B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #159
B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #159
I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’
December 31, 2009
Home with the Lord
In the Tiruttani District of the BELC-India Pastor Magimaidoss has died due to liver problems. This is a time for rejoicing since another warrior for the Lord on this earth has been called home. Let’s also remember to pray for His wife, Elda, and two children – Samraj and Julee. Blessed are those who die in the Lord. May God comfort the family with the knowledge of eternal life in Christ, now for the father and one day for the rest of the family.
Prayer of Thanks
Pastor V.S.Benjamin, head of the CLCI in India, has recently had surgery to remove fluid on the brain and is now recovering. We thank the Lord for His protective and healing hand over His servant.
The Washing of Regeneration and Renewal in the Holy Spirit
Pastor Paul Panpani of the Kajiado District of the CLC East Africa reports the following baptisms for the year: 352 adults, 270 children, 110 infants. In their 16 parishes they have waiting for baptism: 155 adults, 40 children and 23 infants. What a joy that so many now have the comfort in baptism of sins forgiven, deliverance from death and the devil and that they face eternal life. Another thing for us to rejoice in is that these people are of the Masai tribe which is the least evangelized in Kenya if not in all of sub-Saharan Africa. We rejoice with Pastor Papani and his pastors that this work of the Lord has gone forth and that they were His instruments to carry on the work. God continue to give them zeal to reach out.
Angel Study part #1
Our Lord is so good to us though we don’t deserve this. One of the many ways He is good to us is having His angels serve and protect us. In this brief study outline we look at the angels from a variety of perspectives, all based in Scripture.
The word “angel’ is found more than 300 times in the Bible. The Old Testament word for it is mal’ak and means messenger. The single book that has the most references to angels is Revelation.
Appearance
The artistic presentations by Moses and Solomon for the Mercy Seat for the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple shows them with wings. Ex. 37:6-9, I Kings 6:23-28
Also, Is. 6:2-6, Ez. 1:5-9, 10:5. Daniel makes mention of the swift flight of an angel. Daniel 9:21.
They are clothed in beautiful garments Mt. 28:2-3 or in ordinary clothing Gen. 19:1-5.
They take the form of men. Gen. 18:2, Mk. 16:5, Lk. 24:4, Acts 1:10. And in the form of men appearing to Abraham they could eat, wash and take hands. Gen. 19:1-10.
Other Characteristics
They do God’s pleasure. Ps. 103:21 And in doing such serve us. Heb. 1:14
They possess extraordinary strength. Ps. 103:20, 2 Pet. 2:10-11, Dan. 6:21,22.
They do not marry or propagate. Mt. 22:30.
They live forever. Lk. 20:36
They enjoy singing. Rev. 5:11-12
They experience joy. Lk. 15:10.
They are wise. 2 Sam. 14:20
They inhabit the throne room of God. I Kings 22:19
They know God’s plan. Acts 1:10-11 Though they do not know all. I Pet. 1:12
They are swift. Lk. 2:13, Acts 12:7, 12:23
Their Number
Heb. 12:22 says “thousands upon thousands.”
Jesus could have called down 12 legions or 72,000. Mt. 26:53
Daniel saw 10,000 times 10,000 or 100 million. Dan. 7:10
They are an ‘army’ as Elisha saw. 2 Kings 6:15
Around the throne they are myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands. Rev. 5:11
Their Ranks
Seraphim is the plural of seraph which means ‘burning one.’ These with six wings are found described only in Is. 6:1-6.
Cherubim is the plural of cherub which means ‘one who intercedes.’ They are first seen in Gen. 3:24. They have four wings. I Kings 6:23f, 7:29,36
Archangel is a leader of angels with the ‘arch’ prefix indicating leadership or being first among. The word is found twice. In I Thess. 4:16 the archangel is unnamed. The one named is Michael (‘who is like God’) Jude 9. He is also referred to in: Dan. 10:13, 12:1, Rev. 12:7. The other angel who is named is Gabriel (‘hero of God’). Lk. 1:19,26, Dan. 8:16, 9:21. While we could assume he is also an archangel, the Word does not say so.
A Passage Explained = MT. 27:3
“When Judas, His betrayer, saw that he was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.” Some translations say Judas ‘repented’ while some others say ‘sorrowing.’ The word for repent, metanoeo, is not used here by Matthew. Instead he uses a different word, metamelomai. This word means only a regret, a sorrow and no more. You can even see that it is not the same word. To repent means to change one’s mind. While Judas may have regretted his actions, he did not repent which involves turning in faith to Jesus, as is obvious when he goes out committing suicide. Suicide is an ultimate statement of unbelief. It is an expression of regret and sorrow, but not of trust. Judas had a worldly sorrow and that was all.
In 2 Cor. 7:10 we read, “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.” Peter is an example of godly grief when he goes out and weeps and turns again to Jesus. Judas is an example of worldly grief that leads to death.
A Passage Explained = Mark 9:23
“All things are possible to him who believes.” A father brings his boy who is tortured by a demon for Jesus to heal. The father says to Jesus, “if You can.” Jesus exclaims back, “If you can!” When the leper came to Jesus for healing he said, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Lk. 5:12 The point to remember is that whatever we ask of our Lord, it must be according to His will, not ours. We may have a very strong faith, but if what we ask for is not according to His will, it will not be. Faith trusts in the will of God to be done, as Jesus taught us to pray with His example, “Not my will be done, but Thine.” The father in Mark’s reference then understands this point and says, “I believe; help my unbelief!”
When Jesus says “…whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea…” (Mk. 11:23) is using a figure of speech of hyperbole or exaggeration for effect. This figure of speech does not contradict ‘according to God’s will.’ The overriding point is always as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, and as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy will be done.” When Jesus gives the illustration of a mountain cast into the sea, people sit up and take notice. That is the purpose of the figure of speech.
Think also about how if your hand causes you to sin you should cut if off. That is hyperbole. It would not be right to cut off your hand. Jesus uses that and the eye to be plucked out to point up with exaggeration for the effect of seeing how horrible sin is.
Pastor Koenig