The Messiah’s Secret – Pentecost
Human beings can step into the fishes environment and swim with the fish. We can climb on board a space craft that is propelled into space by a rocket and step out of our air environment into space.
In both instants we cannot live in them permanently in our natural state, we need the air contained in cylinders and wet and space suits to protect our bodies.
Through the Holy Spirit being sent into the world at Pentecost, God has made it possible to enter into His eternal dimension through his indwelling presence within the Christian.
Through the Holy Spirit being sent into the world at Pentecost, God has made it possible to enter into His eternal dimension through his indwelling presence within the Christian.
Visual Aid. A play dough fish in a bowl of water.
At home we have a gold fish and it lives its life in the
water.
We live in a band of air that covers the globe.
In the Exodus reading God met with man in a tent.
Moses and the people of Israel were travelling through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. They lived gathered together within the camp area, but in order to meet with God they were told to go from the camp to the Tent of Meeting which Moses had pitched some distance away. In this designated place Moses and any person from the camp met with God on a one to one basis. Exodus 33: 7-11.
God our Father sent the Holy Spirit into the world to reveal Jesus to us in a personal way by dwelling within a person, on a one to one basis.
God’s love reaching out, our meeting place with God is at the cross of Jesus while we are still in our sin. Scripture says: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we rejoice in God through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom we have received our reconciliation.” Romans 5: 8-10.
The Holy Spirit was sent into the world at Pentecost and he reveals Jesus to us.
“The Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness and judgement.” John 16: 8. Dis – ease or ill at ease . The TV Soaps are meant to portray ordinary people’s lives and the drama of it all is being worked out in each episode. In the stories we see the sins of the flesh causing pain and distress and were God is at a distance almost out of sight for many people. The TV soaps only occasionally portray the way of life that brings love, joy and peace the Christian way.
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”
Visual Aid.
A bowl with clean water, a few drops of red dye and a small quantity of bleach
Add a drop of red dye into the water, the red dye represents impurities in the water. (fallen nature and sin in our blood)
I then pour the bleach into the water and the red dye disappears. Representing the cleansing of the impurities. (Our sin cancelled out)
The blood of Jesus going into action when we turn to Jesus recognising our sin against God. It is also a picture of repentance and forgiveness.
The Bible teaches us that life is in the blood, however, in our blood we carry the hereditary fallen nature of Adam and Eve. The application of Jesus’ blood blots out the hereditary sin of Adam and our sin of the past and present. Repentance on our part brings about forgiveness and reconciliation with God. “Repent therefore and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out . . . . and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus.” Acts 3: 19, 20.
Moody’s Stories
“In Ireland some time ago a teacher asked a little boy if there was anything that God could not do. The little fellow said, “He can not see my sins through the blood of Christ.” From the mouths of babes such profound words.
As a result of us having faith in Jesus’ blood we receive his promise.
Jesus said, “If a man/women/child loves me, he will keep my word, and the Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14: 23
The promise of eternal life entering into the Lord our God’s kingdom.
(Some Christians say you are not a Christian until you have the baptism of the Holy Spirit or until you speak in tongues. Paul’s letter to the Romans 10:9 does not say that, he wrote: “If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved. . . no one who believes in Jesus will be put to shame.” A person will only confess that Jesus is Lord by the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12: 3.)
Having received both God our Father and Jesus the Son of God the Holy Spirit puts substance to our faith, through a variety of ways.
Having received both God our Father and Jesus the Son of God the Holy Spirit puts substance to our faith, through a variety of ways.
Through someone praying for us. Paul praying for the members of the church at Ephesus, “I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1: 16.
The words of the Bible drop from our mind down into our heart. Continuing with the letter to the Ephesians, ”That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the glorious inheritance in the saints.” Ephesians 1: 17, 18. The enlightening of the eyes of our heart is were our head knowledge about Jesus, becomes heart knowledge.
“All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said he (Holy Spirit) will take what is mine and declare it to you.” John 16: 15.
The words of Jesus expresses God’s love for us and his words become alive, living words as they are acted upon by God’s Holy Spirit.
The words of Jesus expresses God’s love for us and his words become alive, living words as they are acted upon by God’s Holy Spirit.
Move from being under law to being under grace. Paul’s letter to the Galatians he reminds them that he is justified by faith and not by the works of the law. Salvation is received as a free gift, we can not earn the gift by our own merit, we can only accept what Jesus has achieved for us by faith. “ I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; the life I now live in my flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2: 20.
When we understand we move forward in faith, receiving what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We depend upon God for his love and forgiveness.
Laying on of hands. The people at Samaria had accepted Jesus as their Saviour and were baptised but they had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit. “Now when the Apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8: 14,15.
What I have heard about Jesus, now I know it is true. I remember Miriam saying to me, “It was like scales falling from my eyes.” Hours before she told me she was going to see Rev Ron Freeman our Vicar (now with the Lord) she had some questions to ask him. I knew that after their discussion he would pray with her and using the gift that the Lord had given him which was for people to receive of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Miriam received the precious gift.
It was my own experience too through Ronald’s gift, the Lord has put substance to my faith, I know that Jesus is God made visible in the flesh and the Holy Spirit is still at work in the world. (Approx two years before I had been healed of a sickness through the laying on of hands at a Bible Study.)
Baptism My sister at her children’s Baptism, (Anglican Church) the Lord added substance to her faith when she received the the Holy Spirit in power. Many people at their Baptism receive the Holy Spirit.
Humility. For a number of Christians who have been brought up in the faith who have never had a ‘Damascus Road’ experience, but have received substance to their faith by the receiving of the Holy Spirit in a very unassuming way.
Baptism My sister at her children’s Baptism, (Anglican Church) the Lord added substance to her faith when she received the the Holy Spirit in power. Many people at their Baptism receive the Holy Spirit.
Humility. For a number of Christians who have been brought up in the faith who have never had a ‘Damascus Road’ experience, but have received substance to their faith by the receiving of the Holy Spirit in a very unassuming way.
Living in the Spirit of God’s Righteousness and Judgement.
It is like us, entering into the gold fish’s environment, we give the fish its food to sustain its life. In order to sustain our life in God’s kingdom we need the spiritual food.
Jesus said, “My words are Spirit and life.” John 6: 63.
Christian Crackers by Phil Mason. “A lady was very nervous about her appointment with the dentist. Before leaving home she sought courage by reading the text for the day from her calendar. It was Psalm 81: 10: “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.”
Jesus said, “My words are Spirit and life.” John 6: 63.
Christian Crackers by Phil Mason. “A lady was very nervous about her appointment with the dentist. Before leaving home she sought courage by reading the text for the day from her calendar. It was Psalm 81: 10: “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it.”
The word of God guides us to share what we have with others, “And let our people learn themselves to apply good deeds, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful.” Titus 3: 14
Quite often the Lord calls us to response to the practical needs of people, who through no fault of their own find themselves unable to feed their family so that they can pay their bills. As a result they need short term help to get through the crisis. Collectively we can help by providing food stuffs for the Food Banks or through networking or sign posting we can enlist the help of the appropriate organisations to suit their need.
Quite often the Lord calls us to response to the practical needs of people, who through no fault of their own find themselves unable to feed their family so that they can pay their bills. As a result they need short term help to get through the crisis. Collectively we can help by providing food stuffs for the Food Banks or through networking or sign posting we can enlist the help of the appropriate organisations to suit their need.
Every so often the Goldfish bowl needs to be cleaned out. There is debris on the surface of the pebbles and algae on the glass.
We look to the Word to remind us of the things that pertain to a life of godliness.
In 2 Peter 1 verses 3 -8 Peter confirms this equal standing that we have with the disciples in our faith in Christ. We do not need to the look to the world to live a fulfilled life, we have the Lord’s precious and very great promises and his divine nature that enables us to live a godly life.
“For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and with self-control with steadfastness, and with steadfastness godliness, and with godliness brotherly and sisterly affection, and with brotherly and sisterly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1: 1-8
The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus continually as we are built up in through the study of the Bible.
The Holy Spirit will build us up in our faith through the study of the Bible, not through memorising scripture, although that is useful, but it’s as he reveals through the study, understandings about Jesus, that he is God made visible in the flesh, Jesus is the living Word and in our relationship with Jesus, we have been crucified with Jesus and that we are raised up with him in his resurrection etc.
For example: through the study of Matthew Chapters 5,6,7. The Sermon on the Mount. The Holy Spirit revealed to me in the Spirit that Jesus taught the perfect law of God as he was God himself.
Through the study of 1 John that Jesus is the living Word, he is the Word of God clothed in the flesh etc.
We are built up and strengthened in our faith, as the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us in the study of the word of God. The choice of the translation of the Bible from the Hebrew and Greek is very important to me because of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in revealing Jesus through the study of both the Hebrew and the New Testaments.
The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus continually as we are built up in through the study of the Bible.
The Holy Spirit will build us up in our faith through the study of the Bible, not through memorising scripture, although that is useful, but it’s as he reveals through the study, understandings about Jesus, that he is God made visible in the flesh, Jesus is the living Word and in our relationship with Jesus, we have been crucified with Jesus and that we are raised up with him in his resurrection etc.
For example: through the study of Matthew Chapters 5,6,7. The Sermon on the Mount. The Holy Spirit revealed to me in the Spirit that Jesus taught the perfect law of God as he was God himself.
Through the study of 1 John that Jesus is the living Word, he is the Word of God clothed in the flesh etc.
We are built up and strengthened in our faith, as the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us in the study of the word of God. The choice of the translation of the Bible from the Hebrew and Greek is very important to me because of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in revealing Jesus through the study of both the Hebrew and the New Testaments.