A FORGOTTEN DISCIPLINE

PASTOR RICARDO CHRISTOPHER

CONTENTS

1 DREAMS AND VISIONS

2 INTIMACY

3 BIBLICAL MANHOOD

4 GIFTING

5 ANGELS

6 DEMONS

7 DECEPTION IN JESUS NAME

8 HELL

9 THE MONEY SYSTEM

10 TITHING

11 MARRIAGE

12 COURTSHIP

13 SALVATION

14 THE BIBLE

15 CREATION

16 THE DANGERS OF BACKSLIDING

17 THE CHURCH OF GOD

18 GREEK ORTHODOXY

19 HEALTH

20 PRAYER

21 FASTING

DREAMS

Jacob had a dream where God spoke to him saying ‘here I am…I am the God of Bethel’ (Gen. 1:14). In this dream, God instructs him to return to his land and his people. Based on this dream, Jacob arose and gathered his family and goods and left his uncle, Laban’s house.Joseph had a dream of sheaves bowing down to him (Gen. 37:7) His brothers got angry at the suggestion that one day they would be paying him homage. Yet, many years later, the dream was fulfilled and they found themselves in Egypt paying homage to Joseph as the ruler of Egypt. In this dream, the symbol of sheaves represented his brothers and the sun and stars bowing represented the greatness which he would one day achieve.Joseph’s brothers and his father rebuked him as many of us do today when someone comes with a dream but it was a dream from God which was foretelling the future.

While Joseph was in prison he interpreted the dreams of a butler and a baker. God can speak to secular people in dreams but, as Joseph told them, ‘the interpretation is of God’.The butler saw a vine with three branches which budded and produced grapes. The butler also saw himself giving Pharaoh a cup of grapes which he pressed into Pharaoh’s cup. Joseph told him that the branches represented three days and that God would restore him to his position of bearing Pharaoh’s cup.The baker also had a dream of three baskets full of food for Pharaoh which the birds ate. Unfortunately, the meaning wasn’t good and Joseph told him that in three days he would be hanged and the birds would eat his flesh. It was because of a dream that Pharaoh had which Joseph interpreted that Joseph became the ruler of Egypt. Pharaoh saw seven thin cows that ate seven health cows and seven thin ears of corn that devoured seven good ears. Joseph told Pharaoh that there would be seven years of famine and seven years of plenty. God used this symbolism to warn Pharaoh and to prepare for the future.

Nebuchadnezzar also had a dream (Daniel 2:1). In this instance the Head of gold represented Babylon and the other metals represented future kingdoms that would arise afterwards. In another dream, the tree represented Nebuchadnezzar, the birds and beasts, his kingdom and the tree being cut down to the stump, the fact that he would be removed and restored briefly because of his pride

Ecclesiastes says that dreams come from the multitude of business (Eccl 5:3). The regurgitation of facts and images by the brain and the REM (rapid eye movement) can cause the alpha waves in the brain to produce images. This is a natural phenomenon and distinct from the God-given dream which is powerful and impacts you afterwards.

Joseph, the father of Jesus, was told in a dream to marry Mary and to call his son by the name, Jesus (Matt. 1:20). The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod (Matt. 2:12). Joseph was warned in a dream to go to Egypt because of Herod’s intentions to kill his newborn son (Matt. 2:13). When Herod was dead, Joseph was told to return to Israel (Matt2:20) but was also warned in a dream about Herod’s son, Archelaus (Matt. 2:22) and so came into Galilee.

King Solomon was spoken to in a dream by God (1 Kings 3:5). God said to Solomon ‘ask me what I shall give thee.’ Solomon replied in this dream that he would wish for an ‘understanding heart to judge God’s people…’God replied, while he was still asleep, that he would give him his desire and also great wealth and riches. When Solomon awoke he realized it was a powerful dream from the Lord.

There is no reason why God could not warn us today in a dream of spiritual things. It would take a man of discernment like Daniel in whom the bible states ‘the spirit of the gods resides’ to recognize the dream as opposed to the magicians and charmers who interpreted according to their own ideas. The Bible tell us that in the last days old men will dream dreams and young men will see visions (Joel 2:28) therefore we can expect that God will continue to speak powerfully in this manner today.

In all of these Biblical dreams it is clear that God uses symbols and code based on everyday life to convey a message warning about the future. Sometimes, as in the case of Solomon, God simply wanted to have an important talk with him.

Visions are usually experienced while one is still awake and can be terrifying physically, emotionally often reducing a person to their knees. The Apostle John had an open vision of the end of days. Daniel had a vision of the future of the world. Ezekiel had a powerful vision of the glory of God and Zechariah had a vision. Usually these visions were accompanied with angels standing by to interpret and speak about the revelation. Visions, for those who experience them are life-changing, transformational and awe-inspiring.

The Apostle Paul had a vision and was taken into the third heaven and shown things unlawful to utter (2 Cor. 12:1). We must always test dreams and visions to ensure that they are in line with the revealed word of God (‘for though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8) We must be mindful that the founders of Islam and Mormonism claim to have been spoken to by angels who gave them instructions.

So, sweet dreams and always ask God for the interpretation or Go to a man of God who is gifted in dreams and in whom the spirit of God is working.

INTIMACY

When God made man and woman he blessed them and said ‘go forth and multiply’ This literally means ‘have lots of children’

Adam ‘knew’ his wife and brought forth a son Cain. This is the first time that sex is alluded to in the Bible. The term, ‘knew’ as a euphemism for sex is interesting. Love contains three elements: agape, phileo and eros. Many people have casual sex without ever knowing much about the other person with ‘one night stands’ and holiday flings in places such as Ibiza and Ayia Napa. Some men go to massage parlors or as far away as Amsterdam to gratify their primal urges for sex.

The idea of sex was from God; sex in the right context is therefore not sinful. He designed the male and female bodies to complement one another. He also designed the male and female psyche and emotions so that men and women have different and complimentary mental, psychological and hormonal functions.

Sex is also spiritual; it is the union of body and soul. Paul tells us that ‘he that is joined to a harlot is one spirit’ (1 Cor. 6:16). We often worry about Sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, herpes, syphilis and Chlamydia and indeed we should as there are many preventable deaths each year. However, the above scripture indicates a joining of ‘spirit’ during sex by which evil traits from the other person can be passed-on.We were not designed, physically or emotionally, for many different sexual partners. George Michael has stated that he has slept with 2,000 women! It is no wonder that he has now gone - off women and turned to men. The scripture states ‘leaving the natural desire of women they burned in their lust one toward another ‘(Romans 1: 27) Those who live a promiscuous lifestyle may receive the consequences of their actions in their flesh (Rom. 1:27). Chlamydia is afflicting many young women today; cervical cancer is a disease which is often passed- on by the ‘Human Papilloma Virus’ contracted during frequent, indiscriminate sexual intercourse.In the spiritual dimension, we lose part of ourselves with every broken relationship. The average person in Britain has had eleven sexual partners before marriage. This may be why there is so much divorce in society as people don’t have much left to give. In God’s plan a man would marry a virgin. Giving your virginity away is a big thing in God’s eyes. It is a tragedy to give it away to someone who is not worth it or someone you don’t remember or respect. When a woman loses her virginity there is blood involved as the hymen breaks. Blood symbolizes covenant and life in spiritual terms. She has made a blood covenant. This is why she will be judged by God who has reserved sex for the bounds of marriage

In today’s sexualized society where advertisers use sex to sell everything from chocolate to cars and the clothing industry creates provocative clothing for women; the satellite channels are flooded with pornographic films and billboards and top-shelves in shops show naked women (and men), it is an challenge for the man of God to stay pure in his thoughts. One of the gifts of the spirit is self-control ‘enkrateia’. It is this gift which gives us the victory over the flesh and as we stay in the spirit we can glorify God in our bodies.

SPIRITUAL MANHOOD AND FATHERHOOD

Manhood is perhaps the most misunderstood concept in the world today.Even men have largely forgotten or never been taught what it is to be a man or what God requires of a man.

A MAN IS A LEADERA man is a spiritual leader from the day of his birth. He is divinely ordained to be the spiritual leader or priest of the home. It is the man‘s role to bless the family and receive vision from God as to the spiritual direction for his wife and children. The great tragedy in society is that most men are passive and leave the role of teaching the things of God and taking the children to Church to their wives.

A MAN IS RESPONSIBLEI have listened to many men over the years who blame their wives for the state of the home. A football manager takes responsibility for the success or failure of his team. A man must go away and plan an effective strategy for success. A loving man takes the ideas and wishes of his wife on board but the final decision and therefore, responsibility, rests with him.

GOD WILL NOT BLESS AN UPSIDE DOWN HOUSESome houses and families are run by a strong dominant woman who imposes her will on her husband, dismisses his ideas, and belittles him in front of the children. This is the surest way to upset God and guarantee that there will be problems in the marriage, family

THE ROLE OF THE MANHe prays for his wife and family – often rising early in the morning to ask God to guide, protect his family and strengthen him in his role. He studies the Bible to ensure that he is able to hear from God. He teaches his children about God’s standards and laws. He protects the family from physical harm and danger and spiritual dangers (bad influences He enforces loving, Godly discipline. He provides for his financially by using his giftings to create wealth. He encourages his wife.

A MAN’S SOURCE OF STRENGTHAll of the above requires a lot of motivation and strength. In God’s economy, a man is helped in his task by fellow men in the Church, a Godly Pastor, a loving wife and supportive children but mostly from God himself. A leads his family out to Church to give thanks to God and to bring home a blessing for himself and his family

GOD RECOGNISES AND HONORS THE MANGod is a God of order. He will do things in the way that he has ordained. When a man lays his hand on his wife and children and blesses them, the blessing is immediately released upon his family. When a man falls spiritually or doesn’t pray it usually strikes a serious blow to the whole family.

GIFTING

When a computer is being designed, it is given a basic instruction set which describes all the functions that it is capable of. We have been predestinated which means that events have been pre-arranged for us to step into them. Your assignment is to others but the calling is of God

Our gifts or charismata describe what we are capable of doing. They are given to us from birth –‘before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and ordained you to be a prophet.. .’(Jer. 1:8)

All of your graces or abilities are given by God (Rom. 12; 6) intelligence, musical ability, speaking ability, artistic ability, emotional discernment, charity, writing, building, leading, serving, inventing, sporting linguistic ability, humor and can be passed down generationally.

Without Christ, many of the gifts will be mis-used, lie dormant or be of no profit to us or anyone. There is generally no happiness when one is not using their gift.

There is no great distinction between sacred and secular gifting – it is the one and selfsame spirit-although some gifts are for use inside the church and others outside church such as the workplace, home and community.

The size of gifting pre-determined by God-you can’t be whatever you want. Everyone has been given a ‘measure’ of grace determined by the Spirit of God- you can’t be the best at whatever you want. Even if you are a singer, God may have given someone else more grace in that particular area. However, you are unique and are the best at being you. No one else has ever experienced what you have experienced or seen what you have seen-you are priceless.

Because we have the spirit of god, all of us can manifest all the gifts such as healing, wisdom, discernment, miracles, faith, tongues, exhorting, giving, ruling, mercy prophecy, and teachingthe word of knowledge and interpretation. We will all have one or more dominant gifts.The gifts are given to profit both financially and spiritually

One bodyThe word for unity in Greek is ‘symphonia’. Gifting is greatly enhanced in context of church community and greatly diminished in disconnectedness and isolationism. In an orchestra, each instrument is shaped differently whether stringed, percussion or wind. We too are shaped differently- your height, sex, race language is a gift to be brought to God for his glory. Should we leave the Lord, the gift may remain but the anointing will not. In Acts 2:45 it states ‘they continued in the apostle’s doctrine.’ Church was central to life not on periphery. Not only will others recognize the gifting, but it will be enhanced in presence of others. God can turn our availability into ability.

Your training may start with character building. You won’t start as a Pastor! Your gifting will not take you where character can’t keep you- attendance, punctuality, service humility and teachablity are the key to increasing in your spiritual gifting.

ANGELS

The word angel in Greek is ‘angelos’ or messenger. They are ‘ministering’ spirits or servant spirits (Heb. 1:13). Angels are created beings; they were created by God and perform a variety of roles such as worship, defence, conveying messages, encouraging and much more.

The Bible mentions the names of two archangels – Gabriel and Michael and the Apocrypha mentions Rafael as another archangel. The Bible also mentions two classes of angels, Seraphim and Cherubim. The first mention of Seraphim was when Adam was barred from re-entering the Garden of Eden. The word, ‘seraph’ (fire in Hebrew) referring to the burning, fiery appearance. Seraphim are military angels and fight battles on behalf of the Lord. Cherubim are worship angels and are occupied in the service of the heavenly sanctuary. The Hebrew word, charob means near or close and symbolises the proximity of these angels to the throne of God and the devotion to God.

ANGELS CAN APPEAR IN HUMAN FORM- YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ONEAt several times in the Bible we have accounts of angels who appeared to men in human form. These angels were initially indistinguishable from human beings. The writer of Hebrews goes as far as to say that we must show hospitality to ‘strangers’ because some have ‘entertained angels unawares’ Heb. 13:1). It is quite possible that some of us have met angels without knowing it. Angels are neither male nor female but can appear as human. (Gen. 18; 1)(Matt. 22:30)

WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS‘Know ye not that you shall judge angels..’(1Cor. 6:3). Even though we are now weaker and less powerful than angels during our time on earth, we are far more significant to God than angels and will ultimately receive a higher status ‘are they not ministering spirits to the heirs of salvation..’ (Heb 1:14) ‘Behold what manner of love that we are sons of God..’ (1 John 3:1). Angels are fascinated by our lives (1 Cor. 4:9, 1 Peter 1:12). Angels strengthened Paul and gave him instructions; they took Peter out of prison; they rolled the stone away and spoke to the disciples. All of us have angels assigned to us who record our words and actions and protect us from harm. It is almost certain that your life has been saved by angels and you can’t die before God says so. Angels are actually watching you as you are reading this-perhaps standing over your shoulder. The angels of children constantly inform God about their welfare and treatment- child abuse is extremely serious (Matt. 18:10).

THE ANGEL OF GOD At some points people have seen ‘the angel of God, a Theophany. The references and titles attributed to this angel could only be held by the Son of God in pre-incarnate form Jesus appeared in the Old Testament as the Angel of God (Ex. 23:21, 3:2) (Num.22:22) (Judges 2:1-4)FALLEN ANGELS- The angels who fell from heaven are bound in chains under darkness awaiting judgment of the great day. Lucifer is fallen angel who was once a cherub (Ezekiel 28:14)

DEMONS AND THE OCCULT- A BIBLICAL VIEW

Today we see many films that are based on the subject of magic. The best known example, of course, is Harry Potter. Other popular films are: Charmed, Buffy the vampire slayer, Sabrina the teenage witch, Twilight and many more.Many computer games and board games have dark and satanic themes such as ‘Doom’ ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ and ‘Ouija’. Horoscope and Psychic channels are increasing in number. Also, the Gothic theme of dressing in black clothing, dyeing one’s hair black and using pale mascara is finally catching-on amongst youngsters.

Many people who playfully engage with these darker themes have no idea of the danger that lurks around the corner or the evil to which they can be unwittingly exposed. One young man whom I recently spoke to told me than when he dabbled with the Ouija board, he opened up a door that he can’t now close as Satan often speaks through him and he is hopelessly bound, suicidal and depressive; this is real.

HOW DOES DEMONISATION OCCURJesus met a man who was possessed with demons. When Jesus asked for his name he replied ‘Legion, for we are many..’ (Mark 5: 9). A Roman legion consisted of 3,000 soldiers and it could be assumed by the plural response that this man may have had up to 3,000 demons in him. The demons apparently gave him great strength ‘.he had been often bound with chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broke in pieces.’ (Mark 5: 4) How is it possible for someone to have acquired such a great level of demonisation?

IT DOESN’T HAPPEN OVERNIGHTDemons are also described as unclean spirits; they revel in blasphemous, idolatrous and sinful practices, thoughts, habits, objects and addictions. Also, your mind is the gate-keeper to the soul. Involvement in Eastern meditation practices, drugs and alcohol can neutralize the mind to the extent that the soul is unguarded against infestation.

Having indiscriminate premarital sex or extensive exposure to pornography (as in the ‘Son of Sam’ and Ted Bundy cases) can debase and degrade the soul and leave one with a sense of self-loathing. Exposure to paganistic, Shamanistic or occult practices is a direct doorway to the demonic - especially with the oaths that must be taken and the ritual initiations that enslave one’s soul to Satan. Emotions such as anger, unforgiveness, hatred, jealousy give demons legal right to oppress a person. One should also avoid the spiritual side of Kung-Fu, ‘Chi’ and even acupuncture where spiritual energy is harnessed to heal the body. Whilst acupuncture is effective in the physical sense, many other symptoms of a spiritual nature can manifest.

WHAT ARE DEMONSThey are fallen angels who were cast out of heaven with Lucifer for insurrection against God and seek to find rest in the hearts of men. When an unclean spirit is cast out it wanders through ‘dry’ places seeking an abode (Matt. 12:43, 44). Satan is described as

Beelzebub or lord of the flies. He is not omnipresent but has a virtually ubiquitous army of demons covering the face of the earth (Job 1:7)

DEMONIC ORGANISATIONThere is a hierarchy of demons with chief demons and lower order demons (Ephesians 6:10). The description of principalities and powers suggests that they are super intelligent and organized as opposed to the gargoyle creatures often portrayed. The devil is not the opposite of God but the opposite of Michael the archangel- no one is a worthy opponent for God.

DEMONS IN SOCIETYDemons are involved in crimes such as rape, murder and child molestation. They can be involved in warfare (Rev. 16:14), evil political empires and figures (Dan. 10: 13), anti-Semitism in Government officials (Esther) and false religion. The music industry with well-known groups such as the Beatles, Black Sabbath, ACDC and many other artists have done much to promote permissiveness in society and rebellion in youth. We should be careful therefore which artists we listen to as they can have a demonic influence. Any blasphemous DVD’S, CD’s or videos should be thrown out of the house of a Christian.

DEMONS IN THE CHURCHFalse teachers (Rev. 2:20), personality cults (2 Cor. 11:15), idolatry, division (1 Cor. 3:1-3), heresy, immorality (1 Cor.5:1), hypocrisy, lukewarmness, deadness, Religiosity

CASTING THEM OUT.Jesus was able to cast demons out because he had overcome the power of the flesh with the ultimate spiritual weapons of prayer and fasting (John 17:21). Demons recognize those who have the spirit of God in them (Acts 19:14) and will refuse to leave if the person attempting to cast them out is not at the right place spiritually. We shouldn’t believe, however, that any man can cast out a demon with his own righteousness or spirituality. It is always about invoking the name and authority of Jesus. One should ask the person who seeks to be free whether he has given consent for the spirits to remain. If the answer is no then they have no legal authority reside any longer and must obey the express command to go in Jesus name.

BEING SET COMPLETELY FREEOne must confess and receive forgiveness for all past involvements in any of the things mentioned above such as masonry, palm-reading, unforgiveness, hatred, pornography, drugs, immorality etc. in the name of Jesus. You must verbally renounce them and trust in Christ for your salvation. Reading the Bible gives the Holy Spirit direct access to speak to you from the word. Going to a good Church puts you in an environment of praise, worship and exposure to God’s word through preaching. Demons hate praise music, the name of Jesus (Luke 10:17), the preaching of the word ( Matt. 8:16) and the anointing oil. All these things, which are in Church, sets one free from Satan’s grasp as you grow in the word the spirit and in worship you will experience true freedom and happiness

HELL

WHAT IS HELLThe word, Hell conjures-up many dark and scary images to most people’s minds. The famous author, Dante, in his ‘Divine Comedy’ presents the traditional view of hell – masses of lost souls who are being tormented by pitch-forked demons in a lake of fire and a sign over the gates reading ‘abandon hope all who enter here’.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HELLIronically, Jesus was the person in the Bible who spoke most about the dangers of Hell. He makes about eleven direct references to ‘gehenna’. Gehenna is a short form of the words ‘Gai-Ben-Hinnom’ or the valley of the son of Hinnom. It received this name in awful circumstances when the human sacrifice of children was practiced in the dark days of Israel. This involved offering children in sacrifice to the god Moloch and casting them into the fire. (2 Chr. 28:3, Josh. 15:8, Jer. 7:31).In the time of Jesus, the valley of Hinnom was commonly used as a place for the burning of rubbish, corpses of dead animals and other items. The smoke and smell of this continual burning could be evidenced by all. It was an object lesson that Jesus used to convey a graphic illustration of hell.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE DIEUnlike the land of the living where people live side by side, there is an immediate separation at the point of death between those who are righteous and those who have rejected God in their lives (Luke 16). People who die are met by angels, God’s messengers who will either convey them to Paradise (commonly called the bosom of Abraham) or to Hades (Sheol) – the unseen place.

WHAT IS HELL LIKEHell is the complete and total absence (or inaccessibility) of God. In other words, the decisions you make in this life are carried through to all of eternity. In order to understand the severity of the absence of God we must understand that God is light. His absence is therefore a thick, tangible, impenetrable and tormenting cloud of darkness (outer darkness Matt 8:12). In fact, sky-divers who have lived through the experience of being at the centre of a cloud describe it as complete, impenetrable darkness with temperatures as low as minus 43. God is love and love comes from God; his absence is a deep sense of sorrow, abandonment, isolation and bitterness (‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’). We take God’s presence for granted as we live in a naturally beautiful world with light, sunshine and beauty without realizing how much of what we see is – God! In Hell men receive only what they have chosen in this life – the complete absence of God in their existence.In hell the torments, although, tangible are mainly spiritual: the pain of rejecting Christ, the hopelessness of never escaping, the knowledge that others are in the presence of God, the fear of the darkness, disappointments of missed opportunities of being saved, and the pain of living with one’s own sinful nature forever without forgiveness.

WILL GOOD PEOPLE GO TO HELLWhen Lucifer was cast out of heaven he retained none of his virtue or character. It seems as though he has been stripped of all previous goodness leaving behind a concentrated mass of darkness and evil- any virtue he had was lost to him and retained by God -Goodness is of God (Matt.19:17). His name, Lucifer (light bearer from Lux and fero meaning light bearer) indicates that while he once carried God’s light, he no longer does and his name changed to Satan (accuser). Similarly the angels who rebelled with him became unrecognizable as demons having no conscience, mercy, remorse and unable to repent. It is likely that those who go to hell will not retain any virtue and be morally unrecognizable to those who once knew them. As C. S Lewis describes in his ‘screwtape letters’ the easiest road to hell is to cause people to believe that their own ‘goodness’ can save them thereby making the cross of Christ unnecessary and of no effect. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as men try to save themselves and deny the way of the cross.

WHERE IS HELLHell is not located in any human dimension although some fictional accounts portray it as being at the centre of the earth. There is no doubt, however, that God could create such a place; one only needs to look through a telescope at a planet like Jupiter to see a planet 12,000 times the size of the earth with oceans that resemble liquid fire (actually formaldehyde) and which rains-down fiery drops of rain every day.

WHY WAS HELL CREATEDHell was created for disobedient angels. It was not the intention of God that anyone should be lost (John 3:16)

WHO GOES TO HELLLiars, thieves, adulterers, fornicators, murderers, Idolaters, (Galatians 5;5) Unbelievers (John 3; 17 Romans 1: 29, 30) the pain of hell is intensified by the knowledge that others are in heaven (Luke 16: 23-24)

LAST JUDGEMENTThose who die without Christ are taken to Gehenna. They await the final judgment of God over their lives. After the millennial reign of Christ they will stand before the throne of God to be judged At this point death and hell will be cast into the lake of fire. (I.e. the angel of death and Sheol or the grave)

HOW LONG IS HELLThose who are dead without Christ are not in Purgatory. There is no record of anyone being prayed out of Hell. The Universalists believe that everyone will be saved. The doctrine of anakastasis believes that after a time of purging all will go to heaven. The Bible seems to indicate that Hell is eternal and we can only pray for those who go there that time will not be noticeable-indeed, time will be no more. Bible talks of Hell in terms of a prison. It has chains, gates and bars.

AVOIDING HELL- Accept the gospel, receive Christ, go to Church, live a righteous life.

THE MONEY SYSTEM

Recently- in the news money has been making a lot of headlines. The world has just emerged from a global recession; many banks have gone bust and others have received huge bail-outs. The recession has resulted in hundreds of thousands of businesses closing and houses being repossessed. Countries like Greece have come close to bankruptcy and others like Spain, Portugal and Italy are in danger. In Britain all the talk is of reducing the deficit and many dire warnings of ‘cuts’ are being issued by the Government. What on earth is going on and where is God?

GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN LIVING BEYOND THEIR MEANS FOR YEARSGovernments raise the bulk of their money from taxes. Last year the government received about 600 billion in tax receipts. However, the government spending was 760 billion. This means that there is a deficit of around 160 billion which needs to be repaid. As we all know when we incur a debt we must pay interest. The interest on this debt is rising at approximately 50million pounds a day; this interest is paid by you, the tax-payer.This deficit of 170 billion is only half the picture. The total debt accrued over the course of past governments of all descriptions is around 800 billion which is about half of the Gross domestic product. (1.5 trillion or 1500 Billion!)This means that half of everything that that the UK produces is used to service her debt (Similar to a man paying half his monthly salary on credit card debt - he pays the amount plus interest). Countries like Greece unfortunately have more debt than the entire country produces and so almost EVERYTHING goes towards the debt (119% as opposed to 50% for UK). This scenario is repeated not only across Europe but on the continent with each country having an increasing debt. In about five years the UK will be facing a massive financial crisis. The truth is actually a little bit worse; the Government uses public sector pension money, which should be set-aside, to service the debt; this money will have to be found.The office of budget responsibility has estimated the real debt at 4.8 trillion!! There may not be enough money to pay everyone pensions in coming years hence the ‘work until you drop’ scheme. Robert Maxwell, the famous newspaper tycoon was charged with fraud for doing what the government is doing. (raiding pension funds)

WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT ITThe short answer is nothing much. In order to tackle the debt effectively it would involve a mass cut in wages, public services, and jobs. No government would make themselves so unpopular so they make a few cuts with a little bit of pain and pass the management of the bulk of the debt on to future administrations ‘kicking it into long grass’

HOW DID THE SITUATION ARISEMany years ago before paper money people used a combination of ‘bartering’ swapping goods and services and coins. Money soon became the predominant form of transaction in towns and hence the need for a universal currency. Professional Goldsmiths would hold on to your money and give you a receipt for the amount. People tended to carry around the receipts rather than the actual money which belonged to them.

Having a receipt was therefore as valuable (and a lot lighter) than the gold and could be exchanged for goods. This was the beginnings of paper moneyThe Goldsmiths soon realized that people would rarely come back for their actual gold as exchanging receipts was so much easier (just as we exchange notes today).Because people didn’t come back for their money, the goldsmith could lend out their money to others for interest without the knowledge of the owner.

For example, if I have a 20 pound note it assumes that I can go to the goldsmith and collect 20 pounds worth of gold. Because I never go to collect my gold, the goldsmith is able to issue another twenty pound receipt to someone else (to lend my gold to someone else and charge interest!). This money has been created out of nothing; there is insufficient gold to pay us both back. When the other person repays the loan he will pay back twenty pounds plus interest so that the goldsmith will receive about 22 pounds back in real money. He has therefore created money out of nothing. The goldsmith can quite happily continue lending money and issuing receipts and become fabulously rich without anyone being any the wiser.

THIS IS HOW MODERN BANKING WORKSWhen you receive a mortgage loan at the bank for 200,000 pounds, the amount of money in the bank doesn’t go down by 200,000; it stays the same. The money is borrowed into existence. The bank has the same amount of money in its reserves after the loan as it had before but you have a 200,000 debt. Additionally, if you default on the loan the bank can seize your house and sell it. They therefore will be richer by 200,000 plus all of the monthly payments before the seizure without spending a penny. Banks tend to lend up to ten times the amount of money they have in reserve so the scope for great wealth is immense.

THIS IS HOW GOVERNMENTS WORKThe government has given the Bank of England the Charter to print money. The government borrows money from the bank of England. It pays for the money with a cheque. The money is charged to the Government at interest. We therefore are in the strange position of being charged for something that belongs to us. Because there is a deficit between the amount of tax received and Government spending the Government is forced to borrow. (the borrowing requirement). The government raises money by issuing bonds. These are sold on the stock market. The Government can increase or decrease the amount of money by buying or selling bonds and raising interest rates. This method of borrowing extends internationally with the IMF and World Bank. Poorer countries are lent money by these institutions who have borrowed it into existence. The trade agreements and subsidies between wealthy countries mean that poorer countries have no outlets and most of their food is wasted.

THE DARK SPIRITUAL SIDEThe bank of England and Federal Reserve are privately owned which means that the investors who are the richest families in England and America control the wealth of the nation. The crown, the city of London is the most powerful institution in the world and able to make or break governments. Plutocratic groups such as the Rothchilds, DuPont’s,

Savoys, wield vast fortunes and constitute a government by the wealthy for the wealthy. Freemasons and world government groups such as the Bilderbergers, Trilateral Committee, Black Nobility and illuminati (luciferans) permeate the upper tiers of Government. Many wars, recessions and crises can be created to further enrich them. The sad news is that many of the individual members of these groups such as freemasonry, Bohemian Grove, the Olympians etc have bought into the satanic spiritual teachings which diametrically oppose God and exalt the kingdom of Satan.

We must return to a Gold standard, return to Christian foundations, encourage the work of Charities and Churches, promote moral teaching in schools and live by the commandment of God ‘thou shalt love they neighbour as thyself..’

TITHING

Tithing is often thought of as something from the time of Moses. In fact many people don’t pay tithes for this very reason

WHERE IS GOD’S HEART AS REGARDS GIVINGCain and Abel both brought offerings unto God. Cain gave his offering with the wrong attitude. Abel, however, offered with the correct attitude of faith (Peter)Cain’s jealousy resulted in the first murder.

Later we learn that Abraham when he was returning from the battle was refreshed by Melchizedek who was the priest of God. As a result of being blessed and refreshed he offered tithes unto Melchizedek, a tenth of all (Gen 14). This was considered a fitting offering of thanks for what God had done. His tithe was a thank-offering to God offered to the priest of God. This was hundreds of years before the Law came into operation.

In the time of Moses, the Levites received a tenth of the produce. As ministers of God who served the temple they depended on the generosity of the community of God.The Levites themselves would pay tithes to the High priest. A second tithes from the remaining 90% would be taken for the sanctuary. Every three years they would give a tithe to the poor. When one adds all the secular and religious giving it would have amounted to almost a third of their increase (26%). The firstfruit was brought to the priest in the beginning of the year - not only as a thank offering but so that God could bless the remaining 90% .This firstfruit represents Christ, the first fruits of the dead or the resurrection.

The classic scripture on tithing in the Old Testament which is often referred to is Mal. 3:10. The universal principle which carried over into the new testament is that those who refused to give to the cause of Gods kingdom would receive sparingly from God Haggai 1) (Mal 3:10). David suggests that being selfish is damaging to the spirit ‘God gave them their request but sent leanness in their souls’ (Psalms 106; 15).

IS THIS PRINCIPLE IN THE NEW TESTAMENTThe Jews certainly continued tithing in the New Testament until the second temple (destroyed in 70AD and were even encouraged to keep on tithing by Jesus. This continued until the time of the second temple. In Greek the word tithe is dekata or tenth.

THE NEW TESTAMENT PRINCIPLE OF GIVING IN THE CHURCHBoth Jesus and the apostle Paul were masters of the law and aimed to ‘fulfill’ the essential principles of the law. Teachings such as the Sabbath, Tithing, Marriage are therefore given a fuller and clearer revelation. In the New Testament the priests are the believers and Christ the High Priest. Offerings were given to the Apostles for distribution to the needy and the ministry. Paul received collections for the saints from various Churches.In the Old Testament, not giving carried the threat of force (Mal 3:10) Under the New Covenant, giving is out of love (2.Cor.9) Most Christians who don’t really understand

have taken this as an opportunity to not give or to give far less which is unfortunate ‘don’t use your liberty as an occasion to the flesh..’(Gal.5:13).‘There is that scattereth yet increaseth, there is that which withholdeth more than is meet and is not filled. (Proverbs 11:24)‘the liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered himself..’(Prov.11:25)

Principle Number 1- payment of the ministry Paul tells us that we shouldn’t muzzle the ox that treads the corn (study 1 Cor. 9: 9-14) (1 Tim 5:18). In this discourse he clearly shows that those who preach the gospel should have their living from the gospel (i.e. receive wages) ‘Who goes to war at his own expense, who plants a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof, or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? (v. 7)Principle 2- support of Godly ministries‘Let him that is taught in the word communicate to him that teacheth in all good things ‘ (Gal. 6: 6) Those who are being taught the gospel should encourage the teacher financially as a moral rather than legal obligation. ‘If we have sown spiritual things sow carnal things..’ Hebrew Rabbis were supported by the community into which they came to teach Principle 3 The attitude of Giving‘He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly and he that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully. Everyman as God has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. It is therefore an explicit teaching that if we give in a miserly, legalistically or grudging fashion that we will fall short of God’s standard. We should give cheerfullyPrinciple 4..The results of Giving‘God is able to make all grace abound toward you that ye always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work.’ This is much more than simply giving to get wealthy as the prosperity gospel emphasizes. Paul makes the suggestion that God can make ‘all grace abound towards you.’ which is far more significant.

FIRSTFRUITSTithing was in operation before the Law, during the Law and will continue into the new Millenium (Ezekiel 40- 48). When a farmer received his harvest he would offer the first fruits of his labour to God (Although Tithing and first fruits are not the same)

IN CONCLUSIONOn balance those who commit themselves to give regularly are on surer ground than those who give when they feel like it. Giving sparingly also carries the sense of giving inconsistently.As to level of giving, one must ask themselves the question ‘what is an appropriate, respectful and just response to God for all that he has done for me? Historically and culturally 10% was considered a figure that one would respectfully give and still meet financial obligations. Secular nations such as the Phoenicians, South Arabians, Hellenes and Carthaginians all gave 10% to their deities. The word, tithe in Greek (dekata) means tenth. Philo the Greek scholar derives this word from dechesthai (acceptable) In Hebrew

the word tithe, ma’ aser from asar –tenth is rooted in a word which means wealth (accumulate). In the New Testament the principle is not as overtly stated in terms of force but as social protocol to a king and moral obligation to both God and man.

MARRIAGE

Marriage is a ‘covenant’ as opposed to a ‘contract’. A contract is made between two people, a covenant is made or instituted by one person (God) and stepped- into by another (the couple who stand as one) and mediated by a third party (the minister).

Marriage is not a concession to the flesh but an act of worship and obedience. The Bible says ‘if a man cannot contain (enkrateuei), let him marry for it is better to marry than to burn’ (1 Cor. 7:9)This means if a man doesn’t have the gift of celibacy (Mat 19:) but not losing the gift of self control which is a fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22) then he should seek marriage.

The combination of man and woman creates a third invisible person, the couple, which is the heart soul and spirit of the marriage – not me or you but us. From that point onwards, it is not about how an issue affects me or you but us.

It is symbolic that the right hand of the father is taken and placed into the right hand of the bridegroom with the bride’s right hand. There is a transference of fatherhood from the bride’s father to the bridegroom. A man may leave his father; a woman always needs a father.

The right hand also symbolizes equality traditionally reserved for a queen or queen mother even as Christ sits at the right hand of his father. The husband and wife are therefore equal.

The husband becomes a father (the Hebrew word ab refers to source). He therefore does two main things; protects and provides. The word father therefore is not mainly referring to gender but function even as the word son (ben) simply means from. The woman is taken from the man and becomes flesh of his flesh even as Christ is taken (begotten) from God. She, in effect, is his only begotten because she is taken from him and his name is in her even as God’s name is in the son. The father, the source is invisible and lavishes glory on the son even as the husband adores his wife and beautifies her.

HeadshipThe word head is a misunderstood term. Many biblical terms derive from nature. The head of a tree is the root and trunk. The body of tree is the branches. The fruit of the tree is the produce.The man as the head supports his wife-the body. He is the firstfruits, the first thing to come out of the ground at harvest time and she is the remainder of the harvest-both are equally precious to the farmer; he is the foundation she is the building. From a physiological perspective he is all that is below the neck she is everything above. God is the head of Christ but Christ is not inferior to God.

SubmissionSubmission comes from two different words; sub (implying under or humility) and mit to present or put forward (for approval or consideration). In marriage both parties are called

to submit (Eph. 5:21) and hence this does not imply inferiority. It simply means you present yourself to each other with humility. There is an element of making yourself transparent and vulnerable and also presenting yourself at your best. A female ballroom dancer submits to the male when she is lifted or swung around and this serves to create awe and admiration; a parachutist submits trusting that the parachute will open. One would be unwise to submit therefore if there is no guarantee of someone catching you whether emotionally or spiritually. Just as Christ submitted himself to his father, it is easy to submit and serve when you are sacrificially loved. Submission is based on trust and faith in the other person and literally implies coming under the mission of your partner.

ManhoodMan (Adam) means strong-(the word, adamant comes from this root).The Bible says: ‘no man ever hated his wife (Eph. 5:30) - this seems to be a contradiction since we often hear of men abusing their wives; the word, man is not a noun but an adjective. Manhood is therefore more about what you do than what you are biologically. This suggests that anyone abusing his wife is less than a real man.

HusbandThe word husband or ‘Baal’ means Lord. She looks up to him but he doesn’t look down on her. The lordship is the role of a caretaker who is at the same time responsible for everything and doing the things that others wouldn’t do; he is a servant- Lord. The word ‘marry’ in Hebrew is rarely used. A man ‘takes’ a wife’ i.e. assumes responsibility for her assets and liabilities and therefore does not blame her when things go wrong but celebrates when things go right

The word, husband is also made of two parts, ‘hus’, an old Norwegian word for house, and ‘band’ from bondi- dweller or cultivator. The woman makes the home and the man makes the ‘house’ (i.e. -discipline, order, authority). The art of husbandry is used in viticulture or vineyards -a wife is likened to a vine in the Bible.A vine doesn’t grow well on the ground but needs to be lifted up and put on tressels. It doesn’t grow well in cold or hot but temperate climates it needs pruning. A wife will flourish when the atmosphere is neither to cold and icy or too hot otherwise the fruit will not drop to the ground to be eaten by insects.

Love cannot exist in a vacuum; if it is not given then it doesn’t exist. Love also needs an object to be truly called love. Without someone or something to love you cannot truly love. The more you give the more you receive the less you give the less you have. It is not a ‘get all you can and can all you get’ situation.

Love is a three-stringed cord consisting of three different elements lust friendship and sacrificial love. Love contains lust but lust doesn’t contain love.

Intimacy-in the bonds of marriage one can experience the heights of pleasure or the depths of pain. You can’t really be hurt by someone you don’t love or care for. There will be differences of opinion but work through them if you can without calling time on the marriage.

GODLY COURTSHIP

ARE YOU READYEveryone is entitled to a relationship but not everyone is ready. There are certain people who shouldn’t be thinking about a relationship at the present time as a matter of responsibility to others. You are not looking for someone to complete you; you should hopefully already be a whole (mature but not perfect) person. The other person simply extends you.Unready men: There are certain qualities which are exhibited in men which would negatively affect anyone that they have a relationship with. Some of the main ones are: laziness, lack of ambitioun, indecisiveness, irritability, flirtatiousness, crudity, chauvinism, immaturity, incommunicative, impoliteness, pessimism, dominating character, selfishness.Unready Women: Likewise certain women have qualities which make them unready such as: neediness, dominating personality, contentious personality, selfish, feminist attributes, manipulating tendencies, on the re-bound from recent relationship, unforgiving etc.

While everyone may have miniscule traits of some or all of the above (even as you have trace levels of lethal substances such as potassium in your body), an excessive amount of any or all of these traits will similarly prove to be terminal for the health of the relationship. God will not send you anyone for you to discourage or even destroy despite your prayers to him. One should make himself ready spiritually by seeking wholeness and healing before praying for a relationship.

CONTRASTING SPIRITUAL AND/SECULAR RELATIONSHIPSMany people embark on a relationship with only the memories of past experiences to go by. However, there is a big difference between worldly and spiritual models.

Non spiritual ideologies: love may not be necessary, commitment may not be necessary (no strings attached), there is a higher level of trial and error (with an average of ten partners before marriage in UK), relationships are often private and unaccountable to others, God is not relevant to the course of the relationship, lust often replaces love, there is often no destination just a journey, conflict is mishandled. There are consequences when God’s laws are broken. We were not created physically or emotionally to have multiple partners. It is not only sexually transmitted diseases that can be passed-on by stepping outside of God’s will but spiritually transmitted diseases such as negative character traits from the other people. We are essentially designed to be monogamous and with each relationship breakdown, we give a part of ourselves away leaving little for the eventual marriage.

Spiritual modelsLove is the foundation, commitment is essential, God is at the centre, usually seeks counsel of others, conflict is managed, faithfulness is a key ingredient, the relationship is going somewhere, love is stronger than lust.

THE PRE-COURTSHIP PHASE This phase is not officially courtship. People at this phase have not officially declared themselves to be an item. You may however be working together with someone, be good friends, associates or members of a youth group. However, you feel that something may be happening and may already have approached the other person for a date.

Find out a little about the person by talking with them and get a feel for the kind of person they are.Seek confirmation-perhaps a word or a sign from God. Seek the advice of mature believers in confidence- others can often see much clearer than you can.Pray and pray again. Is there a ‘release’ in your heart or a cold, neutral feeling?There should be no intimacy before committing to someone. At this stage, it is possible to go separate ways with a high level of integrity/friendship and respect even after a few dates; everyone misses God’s will occasionally. However, going out with everyone in the Church choir shows that you are just not listening to God or man and will damage your reputation and you may even be labeled a ‘player’. Those who have had intimacy will feel ‘used’.

COURTSHIP - Begins with Knowing, recognizing and mutually agreeing that it is God’s will. You should both have a ‘peace’ about it. Having decided that you are in a relationship, you will need guidelines to conduct it with integrity.1. Guidance on intimacy-A non legalistic/non-religious understanding of what is acceptable GodYou will find two major schools of thought within the kingdom; one which advocates absolutely no touching, being ‘chaperoned’, no being alone together etc. and another which allows for a limited amount of intimacy within acceptable bounds of decency.If you are a person who has been very active in the past then the less intimacy is advisable.

No intimacy allows for the basics of friendship: holding hands, walks, dinner dates, sitting together, flowers, love-letters, going to movies etc.With limited intimacy, after committing to one another, some (perhaps most) couples exchange a few kisses, hugs, during their courtship or engagement.

Out of bounds: Breaking respect: the waterfall scenarioThere is a point, when sailing close to the edge of a waterfall, where it is impossible to turn back; you will be overwhelmed with the force of the current. The male and female bodies both have ’erogenous’ zones which work automatically and involuntarily- i.e. processes that can’t be stopped once started. This will bring guilt into the relationship which erodes the long-term pleasure of it. Things to avoid therefore would be; Fondling, Nudity Pressuring the other for sex, non penetrative sex; being alone together in bed/ bedroom and spending the night together*.

On the last point, it is wise to honor your partner’s family as they may end up being your in-laws. Part of the respect is to bring her home on time and introduce yourself to her

father and mother. Women admire strong men and part of this strength is discipline and self-control.

A courtship should not go on for too long. For older more mature couples who know God’s will, the courtship will naturally be shorter. For younger couples who need to save, complete their studies or simply mature, the time period will naturally be longer. Very young Christian couples for example often wait for each other and have a sweet friendship. Because of the dangers of temptation, courtships should not be too long before engagement. During this time you will be getting to know the good and bad things about the other person and. My own courtship lasted a year. We were an ‘older couple who knew God’s will. However, five years is a very long courtship. The other party may feel used if a long courtship doesn’t go anywhere. You should ‘go public’ once you have had a few private dates and have decided that you are an item and that God is ‘in it’. This means that you can ‘step-out’ as a couple without fear. Guard the details of your relationship however from those who would pry and seek advice from a select few.

One should not become obsessed with forming a relationship or finding someone to the detriment of your God-given ministry (seek first the kingdom). Desperation is never an attractive quality and will mean that you are likely to choose or settle for the wrong person- Mr. ‘right now’. Choose on the basis of character (and of course attractiveness). Compromising your values is a sign that you are not complete in yourself and need someone as a ‘crutch. Only’ God knows when that person who he has created for you will materialize. On average, better quality partners are found while ‘on the mission field. Work for God, keep busy, be a sociable and loving person - love comes back when it is given out! Spiritual Women will be looking for a man who is chasing after God.

Seek counsel for the inevitable issues such as; money, extended family, communication, intimacy, conflict, etc. One of the more important issues to resolve is that of conflict so I will talk a little about this. You may have heard about the Marquees of Queensbury Rules. These are the rules that govern most modern boxing matches and ensure that nothing is done that can cause lasting damage to the opponent!

Conflict is inevitable so God has given guidelines of things that are acceptable.Sarcasm, using information shared in a weak moment, silent treatment, shouting and excessive anger, name-calling, blackmail, sharing information with non-appointed people are all outside the box as well as letting the sun go down on your anger. Taking timeout to pray before speaking the truth in love, sandwiching criticism by saying something positive in the midst of negatives and self-control are all Godly ways of conflict management.

CONCLUSIONEmbarking on a relationship is one of the greatest steps you will ever take. It will not only impact your life but that of the other person. With prayer and wise counsel it is possible to have a successful journey with relatively few issues. The destination is happy married life together and the beginning of a new adventure. If God is at the centre, and both parties look to him for their need, it will be a great and rewarding experience.

SALVATION

The word, salvation (soteria in Greek) means to be saved. One might ask the question saved from what?If we didn’t need to be saved then Jesus wouldn’t need to die on the cross.

Man was born as a sinner. He has a sin-nature. This sin-nature means that he commits sins quite naturally without being taught. On the contrary, he needs to be taught what is right. Most religions address the sin-nature by rules and rituals Hinduism, Islam and Judaism and even orthodox Christianity incorporate the same elements of legalism.

Salvation is redemption, being bought back like a slave being purchased and then coming to live in the king’s house.

It is technically true to say that Christianity is the only path where one can be ‘saved’. The concept of knowing that one is saved from personal sins, including the time and the place where this salvation happened, is completely foreign to any other religion. In Islam one is never sure that one is saved as, in Judaism one observes the law, Buddhism is an atheistic religion and one walks ‘the middle way’ – a moderate path to find peace. In Scientology, a person merely improves himself. Jesus is a contraction of two terms YHWH God’s name and the verb YASHAR (he saves) to save form the word, JOSHUAIt therefore means GOD SALVATION. While many people had the name Joshua only one was given this name by an angel of God in reference to its true meaning ‘you shall call him Jesus because he will save his people from sin.Jesus is therefore the Messiah, the anointed or chosen one to save mankind from sins.

FAITH AND WORKSMany religions control man’s sinful nature by a code of works that must be doneand punish the body with ascetic living and rituals. This doesn’t take away the sin nature

WHO CAN’T BE SAVEDSatan and fallen angels can never be saved. Some people who stubbornly refuse the grace of God can he so hardened as to be ‘reprobate’- although it appears as God hardening their hearts it is the mans’s heart itself which is becoming hard. Some backsliders especially those who have tasted of the grace of God will never again be saved. Those who blaspheme the Holy Spirit will never be saved

HOW IS ONE SAVEDOnly by believing in the finished work of Christ on the cross can one be savedLOSING ONE’S SALVATIONSome say that once a man has truly been saved he can never lose it and that those who backslide were never saved. They should note however that the greatest Christian who ever lived, the apostle Paul feared that he would be a ‘castaway’ or rejected (1 Cor.9:27)(1 Cor. 9:16) (Heb. 6:4)

THE BIBLE Part One – Accuracy

The word, Bible comes from the Greek word ‘biblia’ which means ‘books’. The Bible is a combination of 66 books written by some 40 authors who came from all different walks of life and spans some 2000 years of human history

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament written in Greek.(but by Jewish believers and hence maintains Jewish idioms and flavour)

The Bible has consistently been the world’s best seller in most languages. We marvel when Harry Potter sells 20 million while the Bible sells in 100s of millions.

AccuracyThe Bible speaks with authority on all subjects that it tackles, history, science, medicine, astronomy biology or geography. In fact, the Bible first mentioned the ancient Hittite civilization. Because this civilization had not yet been discovered, many archaeologists thought a contradiction had been found. The later discovery of the Hittite civilization was one of the major breakthroughs in our knowledge of ancient cultures. Most archaeologists refer frequently to the Bible- even renowned archaeologists such as Rawlinson and Layard. The Bible talks about the ‘circle of the earth..’ This was written when most people still believed the earth was flat. In terms of epidemiology, the Bible gave a clear exposition from microbiology of how to recognise and contain the spread of leprosy long before Pasteur and the discovery of germs. Historic civilizations such as Babylonian, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome were predicted in the Bible before they arose. The Bible is also an invaluable and accurate source of information regarding Jewish customs and history. Many renowned atheistic scholars have laboured to find a single historical, geographical or archaeological contradiction in order to disprove and discredit the entire text but have not found one substantive error that couldn’t be effectively rebutted.

Textual accuracyThis textual accuracy is not coincidental. The process of transmission was the most thorough of any book ever written. The scrolls were hand-copied. Under the Masoretes, every word was counted and totals were written at the end of the book (masorah finalis). If one word was out of place, the entire scroll would be discarded. Entire families were tasked to count and monitor words- some of the more famous families were Ben Asher and Ben Naphtali. The Tannaim (repeaters) were walking books who memorized the entire manuscript. The text was settled by the first century. By comparing thousands of manuscripts, the copyist’s errors have been isolated and ‘weeded out. The truths of the Bible ‘love thy neighbour’ ‘let him who is without sin cast the first stone.’ ‘turn the other cheek.’ go the extra mile..’ ‘doubting Thomas’ ‘don’t let the sun go down on your anger.’ ‘am I my brother’s keeper’ ‘cast the mote from your own eye.’ etc. have pervaded modern society and still provide comfort to millions of people today.

The Bible is truly the Book of Books and the word of God.

CREATION

WHAT ARE WE TAUGHT ABOUT WHERE WE COME FROMMost of us will have had the same thing taught to us as a fact from elementary school through to university. This teaching, which tends to exclude any other view, is as follows.

About 13.7 billion years ago the universe was created with a big bang from an infinitely dense point, an explosion which created time and space. The universe expanded faster than the speed of light (inflation) and matter was created. As the universe cooled clouds of dust came together by gravity to form stars and constellations. These stars attracted planets into their orbits. The earth is just one of many such planets.

The earth is supposed to be four and a half billion years old and life to have begun about 2 billion years ago. The size, temperature, gravity, distance from the sun and atmosphere are just right. Elements in a primordial soup formed organic molecules such as amino acids, enzymes and proteins. As these molecules increased in complexity, basic cells were formed and a series of beneficial mutations resulted in higher forms of life. creatures. These creatures continued to evolve until fishes, mammals and apes until today- The earth went through geological ages such as the Triassic, Jurassic, Cambrian and Pleistocene. In the latest stage of the Pleistocene, Neanderthals and modern man emerged

THE TRUTH 1 –they don’t knowNo one knows with any accuracy when the universe was created some scientists say 20 billion years ago and others say 13 (an error of 7 billion years or 30%) so the 13.7 billion year figure is meaningless. This figure is assuming that one accepts the big bang theory itself; the universe may not have started with a big bang. The term ‘big bang’ was coined as a term of ridicule, by the world’s leading cosmologist at the time who actually believed in a different theory (Sir Fred Hoyle ‘steady state theory). Recently more theories have appeared such as a ‘multiverse’ where our universe is only one bubble in a ‘foam’ of universes. Other leading scientists such as Neil Turok believe that the big bang was only the latest phase of a continuous expansion and contraction cycle which has been going for much longer. In other words, they don’t really know how or when the universe started or what came before it started. The big bang is taught in schools regardless of these facts.

THE TRUTH 2- IT’S NOT LOGICALOne of Einstein’s major discoveries was that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. As mentioned above, scientists believe that the universe expanded faster than the speed of light in the initial inflation phase. They say this in order to explain the temperature throughout the universe which was a mystery. One of the basic and most-accepted laws of physics is that systems become more disorderly (the law of thermodynamics) But according to scientists the universe and simple cells increased in complexity Scientists simply don’t know what happened before the universe started or what is outside the universe. The leading scientist Stephen Hawking states that it is not our job to ask ‘why’ the universe was created.

TRUTH 3 –IT’S IMPOSSIBLEThat is mathematically impossible. James Frances Coppege calculated that there are 10 to the power of 80 atoms in the universe. The probability of evolution happening, however, is 10 to the power of 160. This means that there is not enough time for even one molecule to be formed in 4 Billion years. The odds that particular stages of evolution happened are always stated in terms of enormous probabilities.It would take 4billion years statistically just for one of the minute stages of evolution to occur and more than 800 billion years for most stages with no guarantee that anything would happen.Chemical EvolutionWhen we talk about evolution we always start from a living cell. It is also impossible for molecules to come together by themselves information. This is why the founder of DNA Francis Crick in a desperate attempt to justify evolution maintained that aliens planted the initial DNA and evolution did the rest. In Darwin’s time cells were thought of as simple. We now know that they are incredibly complex.Beneficial mutationsMutations are a ‘freak’ of nature and tend to produce life-threatening results. It is absurd to base a theory on a system of successive beneficial mutations leading top higher and better forms of life (only in the fantastic four and x- men) The whale is said to descend from a ‘cow-like’ land mammal that went back into the water . This means evolution in reverse and the whale fins are supposed to be remnants of disused legs! Evolution going backwards is more unbelievable than it going forward. Organs such as the eye and brain are technically impossible to arise by chance.

TRUTH – IT’S DISINGENUOUSThere is a mountain of evidence in favour of the Biblical accounts but the evidence is not admissible because it points to the existence of God. As Stephen Hawking says quite openly ‘God is disallowed..’ The existence of God would mean man’s accountability to him. Belief in God is often portrayed as the preserve of the simple. The greatest Scientist of all time, Isaac Newton was a believer in the literal truths of the Bible. A top five of the greatest scientists in history would need to include, Newton, Farady, Maxwell and Einstein - all of whom were believers in God. In other fields, such genius as Michael Angelo, Bach Handel, were firm believers as were most Prime Ministers Monarchs and presidents of America. In fields such as Mathematics, greats such as Reimann and, Pascal were believers. If there is a correlation between genius and belief in God it is a positive correlation.

THE TRUTH- THE BIBLE GOD KNOWSThe Bible as well as fossil evidence presents evidence for a young earth. The earth is much younger than that which is commonly believed. Evidence such as: the existence of short-period comets, the strength of the earth’s magnetic field; the depth of dust on satellites such as the moon point to a young earth. Human kind came from an original pair Adam (man) and Eve (mother) The races of man kind spread throughout the earth which was termed Pangaea before continental drift. A flood of devastating proportions precipitated the ice ages. Some fossil evidence shows man and dinosaurs living contemporaneously with human footprints in dinosaur footprints. The method which is

used to date the earth is Carbon- dating. Carbon-dating is often wildly wrong as you need to extrapolate over large spans of time based on assumptions of decay. Carbon dating has dated wood which is known to be thousands of years as millions of years old! Fossils of dinosaur bone have been found with blood vessels still in them (blood vessels don’t last millions of years. The languages and societies stem from an original parent language

TRUTH 2 THE BIBLE – IT’S LOGICALWhen one sees a painting one assumes logically that there must have been a painter. Complex systems do not assemble themselves (as evolution states) The Bible is more logical than the science. When one thinks of the word, logical we often refer to what is rational. The Rationalist school of though is actually the opposite of what is often perceived. It recognises that there are different ways of knowing things (‘I think therefore I am.’) It doesn’t trust the senses. (Descartes)

TRUTH 3 THE BIBLE – IT’S MORE THAN POSSIBLEPeople often refer to miracles such as resurrection feeding of the five thousand the virgin birth and the creation of the world by the word of God and struggle to believe in any of it as too miraculous. The opposite is true; they are perfectly possible.Birth of Jesus the son of GodTime- travel is theoretically perfectly possible; any sensible physicist will confirm this fact. Travel to the moon has always been possible but building a space-shuttle hasn’t. Some leading authorities such as John Gott and Michio Kaku have shown, theoretically how people from the future could visit the present without changing events.Virgin BirthAt the microscopic level, energy is constantly borrowed from the future; particles are created out of nothing. Einstein’s famous equation simply shows that matter is energy that has been transformed (E=MC) When matter is transformed back into energy we have a Hiroshima (a nuclear explosion) God is the source of energy (light is the purest form of energy in the form of photons and ‘God is light’ He can create matter out of nothing. Hermaphroditism and Parthenogenesis are not uncommon in nature.Prayer and faith healingScientists have proved that once something is observed or perceived it comes into reality (technically speaking the wave collapses or decoheres – quantum physics). This means that our thoughts or consciousness affects the world around us. John Wheeler the world’s leading modern physicist calls it ‘observer created reality. The Bible simply calls it is our faith calling things into existence that are not seen as we speak to God in prayer and he answers our faith.ResurrectionThe word ‘living’ is a misnomer. Scientists can only describe life without knowing what it is. All of us consist of Chemicals. They are not alive. People used to think that organic chemicals had life and inorganic were somehow dead. When urea was discovered it was shown that there is no difference between dead and living molecules. When a person ‘dies’ complex molecules are broken-down to simpler molecules. Anyone who knows how to could technically combine simple atoms to create a living organism and even raise the dead Man doesn’t know how but God does and he is the breath of life.Bible Prophecy

As mentioned above time travel to the future is possible anyone from the future or in the case of God, is outside of time can predict the entire course of historyPerception of JesusMan can read certain thoughts based on brain scans and signals. The brain is quite logically divided into known areas such as speech. Jesus knew people’s thoughts as he designed the brain.Jesus, as the Son of God, was infinitely far ahead of his time and ours coming into history and demonstrating that he is the creator of the universe in the flesh and master of the laws of nature.

DRAWING BACK- THE DANGERS OF BACKSLIDING

This lesson is perhaps the most serious of all the lessons. It highlights the seriousness of turning back from following God and returning to the clutches of the Devil.

‘If any man draws back, my soul will have no pleasure in him…’ (Heb. 10:38). God will not be impressed with any man who has enjoyed the blessings of salvation only to return to his former ways.

‘A man returning to his sin is like a dog returning to his vomit.. .’ (Proverbs 26:11)In the eyes of God, sin is an offence. He cannot bear to look at it because it is offensive.When someone returns to their old vices and habits, God is repulsed but still loves them. He hates the sin, not the sinner.

‘No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God....’ (Luke 9:62)It is hard to imagine why anyone would be longing after the world while in the presence of God but unfortunately some people do.

‘I have somewhat against you because ye have lost your first love....’ (Rev. 2:4)When a person neglects fellowship, reading of the word and prayer they will cool towards God and find themselves backsliding by default.

‘When the unclean spirit is gone out from a man he wanders through dry places seeking rest and findeth none. then saith I will return to my house from whence I came out and findeth it empty and swept and garnished, then taketh he seven spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the final condition of the man is worse than at first..’ (Matt 12.43)

This has to be one of the more serious things to happen. When one has been delivered from demonic influences he must guard against the attacks which will ensue and the subsequent attempts to re-take his soul. The Devil doesn’t enjoy being cast out and will re-visit the place where he came from.

‘it is impossible for those who were once enlightened who have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the son of God afresh and put him to an open shame.’ (Heb. 6:4-6)

Some people who have served God will never be inclined to serve him again. We cannot save ourselves. ‘No man can come to the father unless he draws him.’‘How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation... ?’ (Heb 2:3)Salvation is the greatest gift ever; being unhappy with this means that we may never be truly happy in this life or the life to come. Serve the Lord with gladness and most importantly, never look back.

GREEK ORTHODOXY

In the first century there was only one Church. This Church was the Apostolic Church.As time progressed the Apostles handed the faith on to the early church fathers such as Iraeneus and Polycarp. The early Church faced intense persecution by the Roman emperors and many Christians died awful deaths.

However, things changed when Constantine became emperor. He not only legalized Christianity (Edict of Milan 313) but promoted it throughout the empire. When the Roman Empire fell the Roman Church continued spiritually with Catholicism.

The Greek Orthodox Church seceded from the Church of Rome in 1054 when Michael Cerularius was excommunicated by Pope Leo IX over doctrinal issues.The Eastern Empire continued until 1454 when Ottoman Turks conquered her but continued spiritually in the form of Greek and Russian Churches. The Patriarchate of Constantinople is the ‘first amongst equals’ of several eastern orthodox Churches (Russian, Serbian, and Cypriot) should not forget the Monks of Mt. Athos who live a very ascetic life.

Like the Cathololic Church there are certain doctrinal errors that make the Greek Orthodox Church not the most ‘Orthodox’ of Churches.

MaryMary the mother of Jesus is term the ‘Theotokos’ or the God-bearer. (More accurately the Birth-giver). Her full title is Tής Пάνάγίάς Аχράντου υπέρευλογηνης Еνδοξου Δεσποίνςημων Θεοτοκου Αείπάρθένου Μάρίάς. i.e. ‘all-holy, Immaculate, Our Most-Glorified Lady, Mother of God, Forever-Virgin… Mary)

The picture portrayed in the Bible of Mary indicates that she was a simple, humble and faithful woman. She refused prominence and kept out of the ‘limelight’. Some of the names attributed to her in the above title are unscriptural:All-holy – while this name should simply symbolize her closeness to God, it is often used to elevate her beyond the bounds of acceptability.Immaculate i.e. sinless- Some orthodox traditions say that she never sinned, some that she was born sinless and others that she died sinless. Once again, there is a danger of heresy (all have sinned and come short)Most blessed glorified Lady- Mary is the ‘mediatrix who intercedes on our behalf to the Son, JesusMother of God it is important to note that she was mother of his human side as opposed to his Divine nature. God has no mother or father (Some have rather called her the Christotokos- Christ-bearer)Ever-Virgin ..According to orthodox tradition, Joseph, who was much older, had Children by a former deceased wife and took Mary as a young bride. Tradition also states that he never had relations with her before or after the birth of Christ. This conflicts with the Biblical account (Matt 1:25, Luke 2:7) which indicates that Joseph had relations with Mary after Jesus was born. There is no mention of him being an older widower and the

concept of sex being sinful or making one unholy even in marriage is not Biblical. (Heb 13:1)

FEAST DAYS AND ICONSIn Orthodox traditions not only can Mary intercede for the Sinner but some pagan traditions can be taken seriously. I remember a group of Greeks baking a cake for St Phanourios. When I asked ‘why’ they mentioned that he would help them to find things that have been lost- they were serious! There are many other instances of seemingly ‘magical’ and superstitious practices which are not based on the word of God.In terms of Iconography, the reverential adoration of the saints reminds one of the admonitions to be careful of ‘graven images’. Care should be taken to avoid kissing icons or images or the Priest’s hand remembering the dangers of idolatry.

SALVATIONIn Greek Orthodoxy, there is no one point at which one can claim to be saved. Salvation is not an instant or a specific moment but a process of becoming closer to God or ‘Theosis’. Salvation comes through keeping the sacraments and staying in the Orthodox Church (like the Catholics, salvation is through the Church of Christ. The concept therefore of falling to one’s knees, repenting and confessing sins to be ‘born again is not the common view. This revives the Pelagian heresy whereby one is able to save oneself and become close to God. Original sin therefore is not a teaching of Greek Orthodoxy.

INFANT BAPTISMChildren are baptized into the faith and become members of the Church. The purpose of baptism is to show the new work of Jesus in a person’s life (Rom 6:3)

CONFESSION AND INTERCESSION OF SAINTSConfessing one’s sins to anyone with a view to obtaining remission is unbiblical. Christ alone is our redeemer and mediator and we make confession to him

PRAYERS FOR THE DEADThe tradition of Mnemosini is another orthodox tradition .At many Greek funerals many petitions and long pleadings are made to God for the soul of the departed. Scripturally there is no basis for asking God to have mercy on those who have already gone.

IN CONCLUSIONElements of paganism, mother Goddess theology and Babylonianism have crept into the apostate churches. Many congregants are given a false sense of security by simply taking part in the sacraments and coming to Church without any emphasis on salvation and new birth experiences. There are sincere people in all Churches and many are saved but the structure and many of the main teachings of Orthodoxy come from tradition rather than the Bible.

HEALTH

Today, heart disease and Cancer are two of the biggest killers in society. As one leading professor mentioned, ‘Cardio-vascular disease is almost entirely preventable; we know the causes and the solutions - diet’. Much of the food that we eat contains high levels of saturated fat. Unlike unsaturated fats these long-chained molecules cause atheromas or blockages of the tiny blood vessels of the heart and forming a kind of ‘plaque’ which hardens the arteries (sclerosis). The muscles of the heart can be deprived of vital oxygen leading to disease and degeneration. This doesn’t happen over night but after years of poor eating.

Killing us Softly- Heart DiseaseMany of these saturated fats are hidden in the delicacies that we enjoy such as biscuits, Ice Creams, spreads and sandwiches. Hydrogenated fats and trans-fats are like plastic to the body and restrict cells from communicating with one another. They raise the level of bad cholesterol (HDL-High density Lipoprotein) and lower the level of good cholesterol (LDL). Many products which are labeled ‘trans-fat free simply contain less than 0.5g of trans fat so are regarded as negligible but when sufficient quantities of these transfat free are eaten, it adds up. This year over 300,000 people will die mostly unnecessarily most before their time. Processed food has preservatives colouring and flavorings

Killing us Softly- CancerCancer is caused by damaged cells rapidly dividing (tumors) The causes of cancer are several - the most common being: exposure to radiation (there is a reason why the dentist or radiologist wears protective clothing and stands far away when doing an X-ray, MRI These should be avoided when not essential. Chemicals can trigger cancer. Many of the chemicals that we use every day are carcinogenic (preservatives and cleaning agents such as Carbon Tetra Chloride used in dry cleaning.) Diet and lifestyle are therefore major contributory factors. Free radicals cause cell damage. Phyto-chemicals (in coloured fruit) are high in anti-oxidants and help to ‘mop-up’ these free radicals. Grilled food, especially the burnt bits, are high in carcinogenic nitrites and other chemicals. Processed meat such as sausages can cause intestinal cancers and smoking causes lung cancer.

Killing us softly- DiabetesAddiction to sugar begins early with parents plying their kids with sweets. It is a habit which few break even in adulthood. Sugar needs insulin to convert it for storage in the liver. Many foods contain high levels of MSG to add flavor. The rates of Type2 Diabetes are sky-rocketing. Type2 Diabetes is usually caused by lack of sensitivity to receptor cells in the body. As a result the cells use body fat and ketosis begins where the body begins to eat itself. Some ‘super-size’ soft drinks contain up to twenty tea spoons of sugar. Many artificial sweeteners such as fructose corn syrup, saccharine and white sugar are unhealthy.

Killing us softly- ObesityA highly sedentary lifestyle can rapidly slow one’s metabolism. Metabolic rate is a vital key to health. Being overweight puts a strain on all of the joints and internal organs

which are compressed. This leads to difficulty in walking and breathing. Obesity puts a strain on the muscles of the heart leading to many heart attacks every year. Excess sugar in our diet is eventually converted to fat. The high salt content affects the blood pressure.

IT IS NOT GOD’S WILLWhenever God’s laws are broken, there are consequences. In God’s design we would eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a Pauper. Large eating in the evening is a cause of overweight. Many people skip breakfast after a nights sleep. By lunch time they need a ‘sugar-rush’ which can be found in fizzy dinks and junk food. This leaves them feeling tired at the end of the working day and affects your mood.Your body is the temple of God and a person who dies because of neglectful mis-treatment of the body displeases God.

GOD’S PRESCRIPTIONMany of the drugs that we take have side-effects which leave you feeling poorly. You may actually have to take more drugs to combat the side-effects! In God’s design, we would eat natural whole foods in their season. We would eat organic foods and eat in moderation. The best things in life are free. Water is the liquid of life for the body. Tap water may be too chlorinated and bottled water can leach chemicals if stored for too long or in heat. Distilled water has minerals filtered out of it so the best water is ionized. Plants produce almost pure oxygen and one plant in a room can make a huge difference.Professional athletes use oxygen to heal quickly and hydrogen peroxide is used to help with wounds. Plants and herbs contain many disease-fighting chemicals and a good study of them is advised. Some plants such as nettles, berries, aloe vera and many more can do far more than drugs and have no ill effects.

EMOTIONSHatred and unforgiveness sap energy and cause stress. Anger and worry drains the adrenaline levels leaving a person feeling bad. It has often been found that a life of rest, prayer, exercise, love, forgiveness, faith and friends is the ideal and perfect prescription for health and fulfillment. As the Psalmist David says ‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’ We were designed by God and he has placed foods on earth to provide maximum health and well-being. Don’t die through ignorance. Live-out your full years on earth.

PRAYER

The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus outlined a simple structure that they could work with. The structure contained several elements which should be incorporated into a believer’s time of prayer.

PRAISEPraise takes you immediately into the presence of God. Praise is unselfish. Paul Billheimer says ‘praise decentralizes self.. .’ One cannot pray without relinquishing occupation with self.Jesus also listed praise first when he said ‘Hallowed be thy name..’ It puts God in his rightful position at the very outset of prayer. We must draw our attention to God before we draw our attention to self. Praise produces forgetfulness of self and forgetfulness of self is health. In Psalms 23: we learn that God inhabits praise. Satan is allergic to praise; he comes out in a rash whenever he hears it; he is bound, paralyzed and banished. There is no limit to the amount of things that we can praise God for. There are countless species of plant and animal life each serving as an individual basis of praise. Praise range particles of the atom to the edges of the universe. Creation is a treasure house of praise.

WAITINGWaiting on God is the silent soul-surrender to God. It is not day-dreaming but rather being keenly alert as we turn our soul’s attention to the master’s voice. Waiting is a time of silent love and adoration; it is expressing your love for God. Waiting is not necessarily a time of listening it is a time of bidding farewell to the things of this world while we prepare for time with God. Practice the art of silence in prayer. The saints of old time were not so rushed as we are today. Spend a part of your devotional hour in silent sweet-nothing with the Lord. Waiting is a time of loving on God.

CONFESSIONIf we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us..(1 John 1:9). God already knows our sins but chooses to wait until we are aware of them. Confession therefore means agreeing with God and admitting our guilt before him. The Holy Spirit will bring your sins to your remembrance when you ask with sincerity and it is your duty to bring them to God for clearance. Confession time is important to God because it indicates that we take our sins seriously. Our personal devotions must contain an element of pain; confession is not a joyful exercise but a necessary one. Confession works healing to the wounds of the heart. Just as a surgeon lances a boil, confession drains the poison from the heart

SCRIPTURE PRAYINGPeople often miss the Bible in their prayer time but there is nothing more powerful than praying over an open Bible. You can plead God’s promises and apply the word to your personal situations. Reading the Bible with sincerity produces great faith. ‘Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of God..(Rom. 10:17) Fasting and long hours of

prayer and reading books may encourage but the word of God produces faith. Reading the Bible during a devotional hour is powerful.

WATCHINGWatching in prayer means to be vigilant or awake. It is having the insight to discern the wiles of Satan. The Devil has an assignment over your life for evil. It is important to uncover his strategy to destroy you. This includes who he is using and what methods he is adopting to wear you down. Paul spoke to the Ephesians about putting on the armor of God and ‘watching thereunto with all supplication for all saints..’(Eph. 6:18)

INTERCESSIONIntercession is praying to God for others. When a prayer warrior intercedes, he forgets his personal needs and focuses his faith and attention on others. To intercede is to mediate, to stand between a lost human being and an almighty God. You can pray that this person will come to know God. There is no higher aspect of prayer than participating in the redemption of another through prayer (although we do not actually redeem them). Someone said ‘search for a person who has found Christ apart from someone else’s prayer and your search may go on forever..’

PETITIONPetition is asking God for our personal need. To seek material things from God is not being selfish. Jesus said ‘ Give us our daily bread..’ He also encourages us that God will provide for our material needs. Try to be specific ask God for something definite that you need whether it be money, a car or a job. Believe by faith that God has heard your prayer. Thank God for hearing and be sincere about leaving the decision to him.

THANKSGIVINGWe actually have quite a lot of things to thank God for. It is just that many of us take so many things for granted that we don’t get round to it. Thanksgiving is related to pr5aise but is more specific in focusing on specific blessings that God has given to us. Thanksgiving changes us as people. It allows God to bless us further- no one wants to give to an unthankful person. It encourages others; there is no greater person to be around than a thankful person.

SINGINGSinging in prayer is an almost lost art but an important aspect. Words of adoration combined with melody lead to prayer in a most beautiful form. The gift of language combined with the gift of song. The psalmist David said ‘serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing.’ (Ps. 100:2)Although many enjoy congregational singing few come before God during personal prayer. Singing to God is not just a novel way to pray, it is a weapon of warfare to disarm the enemy. Songs of God’s name invite his presence. Singing the word invites his power. Many prophetic utterances can be given during song.

LISTENING- Although this is related to waiting or watching it is very different. Listening is awaiting a word from God.

FASTING

FASTING INVOLVES ABSTAINING FROM FOOD

Fasting in Biblical theology involves mainly abstaining from food although there are other senses of the word such as fasting from intimacy. Jesus did not say ‘if’ you fast but ‘when’ you fast. He implied that it should form a part of the believer’s spiritual life.

WHY FAST?

Almost every mistake that we have made can be traced back to the inordinate dominance of the flesh. Self-denial is important to be able to catch hold of God’s purposes and plans. As self grow less and less, Jesus becomes more and more of a personal king. No Christian can be victorious without personal discipline.

There are some situations which will not change without prayer and fasting. (Matt 17:21)It seems that when the flesh is not the central focus, then a spiritual power is awakened in us which can effect change in the world around us.

FASTING AVERTS GOD’S JUDGEMENT

When combined with repentance, there are few things that can cause the judgment of God to ‘pass over’ than fasting. All through the Bible we have accounts of wicked men who when repenting and fasting were immediately spared the consequence of God’s judgment.

THE BENEFITS

Fasting has physical as well as spiritual benefits. As bishop Taylor says ‘he who lists the benefits of fasting might as well list the benefits of medicine..’ Christians who have abstained temporarily from food and gratifying other normal appetites in order to give themselves to prayer have testified of a great liberty of spirit. Fasting can help to encourage faith ‘this kind of faith goeth not out but by prayer and fasting..’ (mat17). John Wesley says ‘prayer and fasting are the means by which unusual faith is attained.’Ancient medical doctors such as Galen, the father of medicine have long recognized that occasional short fasts have extraordinary benefits. Fasting gives one great power over evil. When Jesus was tempted of the Devil he returned to Galilee ‘in the power of the spirit..’ He also stated that fasting and prayer would produce demon-chasing faith.

DOMINATION OF THE FLESHMost people are doing things that they don’t want to do but have no power to stop. The most powerful urge of all the urges that we feel is that of eating and gratifying the flesh.If one can master this urge then all others tend to fall in line. It is the most powerful of all self-disciplines and one that brings great spiritual power to the believer and change in heaven and earth.

APPENDIX - FALLING FROM GRACE – R Christopher

This discussion is meant to accompany the discipleship booklet and gives a slightly more in-depth look at the concept of ‘losing’ one’s salvation from the scriptures.

A Few simple Guidelines 1) The English Bible is a translated work from Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic sources. Some words in the English are therefore written in italics as they were not part of the original manuscripts. Sometimes these words are incorporated into the sense of the previous or following word. The original Greek manuscripts are inerrant and thus can form the basis of doctrine but a few corruptions of meaning are present in the English versions.2) The verse divisions were added by Robert Stephens in 1551 and were not part of the original texts. The chapter divisions are often unnecessary.3) Although the New Testament is written in Greek it maintains many Jewish idioms and modes of thought throughout the canon and a reading of the Syriac (Aramaic-Peshitta) and other translations can often shed light on scripture.4) Greek is a far more sophisticated and expressive language than English and has all sorts of meaningful shades and colours. It is literally the difference between watching TV in black and white and watching in colour. It has passive, active and middle voices; subjunctive, indicative and imperative moods; aorist, continuous and participle senses to name but a few. All of these are extremely significant

Let us look at a few scriptures:Hebrews 6:4-6 ‘for it is impossible for those once enlightened and have of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the world to come if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance…’ (Heb. 6:4)

The word ‘once’ (απαξ in Greek) is used adverbially in a temporal sense. It thus refers to the past. The following word ‘enlightened’ (φωτισθεντας) is a verb in the aorist passive participle plural accusative sense. Therefore the enlightening has already happened (strictly speaking the reading is ‘having been enlightened.’ to reflect the passive and aorist sense)The following words ‘tasted’ (γέυσαμενους – having tasted) is in the middle voice to reflect the response of the individual and the aorist reflects the simple past.In Biblical terms, tasting is to ‘experience’ fully. Jesus ‘tasted’ death for every man (Heb 2:9) The writer therefore refers to those who have experienced the heavenly gift of salvation.These people have been made ‘partakers of the Holy Ghost’ (γενηθεντας-having been made). The Holy Spirit is involved in the process of indwelling the believer. The believer has experienced the good word of God and the powers of the world to come (dunameis-or miracles). He is a ‘truly’ saved believer. Any other interpretation would not do justice to the text.‘If they fall away to renew them again to repentance..’ The word ‘if’ is not part of scripture or any original manuscripts and should be italicized to reflect this. It follows the

translation of Theodore Beza from the Latin Bible (1565). Unfortunately this has led some to believe that a purely hypothetical case is being discussed and that no one who has truly been saved could fall. The words ‘if they fall away..’ are properly rendered ‘and have fallen away.’ (κάι παραπεσοντας) This word is the same aorist participle accusative sense as the previous words (tasted, were made partakers and enlightened) and therefore continues to refer to an event which has happened. Theodore Beza was a believer in the perseverance of saints and may have inserted the word ‘si’ (if) without any justification to annul the possibility of the believer apostatizing (falling away).

Hebrews 10:26‘for if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remains no more sacrifice for sins..’ The Greek text states a present condition of continuous sin. A difference should be made between backsliding and apostatizing. One can backslide (go backwards spiritually) without necessarily apostatizing. The text refers to apostates who are ‘αρματαντωνων’ (sinning- present participle genitive). This sinning happens after (μετα το λάβειν) taking or receiving the full knowledge (επιγνωσιν) of the truth. The apostate has rejected Jesus and his atonement, the only source of his salvation and therefore can’t be saved.

Hebrews 10:35-38‘Cast not away therefore your confidence which has great recompense of reward…for ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise..Now the just shall live by. but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him…But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul’

The just referred to is ‘he (the righteous man) who is justified by his faith in Christ (ho dikaios mou i.e. literally- my righteous man. it is singular person) ‘but if any man draw back..’ The words ‘any man’ are not in the original Greek which simply states ‘but if he (my righteous man who is justified) draws back my soul will have no pleasure in him. The insertion of the words ‘any man’ turns away the relative from the antecedent and destroys the true meaning of the original manuscripts. Drawing back is rendered ‘hupostellein’ which means to shrink away, hide through fear. The tense of the word hupostellei is in the third person singular aorist middle subjunctive. The subjunctive tense is a conditional tense indicating doubtful assertion thus introducing the possibility of drawing back and the middle tense show that the believer is somehow involved in the process of drawing back. The drawing back is unto perdition or ‘apoleia’ utter ruin spiritually or eternally.

Hebrews 12;15‘looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled.’ This refers directly to the need of vigilance (episkeptountes- looking, overseeing) on the part of the believer lest he falling short the gift of grace (haritos tou theou) by any root of bitterness springing up. The Hebrews call every species of poisonous plant bitter (with good reason). Consuming these plants results ‘defilement’ (mianthoosin) of the soul. The believer is not

invulnerable if he himself is careless in his walk with Christ and must continue fellowship with other believers (v25) and be keen to forgive offences lest bitterness creep in.2 Peter 2: 20-22‘for if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning…’for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them….’but it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire..’This proverb is based on Proverbs 26:11. It is also a famous saying amongst Rabbis (Midrash ruth in Sohar Chadash fol. 62) and Greeks (Arrian). These believers know the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (the term επιιγνωσι- knowledge is more than head knowledge but full discernment, understanding). They have escaped (epifiyontes) the pollutions of the world but are entwined and overcome presumably by a lack of vigilance (1 Peter 5:8,9 ‘be sober, vigilant for your adversary the devil as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour)

2 Peter 3:17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your steadfastness. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..’

2 Peter 1: 10 ‘wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall…’

Warnings Against Deception and False Teachers.Space is insufficient to do a full exegesis of the following scriptures but the student is challenged to parse and contextualise the Greek for himself to bring out the full meanings of the text.2 Timothy 2:17 ‘but shun vain and profane babblings for they will increase unto more ungodliness..and their word will eat as doth a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; who concerning the truth have erred saying that the resurrection is past already and overthrow the faith of some..’

2 Timothy 1: 13‘hold fast the form of sound doctrine which was committed to thee in faith and love..that good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us….this thou knowest that all they which are in asia be turned away from me of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.’

1 Timothy 4;1Now the spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils…speaking lies in hypocrisy.

1Timothy 5: 11Having damnation because they have cast off their first faith.. and withal they learn to be idle wandering from house to house speaking things which they ought not…for some are already turned aside after Satan..’

Philippians 2;12‘work out your own salvation with fear and trembling..’

Galatians 3:1-5Galatians 4;8 ‘ howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service to them which by nature are not Gods, but now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire to be in bondage..’

Galatians 5:1-3, 4‘Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage..behold I Paul say unto you if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing for I testify to every man that is circumscised that he is debtor to the whole law.. Christ is become of no effect to you whoever is justified by the law..ye are fallen from grace

Galatians 5:7‘ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth..this persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.. a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump..’

Colossians1;22,23‘In the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight… If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard.’

Colossians 2;6-8As ye have received Christ, walk in him…rooted and built up in him and established in the faith..beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit..’v18’ let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels…’1 Timothy 6;9,10 ‘but they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.. for the love of money is the root of all evil which some have coveted after have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows

Some Warnings against hardening your heartHebrews 3:7, 12, 13

Jude v 3‘earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints…’

In Conclusion

There are simply too many scriptures which encourage the believer to beware, to watch and guard against deception for me to include in this discussion. There are equally as many scripture which haven’t been included which encourage the saint to maintain his personal walk with Christ (rather like a gardener looking after a garden). Some contend that in Christ we are a new creation and indeed we are. Adam was formed as a new creation but was given a free will; God will not override our will and force us to serve him. Others maintain that God is able to present us faultless before the throne of grace. Once again, he is able to do anything if only we continue to trust in him. No man can pluck us out of God’s hands and the devil doesn’t have the power to overthrow our faith. When Jesus says ‘and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.’ (John 10:28) he restates what has been described as the greatest verse in the New Testament; John 3:16. The use of the word shall in the aorist subjunctive middle sense implies the conditionality of the verse and the responsibility of the believer to ‘believe’

The consistent warning of scripture therefore is against deception. Satan’s chief weapon is to deceive and to suggest thoughts which will cause us to willingly choose another path. Some say that if a man has experienced true salvation and the blessings of heaven he would never depart. The fact is that Satan himself achieved a high degree in heaven and yet rebelled against God; when he is finally loosed from his chains after the millennial reign of Christ, he will set about to deceive the saints who have been with Christ and unfortunately will win the hearts of many (Rev 20:8)

The final argument that is sometimes rendered is that those who depart from Christ were never truly saved. This is again an odd scriptural concept. One is either saved or not; no one can be half-saved. The Bible speaks of different stages of spiritual maturity such as newborn babes, carnal Christians, fathers etc. The apostle Paul summarizes the situation best when speaking of himself ‘woe is me if I preach not the gospel.’ (1 Cor. 9:16) He goes onto to state these words ‘but I keep my body, and bring it into subjection lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.’(adokimos - rejected) (1 Cor. 9:27)

Brethren let us keep steadfast in these last days and not let anyone believe that anyone will enter heaven without faith in Christ or who is living a righteous lifestyle. As long as the believer continues to believe and abide in the word (which is his prerogative and no one else’s to do) then he is safe forevermore and secure of his place in heaven but he must be careful of any false teaching which will beguile him or draw him back into error.