Archives for June 2019

 God has some amazing and wonderful things to say about His prophets:

1) God’s plans and purposes are revealed to them – ‘Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets’ (Amos 3:7).

2) The life of a prophet was a sign – ‘Ezekiel will be a sign to you; you will do just as he has done. When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord’ (Ezekiel 24:24).

‘He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah’ (Matthew 12:39).

3) God commands people to listen when He is speaking through a true prophet – ‘I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name’ (Deuteronomy 18:18-19).

4) God expects people to take notice of the words of past prophets – “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:29-31).

5) The prophets point us to Jesus – ‘And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself’ (Luke 24:27).

6) There is a blessing for welcoming a prophet – ‘Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward’ (Matthew 10:41).

7) The lives of the prophets help us to understand the Bible – ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

God bless you as you grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ through His word, Pastor Matthew.

 

“And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27).

 

When the Lord Jesus Christ was being rejected by the people of Nazareth, He made reference to the miraculous ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. He used this to illustrate the point that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown. Elijah was looked after by a widow at Zarephath, which was a town outside Israel, and Elisha healed a leper called Naaman, who was a commander under the king of Aram.

By the authority of Jesus Christ we have to acknowledge that the miracles of these Old Testament prophets were not myths or legends, but were actual events that took place. Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s power, and he performed twice the number of miracles. The way that Elisha heard the voice of God was amazing and fantastic.

Something to take note of is Elisha’s interaction with the kings of Israel, Judah, Edom, Aram and Moab. While being the prophet of Israel, his witness for God challenged the surrounding nations. He was sold out for God. He inspired and trained numerous other prophets, so that the prophetic ministry was well established in Israel at that time, despite the backsliding and unfaithfulness of the nation.

What is the point of contemplating Elisha’s testimony? We are told that, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The ministry of Elisha is recorded in Scripture for our training. He walked intimately with the Lord so that we are encouraged to walk intimately with the Lord. If you have never given your life to the Lord Jesus, I hope that you are touched by God to do so today.

God bless you as you take to heart the testimony of this wonderful prophet, Pastor Matthew.

The testimony of John the Baptist

‘A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 40:3-5).

These words were proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah more than seven hundred years before the coming of the person it pointed to. When John the Baptist was asked who he was he simply quoted this Old Testament Scripture, saying that he was the voice in the desert preparing the way for the Lord.

I will be sharing with you the testimony of John the Baptist, for there are important things that we must learn from his life. He was called of God and raised up as a prophet to prepare the way for the first coming of our Lord and Saviour. Two thousand years later, we as believers have the responsibility of preparing the way for Christ’s second coming. The glory of the Lord is to be revealed.

‘There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world’ (John 1:6-9). John was sent from God. John was a witness concerning the light and that light was not himself; that light was Jesus. John is a witness so that people will believe. Therefore people need to take notice of John.

Jesus said: “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light” (John 5:33-35). If you believe the testimony of John the Baptist you can be saved because everything John did pointed to Jesus. The light of Jesus shone through him powerfully. You must believe the testimony of John so that the light of Jesus can shine through you also.

There are very few people who are acknowledged in Scripture as being so significant as John the Baptist. It is therefore a joy and a pleasure to be able to present to you today his testimony.