LHIM Weekly Bible Teaching

God has always worked with individuals throughout history.  Here is a select list of examples of God working with people through His spirit in Old Testament times.

Genesis 41:33-40   Joseph’s prophecy and wisdom to prepare for the famine

When we come to Jesus, we find holy spirit activity at an unprecedented and world-changing level, right from his conception onwards.

Luke 1:34-35   Jesus’s conception due to the holy spirit coming upon Mary

Then came Pentecost, which blew the doors wide open for all who call upon the name of the Lord to receive the spirit.

Acts 6:1-4   Even serving food to the needy required someone “full of the spirit.”

What about you, today?

Luke 11:11-13   The spirit is not just for super-Christians, but for all who ask the Father.  Have you asked Him?  He is happy to give it to all who desire it.

God has always worked with individuals throughout history. Here is a select list of examples of God working with people through His spirit in Old Testament times.

Genesis 41:33-40 Joseph’s prophecy and wisdom to prepare for the famine

When we come to Jesus, we find holy spirit activity at an unprecedented and world-changing level, right from his conception onwards.

Luke 1:34-35 Jesus’s conception due to the holy spirit coming upon Mary

Then came Pentecost, which blew the doors wide open for all who call upon the name of the Lord to receive the spirit.

Acts 6:1-4 Even serving food to the needy required someone “full of the spirit.”

What about you, today?

Luke 11:11-13 The spirit is not just for super-Christians, but for all who ask the Father. Have you asked Him? He is happy to give it to all who desire it.

Luke 24:49 The promise of the Father is to be clothed with power.

Acts 1:4-5 “Clothed” in Luke is similar to “baptized” in Acts. The power that the promise brings is not minuscule, rather huge, encompassing everything about your new life in Christ. You have power!

6-8 The promise of the Father is to receive power with the holy spirit. The spirit empowers you to be a witness of Christ. The life you now live shines forth the resurrected Christ. You are not the same, and others can see the difference in you.

Matthew 5:13-16 The lifestyle that Jesus put forth in the Sermon of the Mount could not be implemented in full force until the spirit came, but once the power was given, believers were empowered to live the godly life that Jesus himself lived. We are now empowered to live like he did.

Romans 8:5-6 Flesh = death; spirit = life and peace

7- 8 Flesh is hostile toward God and cannot please Him.

11 We now have a life-giving spirit that is life in all its aspects. We have the ability and authority to live the good, godly life. We must believe it and claim it as our own.

The fight we have with the flesh is fueled by the evil one, who is called the tempter and the accuser. He tries to trap us in an unvirtuous cycle. We must use our God-given power to get off the merry-go-round.

12-15 The evil one also uses intimidation like fear to keep us in slavery, but the chains are broken; the prison door is wide open. Walk out!

2 Timothy 1:7; 1 John 4:18; Hebrews 2:14

Romans 8:16-18 God has our back.

28-39 This is who we are; this is what we have; this is what we will be. Do not believe the lie. You have the power to live as a conqueror.

Acts 1:8 Be a witness

Romans 7:14-18 The Law is spiritual and good, but we are “of the flesh, sold under sin.” Because the Law came from God, it is good. Paul knows this and wants to keep it, but something is holding him back: his flesh. His desire is to do what is right, but he can’t seem to carry it out.

Romans 7:19-20 He keeps doing evil, even when he knows it is wrong. He says, “It is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Does this mean that Paul isn’t responsible for disobeying God since it’s not really him doing it, but some kind of sin force? Douglass Moo nicely explains what’s going on here:

“At first sight, Paul would appear to be saying something unlikely and, indeed, dangerous: that he is not responsible for his actions. But this is not what he means. His point is that his failure to put into action what he wills to do shows that there is something besides himself involved in the situation…another factor that interferes with his performance of what he wants to do. This other factor is indwelling sin. sin is not a power that operates outside of people, making them do its bidding; sin is something resident in the very being, “dwelling” within people, ruling over them like a master over a slave.”

Romans 7:2-24 Paul cries out, “Wretched man that I am, who will deliver me?” He feels so conflicted, so trapped, so helpless that cries out for help. In fact, this moment of surrender is precisely the key that unlocks the door of deliverance.

Romans 7:25-8.4 If you are “in Christ Jesus” there’s a new factor: the spirit of life. You’ve got your own will, sin dwelling in you, and now you’ve got the spirit of life that can set you free in Christ Jesus! This means you can overcome. You can have victory over sin. Because of what God has done in Christ, you can be delivered! If this is the case, does that mean genuine Christians no longer have to deal with the flesh and the pull of sin?

Romans 6:9-14; 13:13-14; Galatians 5:17, 24-26 Even as a Christians we have to consider ourselves “dead to sin and alive to God.” This takes continual effort to bring areas of our lives to God and seek deliverance. We cannot make provision for our flesh to gratify its desires. Even if the flesh remains within us, we also have the spirit to aid us. What’s important is that each and every day we wake up and crucify “the flesh with its passions and desires.”

1 Douglass Moo, The Letter to the Romans, Second Edition (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2018), p. 481.

Psalm 107:1-32 – A Psalm of deliverance

Let them give thanks to Yahweh for His lovingkindness,

2 Chronicles 20:1-30

2 Chr 20:1-2

2 Chr 20:3-4

2 Chr 20:5-13

2 Chr 20:14-20

2 Chr 20:21-25

2 Chronicles 20:26-30

Lessons from Jehoshaphat’s Deliverance

Judges 2:11-19 The book of Judges repeats a cyclical theme throughout. First, the people forget and forsake God for idols. Then, God withdraws His protection, and oppressors take advantage. Amidst great suffering, the people cry out for deliverance. So, God raises up a judge to rescue the people. While that leader lives, the people remain faithful, but then they once again forget and forsake God. Around and around we go with generation after generation repeating the same pattern.

Judges 3:15 God raised up Ehud to deliver the people from King Eglon of Moab. (On his left-handedness, see Judges 20:15-16; 1 Chronicles 12:2.)

Judges 3:19-21 Ehud courageously used his left-handedness to assassinate the king and bring relief to God’s people.

Judges 3:31 Shamgar was a farmer with an ox goad, but God worked through him to save Israel from the Philistines.

Judges 4:4-9 Deborah was a judge and a prophetess who brought a word of the LORD to Barak to attack Jabin, king of Canaan.

Judges 4:13-15 Barak fought against Jabin’s commander, Sisera, and his 900 iron chariots and routed them. Sisera escaped on foot, but met his demise at the hands of a woman, Jael, who lulled him to sleep and hammered a tent peg through his skull.

Judges 6:1-6 Once again, Israel turned away from God and faced the consequences. The Midianites scraped Israel clean of food, making the people hide their food in caves.

Judges 6:12-16 God finds a scared farmer named Gideon and sends an angel with the words, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” After working with him extensively to build his faith, God brought a huge victory through Gideon, defeating 135,000 Midianites with 300 Israelites.

Psalm 18:2-6 The LORD is our rock, fortress, and deliverer! Let us call upon Him and cry out for deliverance in our own time. Let us put our trust in Him.

Judges 9:52-54 Gideon’s son, Abimelech, was a power-hungry, fratricidal tyrant. He attacked other Israelites that didn’t accept his legitimacy until an unnamed woman dropped part of her bread maker on his head. (See also 2 Samuel 11:20-21.)

2 Chronicles 16:9 Likewise, Jephthah and Samson were outcasts through whom God brought sensational deliverance for His people. His eyes are running to and fro, looking for people to work with-those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. Is your heart blameless toward Him?

God delights to use unqualified people in the hardest times to accomplish His greatest work. He is our deliverer. Let us look to Him for our deliverance now.

Isaiah 52:13; 53:8 No one knew what the plan was, the substitutionary sacrifice of our Lord.

His resurrection certifies that:

Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Romans 1:1-3

The war has been won; Yahweh is the victor. Genesis 3:15; Revelation 5:11-14 The end is sealed. Revelation 20:10-15 The devil and all evil will be annihilated forever.

Jesus is now the exalted one like Isaiah 52:13 said. Revelation 19:11-16 He comes again as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Philippians 2:6-11 He will be exalted higher than anyone except Yahweh.

Mark 14:62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.”

We have a new life today. Romans 6:1-11

Jesus is the first fruits; we will follow. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 51-55

What does resurrection mean to you?

– You no longer have condemnation. Roman 8:1

1 Corinthians 5:7b

John 1:36b

The Original Passover

Exodus 12:1-13 – The institution of Passover

Passover at time of Hezekiah

Jesus Christ Our Passover

Isaiah 53:4-10

Matthew 27:22-51

1 Peter 2:24