BIBLE STUDY AUDIO

TEACHIINGS FOR YOUR EDIFICATION AND BRINGING YOU TO THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST

Our Bible Study audio messages can be accessed from here. These are teachings recorded in the course of our weekly serialised Bible Study meetings for your spiritual edification and development.
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We pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you listen.

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The Doctrine of Baptisms_4: The Matter of Experience

It is one thing to have been taught and to have learnt about the blessings of baptisms, it is another thing entirely, to have the evidence or proof in your life. This is where the matter of experience becomes significant to the teachings of baptisms. Since baptisms are rites of passage, transforming the hitherto unbeliever, into a believer in Christ; permanently transitioning him/her from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light; and maturing him/her from one level to another; why do you not exhibit Christlikeness? Why have you not transitioned permanently into God’s kingdom? What are you still doing in Satan’s kingdom? Why have you not matured spiritually and significantly, since the time the Spirit of God bore you anew? Since the bible teaches the unity of the body through baptisms, which is truth, why are you still racial, ethnic, and gender-motivated? Since you have been marked as belonging to, and being a part of Christ, why do you still desire the mark of Satan to gain an advantage? Why can’t you trust God to protect and preserve you? Since you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, why are you not witnessing Christ in the power of God? Why do you seek strange powers to do the work of God? Many more questions can be asked as to your experience based on the doctrine of baptisms, or any doctrine for that matter! There is a gap between doctrine and demonstration or display; and, between teaching and daily practice. This gap exists largely because of a lack of personal relationship between the believer in Christ, and God, the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Many believers are yet to submit themselves fully to the Lord Jesus Christ, even though they may submit to “men of God”, and gather together with others in church, merely being religious (2 Timothy 3:5; James 1:27). They have also not yielded themselves to the Holy Spirit to work in them and perform the requisite operation—sanctification—which makes it possible for the Christian to live as Christ lived—doing God’s Will—tempering knowledge with love, and, making us to understand that no challenge in life is insurmountable, but that God uses such life-challenges to strengthen, and make, us who He wants us to be, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25). To elaborate further, the doctrine-demonstration gap is the result of a lack of desire (Matthew 5:6) to partake of the blessings of baptisms, arising from a refusal to accept the teaching on baptisms, unbelief, as well as a lack of conviction. Where truth is accepted, and believed with conviction, the desire to taste of truth grows strongest, and the result is the evidence—proof—of the doctrine in experiential terms! To eliminate the doctrine-experience gap, you must return to God, submit totally to Christ (James 4:7-10), and, yield to the Holy Spirit, letting Him daily lead you (Romans 8:14). As the gap between doctrine and demonstration closes, the proof of the blessings associated with baptisms will become a reality in your life, and you will be able to manifest your love for God (obeying His every word), and, your love for all peoples—the brethren (being bound together with them) and for all others (as you display the love of God for mankind to them); thus, proving that you are indeed a disciple of Christ (John 13:34-35).
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The Doctrine of Baptisms_5: The Matter of Faith

Baptism is a physical act that depicts a spiritual truth, with manifestations, proving what the bible says about baptisms. Except for Christian (or water) baptism, all other baptisms are not administered by a human, though humans may be involved in one form or another—as in the case of laying on of hands for the receiving of the Holy Spirit, in some instances. What this means therefore, is that, as with all spiritual things, faith is essential in baptisms—receiving it and experiencing its benefits! Without faith, nothing can be received and enjoyed in the kingdom of God. Hence, if the benefits of baptisms are to be received and enjoyed, the believer must exercise his or her faith in God, through Christ Jesus. Faith is the assurance we have, that something we hope for, will surely occur. It is the evidence we have, that something, not as yet visible, will materialize. Faith, in biblical usage is always tied to, and based on, God and His word. Faith in yourself, or in anything or anyone apart from God is not biblical faith! To believe God’s word, despite evidence to the contrary, is to exhibit resolute faith. As it relates to the doctrine of—the teachings or instructions about—baptisms, faith is the assurance that we exhibit, and the action we engage in, that speak of our resolute belief in the doctrine of baptisms. For example, since the Lord Jesus commanded that we be baptized, we obey and are baptized. Also, since God’s word says that through baptism, all those who have been born anew of the Spirit of God are of one family, and of one Spirit, we cannot discriminate against another believer, regardless of the church he is a part of; neither can we discredit his or her baptism because it was not performed in our own local assembly; nor, can we justify engaging in competition with other local assemblies: a situation in which different local assemblies are meeting at the same time in the same building does not speak of faith, but of the flesh! The crux of faith as it relates to baptisms then, is to simply accept God’s word on baptisms, believe it with conviction, and act on it as much as lies within you, or simply trust in, and depend on, God to bring His word to pass in your life. Therefore, now that we are aware that baptisms are rites of passage, we should desire to go through every one of them, and so attain to spiritual maturity. Similarly, since we now know that through baptisms, God marks us, and in so doing, protects and preserves us from the evil to come, our trust in God, must be unflinching and resolute, even when the baptism is one of suffering, as did the Lord Jesus during His passion, and other saints through the ages past!
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What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_1: A Historical Perspective

When we look at the history of the Jewish people, as well as the prophesies that have followed them as a people all through scriptures, it is clear why the disciples would have asked the question, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” In understanding this question, the meaning of the word ‘kingdom’ must be taken into account. The word ‘kingdom’ could mean: rule (administration/governance); reign (authority over/government); realm (area, sphere, or, territory/governed). Thus, in a kingdom, there is a person or group of people (rulers) who reign (dominate or exercise dominion) over people in a realm (which may not necessarily be geographically contiguous). Hence, Jesus’ disciples were expressing a deep desire to be free from the domination of those whose rule and reign over them was oppressive; in sharp contrast to the liberty they enjoyed under the Lord, Jesus Christ! The rulers/oppressors the disciples were referring to included, the Roman Emperor and the Roman Senate; the Roman machine of oppression and domination which included the Governors, Romans officers and soldiers, and, even the tax collectors (who were Jews); the Tetrarchs who ruled over the land mass that was the territory of Israel in the time of Solomon, who were really the children of Herod, who reigned over Israel at the time of the birth of Jesus; and, the Sanhedrin, comprising, the religious and political elite of the Jews (the Sadducees and the Herodians, who were not necessarily religious and not a part of the Sanhedrin), as well as, the powerful religious laymen of their day (the Pharisees and the Scribes—the interpreters of the Law). What the Lord’s disciples expressed in their question, raises for Christians today, an issue which is fundamental to Christianity, in which we, as well as, all of creation are literally asking, “When will the oppression and domination of our slave-masters end, and, we become free from the bondage they have kept us under?” Such was the cry of the children of Israel in Egypt; and God heard them, and sent Moses as their deliverer. The oppressors of the children of Israel in Moses’ time included, not just the Egyptian government and their taskmasters, but sadly, their own brothers who were being used by the Egyptians to oppress and subject them to all manner of oppressiveness. In our own case today, our prayers from freedom must include, not just the peripherals, like political governance and religious persecution, but more importantly, freedom from the real oppression and domination by the many ‘church leaders’ whose teachings make the people “like sheep without a shepherd”, and, the flesh, which continues to lead many into bondage and captivity to drugs, sexual sins, worldliness, etc.
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What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_2: A Spiritual Perspective

The real oppressor of mankind, who is also referred to as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), “that old Serpent” (Revelation 12:9; 20:2) and, also called the Devil, is Satan! He is the ruler of the kingdom of darkness, and he exercises total dominion over his subjects. When Adam sinned, he inadvertently brought all of mankind under Satan’s rule, and as such, they are governed by his rules for living which have come to mankind through philosophies and religions over the Centuries. Satan’s kingdom is set up through a well-organized structure of ‘administrators/governors’—principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. These ‘administrators/governors’ reign over realms that vary in size depending on the level of the administrator in the hierarchy, from individuals to whole nations, and even generations. They also include those that govern various religions, cults, cultures, etc. There are also, sin, which governs mankind through deceit and temptation; and, the human agents of Satan, who include, false ministers of the gospel! Satan’s goal through his kingdom machinery is to keep men in subjection to him and his administration unto eternity. In achieving his goal, his greatest weapon is deceit, trickery, wiles, and fear, all of which seek to draw the individual’s attention and focus away from God and His word, unto any other thing (provided it is not the word of God or what God is about or doing). He also needs the help of the person being deceived, and this is where the flesh—the nature of man that loves to sin—comes in. The flesh has desires and passion or affections, which it seeks to satisfy; and this it does by acquiescing to the lure of sin, which damages the inner man of the individual concerned, making him a candidate for eternity in hell. To get out of Satan’s grip, a person must necessarily turn to God in faith through Jesus Christ, who is the ruler of the kingdom of God! This turning to God is achieved through a definite desire in the heart of man to surrender and submit to God through faith in Jesus’ finished work at Calvary, and a verbalized or public profession or confession of such a submission to Christ, as Lord; meaning that he is desirous of leaving the kingdom of Satan for the kingdom of the Son of God! This notwithstanding, Satan does not give up on those who have left his kingdom, and seeks to bring them back under his rule; but if we resist Satan, and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, we shall be safe and secure under Christ!
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What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_3: The Natural v. The Spiritual_1_Timing

Whenever God speaks, unless we understand God’s manner of speech, we would invariably misrepresent what He said, and would end up with wrong conclusions and wrong lifestyles, which is unprofitable for us. For instance, “… God, … calls those things which do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17), and many, not knowing that God speaks of things that don’t yet exist as though they already did, focus on the now, rather than on its appearing, and end up frustrated, disconcerted, and turn to all manner of strange doctrines and activities; and some, even give up walking with God entirely. But the Lord does not want you to be ignorant of such things and fall away. The time for the return of the Lord is at hand; Yes, but that does not mean that it will happen tomorrow—although it just might. Because of this, many people have heeded the words of Satan, and have become scoffers themselves of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. From our study, we have seen that when God responded to Daniel’s intercession as regards the 70 years of Jeremiah’s prophecy, he was told that there was in reality a 70-7s or 490 years. Of the 490 years, 69-7s have been accomplished, but there remains a final 7 years. This break in the fulfillment of God’s work with regards to Israel, is to allow the Gentiles to come to Christ. Again, we’ve seen that when Adam was told that he will die in the day that he eats of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, even though Adam lived another 900+ years after eating of that tree, he died spiritually instantly—for “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.” (Genesis 3:7), and from that time forward, man became separated from God! Similarly, although King Saul was still the king of Israel in the natural, in the spiritual, 17-year old David was now the king of Israel, he was now the defender and protector of the nation—thus, it was he who had to come to defeat Goliath of Gath, and rescue Israel! Therefore, since the time of God is not known to man, the question then is what must we do? The Lord’s answer to us, is: 1. Stop seeking to know the time which God has set by His own authority; 2. Wait patiently for God’s time; 3. Don’t just wait around doing nothing; get busy doing the work of God—preach the good news of the kingdom, and do all that the Father asks you to do. 4. Don’t get carried away with the offerings of this world; don’t get seduced into wanting to possess everything you see; and don’t become boastful, of who you are or what you have. 5. Remember Lot’s wife: let go of the world; let go of hurts; let go of hang-ups, let go of hang-overs over yester-years; let go of ungodly habits; indeed, let go of anything that can make you want to look back! 6. Remember that the Lord’s last command was “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15); not return ye! 7. Finally, keep yourself pure, be humble, and continue to love all men!
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What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_4: The Natural v. The Spiritual_2_Which Israel?

From the time of Adam, Abram, and Old Testament the prophets, God had in mind, to bring the Gentiles into His fold, family, household, or, nation. Unfortunately, most people did not understand God’s plan. And even after revealing it to some, they found it hard to assimilate—accept and integrate! The truth is, God’s eternal plan was for peoples of every nation and tongue to be part of His kingdom. And the Church is the ‘container’ within which all those who, through faith in Jesus Christ, come to God, are kept—this is the household of God; the new Israel of God—the spiritual Israel (Genesis 32:24-28; Revelation 5:1-5). The mystery of God bringing all peoples into one sheepfold was not only revealed to the New Testament apostles and prophets, but they were also given the task of telling the whole world about this mystery and to bring in as many as receive the message into the Church, through baptism. Therefore, in the Church of God, there is no enmity between Jews and Gentiles, indeed, all who believe in Christ; there are no second-class citizens; and, there is no discrimination of one group against the other! Thus, the manifold wisdom of God is displayed by the Church of God, when peoples of all tribes and tongues assemble under Christ to worship God in spirit and in truth; even though their natural tribesmen may indeed be at war! Hence, the Church does not and should not participate in any form of discrimination, but they are to go all over the world, and preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, inviting all and sundry into the glorious kingdom of God without barriers of any sort other than that they follow the word of God and are led by the Spirit of God! This also, is our assignment, of which the Lord spoke in Acts 1:7-8, and I paraphrase, “It is not for you to know the times and seasons which God has put in His own authority, but you go, and tell everyone, everywhere, about the good news of salvation to all men, regardless of tongue, tribe, skin colour, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, and so on. And you shall be adequately equipped for this task, when the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Father, which I had mentioned earlier, comes upon you. When that happens, begin to spread the message first in Jerusalem, and then in all Judea and Samaria, and then, spread out to the ends of the earth; but make sure that all peoples everywhere hear about this message, and get an opportunity to come into the household of God, otherwise the end will not come!”
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What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_5:The Natural v. The Spiritual_3.1_What Kingdom? (A General View)

The word ‘kingdom’ could mean rule, reign, or realm. The totality of any kingdom is the realm over which a ruler reigns. For our purpose, the word ‘kingdom’ refers to a realm—physical territory, group of individuals, or an individual over which Satan, Self, or the Son of God reigns as sovereign. The nature of the ruler—Satan, Self, or the Son of God—characterizes each kingdom, and this nature manifests in the lives of the individuals over which the ruler reigns. • The kingdom of Satan, and the individuals who are under that rule, for instance, manifest a life that is filled with chaos, darkness, wickedness, evil, unbelief, unrighteousness, deception, etc., and the means of rulership is through oppression and terror. • In the case of the kingdom of Self, the signature is the love for and desire of self, and it includes, nationalism, imposition of self upon others, democracy, desire for self-elevation, self-actualization, self-determination, etc.; and terms like greatness, fame, wealth, are freely bandied. The form of rule is subterfuge, hypocrisy, politics, religion. It usually manifests as “my way only”; dominion over others, hence, conquest and captivity, or the conqueror and the conquered. Those who are subjects of Self make career, vocation, worldly titles, fame, wealth, world acclaim, etc., their pursuit, which they prosecute with vigour and determination. This is a kingdom of ‘anything goes’—a ‘do as you like’ kingdom! • The characteristics of the kingdom of the Son of God is one in which the individuals have been freed from the shackles of sin and self, and are thus able to submit to God and His word willingly and out of love from the heart. The individuals under the rule of the Son manifest love, peace, joy, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control or control by the Holy Spirit. It is a kingdom that is not about food and drink or the ‘good things of life’, rather, it is marked by righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! The kingdom of the Son is not necessarily a physical territory, but a heart that is surrendered to the governance of God in all its ramifications. This is a kingdom of order and of divine laws; it is a kingdom of obedience to the word of God and to every ordinance of man (which does not conflict with God’s ordinance); it is a kingdom of divine service, not of pew-warming! The kingdom of the Son is marked by liberty (freedom from sin and self); not liberalism (freedom to do as you like without law or discipline)! So, while the disciples may have been asking, “Will you at this time restore again or unseat the rule of the Gentiles over our nation, Israel, and replace it with a government of Jews by the Jews?”, the mind of the of the Lord speaks to us on this wise “My kingdom is not of this world—it is not a kingdom that you have ever seen or can easily learn; No! it is a kingdom that must be etched in the hearts or the inner man of each individual who submits himself to my rule. Such individuals must be ready to give up everything for me, and be ready to do the Will of My Father only at all times!”
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What Kingdom? Which Israel? What Timing?_6:The Natural v. The Spiritual_3.2_What Kingdom? (A More Specific Response)

Beloved, the Lord’s desire remains the making known of the gospel of deliverance and salvation to all and sundry. His desire is not necessarily to make you rich for its own sake, but where having money is concerned, it is for its use to prosecute the task of preaching the gospel, teaching those who have come into the kingdom as a result of the gospel message and thus, making them disciples (citizens of the Kingdom of the Son) and releasing them to the service of the Master. Let us leave off our selfish desires for self-aggrandizement, wealth for its own sake, and for other personal pursuits; and let us come and surrender to Christ and the Father and seek to serve Him (Luke 1:73-75). And this, brethren, is what the acts of the Apostles is all about—a people who have been saved to serve the Lord Jesus’ mission on the earth, and all that goes with it!
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The Ascension and The Return

The Ascension of the Lord was a real event, and so shall His Return be; therefore; • Watch Soberly: Keep your eyes on the Lord’s Return, not by star-gazing, neither by fortune-telling, nor by pre-occupying yourself with visions of visitations to heaven and hell; but by going about doing the work He has committed into your hands. • Work Earnestly: Like those given talents, who applied themselves to its use, work actively, be not slothful. • Wait Patiently: And if your work is finished, wait patiently for His Return, and be on the alert at all times. The Lord’s word to us is; Watch soberly, Work earnestly, and, Wait patiently. BE READY AT ALL TIMES; TIME CAN BE UP AT ANYTIME!
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The Vitality of Praying

James 5:16b-18. It is the fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man that availeth much; not that of an unrighteous man—no matter how fervent your praying, it shall avail nothing! Elijah had his own personal issues (which he wasn’t praying about—things like his lack of accommodation, his not being married, his not having change of clothes, etc.) but he prayed the heart of God, and the results are clear on both occasions. When we set ourselves to pray the Will of God from a heart that is subscribed to the Will of God, He shall hear us! Remember, the Lord said, “When ye pray”; not “If ye pray”—so, let us make prayer/praying our mission, until we receive a vision from God! LET US PRAY!
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The Manner of Divine Revelation

A divine revelation is the revelation of the mind and purpose of God, and is presented by God to men, who have the task of publishing it faithfully to others. A divine revelation requires prayers from start to finish, and revolves around the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is progressive, requiring deeper relationship with God for a deeper understanding; and, it can be private or public—live/feed on or keep secret, as may be the case, the private revelation, and publish the public revelation faithfully; not beyond that which God has revealed. Only those who share the eternal purpose of God will appreciate a divine revelation, so do not cast pearls and precious things before swine and dogs. Remember that there are two legs to every divine revelation, so don’t get one leg—information or knowledge—and begin to run; rather, stay in the place of prayer until you get the second leg—instruction or wisdom! “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” (Psalm 25:14) Do you want divine revelation? Then fear God! LET US PRAY!
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They ALL Prayed

Conclusion Acts 4:23-35. Whatever the issues are that we face as individuals or as a congregation of God’s people, we must be sensitive enough in the Spirit to take it to God in prayer (2 Chronicles 16:12). As the congregation of God’s people, whether we are gathered or scattered, we must make prayer a constant. We should not be having “prayer meetings’ as a program, because it is what we should be doing every time we meet, and even in our privacy. But remember that we ought to pray continuously, having the purpose of God in our hearts, with much entreaty and much expectation. We must expect the quacking of grounds, mountains, seas, seats of political power, the places of abode of principalities and powers—Satan’s headquarters. We must expect kingdoms to fall where God wills it. We “ought always to pray and not to faint”. LET US PRAY!
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The Birth of the Church (1): A Fulfillment of Prophecy

Since the birth of the Church is the fulfillment of Scripture; like her Head, the Lord Jesus Christ, her life and ministry must also be fulfillment of Scripture—who we are and what we do, must be by prophecy! Hence, the birth of the Church signified the resumption of the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is, to bring in the lost, and build them up—make them to be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ in their deeds and lifestyle (Romans 8:29)! LET US PRAY!
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The Birth of the Church (2)Suddenly

The birth of the Church was indeed a fulfillment of prophecy—the things that God had said all along in Scripture! And even though He had been speaking of it and had the people of the Old Covenant demonstrate it annually through Feasts, yet the significance of what they were doing did not dawn on them. And when what God had been saying and requiring Israel to demonstrate annually finally became a reality, it happened suddenly! This has always been the pattern of God in everything He does (Isaiah 48:3). He would speak of something that He is going to do repeatedly, until it seems that it will not happen, and then, He would do it suddenly. He’s done it several times in Scripture, and He’s doing it again in the lives of His children. So, as sure as God brought forth the Church into existence, so will be do what He has promised you, no matter how long it may take!
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The Birth of the Church (3)The Role of the Holy Spirit

2 Corinthians 5:17-20; 1 Peter 1:2 The Holy Spirit basically gave birth to the Church of God, for without Him, the ‘church’ would just be like the one gathered at Ephesus by the idol worshippers of ‘Diana of the Ephesians’ in the public place in Acts 19:23-41—dead, lifeless, worldly, and fleshly! It was the Holy Spirit within and upon the gathered group of 120 that formed the church of God! Any gathering, therefore, that does not acknowledge the Holy Spirit, neither gives Him place, nor heeds Him, is not the Church of God, even if they may be so called! The Holy Spirit at the birth of the Church made it clear to all, that His role is to bring together not only Jews, but also people of every nation, tongue, tribe, ethnicity, skin colour, socio-economic strata, etc. And in bringing all men together, it is in pursuance of the Will of God. Thus, another role of the Holy Spirit from the birth of the Church was to gather people together to accomplish God’s Will; not the will of man! To be able to achieve this, the Holy Spirit made the Early Church acceptable to the Father, so that they could represent Him on the earth—to do what He wants done for mankind—telling men of the goodness and mercy of God in the provision God has made for their eternal salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ—and not what they (the people gathered) want to do for themselves. If the church today is to be significant in the world, it must desist from following its own will, and rather, seek the Will of the Father and execute it (Matthew 6:9-10)!
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