Pause for thought

No matter how clever we think we are we must come to Jesus with an open mind and heart so He can teach us the truth about God 3:1

Jesus explained that people don’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven by living a better life, but by being spiritually reborn 3:6-7

Jesus explained that we can’t control the work of the Holy Spirit. He works in ways we cannot predict or understand, just as you did not control your physical birth, you cannot control your spiritual birth. 3:8

memory verse

For God so loved the World that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16

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pause for thought

By using the court of the gentile as a market place the Jews were hindering the gentiles from worshipping God no wonder Jesus was angry!

King Josiah of Judah saw a degree of national revival once the temple was cleansed. 2 kings 22-23

How conscious are you of being a temple or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit?

The bible teaches that Christians are not only individually but collectively the temple of the Holy Spirit, if this is so and it is! we all need to ensure that as far as it is up to us we keep the temple clean.

memory verse Don’t you realise that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

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The Bible talks of different baptisms so let’s see what the scriptures teach us starting with John the Baptist John 3:6 and Acts 19:3. First we need to be aware that baptism was not unknown before John’s day. Baptisms and washings were used in ritual ceremonies especially when gentiles wished to join Judaism. When John started baptising Jews he was showing that they needed cleansing even though they were Jews, he was fulfilling his mission in preparing the way of the Lord John 1:23, Isaiah 40:3. In Acts 19 Paul meets some disciples ( not Christian disciples but disciples of John the Baptist) who when questioned had been baptised by John for repentance but knew nothing of the Holy Spirit, Paul explained to them John the Baptist’s role in preparing men’s hearts to receive Jesus as saviour. On hearing this they believed and were baptised as believers in the name of Jesus. Johns baptism has been fulfilled not to be repeated as Jesus the Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the World, that includes all who put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal saviour.

This chart is a helpful way to understand these three baptisms that are for every Christian, every baptism has each of the following.

Candidate Element. Baptiser. Baptism
Believer. Body of Christ Holy Spirit Baptised Into body of Christ 1Cor12:13

Believer. Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ Baptised in the Holy Spirit John1:33

Believer Water Pastor. Believers baptism Acts 8:37, 9:18, 10:47

You can substitute your name for the candidate in each of these baptisms, but if you look at the bible references you will see that the element and the baptiser is different for each! Let’s start with the precious Holy Spirit’s work in salvation, to experience salvation you must be born again this is not turning over a new leaf but a new birth! every Christian is born again by the Holy Spirit the moment they first trust in Jesus as their saviour, then the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in our human spirit. Immediately the Holy Spirit then incorporates or baptises us into the body of Christ, that is what is meant by being baptised by one Spirit into one body.

Next Jesus is the one who Baptises Christians with or into the Holy Spirit, one of the meanings of the word baptise means to immerse, I can think of no better illustration of what Baptism in the Spirit is! Every Christian needs immersing in the Holy Spirit, Jesus came to give us the promise of the Father. There is One Baptism in the Holy Spirit but many fillings.

When Philip baptised the Ethiopian Eunuch he only did so because the Eunuch said he believed in Jesus, Philip said “then you may” only someone who is already a Christian may receive believers baptism, baptism does not make you a Christian and anyone who is baptised without having trusted in Jesus is only going through a religious ritual. Why do I write this? Romans 6:3-11 makes it very clear that it makes no sense being baptised if we have not put our trust in Christ. As way of illustration sometimes I have taken a sheet of paper and placing it in a Bible have demonstrated that every where the bible goes the paper goes, so it is with us for we are in Christ Jesus. Believers Baptism is an illustration of my counting myself with or in Jesus when he hung and died for me on the cross my old self died with him, I was buried with him that is what the water represents and I rose with Jesus when he rose victor over sin death and the grave(that’s to come the grave that is) this is illustrated when I come up out of the water, this is believers baptism!

John 1:19-51

Written by John the Apostle about A.D.85 probably written when John lived in Ephesus. Written to give its readers a fuller understanding of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. For myself I love this gospel because it speaks so much about the new life anyone can experience if they receive Jesus as saviour and Lord. I also find much comfort in the I AM sayings of Jesus that are only recorded in this Gospel. Please join me on this journey of discovery!

John chapter 1:1-18

Pause for thought!

What does Jesus the Word mean to you?

Do you see truth as being relative or absolute why?

People didn’t recognise Jesus when he came, what caused them to be blind? what was the remedy?

Memory verse

Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to everyone. N.L.T.

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT

How can I know that I’m in Christ and what does that mean to me? Ephesians 1:7

Is my idea of becoming a more fruitful Christian in-line with the Bible? John 15:5

MEMORY VERSE
For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms all because we are one with Christ Jesus Ephesians 2:6 N.L.T.

The Lord Jesus said that his sheep would hear his voice John 10:27. In a former life I was a shepherd and had about 300 Ewes plus lambs to see to. As I look back to those days you might find it strange but I tend to think that my farming days were part of Gods training for the work that he would later call me to. I have often joked that shepherding Sheep was much easier than shepherding people! but we do have some things in common and yes Jesus was aware of this when he spoke of his sheep hearing his voice and following him and in John 10:5 that his sheep will not follow a stranger. Back to my farming days we did not drive the sheep I was taught by my father to walk in front and call them and they would follow because they recognised my voice, they followed because they knew I cared for them! what an illustration of the love God has for us, we are Jesus Sheep. Look what Jesus said about false prophets he likens them to wolves in sheep’s clothing Mathew 7:15 The best defence against deception is knowing the shepherds voice, even the youngest of lambs would come running when they recognised my voice. Recognising the saviours voice doesn’t take years of practice or a special spiritual gift every Christian is able to recognise the voice of God. If you are a Christian then you have been born again by the Holy Spirit you have not been born spiritually deaf or spiritually blind. The number one way God still speaks is through the Bible it is the inspired word of God, it must always be our final authority every prophetic word that is uttered must be consistent with the whole of scripture not just part. I hear it said “what is God saying today? Read your Bible you can trust it above your feelings, opinions, values or what seems to you to be most important or culturally relevant.
Heed these words – Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. 1John4:1

Mathew chapter 24

As I write this we are in the midst of lockdown because of coved 19. Little did we imagine a few months ago what was about to befall the World in the spring of 2020. Many are asking could this be the start of the tribulation? I think Jesus answered this, in Mathew 24 he gave his disciples a list of signs that would happen before his return to planet Earth, he called them the beginning of sorrows NKJ or birth pains NIV Mathew 24:8 I believe that it’s very important to avoid speculation we should constantly remind ourselves that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. If you prayerfully read Mathew 24 and Luke 21 you will see a number of things that will happen shortly before Jesus returns, please take the time to read them for yourselves! Paul wrote we should judge nothing before the time, until the Lord shall come, 1Corinthians 4:5 this verse can be understood in a number of ways but I think it is a word in season. That we have entered a new season I think there can be no doubt that because of lockdown we have been forced to do the work of church differently and there are certainly opportunities to minister in old and new ways, by shopping, delivering food parcels, phoning the lonely “things some were already doing” and the online service which has been forced upon us that is able to reach those who would not ordinarily darken the doors of the church. I don’t think God has brought the virus but I know that he keeps his promise to make all things work together for good towards his children and his purpose Romans 8:28 We could see a season of refreshing even revival I hope we do, but I don’t see in the Bible the sort of mass revival that many are excitedly speaking about! The Bible says there will be a falling away 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Mathew 24:10-12. Let me finish with the words of Jesus himself So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!