Jesus loves you

@Livingwater Study 5 THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF PRAYER (Scripture Portion: Luke 11: 1-13; 18: 1-8) To the born again soul, prayer is as essential as breathing, and to neglect it must result in weakness and defeat. It is not only important that Christians should pray, but it is of supreme importance. This fact makes our present study one to which we should give special heed. Christians need instruction about prayer –- its meaning, its promises, its method and its value –- look up Luke 11:1. How wonderful to be taught to pray by John; how much more wonderful to be taught by the Lord Jesus! –- and look up Romans 8:26-27. What is prayer? C. H. Spurgeon said that, “The heart of prayer is the prayer of the heart.” It does not consist simply of words, gestures, forms or eloquence. “Prayer is the address of a poor creature on earth to a great Creator and loving Father in Heaven.” Think about this simple definition; it reveals the supreme wonder of prayer that a poor sinful being can commu

@Livingwater Study 4 THE KIND OF CHURCH TO JOIN (Scripture Portions: Acts 2: 41-47; Hebrews 10: 19-25) There are very many believers who, for one reason or another, do not link up with a church, and they can lose out spiritually. Some have good reasons for not joining a church; others may have quite feeble excuses. Some Christians experience genuine difficulty in finding a God-honouring ministry –- a Bible church where they could feel at home. Can a believer join a liberal or a worldly church (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)? There are Christians who, due to the nature of their work, find it difficult to worship regularly. But it is still wise to join a church and to have a spiritual home. Again, some Christians feel they are not good enough to join a church. But the church is meant for sinners –- saved sinners –- and if belonging was only given to those who felt good enough, no one would join! Then there are those who are looking for the perfect church! They haven’t yet found anywhere goo

@Livingwater Study 3 EVERY CHRISTIAN’S GREATEST NEED (Scripture Portions: John 14: 15-18 and 25-25; 16: 1-15) Every Christian’s greatest need is to enter into the secret of a victorious life and of power in service. What is this secret? It is found in Ephesians 5:18: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit.” When we become Christians, when we are born again, we receive the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8; Romans 8:9); we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16); we are baptised with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13); we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). But, having received the Holy Spirit, our need is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Carefully consider the following references in the Book of Acts 2:4; 4:8 and 31; 6:3; 7:55; 9:17; 11:23-24 and 13:9. There are so many angles from which we can approach this study, but here are five progressive truths about the Spirit-filled life. 1 .

@Livingwater Study 2 CONFESSING THE LORD BEFORE OTHERS (Scripture Portion: Romans 10:1-17) There must be very many true, real Christians, who love the Lord Jesus and desire to honour Him, who nevertheless fail to experience fulness of blessing in the Christian life. Why is this? One reason is because they are not confessing their Saviour and Lord, or because they are only partially confessing Him. For example, they confess Him by life and not by lip, at home but not in the office, before other Christians but not before the world. How easy it is to be like Joseph of Arimathaea –- “a disciple of Jesus, but secretly……”! – look up John 19:38, and compare John 7:13; 12:42 and Proverbs 29:25. Are you a secret disciple? The key-verse of this study is Matthew 10:32, and it is important to notice that these are the words of the Lord Jesus –- “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.” The Authorised Version has the words, “Whosoever theref

@Livingwater Study 1 BEING SURE OF ONE’S SALVATION (Scripture Portion: 1 John 5: 1-21) The purpose of this series of studies is twofold: First , to give practical help and instruction to young Christians, to those who have only just started in the Christian life; and, second , to offer definite Bible teaching to all Christians, and especially to show how we may “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), and “follow on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3, KJV). As we proceed with these studies we shall see what a glorious, happy and triumphant experience it is to be a Christian and to be going on with the Lord; abiding in Him (John 15:4); confessing Him before others (Matthew 10:32-33); enjoying fellowship with Him and with His children (1 John 1:7; Hebrews 10:24-25); winning others to Him (John 1:41-42) and looking for His coming again (Hebrews 9:28). The first essential if we are to progress in the Christian life is that we should be absolut

@Livingwater Study 10 OUR PROGRAMME, PERIL AND PROSPECT (Scripture Portion: Galatians 6: 1-9) In this concluding study we are to consider one of the great dangers which faces us as Christians and as Christian workers, namely, that of weariness which causes us to give up instead of winning through. The apostle brings this danger before us in Galatians 6:9, and in order that we may see the force of this great danger let us consider the teaching of the whole verse. 1 . OUR PROGRAMME AS SERVANTS OF THE LORD What is to be our task, our job of work, as Christians and as workers for the Lord? In Galatians 6:9 there are two words which describe Christian service, “doing good” –- look up Acts 10:38, and compare John 20:21. In 1 Peter 3:17, “doing good” is contrasted with “doing evil”. In Ephesians 2:10, we read that we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works”. No one is saved by doing good (Ephesians 2:8 and Titus 3:5), but everyone who is saved should give evidence of that fact by

@Livingwater Study 9 THE SINFUL NATURE VERSUS THE SPIRIT (Scripture Portion: Galatians 5: 16-26) It was surely characteristic of the late Canon Guy King to entitle a sermon he once preached on Galatians 5:19-23 –- “From the Slum to the Orchard”! (Verses 19-21 describe the slum; verses 22-23 describe the orchard). It is God’s will that we, who by nature are in the slum, should be translated into the orchard; that we, from whose lives proceeded such evil things, should be made new creatures in Christ Jesus and that the fruit of the Spirit should be manifested in us. In Galatians 5:16-26, there is a progressive line of teaching concerning the two-fold nature of the believer. Let us consider this very important doctrine. 1 . Before we are born again and become Christians we possess a sinful , fallen, depraved nature . The expression “the sinful nature” occurs in verse 16, twice in verse 17 and in verses 19 and 24, and it is the Bible description for unregenerate human nature. The “

@Livingwater Study 8 WHERE DID YOU GO WRONG?WHY DID YOU DECIDED TO STAY BACK? (Scripture Portion: Galatians 5: 1-15) How very sad it is when one who has been truly converted turns back (Acts 7:39), backslides (Proverbs 14:14), becomes lukewarm (Revelation 3:16), and loses his first love (Revelation 2:4)! What a tragedy this is –- to be keen and out-and-out for Christ, a soulwinner and an earnest worker, and then to turn aside and turn away from the Lord! There were those in the Galatian Church who had this experience in AD 56; they had been turned aside by false teachers who had succeeded in getting them into bondage again to the Law –- see what the apostle says of them and to them in Galatians 5:7. The thought conveyed to us in this verse is that the Christian life is a race. Paul used this metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9:26 –- and compare Hebrews 12:1-2; but here, in Galatians 5:7, we are told that we might be hindered in the race. A literal translation might well be: “Who has got i

@Livingwater Study 7 WHEN, HOW AND WHY GOD SENT HIS SON (Scripture Portion: Galatians 4: 1-31) In Galatians 4:4-7, three facts about the incarnation of our Lord are emphasised. In Matthew 1:25-2:1; Luke 2:7 and John 1:1 and 14, we have the historical account of the incarnation. These accounts are not in any way contradictory, but they are supplementary and must be taken together to obtain a complete view of the birth of our Lord. But, whereas the Evangelists present us in the Gospels with the historical account of the incarnation, the apostle Paul in the passage before us gives us the doctrinal explanation of the event. Notice three lines of truth emphasised in this section of scripture: 1 . THE TIME OF THE INCARNATION: WHEN GOD SENT HIS SON When did this take place? Matthew tells us that it was “during the time of King Herod” (Matthew 2:1). We know, by our calendars, that it is now over 2000 years since God sent His Son into this world; but in Galatians 4:4, we are told that it

@Livingwater Study 6 THE HOLY SPIRIT IN GALATIANS (Scripture Portion: Galatians 3: 1-29) In Galatians, the Holy Spirit is mentioned at least thirteen times –- look up Galatians 3: 2,3,5,14; 4: 6,29; 5: 5,16,17,18,22,25; and 6:8. Of course, the Holy Spirit is a real Person. It is important to emphasise this as many think of Him only as a great power or influence. Possibly this is due to such verses as Acts 1:8, which speak of His power. But He is a real Person, and in the Bible He is spoken of over and over again as “He”, “Him”, “His”, and His name is always given a capital S; moreover, He is spoken of as doing things which only a person could do. Read the references to the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John, chapters 14, 15 and 16, and notice the indications of personality which are shown in the things that He does. But the Holy Spirit is not only a real Person; He is a divine Person, He is God, the third Person in the Godhead. This does not mean that He is of lesser importance tha

@Livingwater Study 5 THE CROSS (Scripture Portion: 1 Corinthians 1: 17-25) What is meant by the expression “the cross”? – look up and compare 1 Corinthians 1:18; Philippians 2:8; 3:18 and Colossians 1:20. It does not refer to a silver ornament, nor to an emblem which is often seen on a church tower, nor to a crucifix; neither does it refer to the burdens and troubles which we have to bear and which are sometimes referred to as “our cross”. “The Cross” is an expression that gathers up and contains the great fact and significance of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ upon Calvary. Another Bible term is “the blood” –- look up Ephesians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:19; 1 John 1:7 and Revelation 12:11; and this expression refers to the unique nature of the sacrifice that Christ Jesus made for us upon the cross. The “cross” and the “blood” are interchangeable terms. Both refer to His death and to the great purpose and significance of that death. It is historically true that the Lord Jesus died up

@Livingwater Study 4 JUSTIFICATION: BY FAITH OR BY WORKS? (Scripture Portion: Romans 5: 1-11) The question asked in Job 25:4 is a tremendous one. How can man, who by nature is sinful (Romans 3:10), the enemy of God (Romans 5:10), condemned (John 3:18) and living under God’s wrath (John 3:36), be justified with God? To be justified means to be made righteous, acquitted and cleared from every accusation, and God has provided and offered to man a method whereby He is able to look upon him as if he had never sinned at all. How can man be justified with God? There is only one way, and that is God’s way. Right through human history man has substituted his own way, a false way, a way that has seemed right but that most certainly leads to disappointment and death –- look up Proverbs 14:12. Let us examine: Man’s way –- a false way, the way of human works, of doing, of merit, of law-keeping, of trying. Man says, “If I do the best I can then God will accept me.” God’s Way –- the true wa

@Livingwater Study 3 THE MARKS OF A GOOD TESTIMONY(REPORT) (Scripture Portion: Galatians 1: 13-24) Paul was a great theologian and a great preacher, but he loved to give his testimony because he knew that there is a tremendous power in the word of personal testimony. Testimonies can never take the place of preaching and teaching the Word –- look up 1 Corinthians 1:21; but the personal testimony of God’s people empowers the word that is preached. Every converted person should be willing to tell what the Lord has done for him or her –- look up Psalm 107:2 and Acts 4:20. There are, however, good and bad testimonies. What are the marks of a good testimony? It should be SHORT and to the point. The much-used advice is very good – – “Stand up, speak up –- and shut up!” It should ring with ASSURANCE. Read the testimony of the man who had been born blind –- John 9:25, and compare 2 Timothy 1:12. It should be UP-TO-DATE. There is a value in telling what the Lord has done for us in the pas

@Livingwater Study 2 THE PURE DOCTRINE OF THE GOSPEL(SOUND DOCTRINE) (Scripture Portion: Galatians 1: 6-12) Martin Luther says that when Paul visited the Christians in Galatia, he taught them “the pure doctrine of the gospel”. The word “gospel” appears over and over again on the pages of the New Testament –- look up Mark 1:1; Romans 1:15; 1 Corinthians 1:17; 9:16 and Philippians 1:5 –- and compare Acts 20:24; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 1:13 and Revelation 14:6. This word “gospel” occurs no less than twelve times in Galatians, and by comparing these references we are able to set out the teaching they bring before us. 1 . The Gospel is Good News from God to Man. The word “gospel” means “good news”. The good news of the gospel is summarised in John 3:16 – and it is important to include verse 17. The Devil would have men to believe that the gospel is bad news, that God sent His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in this he is wrong. The gospel is the best news that has