|
BACKGROUND
GOD
GOD
I. His Being
II. His nature
III. His character
IV. His will
V. His subsistence
VI. His Fatherhood
MAN
WOMAN
FALL OF MAN
MAN
a. Man in nature
b. Man’s destiny
c. Man ‘s structure
d. Man’s sin
e. Man in God’s image
WOMAN
The
full background to this teaching is available online at this link
DEFINITIONS (For serious students)
|
Online links to scriptures (New International Version [NIV] unless otherwise stated) are shown in blue
| THE ACTS OF THE DISCIPLES
A PUZZLE! |
|
|
| Before Jesus Died |
|
 In spite of what we would see to be the incredible advantage of living with and being taught by Jesus, the disciples were a pretty motley lot, showing a remarkable lack of understanding about the teachings of Jesus. For example:
Luke 18:31-4
|
|
|
On occasions they displayed a considerable lack of faith. eg. 'Doubting Thomas'
John 20:24-31
|
|
|
Had they been alive today exhibiting this behaviour, they certainly wouldn't have been regarded as 'exceptional Christians'!
|
| After Jesus Died |
|
 The disciples, now apostles (God's messengers, primarily church planters) underwent an amazing transformation. Together with the apostle Paul (not one of the original 12 but the 'true replacement' for Judas), and some other followers of Jesus, they changed the face of human history for all time, while undergoing and withstanding persecution, prison, and for many, ultimately martyrdom.
Peter, for example, after denying Jesus 3 times at the crucifixion, finally sacrificed his life for his beloved Saviour around AD65, during the reign of the Emperor Nero.
A group of very ordinary men had suddenly become a dedicated army of inspirational and highly effective Christian workers, prepared even to die for their Lord.
Had they been alive today they would have been considered to be truly outstanding Christians, willing and able to change the face of the world.
WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?
|
| GOD'S PROVISION FOR HIS OWN
THE HOLY SPIRIT |
|
|
| Satan's No 1 Enemy |
|
 The Holy Spirit is satan's No. 1 enemy. Satan realises only too well the supreme power of the Holy spirit in the battle between God and himself, between good and evil, between heaven and earth, between life and death.
Satan, defeated at the cross, as promised by God at the fall of man,
Genesis 3:15
|
|
|
Because of this understanding and hatred, satan is 'hellbent' on nullifying the influence of the Holy Spirit by having Christians argue amongst themselves concerning the realm of the Holy Spirit in Christian lives, and in the church, something he could not accomplish in any other way. And we fall for it! How sad it is and how God must be grieved by our sorry behaviour.
Let us set aside our preconceived notions and convictions, be tolerant of others with differing views, while searching God's Word, the Bible, for the marvelous truths God is waiting to reveal to us. Then let us pray and wait upon the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to each one of us.
|
| ADAM AND THE HOLY SPIRIT |
|
 It was God's intention from the creation, when He 'breathed life' into Adam
Genesis 2:7
|
|
|
that man should walk with Him 'in the garden in the cool of the day.'
Genesis 3:8
|
|
|
Adam, being sinless, was filled with the Holy Spirit to a measure we will only be able to experience when we also become sinless! When Adam sinned, he was banished from the garden
Genesis 3:23
|
|
|
and he lost the fellowship with God he had previously enjoyed.
Mankind therefore, through the decision to exercise their right of choice and to sin, lost the third part of their makeup, their spirit, the Holy Spirit that had lived inside Adam. (remember man's makeup of body, soul and spirit.) Why? Because God is not prepared, indeed cannot, live with sin.
It was not until Jesus came to free man through from sin through belief in Him that God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, was prepared and able to live inside of man once again.
|
| THE HOLY SPIRIT IN A NUTSHELL |
|
 1. When Adam (mankind) sinned, we lost communion with God.
2. God will not live with sin.
3. Only when we have our sin's forgiven through belief in Jesus will God once again dwell inside us in the form of His Holy Spirit.
|
| <i>NEXT WEEK:</i> GOD AND MAN continues |
|
 We continue our study of the glorious Holy Spirit by looking at how He was revealed to us.
|
| A NOTE FROM DAVID |
|
 It saddens me greatly to see how satan has managed to nullify the full available power of the Holy Spirit by bringing division amongst us.
May we understand satan's ways so that next time we are tempted to bring division in this way, we will think better of it!
ANCIENT ROMAN TRANSPORTATION
Ancient Romans traveled by land and sea. From earliest times the Romans displayed remarkable skill at building and engineering. They constructed bridges across the river Tiber, aqueducts to supply Rome with water, and sewers to drain the forum and keep the city healthy.
As they expanded their power across Italy, the Romans linked the capital with other communities they had conquered by a network known as the famous Roman roads so well designed that many still lie beneath the motorways of modern Italy.
After the neglect of the provinces during the civil wars, Augustus was determined to improve the infrastructure to promote economic growth.
During the first two centuries AD, war was relatively infrequent, and Augustus and his successors kept their troops busy with military construction.
A great network of roads, bridges, and canals opened the interior of Gaul to Roman commerce and cultural influence.
Rome's military engineers were skilled surveyors who designed numerous vast projects in the provinces that the troops helped to build: fortified camps, frontier walls, roads, canals, bridges, arches, baths, and temples.
These projects and other legionary expenditures helped the provincial economies by providing work for local merchants, craftspeople, farmers, and the usual range of camp followers.
|
So until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD!
His servant and yours
Learn more about us at...
www.wwj.org.nz/about.php
|
A DAVID'S DOODLING
1301. The cross qualifies me to walk in resurrection power.
David Tait
|
Check
out the WWJ website for….
More David's Doodlings: www.wwj.org.nz/dd.php
Till Death do us Part!: http://www.wwj.org.nz/tddup.php
Pets Rule!: http://www.wwj.org.nz/pets.php
The World's Greatest Groans: http://www.wwj.org.nz/groans.php
|
