KEY SCRIPTURE “John 16:7 KJV” Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

Please be reminded that this study is titled ‘ a walk with Jesus through the gospels. We are still learning from the Gospel of John. In this study, the Lord explained to His disciples the fact that there would come a time when people will attack Christians and would do them harm, thinking God is pleased with them. The Lord then added that His disciples were feeling sorrowful because He had said, He would be leaving them. At this instant, He interjected with the following statement. It was expedient that He left the scene, because, the Comforter will not come until He had left the earth.

The Lord meant it was better for Him to go, so He could send the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit means the Holy Spirit who was in Jesus alone, doing all the mighty works, would also be in every one of His disciples, doing the same works through them. Remember that our Lord Jesus, put away His glory and reputation as God to depend fully on the Holy Ghost. His disciples and every other man who received the Holy Spirit would have the same conditions that He had to function with the Holy Spirit. The Lord said on many occasions that He could do nothing but, through the Father who was in Him. This Father in Him is the Holy Spirit.

The church of God needs to come clear about certain truths. Our Lord Jesus through His death identified with us in every bit of His passion, death, resurrection, and glorification. (Rom 6:1-6, Col 2:11-14, Eph 2:4-6) This means we were part of everything He went through. Now through His death He completely made us to become new wine skins so we could contain the new wine and not tear. (Please read, Matt 9:17) From His teaching in Matt 9:17, there was no way God would have permitted the Holy Spirit, who symbolises the new wine to fill old wineskins. His death has made us new wineskins or has qualified us to have the Holy Spirit like Him and live like Him.  To live like Him we must carefully follow His examples, and we would produce His results.

THOUGHT: WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE JESUS’ RESULTS, FOR THE SAME HOLY SPIRIT WHO LIVED IN HIM, NOW LIVES IN US.

FURTHER STUDIES

Mat 9:17 KJV” Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”

John 6:29 KJV “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 16:1 KJV “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.”

God our Father is always favourably disposed towards His children. In our key scripture, He reveals His reason for saying all that He had said to them. He said, I have said all these words to you, so you would not be offended. Offense stirs up very negative emotions that almost always put the individual down. According to the Greek meaning of the word offense; is to step on a trap, an example is to step on a light stick, placed across a big gutter. You would surely fall into it If you step on it. The Lord says that He does not want His people to enter into such a gutter as a result of a fall. The word of God, according to James 1:25, is called the perfect law of liberty. It always comes to liberate men from whatever power, holds men down.

Although the Lord desires the peace, comfort, and blessing of all men, many people are hurting, offended, and very hopeless. Let’s listen to the angels who sang to welcome the birth of Jesus. They said glory be to God in the highest, and on earth, peace goodwill towards all men (Luke 2:14). If God is so favourably disposed towards all men, why are most people, offended, hurting, fearful and hopeless? The answer is simple; many men have not responded to His love and so have rejected His words. If any man, no matter your intellectual abilities, if you refuse the truth, you can’t avoid believing a lie.

It is only the truth that sets us free. Jesus is still the Prince of peace, and He is ready to pour His peace into the hearts of all who would receive Him. He is the ever-present deliverer, who would save you from both real and imaginary dangers.

What is that condition that has placed you in that almost hopeless situation? Like a little child turn your heart from whatever you have depended on, and place every confidence in Him. He says whosoever shall believe in Him, would never be put to shame. Rom 10: 11.

THOUGHT: ANXIETY MEANS BELIEVING IN THE PROBLEM, PEACE ALSO MEANS BELIEVING IN JESUS.

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 4:6 KJV “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Rom 10:13 KJV” For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

John 16:14 KJV” He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”

Our key scripture continues with some of the roles of the Holy Spirit in us. He is with us to glorify Jesus. He has come to make the Lord Jesus the center of everything in our lives. If you have the desire to protect your self-image in any way and not Jesus and His name, then you are definitely not under the influence of the Holy Spirit. As we learned in our previous study, He came in the name of Jesus, and so His mission is to exalt Jesus and His name through us.

 When a child of God lives to glorify Jesus, then that reveals the dominance or control of the Holy Spirit in all he does. Please note that every child of God is called to greatness. Greatness in this context is about manifesting the mighty deeds of God in your life such that men give glory to the Father.1Pe 2:9 KJV” But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” We were called out of the world to show forth, God’s mighty works through us.

Showing forth the praises of God is allowing the Lord to manifest His works in our lives, such that men give glory to God. When this happens men see God’s greatness through the vessel of God who avails himself for God to wrought such works. You cannot be treated ordinarily when God is magnified through you. If any child of God allows the Holy Spirit to fulfill His role of glorifying Jesus in Him, He or she would not be insignificant on this earth. Remember that God said to Abram, I am calling you, out of your nation and people, to make you great (Gen 12:1-3). So long as Abraham submitted to God, God made him great. Through God’s mighty works through Him, Abraham became great among the people he lived with.

THOUGHT: OUR LIVES BECOME VERY MEANINGFUL WHEN JESUS IS GLORIFIED

FURTHER STUDIES

Phi 1:20 KJV” According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

James 4:10 KJV “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 15:26 KJV “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

In the verses before the key scripture, the Lord Jesus explained much about the attitude of the world to Him.  He said He told them the truth about Himself, yet they hated Him.  He performed miracles that no man did, even then they continued to seek to kill Him. Such unfounded hatred is an influence of the Spirit of darkness.

Today many hate Jesus because He said He is the way, the truth, and the life. They question why does He claim He is the only way to God? My question is did the Lord Jesus ever tell a lie? He said He would be killed and on the third day rise up from the grave. He did not fail in all that He said. In the full glare of His disciples, He was taken up to heaven. What proves the validity of these reports? The disciples who brought these messages showed that they were telling the truth, by dying for what they knew was the truth.

Jesus never told a lie for He is the truth. The Lord after much discussion about all those who hated Him, said there is one who is called to be with us or by our side, that is the Holy Spirit. The word one to be by us is another word for Comforter. He is always by our side. He added that the Holy Spirit had come to testify of Him. He has come to help us love Him in a better way, by knowing the truth about Jesus and serving Him effectively. The Holy Spirit shows the Lord to us in certain moments He gives the appearance and presence of Jesus to the people of God.

One other way of revealing Jesus is to expound on the word of God to us. It is through the medium of the word that the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us. Through the agency of the word, we are able to practically walk with Jesus as we believe the word and act on it. In such a way, we see Jesus in action as He works miracles through us. Mark 16:20 KJV” And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

THOUGHT: THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH US IS JESUS WITH US.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Co 3:17 KJV” Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

John 16:13 KJV” Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 15:22 KJV” If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”

In our last study, we considered the response of people who have surrendered to the Lordship of our Lord Jesus, yet they are at a stage or state in their lives that, they are not making use of all the graces and mercies of God. We said that such people would have no excuse to give at the coming of the Lord. They would also have no excuse to give at any moment the Lord should call on them. In today’s study, we are considering all those who have heard so much preaching yet have not surrendered their lives to Jesus. As the Spirit said to the Christian who did not hold fast to all that they received, and allowed it to slip away, so does He say to all those who have continually heard the word, yet stay in their sins.

Dearly beloved you might have continually heard the preaching of the word of God, since your infancy. You may even be able to quote a number of verses of the scriptures but until you make Jesus Lord of your life, you are not free from every judgment, the word says, it is appointed unto man to die once and after that judgment. The only ground that would acquit you is to be saved from your sins. Only the blood of Jesus can do that for you. He gave His life for our sins so that He might deliver us from this present evil world. Gal 1:4

I kept talking to a young man, about giving his life to Jesus. He always said pastor wait, at the right time, I would give my life to Jesus. I woke up one morning to receive a telephone call that, he had died in a motto accident. It was too late by then, yet he would have no excuse. When is the right time? Now, is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation.

THOUGHT: JESUS PLEADS WITH YOU TODAY, ACCEPT HIM NOW.

FURTHER STUDIES

1Pet 4:17 KJV “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

Rev 3:20 KJV “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 15:22 KJV” If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.”

In our study for today, the Lord said He had given every word that He had to give to these religious leaders yet they hated Him and wanted to kill Him. He said they had heard the whole truth and were without excuse. They had not received His word to repent from their wicked ways. In the epistles, we have the following warning as well, Heb 2:3 KJV “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;” Please note that this scripture (Heb 2:3) was not spoken, to non-Christians but to Christians.

The prelude to this warning from the Spirit of the Lord was about the fact that the children of God hold fast to the truths that have been revealed or taught them, lest they lose it. The church in this modern era has received so much. We have the experiences of the early Church as cases to study, as well as the very present times. We have the benefit of the Internet and that uncommon privilege to travel into any meeting at any time, day or night, and at any location, without using a plane or ship, but from our mobile phone, laptop, or any other device. There is also a daily barrage of messages dished to us from countless sources. If in the light of all that we are been told, any of us should fail then we have no excuse. No one can also say, although all these means and sources of encountering the word of God were available, they still, did not hear anything. This would have been an unimaginable irresponsibility. If you fail to live right, then please know that you shall not escape.

In 1 Peter 4:17, apostle Peter also cautions us as follows” For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” Now the serious part of this following scripture is if the righteous be scarcely saved….”  This verse implies that there is a standard of life that qualifies a man to be saved. What kind of life are you living as a child of God? One may ask, what is the essence of grace? The grace of God has brought us into forgiveness, and acceptance in the beloved, participation in the Holy Ghost with His illumination of the scriptures to us. All these and many more are to give us a platform to live excellently. If we neglect all these divine provisions and live like ordinary men, then, we have wasted the grace of God. The apostle will then say that the tendency for such righteous people to be saved is very slim. My brethren all that I seek to put across in this study is, in the midst of these abundant provisions, if you fail then you have no excuse.

THOUGHT: PROVISIONS NOT USED EQUALS REPROACH

FURTHER STUDIES

Luke 21:36 KJV “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

1Cor 9:27 KJV “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 15:21 KJV “But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.”

The Lord Jesus told his disciples that those who attack His people do so because they do not know Him. Many who attack people of God, especially men of God, think they know God, and have the right to talk about these men of God. Dear one, are you among those who say all kinds of things about men of God, and also about the people who are given to serving God? Please note that Satan is the accuser of the people of God. He is the one who stirs people to attack the men of God. (NOTE: There are certain men who practice certain activities that simply oppose the scriptures; such people do not qualify as men of God)

Why do certain people feel they have the right to attack and speak negatively about men of God? The bases for such actions are a sense of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is a product of the Spirit of religion. Religion is different from Christianity. Religion teaches people to strive to be righteous, so they could be justified before God. Christianity teaches that a man is justified or made righteous by faith, and so righteousness is his nature. Rom 5:1 KJV” Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Everyone who has the habit of speaking against the people of God, especially men of God, is functioning under a religious spirit. As Jesus said, they do not know Him.

I know this study is very direct against all those who act that way, yet, this is the truth. The sad fact is, most of such people are self-deluded, not knowing they are acting in self-righteousness. Jesus is known only by faith and it is this faith in Him that acquits us and makes us righteous. If you did not achieve your righteousness by your efforts, how do you judge and condemn others? If you find yourself doing so, then please repent and believe in Jesus today.

Please consider the following story. I once watched a program of a man of God on TV. I was alone in the room. I commented about him as follows,’ I do not like the way this man of God goes about doing certain things. Just as I said that I heard my phone ringing. Another servant of God called and spoke to me and said, the Lord says ‘He does not want you to make such negative comments about His servants, because, you have no idea, how much this man has sacrificed for Him’. Dear ones, the one who called was nowhere near my house. Be careful how you speak about men of God.

THOUGHT: THE CHRISTIAN SHOULD NOT CONDEMN, BECAUSE HE ONLY INHERITED HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

FURTHER STUDIES

Luke 6:37 KJV ‘ Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”

Rom 14:4 KJV “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master, he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 15:20 KJV” Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”

According to the Lord Jesus, no servant is greater than his master. Every servant is to walk in the path of his or her master. The servant must be a student of his master and must do the things he did. The Lord added that if we tread on his pathway of life, then the world will treat us as it treated him. Some accepted his message, but the leadership of the region attacked Him consistently throughout His ministry days. They kept looking for areas to accuse and condemn Him. They never came to his meetings to learn anything, but to find faults.

Dear servant of Christ, if you take the path of Jesus, you would experience what He experienced. You would have miracles following you. You would have multitudes following you and the world would come at you. In Jesus’ day, it was the religious leaders who were at the throat of the master. In this era too it is the very people who are supposed to be Christians who attack the men of God with a miracle ministry. Any Christian who will set himself apart unto the Lord, and do the things Jesus did, would surely have the miracle attestation as Jesus had. Be certain in your mind that men would come at you. They would accuse you of using demons, faking miracles, and if it is possible physically attacking you.

You must arm yourself with this understanding, lest you would crumble under the barrage of opposition that may be coming at you. Heb 12:3 KJV” For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.:” This immediate verse advises us to consider Jesus, who was opposed from birth, till they finally crucified Him on the cross. You should not grow weary in your mind if you are also opposed in such a manner. The Lord focused on His mission and kept at it. He never tried to defend himself. The Bible said The Lord because of the Joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despised the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Turn your eyes away from what men would be saying and focus on the final glory to be revealed.

THOUGHT: IN SPITE OF THE HUMAN OPPOSITIONS, THERE IS A CERTAIN GLORY TO BE REVEALED.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Tim 4:7 KJV” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:”

2Corinth 4:17 KJV” For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”

KEY SCRIPTURE: John 15:19 KJV” If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”

The Lord Jesus said in Matt 10:16 that ” Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” The picture of the presence of the Christian in the world is as the Lord described; that is sheep among wolves. This is a picture every Christian must seriously consider and approach his dealings with the world from that worldview. His suggestion was that we must be as harmless as doves and as wise as serpents.

Wolves are terrible enemies of sheep. They would attack the sheep and prey on them at anytime and anywhere they encounter the sheep. The world system in every form is geared towards taking the child of God captive. Just consider the world’s entertainment system. Most of the current music has lyrics intended to arouse sexual and lustful tendencies in all that listen. Advertisements of various products carry almost always some form of nude women. Alcohol promotions are at their peak. In our schools’ topics like evolution are taught as a scientific course yet these teachers know very well that the premise upon which evolution is predicated is from an assumption which is based on a belief. This comes from the sudden big bang, theory, from which everything began. This teaching is taught to put down the biblical teaching of creation, which states that God is the cause of all things.

The world in almost every aspect opposes the way of Christ and His people. Sadly, the world’s ways leave those who go its way with more questions in their souls to which they never find answers. Please consider this story. A lady from Ghana was diagnosed of having polycystic ovarian syndrome. The doctor advised her to go and give birth even if she did not have a husband since the condition would make her infertile in the future. This lady was a Christian and was not married. She took a stand with the word of God and took her issue to God. She joined the prayer platform of the Streams of Joy International led by Pastor Jerry Eze. The Lord intervened and her condition was reversed. Many Christians have compromised under many such programs of darkness, and have even lost their faith. Dear child of God, the world is fully under its god who is Satan, and he would do everything to take you captive. Be wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.

THOUGHT: THE WORLD SYSTEM IS ORCHESTRATED BY SATAN AND IS AGAINST YOU, NEVER FALL FOR ITS WAYS.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 17:14 KJV “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

John 14:30 KJV” Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 15:18 KJV” If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”

I am not surprised when in a nation like Great Britain the police may arrest errand preachers of the gospel in public areas. In certain states in the United States of America, it is an offence to quote the scriptures to others. You would be prosecuted because they describe it as hate speech. Now a law has been passed in Israel to arrest anyone who tries to communicate the gospel to another who may not share the same faith. In certain Asian nations Christians are attacked, imprisoned, some beheaded and others bombed. Even in Ghana, certain brethren who decided to be sincere at their workplaces become the target of attack of the rest.

Why is there so much animosity against Christians? The Lord Jesus said He was first hated by the world, and it would do the same to His people. The world according to the word of God, is ruled by Satan. Rev 12:9 KJV” And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Satan is the prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit that works in the children of disobedience Eph 2:2 The systems and programs of the world are fully under his control. All these pride parades and uncensored sexual education for children are directed at corrupting the Christian teachings of heterosexual family culture with its teaching on abstinence from sex till one marries.

The gospel and the banner of Christ can never be brought down. Persecutions have never quenched the flame of the church of Jesus Christ. Jesus said the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church.  Dear brother or sister do not be moved if the world hates you, it first hated the master yet He was the master over their bitterness. You are above whatever the world may throw at you. You must only prevent the world from getting into you.

THOUGHT: DO NOT BE SURPRISED IF THE WORLD HATES YOU, BUT DO NOT HATE IT IN TURN.

FURTHER STUDIES

John 3:16 KJV” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

2 Cor 4:4 KJV “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”