and enlarging experience. As a vessel is filled to the brim the vessel then expands and the process continues thus our hearts will grow and take in more of him on an ongoing basis. Suggestion: Let us agree not to pray any more weak and feeble prayers! Pray for yourself and others in this manner. Prayer Father God we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses mere human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us, and we say. Amen

Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 In this study we consider the Spirit-anointed prayers of the Apostle Paul. These prayers were given of the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray for ourselves and others. The prayer we are focusing on today is in Ephesians 3:14-21. The prayers of Paul listed below are not in the word of God by chance but are there that Holy Spirit can use them to lead us into how we might to pray. They are found in Ephesians 1:17-19, Ephesians 3:14-21, Philippians 1:9-11. In Ephesians 3:14-21 we see a stepwise progressive revelation of the God’s Word. Step 1. Being strengthened with might in our inner man by Holy Spirit Step 2. That Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, that we be rooted and grounded in love Step 3. That we might comprehend the dimensions of God’s love, practically experiencing it for ourselves Step 4. That we might be filled with all the fullness of God Comments Verse 16; It is the dunamis or dynamite power of the Holy Spirit that will strengthen us spiritually. It is part of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to build us up that we might be ready for the next step of this progression. It is that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead that dwells in us so we can ask Him to strengthen us. Verse 17 ; As Christ dwells (is at home) in our heart by faith we become rooted like a tall tree. A tree planted by running water yielding its fruit in season, prospering in every way. Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches, our roots are in Him grounded like a building on the sure foundation of Jesus Christ the Solid Rock. Jesus is building the stones in his body into a perfect temple for the Father (1 John 4:19). The Christian walk of obedience is in response to his love which was given first to us. As we are strengthened with might in the inner man by Holy Spirit, Christ begins to live in our hearts by faith and we become rooted and grounded on his divine love. Verse 18 ; Then we are in the position to begin to discern the dimensions of God’s love. We can only hope to have any possibility of achieving this through the Lord’s grace i.e. through the Holy Spirit revelations to our hearts. Verse 19 ; To know the love of Christ that surpasses and bypasses mere head knowledge. Amen Personal Prayer In part 2 we consider the individual dimensions of width, length, depth, and height in Verse 18.

The Prayers of the Apostles: Paul The prayers of the Apostle Paul a) The prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21 (read) This prayer contains a progressive revelation. Please note there are five main steps in this prayer. Step 1 Verse 16; To be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man . This strengthening with might in your inner man is an essential prerequisite before partaking of steps 2-5. For it is only through the ‘dynamite’ power of the Holy Spirit in us that we can progress spiritually. Step 2 Verse 17; Tells us that consequences of Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith is that we become rooted like a tree in love and grounded like a building , with Jesus Christ as your foundation. This means our Christian walk of obedience to Christ is based upon our responding in love to his love which Jesus gave first. Step 3 Verse 18 ; When we are strengthened with might in our inner man, and Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith and we grow rooted and grounded in love then we are in the position to begin to comprehend or discern spiritually the dimensions of God`s love where it surpasses humanly discerned knowledge. Things to consider about the dimensions of God’s love. Breadth – boundless Length – endless Depth – fathomless Height [1] – measureless Even to describe God’s love as a sea is inadequate since seas have limits. Step 4 Verse 19 We must experience the love of Christ, each one of us. That agape love that the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts ( Romans 5:5 ). When we are filled to overflowing with his divine love then we attain the fourth step of the progression, which is that we have the richest measure of the divine presence and we become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself. If this is true, it is possible that we can experience the richest measure of the divine presence! Wow! The Greek rendering of ‘filled with all the fullness’ suggests a continuous process, a progressive enlarging experience like a vessel being filled to the brim. Then the vessel expands, and the process goes on and on. Thus, our hearts will grow and take in more and more of Him. Amen. Step 5 Verse 20 Paul then goes on to say after having given us such a tremendous revelation of the word, that the Lord can do infinitely more than all that we dare ask or think, infinitely above our highest hopes, prayers, desires, thoughts, or dreams. Wow! Fellow saints, the word of God tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16) . Would you dare to make such a prayer as this, a prayer for yourself and for those you lead, would you dare to pray this prayer right now? In verse 20 did Paul get carried away with himself? Or was the Holy Spirit showing the church how we also ought to pray for ourselves and others, so that we can aim for the summit of God`s fullness in us in bodily form. If we ask Him for bread will he give us stone or snake for a fish? He knows what good gifts to give to His children. Matthew 5:6 Conclusion Would you dare to ask God for his best for yourself and others, or do you think that the Lord can only just keep you saved? See Ephesians 3:10 concerning the multi-faceted wisdom of God. The Word of God says that the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much ( James 5:16 ). Will you dare make such a spirit anointed prayer your fervent prayer? Dare to pray this prayer! Father God we bow our knees to you in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask that you grant us, according to your riches, that we might be strengthened with your mighty power in our inner man. We pray that Christ may be dwelling in our hearts by faith, and that we are becoming rooted and grounded in your divine love. We ask that we may be able to comprehend with all your saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of your love, and to come to truly know your love which surpasses human knowledge, that we might be filled with the love of God as you are Lord. Lord, we know you can do much more above all we can ask or even think because your power is at work in us and so we say. Amen and Glory to your name. [1] Height How high does God`s love extend? Look at the privileges we now enjoy and those the Lord has promised will come. I Samuel 2:8 Isaiah 56:5 Romans 8:16-17 I John 3:1 Revelation 22:4-5