Bible Study, Ephesians, Preach

Mysterious Plan – Unity & Inheritence

pdf of notes Mystery- Unity & Inheritence (Eph 1 v 9-14)

Mysterious Plan

Eph 1:9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure.

Mystery is a secret know only to a few. Like Poirot revealing the mystery at the end of the drama, the mystery of what God has been up to is being revealed, all is now ready to let the rest of us in on the drama. (Eph 6:19; Ro 16:25; Col 1:26, 27) All believers are let in on the secret, the plan was a plan of incredible grace, to unite all people (Eph. 2:11–3:13), the plan is love, a total pleasure to God.

Mystery Revealed

The time was right, God is now happy to reveal the plan. Generally the NT refers to the revelation of the mystery rather than keeping it a secret, the gospel or good news is that mystery is revealed not kept from people. However, you have to have spiritual insight to be able to grasp the impact of the revelation (1 Co 2:10), the enemy strategy is to keep the mystery ‘veiled’ to the unbeliever..

2 Corinthians 4:4 : Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

FF Bruce says ‘the apostle prays that his readers may know by experience things that belong to the mystery of God’s will’, we are supposed to experience the very heavenly scheme of God in our daily lives.

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Article, Revival, Thoughts

UK its time!

I was preaching last week at Joshua Generation and Father led me to 2 chapters of Isaiah, they leapt at me.  I put some notes on my blog, but felt I should dwell on them a bit more as I really believe that they have something of deeper significance.

“Enlarge your house; build an addition.

Spread out your home, and spare no expense! 

For you will soon be bursting at the seams. 

Your descendants will occupy other nations 

and resettle the ruined cities. (Is 54:2-3, NLT)

The original context here is the imminent slavery of the nation of Israel who is compared to a barren woman, the nation loosing her power and influence in the land.  Jerusalem the centre of the Hebrew life is portrayed as a mother, she is desolate because she is barren and has no children.

The promise comes to the nation, a promise of the future, there will come again a multiplication of the people of God, so the nation once again becomes expansive and numerous.

There is no doubt that the UK church over the last 50 years has become in greater measure barren, we have forgotten how to reproduce believers.  But the word of God comes to us again to ‘enlarge..build…spread’.

This is a highly significant prophetic word in Isaiah, not just for the context but for the UK church today!  About 20 years ago this very prophetic word was given to the ‘new churches’ in the UK and many leaders up and down the country made preparations to expand.  Perhaps the harvest of new believers did not come, but the word caused some significant growth to churches over the nation.

In Bath such prophetic words caused us to buy the largest building in the city, a cinema that seats 1600 people, the then leaders had the expansive vision to believe for growth, I still do!

20 years ago there were only a few ‘charismatic’ churches, perhaps a new church and a pentecostal church in each town.  But now towns have many churches with many believers on fire with the Holy Spirit, being Charismatic is no longer a fringe activity!

Well there is more to this word.  ‘For you will soon be bursting at the seams’, I sensed it is time to relook at this word again, to take again the promise of growth. Church UK needs to enlarge its vision, build again, spread out its influence and spare no expense in getting the job done.

As I spoke to our young guys I felt a sense of a fresh mandate on the words of Isaiah, it was as if I was speaking the words of power again to ignite a response in the hearts of the now generation of believers of all ages!

Bible Study, Preach

Kingdom Invitation

Kingdom Invitation (Is 54-55)

A very brief selection of thoughts based on Is 54-55, not in depth by any means, I used the NLT.

Isaiah is a prophet writing at the time of the capture of the people of Israel into Babylon.  He prophesies the capture and then the glorious return of the people of God to Israel.  But he is a prophet of the New Covenant, foretelling the glorious reality of the kingdom in which we live!

Is 54:1-3 : Time for new birth!

The context here is the enslaved nation of Israel has become barren.  Jerusalem the centre of the Hebrew life is portrayed as a mother, she is desolate because she is barren and has no children.

The promise is the multiplication of the people of God, so they become expansive and numerous.

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Bible Study

Church : A brief theology

notes for BLA students Church – a brief theology

Politics, Thoughts

Consumer life??

I was taken aback by a BBC news item headed “abortion clinics cleared for TV by advertising body”, shocked by apparent lapse of moral judgement by the governing body!  The issue is that private abortion clinics are now able to advertise on telly, perhaps not in an upsetting way but nevertheless advertise their pre-natal services.  So I’m watching Downton Abbey, which is interrupted by sugar puffs, persil and now being offered a termination???!!!!!

Now I’m sure it will not get to that, but what is going on.  I’m pretty anti abortion in most cases, but a pro-lifer  I do empathise and understand how for some women abortion seems to be the only option open to them (its not by the way).  I may not agree, but I can get my head around why a woman may feel that is her only choice.  But to advertise services that terminate life along with ready made meals and sofas seems to be morally wrong in every respect.

I suppose it is the inevitable conclusion to a consumer society.  We consume everything in sight, and so now we have the “right” to choose the service to terminate life.  I suppose it won’t be long before euthanasia is legalised and Dignitas will sponsor formula 1 racing.  Madness.