Signs of the Return of the King

Wonderful things are happening. Prepare to be surprised.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 (ESV)

If we belong to Jesus, we believe in a God who delights to do new things.

“You have heard; now see all this; and will you not declare it? From this time forth I announce to you new things, hidden things that you have not known. Isaiah 48:6 (ESV)

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5 (ESV)

God is bound to be true to His wonderful and perfect character but He has never restricted Himself to merely repeat what He has done before.

Some people get upset when Christians report miraculous experiences which are different from the miracles recorded in the Bible.

Two preachers were having a meal in a café in Berlin. A pile of gold dust appeared under the table. A preacher in America was upset about such stories because there is no record of gold dust appearing in the Bible. He preached a sermon against gold dust but the babies in the church creche were covered in gold dust.

Some people are afraid of “lying signs and wonders.” The bible warns of lying signs and wonders but the only reference is in the story of the Anti-Christ in the book of Revelation.

The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 2 Thessalonians 2:9 (NKJV)

The only protection against being deceived in spiritual matters is to stay close to Jesus, to be led by the Spirit of God, to live in faith, hope and love, to obey God and to live by His Word.

Does that mean we should only believe in miracles if they are exact copies of miracles recorded in the Bible?

Why?

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12 (ESV)

How many of the people who criticise contemporary miracle stories are working the signs and wonders that Jesus did on earth? None that I know of.

If God is only allowed to repeat what He did in the Bible, how can it be possible for us to do GREATER works than Jesus did?

If God is only allowed to repeat what He has already done, how then can Bible prophecy be fulfilled?

But weren’t the miracles of Jesus all practical acts of mercy, like healing the sick and raising from death the son of a widow?

I wonder what was the practical benefit of Peter walking on water?

If the prophecy of Jesus is to be fulfilled, then people in these last days will see manifestations more amazing than Peter walking on water. If that does not happen, then the prophecy of Jesus will not be fulfilled and that would make the Son of God a false prophet.

But why should God be doing these things?

At the birth of Jesus, the wise men from the pagan east brought Jesus wonderful gifts, GOLD, frankincense and myrrh. If mankind gives God a gift of gold, should we surprised if a gracious God gives gold to mankind?

And what about the jewels?

“O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. Isaiah 54:11-12 (ESV)

But doesn’t this refer to the jewels in Heaven itself? Of course it does. But did not Jesus announce the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven? Did not Jesus teach us to pray: “Your will be done on earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN?”

If the first visit of the Son of God was heralded by human gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, why should the approach of the return of Jesus not be heralded by supernatural gifts from the Heavenly Bridegroom to His Bride to be, the Church. What could be a more appropriate gift to a bride from her husband to be? Does not a man announce his intention to marry a woman with a gift of a diamond ring?

RIVERS OF LIVING WATER

If you grew up after the war in Australia or another English speaking country, you may remember a conversation like this.

“Mummy, where do babies come from?”
“Babies come from Mummy’s tummy.”

• Of course we know that the tummy or stomach is for digesting food and babies grow in the womb, or uterus, a totally different thing. 

  • But in all three languages of the Bible, Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, there is an interesting word which can be correctly translated as stomach, belly or womb.

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his BELLY shall flow rivers of living water. John 7:37-38 (KJV)
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39 (NKJV)

• The word BELLY is the translation of the Greek KOILIA. 

• The equivalent Hebrew word is BETEN. When Jesus spoke these words in the temple, He may have been speaking Aramaic. 

  • The Aramaic Bible uses the word: K'aRSeH, which can also mean BELLY or WOMB. These words are often interpreted figuratively as HEART or INMOST BEING.

In the flesh, the womb and the stomach are quite distinct and only a woman has a womb. 

But in the spiritual realm it is a different story.

Jonah went down into the belly of the great fish or whale. When he came out of the fish’s belly, it was like a resurrection. The belly of the fish was like the womb giving birth to a new man.
The satisfaction of hunger and thirst sustains life. This is the function of the BELLY, to convert food and drink into life, to keep us alive and refresh us.
But the function of the WOMB goes further. The WOMB is the place where a seed sown grows into new life until a new person emerges. The stomach sustains life but the womb reproduces and multiplies life.
The inmost being of every born again Christian believer is potentially both a spiritual stomach and a spiritual womb. In this spiritual dimension there is no male or female. God desires to fill us with the Living Water of His Spirit to nourish, sustain and refresh us but He desires more. God fervently desires to satisfy our thirst but then to take us further, to make us bearers of new life for others.
To hunger and thirst for new life and refreshment in your own soul is not selfish. It is essential. But it is not enough. God wants his people to be like healthy young mothers, reproducing, multiplying, bringing new born again believers into the world.

• The conversion of unbelievers is the birthing of new life. Nothing is more wonderful than the restoration of a sinner to the heart of the Father in Heaven.

But evangelism is not the only way to birth a work of God’s Spirit. 

To sing an inspired song, write a book or paint a picture with God requires a joining together of the Spirit of God with the human spirit in an intimate connection like a husband and wife producing a new person. 

Every work of faith involves the bearing of living fruit, like giving birth to a child.

Have you been feeling tired and heavy lately? Maybe you need to stop struggling in your own strength. Get filled with the Spirit who can produce new life in you and then through you.
Or can it be that you are heavily pregnant in the Spirit?
Do you have a vision for a ministry, a mission, a book, a business, a child, a family revived and restored, a move of the Spirit in your city?
You may feel heavy because the baby is nearly due.
Be encouraged!
Christmas and New Year are seasons of New Birth, New Life, New Beginnings. Some of you are in labour now and your dream or vision is about to be transformed from faith into sight.
Please let me know what you think. I would love to hear some inspiring testimonies.

Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Believers

Dear Believing Friends
It is often said that when God wants a great work done, He chooses one man to pioneer and lead. It is not difficult to find examples in the bible or in history. It is easy to conclude that God’s operating principle is always to appoint a hierarchy and a clear chain of command. Most of our churches operate this way.

But when we read the New Testament, we encounter something new and strange. Jesus selected twelve apostles and He favoured three above the others, Peter, James and John. But there is something about the story which is so weird, that it is like something from another planet.

Jesus did NOT appoint one successor. Abraham appointed Isaac; Moses appointed Joshua; Elijah appointed Elisha and David appointed Solomon but Jesus did not appoint a supreme leader to take over after He returned to Heaven.

The Bible tells us a lot about the sins and faults of the Apostles and preachers love to make sermons about them.

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. Lk 22:24-26 (ESV)

What were the Apostles disputing? Was each of the twelve claiming to be number one? That would be absurdly childish. I have never heard a group of men or boys being so silly.

What most preachers fail to notice is this. Jesus had not conformed to the perfectly reasonable expectation of any group of leaders. Jesus had not appointed a single successor to be supreme leader after His departure. Peter was an obvious candidate but he could be impulsive and make mistakes. John was especially favoured and loved but he was the youngest. James was also a serious candidate. But who was the chosen one? Since Jesus had not told them, they did what any group of men would do. They tried to work it out themselves.

After Jesus returned to heaven, Peter seemed to take the lead in Acts chapters 1 to 3. Nevertheless, the writer of Acts emphasises the collective leadership of “The Apostles.” In Acts 2, Peter preached the first sermon but the main emphasis is on the inspired and inspiring unity of all the disciples.

All this is not because of any neglect or forgetfulness of Jesus or the Father in Heaven.
Jesus declared a whole new approach to leadership in Matthew 23.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. Mt 23:8-10 (ESV)

This is so radical, that most Christians and most Christian leaders have not even begun to understand it. I have been a member of Pentecostal churches for 35 years and I have never heard any preacher, any teacher or any pastor seriously attempt to explain this vitally important text.

The mystery does not end here.

The first witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ was not an Apostle, or a Pastor or even an Elder.

It was Mary Magdalene, a woman with a sinful past and a testimony but not office or position in the church. When she told the Apostles, they did not believe her. Then Jesus came and rebuked the men of God for not receiving her testimony!

Leadership remains important but God’s way is somewhat different from what we normally expect in churches.

The founders of the first mission to the non-Jewish pagans were not Apostles and they were not appointed or sent by the Apostles.

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. Acts 11:19-21 (ESV)

If all this raises more questions than answers, that is OK. The New Testament text does the same.
I am not preaching Christian anarchy. I really admire great Christian leaders and many inspired preachers. But Christianity is not all about priests and people or shepherds and sheep. Coaches don't win football matches; the players do.
Jesus called a brotherhood of mighty believers who change the world. We must not rely on Pastors or leaders to do everything important and take all the initiative.

Please let me know what you think.
God bless you from
Bill Derham

Darkness to light. What message to preach?

Dear Believing Friends
There are preachers who always concentrate on positive messages. They speak constantly about the love and favour of God, about success and answered prayer and about reaching your potential in life. They present and important aspect of God's truth and I like to listen to some of that preaching.

But if that is all you listen to, you could become complacent about sin. The cross could begin to lose its meaning. After all, Jesus, the Son of God, had to suffer the cruelest possible death to pay the penalty of your sin and my sin. He was demonstrating not only the depth of God’s love for you but also the intensity of God’s hatred of evil.

On the other hand, there are preachers who constantly preach severely about sin, repentance and holiness. We cannot deny that there is always sin for them to preach against but which kind of preaching is more biblically correct?

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7? (ESV)

Yes, we should preach against sin but the main emphasis must always be on the power of the grace of God to save and heal us from ALL sin. The blood of Jesus saves you from your own sin and heals you from the damage caused by the sin of others.

If we preach about sin and repentance, we must also emphasise the amazing glory of God’s purpose for forgiven sinners.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (ESV)

Once our sins have been forgiven, we are transformed into saints, priests of God, sons and daughters of the Father in Heaven, kings who rule and reign over sin, demons, sickness, poverty and even death.

In preaching about the light, let us not be satisfied with a gospel of positive thinking and successful living. Let us preach the full extent of our glorious destiny in Christ. There is no such thing as an “ordinary Christian”. There are no common citizens in the Kingdom of God. Either you are an alien and an enemy of God or you are a Son or Daughter of the King of Kings. There are simply no ordinary citizens in the Kingdom. They don’t exist.

We honour Apostles and Pastors as special people and that is good. But two of the most highly honoured saints in the New Testament were Mary the Mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Neither of these women was an apostle or a pastor.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Matthew 23:8-9 (ESV)

When Paul wrote letters to the early churches, he did not address them to the pastors, elders and then members. He began his letters like this.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 1:1 (ESV)

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are a son or daughter of God; you are a saint; you are a holy priest; you are a king; you are an ambassador or official representative of God on earth.

If you are not all of these things, you are not a Christian at all. You are either a citizen of heaven or a citizen of hell and there are no common citizens in God’s kingdom, only royal priests.

Please let me know what you think.

God bless you from
Bill Derham

Finding God's GOOD PLAN for YOUR life.

Dear Believing Friends
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:12 (NASB95)

Just find the path in life that GOD leads you into and HE will give you grace and help and guidance.

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” Luke 9:59 (ESV)

If you follow the path in life determined by the expectations of others, you will have frustration after frustration and your Christian life will be little better than hanging on until you get to heaven. Find God's plan for YOUR life at all costs!

Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT.

It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. Ephesians 2:10 (TLB)

For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

Find the good works that GOD has prepared for you!!! (Ephesians 2:10)

Go and find your destiny. Your destiny is written in heaven but you have to find your script and live it out. It is not automatic.

Please let me know what you think.

God bless you from
Bill

YOU ARE UNIQUE.

CS Lewis was an English scholar at Oxford University. He was an expert in ancient languages and old English Literature. He was also an atheist until he had a powerful conversion experience. 

What should a new convert like this do if he wants to win thousands of souls to Christ and save even millions from damnation? 

Obviously he should use his talents to study theology, Hebrew and Greek and maybe Chinese, so he could be a pastor, a missionary or an evangelist.
He did none of these things. He continued to write scholarly articles about old literature and then God raised him up to write paperback books to stimulate people to think about God and the truth of the Bible.
His books are nothing like the books written by pastors, evangelists or theologians. Thank God they are unique and different! CS Lewis’s unique way of thinking has drawn thousands or perhaps millions of people to Christ.
Supposing CS Lewis had been converted in his twenties. And just imagine he had suffered a terrible mental breakdown. Suppose he had been torn apart by trauma and suppose he had been mentored by disciples of Kenneth Hagin or CH Spurgeon or by this or that anointed ministry. 
Supposing this broken young man had laid everything on the altar for Jesus. Supposing he had abandoned his passion for literature and original writing. Supposing he had used his great talents to become a good imitation of Kenneth Hagin or Charles Spurgeon or some other gifted preacher. HOW TERRIBLE!
Who are YOU?
If you belong to Jesus, you are a son or daughter of the Most High God. You are a representative of Jesus Christ on earth. But so are we all. I am these things and so are you.
But WHO ARE YOU?
Luke was not Paul but thank God they were different.
The great missionary who laid the foundation for the glorious Chinese church of today was Hudson Taylor. When he went to China, the missionaries lived in an English community separated from Chinese society. They won few converts and when a Chinese person came to Christ, he had to leave his people and become a second rate imitation of and English Christian. Hudson Taylor lived amongst the Chinese. He spoke Chinese and dressed like a Chinese man. He was criticised by both the Chinese and by the English missionaries but he sowed the seed for the mightiest national church on Earth, over 140 million Chinese Christians serving God today in spite of persecution.
Are you trying to fit in with the vision of someone else, a pastor, a parent, a Christian leader? If you never discover your unique personal calling and gifting, you will be devastated when you arrive in heaven.
Suppose you play soccer and you are gifted to be a wonderful goalkeeper. But your father and your coach was a great striker and you look up to him. You may waste your life trying to be a striker.
Suppose your father was a wonderful doctor but your passion is art or poetry and you have an outstanding talent. What if you waste your life trying to be a good doctor. How terrible!
Do you have the courage to be different?
Ask God who you are! Listen until GOD tells you! We often hear of VOCATIONS which means CALLINGS. 

You have a calling if you hear GOD CALLING! Ask and listen. 

• Maybe you already know but you are not following your calling. Maybe you are following someone else’s calling. It is time to change.

Seek and you will find.
'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

Go to where God is moving.

Are you praying and waiting for the Spirit of Revival to come to you?

Could it be that the Spirit HAS ALREADY COME to your city with fresh power?

Maybe HE is waiting for YOU to come and seek Him out?

PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD!

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Mark 1:4-5 (ESV)

Supposing the Jews had heard of John but continued their religious routine, attending the synagogue and the Temple as usual.

Supposing they waited for this new preacher to come to their synagogue (their “local church”). They would have missed the purpose of God for their life.

Later Jesus came and He ministered in the wilderness but also visited local congregations and preached in the Temple.

What if Jesus called a man to follow Him...

What if that man told Jesus he should remain loyal to his local Rabbi ...

What if he decided to wait for Jesus to visit his local congregation to minister once in a while....

Could that man be a disciple of Jesus?

When the Spirit of God moves in an exceptional way, He has a purpose.

We must adapt to fit His purpose.

We need to fit in with His choice of time and place.
We need to go where the wind is blowing.

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 (ESV)

We can learn a lot from surfers.

A mediocre surfer only goes to a beach near his home. If the waves are bigger, he has a good day. If the waves are smaller, he has a bad day or he doesn’t go.

Really serious surfers travel long distances to the best surf beaches with the biggest and best waves.

There are so many Christians who rarely go to a meeting outside their local congregation. There may be a world class preacher visiting a neighbouring suburb. There may be great miracles and healings but Christians who seriously need healings don’t go.

Some may be stuck in the routine of their local church activities. Some are actually taught it is their duty NOT to seek signs and wonders outside of their church or denominations!

What is the LOCAL CHURCH?

When Paul wrote his letters to local churches, he wrote to “The Church in Rome,” or “The Church in Corinth,” or “The Church in Philippi.”

Your local church is the community of all believers in your city, Perth, Sydney, Durban, Berlin, Auckland, Orlando Florida, or wherever you are.

This is the New Testament concept of the local church. Where is your local church? Jesus said this:

For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 (NKJV)

If you have a Christian workmate, neighbour or friend and you meet for fellowship or prayer, that is a branch of your local church. It does not matter which denomination we belong to. That is not an important issue.

If we are hungry and thirsty for God, we must be like the wise men from the East who followed the star to Bethlehem to find Jesus; we must be like the shepherds who left their sheep in the care of the angels to worship the Son of God in the stable.

We must be like the crowds of Jews who left the daily routine of their jobs, businesses and local congregations to go out into the wilderness. Why did they go? They went to be challenged with a life changing message from God through John the Baptist.

In our generation there are inspired preachers doing the ministry of John the Baptist and many people are going to their meetings and conferences. But there are other people who are stuck in a rut in their local congregations waiting for revival to drop on them where they are.

It is time to wake up and MOVE.

Some people might find this message controversial or difficult. I make no apology. I feel a strong touch of the Holy Spirit on me as I write and I believe this is a message from God.

Test all things; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NKJV)

Please let me know what you think.

God bless you from

Bill Derham