ENGLISH 7_Q4_LESSON 2_ Employing a Variety of Strategies for Effective Interp...
WISDOM FOR THE HEART MONTHLY BILINGUAL MAGAZINE 19 jan 2017 - mag
1. WISDOM FOR THE HEARTEnglish, Telugu (Bilingual) Monthly Magazine
Vol / dü+|ü⁄{Ï:2 Issue / dü+∫ø£:7 January / »qe]2017 Price / yÓ:20/`
One Fair Chance : to give every person an opportunity
to respond to the Gospel. The whole Gospel is to
the whole person, is to the whole world.
Each one - Teach one - Reach Ten.
TO RESPOND TO THE GOSPEL
2. GOOD NEWS BIBLE COLLEGE & SEMINARY
SECUNDERABAD
18th
Batch Final Examinations - December, 1 - 12, 2016
B.Th - 11 B.D - 5 M.Th - 9
19th
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January - 2017
Good News Bible College & Seminary takes pleasure and proved to speak
about the esteemed faculty and syllabus. these men of vision, pioneers
in mission are well equipped and endowed by the spiritual knowledge
who know, how to rightly divide the word of God.
Rev. Dr. G. Jaya Sekhar, Founder/Director
# 9-1-152/2, Sebastian Road, Secunderabad - 500 003. Telangana State.
Ph : 040-27717973, +91-984852008, +91-9866774379
Email : info@wisdomfortheheart.in | Web : www.wisdomfortheheart.in
GOOD NEWS BIBLE COLLEGE & SEMINARY
SECUNDERABAD
18th
Batch Final Examinations - December, 1 - 12, 2016
B.Th - 11 B.D - 5 M.Th - 9
19th
Batch Starts on 6th
January - 2017
Good News Bible College & Seminary takes pleasure and proved to speak
about the esteemed faculty and syllabus. these men of vision, pioneers
in mission are well equipped and endowed by the spiritual knowledge
who know, how to rightly divide the word of God.
Rev. Dr. G. Jaya Sekhar, Founder/Director
# 9-1-152/2, Sebastian Road, Secunderabad - 500 003. Telangana State.
Ph : 040-27717973, +91-984852008, +91-9866774379
Email : info@wisdomfortheheart.in | Web : www.wisdomfortheheart.in
3. “Fear thou not for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I
am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” (Isaiah
41:10)
Indeed, this is God’s New Year’s resolution for me as well as
for the readers of Wisdom for the Heart magazine. How blessed
we are that we already know His resolution for us in the New Year.
It is true, we do not know every step of the way that lies ahead.
We do not know every piece that He will fit into the pattern, but
we do know the pattern. It is the pattern of our gracious God, who
has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. He has given us His
word so that in all the changing scenes of life He may strengthen
us, help us, and uphold us when we are in distress.
The Apostle Paul says: “If we are faithless, He will remain
faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.” (2 Tim 2:13). I believe
that God keeps His resolutions, and He has resolved to shower
with endless gracious mercy all those who embrace His son as
Lord and Savior. Sometimes our puny resolutions may fade with
the drooping tinsel and broken glass, but Gods resolve is eternal
and unchangeable. We may safely place our highest hope in Him
when he says “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb
13:5). The Apostle Paul has good news for us when he reminded
us that there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love in
Christ. Throughout this whole year, our Lord freely offers us the
important blessings he has provided for us. He reminds us always
in scriptures of His concern for us. “I will not fail thee, nor forsake
thee” (Joshua 1:5). I am with you always, even unto the end of the
world” (Matt 28:20). Throughout the year that lies ahead, we will
experience the glorious truth that will comfort us in 2017.
New Year’s Resolution
Sharing the word with the world!
Rev. Dr. G. Jayasekhar
Chief Editor
Mob : +91 9848452008
4. Rev. G. Billy Judson
Editor
Mob : +91 9849619433
ANew Year begins! In Jesus, God’s new creation has begun. We
believe that what God has done in Jesus has also been raised from death
to life. We are saved to experience what we have not known before life.
The Baptism gives us a new name and repentance gives us forgiveness.
We received him, “to them gave he power to become the Sons of God,
even to them that believe, on His name.” (John 1: 12)
How much newness will the days ahead bring? New implies
something we have not experienced before. For the believers, newness
is not turning a page on a calendar. Newness is wrapped up in a person:
The new man, Jesus Christ, God gave him to the world so we might
experience what we have never experienced before in our life. Life that
is separated from its creator is not life: it is not even a poor imitation
of life. Scripture calls this earthly life “death”, but Jesus is the Saviour
from death. He becomes part of our death. He empties himself of his
relationship with God. That is what the cross means. The resurrection
introduces a truly new thing, not just hope of life after death, but the hope
of life before the grave and despite the grave. This will be a happy new
year if each day we are buried with Christ and raised with Him. Let us
make the good word of forgiveness our New Year’s resolution, “I will
up hold thee” (Isaiah 41:10). How fortunate that we already know His
resolution for us in the New Year! It is true, we do not know every step
of the way that lies ahead. We do not know every piece that he will fit
into the pattern, but we do know the pattern. Our pattern comes from a
gracious God, who has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ.
God has given us his word for all the changing scenes of life.
God will strengthen us and uphold us. God can never lie. The Apostle
Paul says: “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny
himself.” (2 Tim 2: 13) In other words, God keeps his resolutions, and
he has resolved to shower with endless mercy all those who embrace His
son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Our weakest resolution may fade
with the drooping tinsel and broken glass, but God’s resolve is eternal
and unchangeable. We place our highest hope in him and may the joy
of our salvation be evident throughout this year of 2017.
Every Thing is New
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20. ACADEMIC PROCESSION COMMENCEMENT SERMON
Good News Bible Co
18th
Graduation on 1PROF. CHRISTIE KUMAR
PROF. WILLIAM CAREY PROF. KUMAR
21. CHAIRMAN- REV. DR.D.H. PAUL PROF. RONALD WESLEY
ollege and Seminary
19th
December 2016 PROF. B. PRABHAKER RAO
PROF. K. JESURATHNAM PROF. PAUL PARKER
22. WISDOM FOR THE HEARTEnglish, Telugu (Bilingual) Monthly Magazine
Vol / dü+|ü⁄{Ï:2 Issue / dü+∫ø£:7 January / »qe]2017 Price / yÓ:20/`
One Fair Chance : to give every person an opportunity
to respond to the Gospel. The whole Gospel is to
the whole person, is to the whole world.
Each one - Teach one - Reach Ten.
TO RESPOND TO THE GOSPEL
27. January 2017WISDOM FOR THE HEART25
He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19.
I have come to know the
treasures hidden in the Holy Bible
Many a time I got the opportunity to give Gods
messages in the churches as well as in prayer
meetings, but I thought I am not theological-
ly qualified to preach Gods word. The sensitive
questions bothers me always and I thought it
is not possible for me to become a preacher.
After doing my theological studies B.Th
& B.D at Good News Bible College &
Seminary, equipped me better to
teach others.
– Charli
Devarapalli
G o o d News Bi-
ble College & Seminary teach-
ing professors are excellent and compe-
tent to explain the word of God so fluently.
The study material supplied is so good to
make the student understand well oneself
as a future evangelist. I am so grate-
ful to the Lord having me trained in
such a way. Now I gained confi-
dence that I Could teach the
word of God systemat-
ically. – Thomas
Mamidi
My stu dies at
Good NewsBible College
& Seminary gave me the ability
and confidence to rightly divide
the word of God and for that, I
will always be grateful to the
Director and Teaching
faculty—
K.Sudarsanam
I am very grateful to
God for given me an opportu-
nity to study systematic Theology in
Good news Bible college &: Seminary
has given me a greater understand-
ing of Gods person and character.
That inturn, engendered faith
and love for God that I am
serving.--- Byram
Prasangi.
28. January 2017 WISDOM FOR THE HEART 26
My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Psalm 73:26
Cont...
WE FORGET GOD’S PAST POWER AND HIS
FUTURE PROMISE
A second principle from this account is that
when faith fails, we start looking at our strength in-
stead of God’s. (Numbers 14:1-12)
Israel’s failure of faith involved at least two
fundamental theological lapses. First, they forgot
what God had done for them in the past, so they no
longer saw God’s past deliverance as a source of
strength. Second, they ignored God’s promises for
the future, so they no longer had confidence that
their destiny was secure..
Numbers 14:1 Then all the congregation raised
a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And
all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and
Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would
that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that
we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord
bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our
wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it
not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they
said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go
back to Egypt.”
Numbers 14:5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on
their faces before all the assembly of the congrega-
tion of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son
of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were
among those who had spied out the land, tore their
clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the peo-
ple of Israel, “The land, which we passed through
to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the
Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land
and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and hon-
ey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not
fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us.
Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord
is with us; do not fear them.” 10 Then all the congre-
gation said to stone them with stones. But the glory
of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the
people of Israel.
11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will
this people despise me? And how long will they not
believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done
among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence
and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation
greater and mightier than they.”
Once the majority of spies said there was no
hope, the Israelites went from wondering to mourn-
29. January 2017WISDOM FOR THE HEART27
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? Mark 4:40
ing to outright rebellion. Their distrust was so com-
plete that actually claim to prefer death over faith in
God. They felt they would have been better off had
they died in Egypt or died in the wilderness while
coming out of Egypt. When forced to choose be-
tween faith on God and death, Israel chose death.
They had completely lost hope. But isn’t that the
same choice that all people make? When it comes to
our relationship with God, there are two choices. We
can choose faith in God, or we choose death. There
is no third option. We are either for Christ, or we are
against Christ.
Israel was ready to overthrow the leadership.
They want to sone Moses, Aaron, Joshua and Caleb
They want to set some new leaders in place. Even
more tragically, they want to return to the slavery
and bondage of Egypt.
The godly leaders took action. Moses and Aar-
on fell down in a posture of repentant prayer. Joshua
and Caleb tore their clothes as a sign of mourning.
They did this because they understood that what the
nation was doing was a terrible sin against God.
Here’s another lesson for us: Godly leaders
find unfaithfulness distressful. Picture yourself in the
position of Joshua and Caleb. You are two of twelve
men who have to influence your nation to make a de-
cision. The group is faced with two options: one that
would bring honor to God, and another that would
dishonor God. You and one other man want the
group to choose to align with God. But the ten other
people want to choose to disobey God, and all the
people take the advice of the ten. How much anguish
would that cause you? Joshua and Caleb desired was
to lead their people toward faith in the God who ful-
fills His promises.
Israel’s slavery had been broken. Deliverance
of the nation through the wilderness had been as-
sured. The Promised Land they had awaited was
within sight. This was all due to the gracious hand of
God. The people forgot two important things: They
forgot God’s past faithfulness and power in their
lives. And, they forgot God’s promised to lead them
in the future.
Here’s a key truth: The work of God in the past
is not something only for the history books. It’s the
assurance of what He can do in our present circum-
stances. We need to always try to see our life circum-
stances from the viewpoint of what God has done in
the past and His promise for the future. We’re not
different from the Israelites. God has saved and de-
livered us from bondage. But still, we face obstacles
and temptations that seem impossible to overcome.
We often find ourselves relying on our own strength.
We’re supposed to view the circumstances of
our lives through the lens of what God has done for
us in Christ. God wants us to face trials, temptations
and difficult circumstances. He knows that those
things shape our character. Sometimes those situa-
tions might seem like they are impossible to over-
come. When that happens: the solution is to remem-
ber two things. Dwell on what the Lord has done for
you already. And, recall all of the promises that He
has made to you. In light of God’s ability to make
and fulfill His promises, we respond in faith.
God wanted it to be clear to the entire nation
that their lack of faith in God was a series sin. In
verse 10 - the Lord personally visited the camp.
Numbers 14:10 Then all the congregation said
to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord
appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of
Israel.
Joshua and Caleb bowed down and cried out
for the people to remember God’s presence among
them. As they did - God showed up! Verse 11 con-
tains an important question. The Lord is speaking:
11 “How long will
this people despise me?
And how long will they not
believe in me, in spite of all
the signs that I have done
among them?
Every time we expe-
rience God doing some-
thing in our life, that’s God
helping us to learn to trust
Him more.
- Pastor Scott Wylie
30. January 2017 WISDOM FOR THE HEART 28
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
In His incarnation, Jesus did not in
any sense, to any degree, at any time, or
for any season surrender any whit of deity
(Colossians 2:9); indeed, the very notion
of “surrendering” deity is incongruous to
the point of nonsense. Jesus did, however,
take upon Himself genuine human nature
(Philippians 2:6-8).
There is ineffable mystery in the
proposition that “the Word became flesh”
as it is presented and developed in the
Gospel narratives. But the stewardship of
the believer is to bow the knee to all that
the Scriptures make clear, even if there are
dynamics or ramifications of revealed truth
which ultimately transcend the ability to
fully comprehend.
The Scriptures make clear that Jesus’s
humanity – albeit unfallen humanity –
was genuine and entire. Thus, as we read
the Gospel narratives of Jesus’s life, it is
important to remember that except at those
occasional and relatively infrequent times
when the Holy Spirit directed Jesus to access
and employ the superhuman capacities
which are a function of His divine attributes,
He lived out His life under the actual
and real limitations intrinsic to unfallen
humanity. Thus, during the period between
His physical conception and His ascension
to the Father, Jesus voluntarily surrendered
the independent exercise of His divine
attributes.
This construct does not solve the
enigma of the relationship between the
divine and human natures. (Indeed, that
enigma cannot be solved.) It does, however,
express the biblical teaching concerning the
way in which Jesus of Nazareth lived out His
life upon the earth, and thus reflects what
the gospels teach concerning the functional
relationship between those natures.
Did Jesus Stop Being God?
Dr. Doug Bookman
B.A., M.Div., Th.M., Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament and Bible Exposition
Dr. Doug Bookman
31. January 2017WISDOM FOR THE HEART29
We know our wickedness, O LORD, The iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You. Jeremiah 14:20
“The Orphaned Book” – Walt Kaiser
• Vs. 16
o “The presence of the Lord”: lit. the face of Yahweh
I.e., the immediate presence of the Lord
o “He will not regard them…”:
He is not looking over them. (Cf. 1:11)
o Also the people no longer honored them
Translation is something like:
The face of the Lord has scattered them,
He will not continue to see them;
The faces of the priests they (i.e., the people) have
not lifted up,
They have not favored (i.e., shown favor to) the
elders.
• Vs. 13–16 SUMMARY: The priests and the prophets are
largely responsible for the exile. They have led the people
away from Yahweh, they have shed innocent blood, and
are, therefore, defiled. The people seem to have rejected
them. God has scattered them, and no one will welcome
them.
Vs. 17-20: No Escape from the Destroyer (important backgrounded
info for vs. 21–22)
• They had looked for assistance, but there was none
• They tried to flee, but there was no escape
Vs. 18:
• “hunted”: this is a hunting term
Vs. 20:
• “The breath of our nostrils…”
o This is perhaps an Egyptian phrase
o It refers to the one who gives life to the nation, i.e., the
king
• “the Lord’s anointed”
o The masiah
o This is the king
Why were they upset to lose a bad king appointed
by Babylon (Jer. 37:1)?
• He represented the Davidic line
• Without that line, there was no hope for the kingdom
• However, this is not a prophetic verse, it is a verse about
the inadequacy of any earthly king
o They hoped in him and he failed them…all of the
kings failed them.
Vs. 21–22: Hope Remains for Zion
• These verses offer the only glimmer of hope in this
chapter
o This is now the third of the poems that ends with
hope
o The hope is always dependent upon restoration and
restitution
• Edom (i.e., gentiles) are laughing now, but it will come
to an end soon
• They will soon get drunk on the cup of the Lord’s anger
• IMPORTANT: What was prayed in 1:22 is now spoken
of confidently
o The poet knows that the enemies of Israel will be
punished
o The poet knows that Israel will be restored
• For Israel: the worst is behind her
• For Edom: the worst is ahead
IV. Application
• Our sin has consequences.
o Separation from God is
the worst form of pun-
ishment
o Divided relationships
with those closest to us
• This is true even in light of
our forgiveness in Christ
Jesus
• This should motivate us to
confess our sins immediately
Stephen D. Campbell
32. January 2017 WISDOM FOR THE HEART 30
“For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the LORD. Proverbs 8:35
Discernment
The mission of Wisdom for the Heart Women’s Ministry is
to contribute to the spiritual growth of women by providing
opportunities for learning, serving, sharing and belonging.
One of the ways in which we strive to accomplish this
mission is by being a resource for women as they grow in
their walk with the Lord. We want to provide sound and
useful tools for a woman’s spiritual journey as she seeks to
deepen her personal relationship with Jesus. It is our desire
that women not only gain knowledge of God and His Word,
but that they acquire wisdom and discernment of biblical
principles so that they can apply them to their lives in ways
that are practical and transformational. My hope is that this
blog post will be such a resource.
A common question that comes to the Women’s Ministry
Council is: “What are your thoughts about (fill in the
blank)?” That is, quite often women will ask the Council to
evaluate a blog post, book, Bible Study, or speaker they have
encountered in their personal pursuit of godliness. What a
blessing it is to have a congregation of women hungry for
God’s Word, who are seeking to supplement their spiritual
appetites beyond a Sunday morning sermon! And what a
thrill it is to hear of women’s desire to feed upon “good
food” and avoid “empty calories” by seeking guidance.
If you have ever walked into a Christian bookstore, or even
searched for anything “Christian” online, you know that
there are many items “on the menu” from which to choose,
and it can be difficult to select healthy options. The nature of
this article is to assist the women of Wisdom for the Heart,
in their pursuit of sound resources.
Some foundational truths
Let’s begin with some assumptions about our walk with
God…
FIRST, God desires for us to know Him intimately
• Our God is an intimate God; He has chosen to reveal
himself, and desires us to gain
such knowledge of Him! If you are unfamiliar with this
concept, I encourage you to
consider Jesus’ prayer to his heavenly Father, in which
he describes eternal life as
knowledge of the one true God (Jn 17:3). Or perhaps
read the book of Ephesians,
paying close attention to the prayers of the apostle Paul
in chapters 1 and 3.
• Also consider that Jesus claimed the greatest
commandments are to love God and
love others (Mt 22:37-39). In order to do so, we must
first know God, and know him intimately.
SECOND, God has provided the means through which such
intimate knowledge can be gained.
• Our heavenly Father has blessed us tremendously by
giving us many gifts, such as:
• His Word: God has provided a written record of his
revelation in the Bible. The truth
words of Holy Scripture are to be considered inspired,
inerrant, infallible, trustworthy
and sufficient.
• His Son: God has provided us with Himself! He sent
His son Jesus Christ to pave the
way for a relationship with him. Christ’s death, burial
and resurrection provided the
perfect and ultimate sacrifice for the sin of mankind,
and a relationship with him
based on this truth is the foundation of our ability to
know our heavenly Father intimately.
Discernment
33. January 2017WISDOM FOR THE HEART31
How can you believe if you accept glory from one another,
yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5:44
• The Holy Spirit: God has chosen to permanently indwell
– that is, live inside! --
every believer so that their minds may be illuminated
to His truth.
WOW! We have so much at our disposal! Certainly a
relationship with God himself,
access to His Word and the power of His indwelling
Spirit should be enough for us to
grow and walk in edification. However, without
diminishing the power that God has
provided in Jesus, the Bible and the Holy Spirit, let us
contemplate another gift God has
provided.... one another!
• The Church: God has provided another unique and
valuable gift to his children: the
church. He has given us the local church (a body of
believers who assemble regularly
for worship, teaching, service and fellowship) and he
has also given a vast array of
faithful witnesses around the world from which we can
draw upon for wisdom,
guidance, encouragement and support. Let’s face it,
none of us have all the answers!
We need teachers who will instruct us. We need people
who are more mature in their
faith from which to glean wisdom. We need friends who
will speak truth in love
when we are blind to our blindness, and who will speak
words of encouragement
when we are facing despair. We need folks to provide
practical ways in which to
communicate with our spouses, parent our children,
love our neighbors, and manage
our finances. We need each other during times of
anxiety, discouragement, confusion
and sorrow. Between the local church and the body of
believers at large, we have
access to preachers, teachers, counselors, mentors,
historians, scholars, authors, and
speakers who can help in our walk with the Lord.
But are all of these human resources helpful? As you are
well aware, the human race is fallen;
and although believers are redeemed, the potential for false
or errant teaching still exists.
Although we have an extraordinarily vast array of resources
at our disposal (especially today
with technology offering podcasts of every sermon
imaginable, YouTube channels, daily
devotional Bible apps, online magazine subscriptions and
social media) , not everything that is
offered is profitable. We need to select carefully and assess
wisely the resources we use to feed
our souls.
Please, let me be clear… The purpose of this blog post is not
to provide hard and fast rules on
“what” and “what not” to read. It is not to steer you toward
or away from a particular author,
teacher or speaker. It is to assist you in your own process of
discernment by simply offering
suggestions on how to evaluate material so that you can
maximize your spiritual growth. What
follows are recommendations on how to discern whether or
not what you are feasting upon is
healthy for your mind, heart, and overall spiritual health.
Prof. Deb Martin
34. January 2017 WISDOM FOR THE HEART 32
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 1 Corinthians 4:1
Leadership Lesson #2 – To whom much is
given, much is expected. Those words have
never rung more true than in the case of
Adoniram Judson. God abundantly blessed
this man with numerous spiritual gifts, and
expected him to use those gifts for His glory.
Each one of us needs to be good stewards of the
gifts that we have been endowed with.
“As every man hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter
4:10)
Both Mr. and Mrs. Judson were not shy about
communicating how much they expected
of Adoniram, either. They were sure to
frequently tell him that God was going to use
him in unimaginable ways. He should prepare
himself to be used in ways similar to another
Massachusetts native who lived in the local
vicinity, named John Adams. Adams just
happened to become President of the United
States during Adoniram’s formative years. What
animpactthatmusthavemadeonhisyoungand
impressionable mind. Fortunately, Adoniram
relished the intellectual stimulation associated
Following Adoniram
Leadership Lessons
PART 2
with the demands of higher education and
learning. He developed an insatiable appetite
to be the best that he could be in his studies.
He was also driven for notoriety and success.
It was in this context, at the age of sixteen
(six days after his sixteenth birthday) that he
entered Brown University (name was changed
to Brown shortly after his arrival to Providence,
Rhode Island) to take both his intellectual
pursuits and ambition out for a spin among his
peers in what was considered one of the finest
institutions of higher education in the country.
Michael LaPierre
35. January 2017WISDOM FOR THE HEART33
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:29
The CHRIST-CENTRED Principle
1. The Mind of Deity is centred on Christ. Christ is the
visible image of the invisible God.
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5).
“In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily.” (Colossians 2:9).
“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3).
“Who is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians
1:15).
2. All Angelic thought and ministry centre on Christ.
Seraphim worshipped Christ as Jehovah whom
Isaiah saw. (Isaiah 6:5 and John 12:41).
Angels announced Christ’s birth. (Luke 1:26-38; 2:8-
20).
Angels ministered to Christ after Satan tempted
Him 40 days in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:11).
Angels return with Christ to earth. (Matthew 25:31;
2 Thessalonians 1:7).
Angels are subject to Christ. (1 Peter 3:22).
All Angels of God worship Christ. (Hebrews 1:6).
3. All Satan’s hatred and attacks are centred on Christ.
Satan tried to corrupt mankind and Christ’s line
before the flood (Genesis 6:1-5).
Satan used Pharaoh to try to destroy Israel &
Christ’s line in Egyptian bondage. (Exodus 1:7-22).
Satan used Athaliah to try to wipe out Christ’s line.
One baby Joash survived. (2 Kings 11).
Satan used Haman to try to destroy Christ’s line.
God used Esther to save Israel and Christ’s line.
(Esther 4:1,13-16).
Satan used King Herod to kill all male babies under
age 2 in order to kill Christ. (Matthew 2).
4. All Human Hopes are centred on Christ of:
Having eternal life. (1 John 5:12-13).
Freeing Creation from the corruption of sin
(Romans 8:18-23).
Having a resurrection body like Christ’s
(1 Joh 3:1-3).
5. All the material universe’s preservation centres on
Christ.
“Upholding all things by the Word of His Power.”
(Hebrews 1:3).
“By him were all things created, by him all things
consist.” (Colossians 1:16,17).
6. All the Written Word of God centres on Christ.
Christ is the perfect example of the perfect man.
The life of the Bible is Christ, as its central theme
and character.
Christ is in every book of the Bible as seen by.
Dr. Keith Piper
36. January 2017 WISDOM FOR THE HEART 34
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him,
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Acts 16:9
How Do You Start or Renew a Ministry?
Acts 16:6-11
often works like that. God moves
in one direction only to alter this
plan in order to fulfill something
else of His own design.
How Do You Start or
Renew a Ministry? When Darla
Peters arrived in Kenya in the
early 1990’s with a new medical
mission, she was struck in one
particular city by all the boys
roaming the streets with no care
or hope. Her mission did not
entail ministering to abandoned
street children, but God moved
her further in this direction.
Ultimately, she left her mission
organization and set up her own
work in Kisumu, Kenya’s third
largest city, and developed a
substantial rehabilitation and
reconciliation ministry with
young lives.
Philippians was a ministry
like that. It was not originally
scheduled by Paul. God alters his
plans with different ones. God
works like that at times when He
develops a new ministry. Like
Paul, we need to be open to this.
Be aware that God may lead His
servants to work in a difficult
place
Acts 16:12
“and from there to Philippi,
which is a leading city of the
district of Macedonia and a
Roman Colony.”
Be open to God’s leading
Acts 16:6-11
6 And they went through the
region of Phrygia and Galatia,
having been forbidden by the
Holy Spirit to speak the word in
Asia.
7 And when they had come up to
Mysia, they attempted to go into
Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus
did not allow them.
8 So, passing by Mysia, they went
down to Troas.
9 And a vision appeared to Paul
in the night: a man of Macedonia
was standing there,
urging him and saying, “Come
over to Macedonia and help us.”
10 And when Paul had seen the
vision, immediately we sought
to go on into Macedonia,
concluding that God had called
us to preach the gospel to them.
11 So, setting sail from Troas,
we made a direct voyage to
Samothrace, and the following
day to Neapolis,
Reading through this
passage in Acts, our attention is
drawn to all the closed doors and
thwartedplans.TheSpiritforbids
Paul and his group from entering
Asia and blocks their way into
Bithynia after they traveled
150 miles to get there. Then, by
way of a vision, he directs them
away from remaining in Troas.
This does not mean that God
had no plans to reach souls in
those areas. In fact, Paul would
ultimately return to Troas and
minister there (Acts 20:5-6).
Yet, at this time the Spirit moves
him in another direction. Saying
“yes” to one place meant saying
“no” to somewhere else.
Overall, Paul traveled 200-
300 miles over the course of
days, if not weeks, only to receive
a closed door. We are not told
how he reacted. We only know
that he pressed on until God
directed him elsewhere. He did
not remain in Lystra. The vision
did not occur in Mysia. He had
to keep going until he came to
Troas. Then it happened. He
received a vision of direction.
If we are to be used by the
Lord in a new work to impact
people’s lives, we must be open
for God to lead us as well as hold
us up. The ministry in Philippi
was not targeted by Paul at first.
God had to close some doors of
ministrythatPaulpursuedbefore
He opened others in this city.
Even the Apostle Paul’s original
plans had to be scrapped as God
brought him to one place only to
move him to another. Ministry