EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [62]

TOPIC: Repentance. [ to turn around, 180 degree turn a round ] To turn from the darkness of sin to the light of an eternal God.

*To turn—– Acts 9:³⁵ And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

*To repent—– Acts 8:²² Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

*To return—– 1 Samuel 7:³ And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

*To convert—– Acts 15:³ And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

KINDS OF REPENTANCE:

*Natural—– Joel 3: ⁵ Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:

⁶ The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

⁷ Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:

⁸ And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the Lord hath spoken it.

*Internal—– Ps.51:¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹ Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

¹² Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³ Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

*Unavailing—– Heb.12: ¹⁶ Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

¹⁷ For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

*True—– Read 9:1-20

*Unreal—– Exodus 9: ²⁷ And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

²⁸ Intreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.

²⁹ And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord‘s.

³⁰ But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God.

³¹ And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.

³² But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.

³³ And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.

³⁴ And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

³⁵ And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

[ to be continued ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [61]

After  Spiritual awakening we need a revival to sweep our nation’s, beginning with me. Revival to renewed zeal to obey God. Let’s look at a few Bible verses that tell us things we need to be revived.

1/ 2 Chron. 7:14 tell us we need humility and prayer.

“2 Chronicles 7:14King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” [also read James 5:16]

2/ Psalms 34:18 states we need a broken heart and contrite spirit.

“Psalm 34:18King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸ The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

3/ Psalms 66:18 tells us we need confession.

“Psalm 66:18King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸ If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

4/ We need to repent.   Read 2 Cor. 7:10 – 14.

5/ we need to tun away from sin.    [ 2 Cor.7:14; 2 Timothy 2:19 ]

6/ we need complete surrender.

” Romans 12:1-2King James Version (KJV)

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

² And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” [also read Acts 9:5-6]

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

 

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [60]

topic: SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

As we look around this old world we see a great falling away from God. We see moral de cay everywhere; we need to be given a shake and woke up and get back to the Bible teaching. What must we do to get back on track?

a/ Old Testament when they got astray, one returned to the place of worship.

• Gen.35: And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.

  ² Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:

  ³ And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.

  ⁴ And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

  ⁵ And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

  ⁶ So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.

  ⁷ And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

  [ KJV]

B/ They returned to reading  God’s word.

• 2 Kings 22: ⁸ And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.⁹ And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord.

  ¹⁰ And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

  ¹¹ And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes

  ¹² And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king’s, saying,

  ¹³ Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

  ¹⁴ So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.

  ¹⁵ And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

  ¹⁶ Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read:   [ also read Neh.8:1-18 ]

  C/ They confessed their sin.

• Ezra 10: 1-17 King James Version (KJV)

  10 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.² And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.³ Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.⁴ Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.⁵ Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.⁶ Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.⁷ And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;⁸ And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.⁹ Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.¹⁰ And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.¹¹ Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.¹² Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.¹³ But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.

  ¹⁴ Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.¹⁵ Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.¹⁶ And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.¹⁷ And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.

D/ Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

John 7: ³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. ³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) [also read Acts 2:1- 47 ]

 

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

 

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD {59D}

*Topic: Ascension of Christ [d]     This is the last blog on this brief study on the Ascension of Christ.

• He descended to prepare a place for His people   John 14:² In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
• His second coming will be in the clouds      Acts 1:¹⁰ And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
• His ascension typified     Lev.16:¹⁵ Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:   Hebrews 6:²⁰ Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Hebrews 9:⁷ But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the errors of the people:⁸ The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:⁹ Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;¹⁰ Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.¹¹ But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;¹² Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Christ ascended into Heaven to take His seat at the right hand of His Father and one day soon the Father will say Son go bring your bride home, then He will descend in the clouds and catch us up to meet Him in the air. What a Glorious day that will be!

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [59C]

TOPIC:     The ascension of Christ [c]

*was the forerunner of His people 

Hebrews 6:²⁰ Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

*ascension of Christ was to intercede

Romans 8:³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Hebrews 9:²⁴ For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

*He ascended to send the Holy Spirit

John 16:⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.  Acts 2:³³ Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

*He ascended to receive gifts for men

Psalms 68:¹⁸ Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.   Ephesians 4:⁸ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up 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;

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [59B]

TOPIC: ASCENSION OF CHRIST [b]

• He ascended from the mount of Olivet.  Luke 24: ⁵⁰ And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.  Mark 1:¹¹ And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.  Acts 1:¹² Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
• He ascended while blessing His disciples   Luke 24:⁵⁰ And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.
• He had finished His work of atonement    1/ Hebrews 9:¹² Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.  2/ Hebrews 10:¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;
• He was triumphant   Psalms 68: ²⁸ Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.²⁹ Because of thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee.

  ³⁰ Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war.

  ³¹ Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

  ³² Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:

  ³³ To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.

  ³⁴ Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

  ³⁵ O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.

• His ascension was with supreme power and dignity     1/ Luke 24:²⁶ Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?  2/ Ephesians 1:²⁰ Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,²¹ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  3/ 1 Peter 3: ²⁰ Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

  ²¹ Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

[ Prepared by Winston Staples ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [59A]

TOPIC: Ascension of Christ [a]

*Prophecies respecting His ascension:  Psalms 24:⁷ Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. [ Psalms 68:¹⁸ Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.]  E ph 4:7-8:

⁷ But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

⁸ Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

*His ascension fortold by Himself: a/ John 6:⁶² What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? b/ John 7:³³ Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. c/ John 14:²⁸ You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said,”I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I. d/ John 16:⁵ “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ e/ John 20:¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’”

*He ascended forty days after His resurrection: Acts 1: ³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

*His ascension described: Acts 1:⁹ Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

[ prepared by Winston Staples ]