Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days

Derek shows how Israel's journey from Egypt into their Promised Land is a picture of our spiritual journey from the kingdom of darkness into the promised land of God's perfect will for our lives. God has given us an inheritance (promised land) both for this life and throughout eternity, which is hidden in Christ in God. Christ is our life, and as we trust, follow and obey Him, He will lead us into our promised land; that is, we will come into the experience and enjoyment of our inheritance in Christ (Colossians 3:1-4, Ephesians 2:4-10). To possess our inheritance we need to know that (1) God has ordained and defined its boundaries and has GIVEN it to us (legally) through the New Covenant in His Blood, and (2) God Himself is GIVING us (leading us into) our promised land (in our experience), as we walk in fellowship with Him and obey Him, so that as we walk in His footsteps, every place where where our feet tread, has not only been given to us legally in Christ, but also becomes ours experientially, because God is giving it to us, through His Power and Presence with us (Joshua 1:1-4). In this way, we POSSESS the land which the Lord our God is GIVING us to POSSESS (v11). Thus we cannot possess our inheritance without the Presence of God with us (v5), and therefore the key to possessing our promised land is to value the Presence of God in our lives above all things (Matthew 6:33). This vital principle is revealed through a study of Exodus 33, where Moses chooses God's Presence over the Promised Land: “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here (to go into the Land)" (v15), and as a result God gave him the great promise of both: “My PRESENCE will go with you, and I will give you REST (in the Promised Land)” (v14). We see these principles with Israel, when Joshua (Yeshua) led them into their land. Now, the greater than Joshua, our Yeshua, is leading us into our inheritance. In Joshua 1:5-9, God gave Israel (and us) the Promise of His Presence going with them to lead them into their inheritance (v5), and then used a 4-fold poetic repetition, where He first told them what He expected of them, and then gave them the promise that they will be successful in possessing their land if they fulfil His 2 conditions (v6-9). Four times, He commanded them (1) to be STRONG in faith and through faith, in their heart, through continual meditation on His Word (v8), and (2) to be COURAGEOUS to observe to do (obey) all His commands (v7), and then (3) they will have good success in possessing their inheritance (v6), for the Lord their God will be with them wherever they go (v9). God summarised the same points, when He said through Isaiah: “If you are (1) willing (in your heart) and (2) obedient (in your life), you shall (3) eat the good of the land” (1:19).

The Prophecies of the New Covenant promise a 2-fold provision of the Spirit for all believers (the Promise of the Father): (1) The Spirit WITHIN, at salvation, enabling us to live holy lives (Ezek 36:26- 27), and (2) the Spirit UPON at our Baptism in the Spirit (Joel 2:28-29), releasing supernatural gifts and empowering us for ministry. The Promise of the Spirit is the 2-fold Blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14): “(1) I will BLESS you (by the Spirit within), and (2) you will be a BLESSING (to others, by the Spirit upon)” (Gen 12:2). Christ brought this into fulfilment through His death and resurrection (Gal 3:13-14). He said the Promise of the Father included the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5). The life of Jesus, our perfect example, reveals this 2-stage Blessing of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit within from conception, enabling Him to live a perfect life as a man, but (2) it was only later at His Baptism that He received the Spirit upon, empowering Him for ministry (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33). John 1:33 says Jesus, who received the Spirit upon from the Father, will also give us the same experience of the Spirit upon, by baptising us in the Spirit. So we must come to Jesus to receive the Baptism in the Spirit (Matt 3:11). The Blueprint for our Baptism in the Spirit is Jesus’ own Baptism in the Spirit (John 1:33). He had the Spirit within from Birth, but still needed to receive the Spirit upon, to empower Him for ministry (the fact the Spirit came UPON Him at His Baptism to ANOINT Him for ministry is confirmed by His testimony in Luke 4:18). In the same way, we have the Spirit within from our New Birth, but still need to receive the Spirit to come upon us, to clothe us with supernatural power for our ministry and witness to Christ. Thus the Baptism in the Spirit is the Spirit coming on us, clothing us with power - a different and subsequent experience from receiving the indwelling Spirit. The only difference between us and Jesus is He received the Spirit without measure (John 3:34). He distributes the anointing of the Spirit to each of us by measure, according to our gifts and ministries. This blueprint also tells us there is a close connection between Baptism in Water and Baptism in the Spirit, for God ordained for Jesus that these took place at the same time. In Matt 3:11, John said: “(1) I indeed BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) WATER unto repentance, but He (Jesus) who is coming after me is mightier than I, will BAPTISE you with (lit: IN) the HOLY SPIRIT.” Baptism means IMMERSION, so to describe any Baptism, one must specify the MEDIUM into which a person is immersed. This is what this verse does. It should be translated as baptism ‘in water’ not ‘with water’, and baptism ‘in the Spirit’ not ‘with the Spirit': “(1) I baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) WATER, but (2) He will baptise (immerse) you IN (the medium of) the HOLY SPIRIT” (also Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, Acts 1:5). So, Baptism in Water is a picture of Baptism in the Spirit. Just as John immersed people in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, Christ immerses us in His Spirit, covering and clothing us in His Spirit, who comes and rests on us. He does not sprinkle us, but immerses us in the Spirit. Both baptisms are outward expressions and manifestations of our Baptism in Christ, when we received the Spirit within. Jesus' experience of being baptised in water and the Spirit at the same time points to the spiritual connection between the 2 Baptisms, which is confirmed by the pattern we see in Acts, where their Baptism in the Spirit normally followed soon after their Water Baptism. This connection is because (1) Dedication comes before (2) Consecration (anointing with the Spirit). When God calls us to serve Him, we (1) respond by dedicating ourselves to do His will. (2) Then He anoints us to fulfil His will, by His Spirit upon us (Luke 1:35-38). (1) Our Dedication to God's will qualifies us to (2) receive His power to do it. This principle is seen at Jesus’ Baptism (the blueprint): (1) His Baptism was an act of obedient Dedication, pleasing to God, to fulfil His ministry, as He was about to enter into it, so (2) God’s response was to baptise Him in the Spirit, anointing Him to fulfil His ministry. Likewise, (1) our Water Baptism is our act of obedient Dedication to God. This kind of Dedication to God is what He needs to (2) empower us for our ministry by baptising us in the Spirit. Jesus' Baptism was His Dedication to God as He was about to enter into His ministry, that resulted in His death, resurrection and exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God to pour out on us. He prophetically acted this all out in His Baptism, and in so doing He was dedicating Himself to God to fulfil His will. Going under water represented His death and burial, and rising again from a watery grave prefigured His resurrection. Then receiving the Spirit upon Him prefigured His exaltation, when He received the Spirit from God, to pour Him out upon us.

There are 3 Morning Star scriptures. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus said: “I am the Bright Morning Star.” In Revelation 2:28, Jesus promised: "I will give him the Morning Star." 2Peter 1:19 says: "you do well to heed (God's prophetic word) as a light that shines in a dark place, until (1) the DAY DAWNS, and (2) the MORNING STAR arises in your hearts.” This speaks of 2 different future manifestations of Christ's Glory, compared to 2 natural lights, associated with the start of a new day. *(1) The DAY DAWNS at SUNRISE when the SUN appears and lights up the whole world. This is a picture of the manifestation of Christ in His 2nd COMING, when He will rise upon the whole world, and all shall see Him in His Glory (Malachi 4:2, Hosea 6:3). *(2) The MORNING STAR is a different manifestation of Christ, which will be for believers only, when His glory will be released within us, and will arise in our hearts - at the RAPTURE. Christ will give us the Morning Star, which is Himself - His Glory which will transform our bodies and glorify us, completing our salvation (Hebrews 9:28), so that we will shine like the Morning Star. The MORNING STAR appears shortly BEFORE the Dawn, while it’s still dark. It is a sign heralding the coming Dawn. It only appears to those who are awake and watching (believers), not to those asleep in the kingdom of darkness (unbelievers) - Hebrews 9:28. Thus it is a manifestation to true believers before Christ appears to the whole world in the 2nd Coming. After the Morning Star appears (the Rapture), the world remains in darkness (the Tribulation) for a short time, before the Sun of Righteousness appears to bring in a new Day of history, by reigning over all the earth in His glory. The Morning Star is the promise of Jesus, the Bridegroom to His Bride that He will give her Himself (the Morning Star) in all His Glory. This is the Wedding Day, when He will give her everything that He has promised at their covenant betrothal (Ephesians 1:13-14). Thus, Jesus will first appear in His Glory to His Bride as the Morning Star (the RAPTURE), and then after a time of darkness on earth, He will appear in His Glory to the whole world (the 2nd Coming). This confirms the truth of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture.

The Lamb's Book of Life is God's Family Album with the names of all those saved through the Blood of the Lamb. At the Great White Throne at the end of time, Christ will open this Book to verify that the names of those who had rejected God and His salvation were not included in it (Revelation 20:11-15). So they are judged according to what is written in the books of their lives. Whether or not you are written in the Book of Life defines your eternal destiny (Revelation 20:12,15, 21:27). It is the Lamb’s Book, for if anyone's name is included, it is because they have been redeemed by His Blood. Derek goes through the various Scriptures that refer to this Book (Daniel 12:1, Revelation 3:5, Luke 10:20, Philippians 4:3, Isaiah 49:16). On the one hand, the Bible talks about changes being made in this Book as time goes on, which reflects human freedom of choice. Many assume that our name is written in the Book of Life when we trust in Christ, but that is not supported by Scripture, which only talks of names of people being blotted out for rejecting God (Exodus 32:32,33, Revelation 22:19). In fact, everyone who is alive physically is written in the Book of Life at their conception, but if they die in a state of sin (having reached the age of accountability) their names are blotted out (Psalm 69:28). On the other hand, the Bible says that the final list of names in the Book has been foreknown and fixed by God from eternity, and so these names were written in His Book from before the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8, 13:8), which reflects God's Sovereignty. Thus the Book can be seen from the 2 viewpoints of eternity and time, from God's eternal viewpoint and from man's temporal viewpoint. The eternal Book of Life is unchanging, but its manifestation in time necessarily changes, because of human free-will. At the end of time, as time moves into eternity, the temporal form of the Book will assume its eternal (fixed) form, which was written by God from the foundation of the world. Either your sins will be blotted out by the Blood of Christ (Isaiah 44:22, Acts 3:19), or your name will be blotted out of His Book (John 3:16,36).

The Baptism in the Spirit is when we receive the Spirit upon us, clothing us with His power to witness. 'Baptism means immersion, so to be Baptised in the Spirit means to be immersed in the Spirit (the Spirit upon us). There is a 2-fold ministry of the Spirit in Scripture for us to receive: (1) the Spirit WITHIN, at salvation, for our own blessing, holiness and life with God, and later (2) the Spirit UPON, at our Baptism in the Spirit. To be baptised in the Spirit, we must first be born again and receive the Spirit within (Matt 9:17), then we can receive the Spirit upon. Jesus Himself (1) had the Spirit within from conception, and then later (2) received the Spirit upon, when He received power for His ministry. At salvation, we were BAPTISED into CHRIST and received the Spirit WITHIN (1Cor 12:13). This is the ONE Baptism ALL believers have (Eph 4:4-5). In the Baptism in the Spirit, the Spirit within us also comes UPON us. The PURPOSE of the Baptism in the Spirit is POWER for ministry, for fulfilling the Great Commission. At our Baptism into Christ, we received the blessing for ourselves through the Spirit within, who connects us to God and His life. Next we need to surrender ourselves to God, to receive His power upon us, to be a blessing to others: “You shall receive POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT has come UPON you; and you shall be My WITNESSES” (Acts 1:8). The same Spirit we receive WITHIN us at salvation, wants to also come UPON us to clothe us with power. Both these ministries of the Spirit (the Spirit WITHIN and UPON) are available for ALL believers, and were prophesied in the Old Testament, as coming to pass through the New Covenant of Messiah. Jesus called this promised 2-fold Blessing of the Spirit: ‘the Promise of the Father’, which includes the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4,5). At Pentecost, Peter announced the Promise of the Father had now been received by the exalted Jesus on our behalf, and was now fully poured out and freely given to us (Acts 2:33,38-39). The Father's Promise of the Spirit in both (1) His indwelling through the New Birth and (2) the Baptism in the Spirit is for all believers. The Old Testament Prophecies point to a 2-fold Promise to all believers: (1) The Spirit WITHIN through the New Birth, enabling us to live a holy life (Ezek 36:26-27), and (2) the Spirit UPON to empower us (Isa 59:21, Joel 2:28-32). This New Covenant Ministry of the Spirit is different from what was available before: (1) Before, no one had the New Birth or Spirit WITHIN them, but Ezekiel prophesied in the New Covenant all God’s people would have the Spirit WITHIN. (2) Before, although prophets, priests and kings were anointed with the Spirit UPON, generally God’s people did not have this, but Joel prophesied in the New Covenant the Spirit would be poured out UPON ALL flesh (the answer to Moses’ prayer in Num 11:29). So it was promised that in the New Covenant: (1) ALL God’s people would receive the Spirit WITHIN, and (2) the Spirit UPON would be available to ALL believers. This promised double Blessing of the Spirit was only made available through Christ's death and resurrection (Gal 3:13-14). This Promise is also called the Blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:14), which was 2-fold: “(1) I will BLESS you (through the SPIRIT WITHIN), and (2) you will be a BLESSING (to others – through the SPIRIT UPON)” (Gen 12:2). This is parallel to God’s 2-fold BLESSING of Adam: (1) He blessed Adam by putting His Spirit within him (Gen 2:7). (2) Then He blessed him by empowering him to impart the blessing of life to others (Gen 1:28). Jesus is our perfect example. His life confirms the Spirit (1) WITHIN and (2) UPON are 2 distinct aspects of God’s provision for man of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN from conception (Luke 1:35), and later (2) He received the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33). In the New Covenant, He makes the same 2-fold provision of the Spirit available to us. But just because (1) we are born again and have the indwelling Spirit, it does not mean we are (2) baptised in the Spirit and have the Spirit UPON, for it is a distinct experience, coming after the New Birth. The Baptism in the Spirit is compared to Baptism (immersion) in Water (Matt 3:11). Just as a baptised man is covered in water, so in the Baptism in the Spirit, He comes upon us and covers us. “(1) UPON whom you see the SPIRIT descending, and remaining UPON Him, (2) this is He who BAPTISES with the HOLY SPIRIT” (John 1:33). (1) Jesus first received from God the Baptism in the Spirit, which (2) enabled Him to baptise us in the Spirit, according to the same pattern. His Baptism in the Spirit is the BLUEPRINT for our Baptism in the Spirit (except He has the Spirit without measure - John 3:34). If we are born again, Jesus wants to immerse us in His Spirit, so that the Spirit comes and remains upon us, clothing us with His power, just as He came upon Jesus.

CHRIST is our ROCK, our sure FOUNDATION (Isa 28:16, Matt16:18, 1Cor 3:11), the Rock of our Salvation (Ps 89:26, 2Sam 22:47). He contains the waters of life and salvation. "They drank of that spiritual ROCK that followed them, and that ROCK was CHRIST" (1Cor 10:3). Derek studies and compares the 2 stories of WATER flowing from the ROCK, showing how together they give us a picture of the Holy Spirit flowing from Christ. The first is in Exodus 17:1-7 at the start of the 40 years, and the 2nd is in Numbers 20:1-13, 40 years later. (1) When Moses STRUCK the ROCK with his Rod ('the Rod of God'), living waters flowed from the Rock (Ex 17:6, Ps 105:40-41, Neh 9:15). The Rock was split in 2 (Isa 48:21). The Rod of God was used for Divine Judgment. Jesus is the Source of life and salvation, which flows to us from His (1) death and (2) resurrection. Before His death He was full of God's life, but it was not available for us. It was only released when He was smitten. The split Rock is a picture of Jesus on the Cross, bearing our sin and smitten by God in our place, struck by the Rod of God's judgment. Then, on the basis of His death, God released the waters of life for us to drink. He paid the price so we could drink fromHis River freely. (2) At the Rock of Kadesh, Moses was told to bring a different Rod, Aaron's priestly Rod that budded (Numbers 17:1-11), that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle (Num 10:8,9). This time he was told to just SPEAK to the ROCK (v8), and thereby he would bring forth water from the Rock, for the people to drink. The Rock this time was a high, elevated Rock. Whereas the first Rock represents Christ on earth judged for our sins, once for all (Heb 9:28), this high Rock represents the risen, exalted, ascended Christ in Heaven (Ps 61:2), who possesses the Spirit on our behalf, and now pours Him out upon all who call on Him. They were to look to this Rock above them to be their Source of living water. Moses was meant to hold up Aaron's Rod, the Rod of the High Priest, a Rod of grace not judgment (so he was not to strike the Rock with it), and speak to the Rock and say: "Water come forth" and the water would have flowed from the Rock. This is a picture for us. The Rod that budded represented the authority of the anointed High Priest, which now corresponds to the Name of Jesus, risen from the dead. So, when we lift up the Name of Jesus (our resurrected High Priest), and speak to the exalted Rock (Christ) in prayer, calling upon Him to release His Spirit for us to drink, He pours out His Spirit upon us. The Name of Jesus and faith in His Name are the keys to accessing His resurrection life by prayer. In the typology of the Rock, Christ had already been judged once for all (Exodus 17), so was not to die again. It is done! We just have to hold the Rod (believe in the Name), lift it up in prayer, and speak to the Rock (call on His Name), and then the waters of the Spirit will flow to us. The typology was meant to show God gives us His Spirit by grace based on Christ's finished work, not because of our works (John 4:10,14, 7:37-39, Rev 21:6, 22:17). This is where Moses sinned and misrepresented God (Ps 106:32-33), breaking the type by striking the Rock twice, making it seem the water flowed as a result of his efforts, rather than by God's grace, so he got the credit (v10-11). Also striking the Rock a 2nd time signified Christ had to die again, because His work on the Cross was unfinished. As a result, God had to discipline Moses (v12). Despite this, the water flowed abundantly (v11, Ps 78:15-20, 114:7-8, Deut 8:15). Now Christ our Rock has (1) been smitten once for all, and (2) is risen again and pours out His Spirit from Heaven, upon all who call on Him as their Source of abundant and eternal life (Acts 2:33, Rom 10:13). By faith we come to Him as our crucified and exalted Rock of Salvation, and hold up His Name, speaking to Him in prayer, asking Him to release to us His blessings of resurrection life in the Spirit, which He purchased on the Cross for us, and made available to us as a free gift. When we pray, He responds by releasing His Spirit of grace to flow to us for us to drink (believe we receive), so that we become filled with His Spirit. The first time we came to Him and drank, we were born-again, and the Rock (Christ) and His everlasting Fountain of living water (the Spirit) came to live in our spirit (John 4:10,14, 7:37). So now, the Fountain of Life, who is within the Rock (Christ), is also in us and available to fill us, so that as we look to the exalted Christ, and call on His Name to fill us with His Spirit, He fills us from within. So, when we trust in Christ as our Rock of Salvation, not only does He uphold us as our living Foundation, but He lives in us as our abundant life-giving Source of living water (the Holy Spirit) to fill, uphold, bless and empower us for this life and for all eternity.

Derek explores what it means to be in Christ - who we are in Christ and what we have in Christ, by grace through the New Birth. This includes a special study of the classic passage - Romans 5:12-21.

In John 3, Jesus shared with Nicodemus that we must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God. This New Birth is accomplished by the Triune God: (1) the Father brings us to birth, through (2) the work of the Spirit (the wind of God), when we believe in (3) the Son of God, who died for our sins on the Cross, in fulfilment of the type of the Bronze Serpent lifted up on a pole.

Derek shares how God accomplished the rebirth of our spirit in the New Birth, and describes the nature of our New Man (our regenerated spirit).

Derek shares 3 keys to receive your healing from God: (1) know God's will to heal, (2) know God's gift of healing power, (3) surrender yourself to God.

The BAPTISM in the SPIRIT is to receive the Spirit UPON. In Acts, new believers normally received this Baptism soon after their salvation. The PURPOSE of the Baptism in the Spirit is to EMPOWER us to fulfil the Great Commission (Acts 1:8). As well as (1) having the Spirit WITHIN for our own blessing and walk with God (HOLINESS), we also need (2) the POWER of His Spirit, through His Spirit UPON us, to communicate His life and blessing to others. This 2-fold BLESSING of the SPIRIT corresponds to the 2-fold BLESSING of Abraham (Gen 12:2). The Baptism in the Spirit empowers us to be a blessing to others, especially by sharing the Gospel with them, so they can be saved. This 2-fold ministry of the SPIRIT in the New Covenant was prophesied in the Old Testament (Ezek 36:26-27, Joel 2:28-29). The promise of the Baptism in the Spirit (Matt 3:11) came to pass on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5). The life of Jesus, our example and representative reveals this 2-fold experience of the Spirit: (1) He had the Spirit WITHIN Him from birth, and lived a perfectly holy life, even before (2) He was BAPTISED in the Spirit at 30, when He received the Spirit UPON to supernaturally EMPOWER Him for His ministry to others (Luke 3:21-22, John 1:32-33, 2:11, 4:18). When we are born again, we have the SPIRIT WITHIN, but we also need to receive the SPIRIT UPON to empower us to witness and minister to others. Jesus baptises us in the Spirit - the Spirit UPON us (John 1:33). In His teaching, He described these 2 experiences of the Spirit in terms of living water: (1) A Fountain of living water within (John 4:10-14), and (2) Rivers of living water flowing out of us (John 7:37-39). The apostles also had this 2-fold experience (receiving) of the Spirit: (1) They were BORN AGAIN and received the SPIRIT WITHIN on the day of the resurrection (John 20:22, Gen 2:7). Then Christ prepared them to receive the Baptism in the Spirit (Luke 24:48-49, Acts 1:4-5,8). Then (2) they were baptised in the Spirit at Pentecost, when He came UPON them (Acts 2:1-4). There were 2 aspects to their experience of being baptised in the Spirit: (1) The Spirit came UPON them (v3), and (2) He filled their souls from within (v4). To be filled with the Spirit and so receive the Spirit UPON, we must surrender our soul and body to God to do His will and fulfil His mission. Moreover, God wants us to stay continually filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). By surrendering our souls to God and yielding our bodies to Him (by speaking out the words the Spirit gives us), we allow the Spirit to fill our souls from within, and to come UPON us. The outward evidence the Spirit has filled us and has now come upon us, is that we have yielded our tongue to His control by speaking in tongues (v4). Acts 2:4 describes the first time believers received the Baptism in the Spirit, and so it is the prototype description, God’s blueprint for all New Covenant believers. In Acts 11, Peter confirms what they received at Pentecost was the Baptism in the Spirit, because he says what the Gentiles received, when the Spirit came upon them in Acts 10, was the same experience the Jews had ‘at the Beginning’ (Pentecost), which he then described as the Baptism in the Spirit (Acts 11:15-16). Acts 8 describes the 2-stage experience of the Samaritans. They heard the Gospel and were baptised in water, so they were saved (v14,16), but they had not yet received the Spirit upon them (v15-16). When the apostles laid hands on them they received the Spirit upon (v17), which was manifested outwardly in a supernatural way (v18-19), namely by them speaking in tongues (v20). The 2-Stage experience of the Paul is in Acts 9: (1) He was SAVED when he saw the risen Christ and called him ‘Lord’ (Acts 9:5-6). (2) He was FILLED with the SPIRIT, when Ananias prayed for him 3 days later (Acts 9:9-18), and he spoke in tongues (1Cor 4:18). The Gentile Pentecost is described in Acts 10:44-48 as the Spirit coming upon them, and in 11:15-16 as the Baptism in the Spirit. Just as at Pentecost, the outward evidence of the Baptism was speaking in tongues. This was the only proof the apostles looked for and accepted. Finally, we study the 2-stage experience of the Ephesians in Acts 19. Paul's question in v2 shows that receiving the Baptism in the Spirit is not automatic, when you believe in Christ for salvation. The Ephesians (1) believed the Gospel, that Paul preached to them and were saved (v5a), then they were baptised (v5b), and then (2) "when Paul laid hands on them, the HOLY SPIRIT came UPON them, and they SPOKE with TONGUES and prophesied” (v5c). So, they were BAPTISED in the SPIRIT subsequent to their SALVATION, as a distinct experience. Consistently in Acts, it was normal for Christians to receive the Baptism in the Spirit as a separate experience soon after salvation, and the outward evidence of this Baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues.

There is a 2-fold RECEIVING of the SPIRIT: (1) WITHIN, at the New Birth (Romans 8:9), and then (2) UPON - the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT. (1) The Spirit WITHIN is for our personal holiness. (2) The Spirit UPON is to EMPOWER us to fulfil the Great Commission. It is a separate experience that comes after salvation. Old Testament Prophecy said when Messiah comes and brings in a New Covenant, it would include a greater ministry of the Spirit for all believers - the 2-fold Promise of the Father: (1) The Spirit WITHIN for their blessing and holiness (Ezekiel 36:26-27), and (2) the Spirit UPON, to empower them to be a blessing to others (Joel 2:28-29). John announced the Messiah as the One who will bring this Promise to fulfilment. He was the first to use the phrase ‘Baptism in the Spirit’, so his description is definitive. He compared it to Baptism in Water: “I BAPTISED you IN WATER but He will BAPTISE you IN the HOLY SPIRIT” (Mark 1:8). When a man is BAPTISED (immersed) IN WATER, the water covers (envelops) him, so it is UPON him. Likewise, when Jesus BAPTISES us IN the HOLY SPIRIT, we are immersed in the Spirit, so we are covered and clothed with the Spirit UPON us. We see this 2-fold experience of the SPIRIT in the life of Jesus, our example: (1) He was conceived of the Spirit, and had the Spirit WITHIN, enabling Him to live a perfect human life, (2) He was BAPTISED in the SPIRIT, when the SPIRIT came UPON Him to supernaturally EMPOWER Him for His ministry (Luke 3:21-22, 4:18). Only after the Spirit came upon Him did He start preaching, healing and working miracles (John 2:11). The same Jesus, who was BAPTISED in the Spirit also BAPTISES us in the SPIRIT (John 1:32-33). Thus, He was BAPTISED in the Spirit as our representative (receiving the Spirit on our behalf), so He could then BAPTISE us in the Spirit The apostles also had a 2-stage experience of the Spirit, as (1) on the day of the resurrection, He imparted the Spirit into His disciples. This was their new Birth, when He gave them the Spirit WITHIN (John 20:22, Gen 2:7). Then He started to prepare them to also (2) receive the Spirit UPON, to be His witnesses, 50 days later at Pentecost (Luke 24:46-49). He gave them the same instructions 40 days later in Acts 1:3-5,8. Although they had already received the Spirit WITHIN, they had not yet received the SPIRIT UPON (Luke 24:49), called the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT (Acts 1:5). So, what they experienced at Pentecost, when the Spirit came UPON (Acts 2:1-3), was the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT. The Spirit came UPON them (v3) and “they were all FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT" (v4). In the New Covenant, anyone who receives the Spirit UPON has previously received the Spirit WITHIN, so He must come upon us from within, and so fills us from the inside (v4). When we dedicate to do God’s will and fulfil His mission, we receive His Spirit to come UPON us by FILLING our SOULS and taking control of our tongues, the control centre of our body (Jas 3:3-4). So: “they were all FILLED with the HOLY SPIRIT, and began to SPEAK with TONGUES, as the SPIRIT gave them UTTERANCE (the words)” (Acts 2:4). When we pray in tongues, we YIELD our TONGUE to God, speaking the words the Spirit gives us. In this way, we submit our body to the Spirit, and allow Him to come upon us. Then as we continue to pray in tongues, we maintain and deepen that surrender, keeping the Spirit active upon us. Acts 2:4 is a key verse describing the Baptism in the Spirit. Speaking in tongues was the outward evidence and sign the Spirit had FILLED them and was now UPON them in POWER. What the disciples received at Pentecost was the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT (Acts 1:5), and this is confirmed by the Gentile Pentecost in Acts 10-11, when Peter explained the SPIRIT had come UPON the Gentiles, just as He had come UPON the Jews at the Beginning (Pentecost), and that both events were fulfilments of the Lord's prophecy in Acts 1:5 of the BAPTISM in the SPIRIT (11:15-17). We also see this 2-stage experience of the Spirit with the Samaritans in Acts 8, who had received the Gospel and were born again (v14,16), but had not yet RECEIVED the HOLY SPIRIT, in that, He had not come upon UPON them (v15-16). But later when the apostles laid hands on them, they RECEIVED the HOLY SPIRIT upon them (v17), which was manifested outwardly (v18-19), even tongues. Their experience proves the Baptism in the Spirit is different from and subsequent to salvation. They had received salvation through the Gospel, but had not yet received the Spirit upon, for there was no outward evidence (tongues), until the apostles prayed for them. So, to receive the Baptism in the Spirit, we must (1) be born again with the Spirit within. Then (2) we must surrender to God to fulfil His mission, which allows His Spirit within to fill us and come upon us with power, so as we obey Him His Spirit flows out through us as rivers of life (John 7:37-39).

Central to the Christian faith is the revelation of the Deity of Christ. A saving faith in Christ includes believing that Jesus is the God-man, the Son of God, who is both our Lord and Saviour, and who is therefore worthy of our worship. Therefore the key Christian confession is: "Jesus is Lord." Derek shows this from a number of Scriptures.

The Messianic Prophecies in the Old Testament consistently speak of the Coming Messiah as being both GOD and MAN (the unique God-man). The prophecies were given so that we might recognise the true Messiah when He comes.The New Testament proclaims that all these Prophecies were fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the LORD JESUS CHRIST (Lord = His Deity, Jesus = His humanity, and Christ means Messiah). He is the unique God-man Messiah. So, the New Testament is perfectly consistent with the Old Testament revelation, and proclaims that all these Prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Derek studies a number of these God-man Messianic Prophecies, which prove that Jesus is the Messiah, including Genesis 3:15, 4:1, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, Micah 5:2, 1Chronicles 17:11-14, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Proverbs 30:4, Job 9:32-33, 19:23-27, Psalm 110:1-5. These confirm that Jesus is both fully Man and fully God, and therefore He is uniquely able to save us, if we call upon His Name, and He is worthy of our love and worship.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). As well as teaching us what it means to be a good neighbour this Parable reveals the Gospel in code. It also gives a hint that Jesus will return after 2 DAYS (2000 years).

The word BAPTISE means IMMERSE. There are 3 foundational Christian BAPTISMS: (1) Baptism into Christ, (2) Baptism into Water, and (3) Baptism into the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Although we received the Spirit WITHIN at salvation, we also need to receive the Spirit UPON to empower us to be a witness (the Baptism in the Spirit). The PURPOSE of this Baptism is to RECEIVE POWER to fulfil the great commission. After salvation, the next step is to embrace Christ's mission, and surrender our soul and body to God to receive His supernatural power to be His witness. This fulfils of the 2nd part of the Blessing of Abraham: “I will (1) BLESS you (salvation), and (2) you will be a (channel of) BLESSING (to others)” (Gen 12:2). This 2-fold BLESSING of the new creation follows the same pattern as man’s original creation (see Genesis 1:27, 2:7 and Genesis 1:28). Likewise, (1) God first BLESSES us with His Spirit WITHIN (at our New Birth), then (2) He wants to BLESS (empower) us to be a BLESSING by His Spirit UPON, so we can go forth and multiply ourselves by fulfilling the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-18, Matt 28:18-20). He promised to give us the POWER of the SPIRIT to do that (Luke 24:48-49, Acts 1:8). This Baptism is God’s empowerment (blessing) upon us to be a blessing, to communicate His life and blessing to others through the Gospel. God released and communicated the BLESSING by speaking WORDS of life (Genesis 1:28). Likewise, having received His power through this Baptism, we transmit the BLESSING of the SPIRIT to others through our WORDS. As in physical multiplication, we MULTIPLY ourselves spiritually by the transmission of blessing (life) through the SOWING of SEED (God's words). God wants us to be filled with His Spirit (Eph 5:18), for we can't (1) live the Christian life, and (2) be a witness in our own strength. This Baptism is God’s POWER upon us for the PURPOSE of fulfilling God’s mission for our life, that is centred on the great commission. There is a 2-fold RECEIVING of the SPIRIT, as seen in Acts: We receive (1) the SPIRIT WITHIN at salvation, and then (2) the SPIRIT UPON at the Baptism in the Spirit. The same Spirit we receive at salvation wants to come upon us and clothe us with His power. So there is an experience subsequent to salvation of being baptised in the Spirit. *1. Old Testament Prophets gave a 2-fold promise of the Spirit, called the Promise of the Father, that would be fulfilled in the New Covenant: (1) The New Birth and Spirit WITHIN all believers, for our personal connection with God, blessing and holiness (Ezekiel 36:26-27). (2) The Spirit UPON all believers, to empower them to be a blessing to others (Joel 2:28-29). In the Old Testament, although some prophets, priests and kings had an anointing of the Spirit UPON, no believer had the Spirit WITHIN, and so, even for those with the Spirit UPON, this was not necessarily permanent. The prophecies say in the New Covenant established by Christ, (1) all believers will have the Spirit WITHIN, and also (2) the SPIRIT UPON will be available to all. *2. John the Baptist announced Christ as the One who will bring this Promise of the Spirit to fulfilment. He is the first to use the phrase: ‘Baptism in the Spirit’ and so these verses are definitive as to its meaning. He used the analogy of Baptism in WATER to describe the Baptism in the SPIRIT: “I indeed BAPTISED (immerse) you IN WATER, but He will BAPTISE you IN the HOLY SPIRIT” (Mark 1:8, Matt 3:11, Luke 3:16). This tells us JESUS is the Baptiser (Agent), who baptises us in the MEDIUM of the HOLY SPIRIT. So just as John immersed men in water, so the water covered them, so when Christ baptises us in the Spirit, we will be immersed (covered) in the Spirit. Thus, this Baptism is the Spirit UPON. Likewise, Jesus said in Acts 1:5: “John truly BAPTISED IN WATER, but you shall be BAPTISED (immersed) IN the HOLY SPIRIT not many days from now.” *3. Jesus was baptised in the Spirit when He was baptised in water. He did this as our example, representative and pioneer, showing what He wants to do for us: “the HOLY SPIRIT descended in bodily form like a dove UPON Him” (Luke 3:22). His experience proves there is a 2-fold experience of the HOLY SPIRIT: (1) He already had the SPIRIT WITHIN Him from His conception, but (2) only when He was baptised did He receive the SPIRIT UPON Him, clothing Him with the supernatural power He needed to fulfil His ministry. John 1:32-33: “John bore witness, saying: “He who sent me to BAPTISE with WATER said to me: ‘UPON whom you see the SPIRIT descending, and remaining UPON Him, this is He who BAPTISES IN the HOLY SPIRIT.” The same Jesus, who received the Spirit UPON Him, baptises us in the Spirit. Thus, as the Father baptised Jesus in the Spirit, so Jesus baptises us in the Spirit. He described the result of His BAPTISM in the SPIRIT in Luke 4:18: “The SPIRIT of the Lord is UPON ME, for He has ANOINTED Me to PREACH the Gospel to the poor; He has SENT Me to HEAL...”

In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus confirmed that the Genesis account of Noah's Flood was a true historical account, and He used it as a picture and warning of a sudden future judgment coming upon the whole world (the Day of the Lord). He also said that just as God rescued the believers in Noah's day from judgment through Noah's Ark, so God will also provide salvation from the coming judgment for those who believe His Word and trust in His Ark of Salvation - Jesus Christ. Derek shares the many ways that Noah's Ark is a picture of Jesus Christ, showing how when we trust in Christ for salvation we enter into Christ and come under His atoning blood, and pass from judgment into new life. Just as Noah's Ark bore the floods of judgment, protecting those within, so Christ has borne the judgment we deserved and paid the penalty for our sins with his Blood. The only way of salvation from God's wrath is to be in the Ark. This typology was confirmed by Peter in 1Peter 3:20-21. Just as Noah, having passed through the Flood, entered into a new covenant with God, where God promised not to pour out His waters of wrath again, so in Christ we enter into a New Covenant of peace with God, where He promises never to be angry with us again (Isaiah 54:7-10). Just as God gave Noah the Rainbow as the sign that he is now under a covenant of grace, so now God's throne to believers is a throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16), and indeed God's throne in Heaven is surrounded by a Rainbow (Revelation 4:1-3), signifying God's multifaceted grace toward us.

After saying: the just shall live by faith" (Hebrews 10:38), in Hebrews 11, Paul describes what it means to live by faith by giving illustrations from the lives of a number of the Old Testament heroes of faith, who pleased God. These men who have run their race are now the clouds of witnesses in the grandstands of Heaven, inspiring us as we run our race on earth (Hebrews 12:1-2). Their lives witness to us and give us an example of how to please God by living by faith. Derek reveals a number of key aspects to the life of faith, by looking at the first few of these heroes. (1) The foundational thing that they all had in common was that they believed in CREATION - that this universe was created by the invisible God through his Word (Hebrews 11:3, see Genesis 1). Then (2) ABEL teaches us that true faith in God must be based in the BLOOD of Christ (v4, see Genesis 4:2-8, Hebrews 9:22, 12:22-24). Abel trusted in the grace of God for his salvation on the basis of the blood of the Sacrifice, whereas Cain tried to earn his place with God based on his own works (a picture of man-made religion). Then (3) ENOCH shows that walking by faith means a life lived in FELLOWSHIP with God. Through his faith Enoch pleased God, because he continually came to God, seeking to draw close to God to know Him better, believing in God's goodness, that He would reward him by fulfilling his desire (v5,6). As a result he walked with God for 300 years (Genesis 5:21-24). Then (4) NOAH shows us that living by faith means we are called to cooperate with God in saving as many as possible in the world we live in. He built an Ark of Salvation and a WITNESSED to his world as a preacher of righteousness (v7, 1Peter 3:20, 2Peter 2:5). Then (5) ABRAHAM shows us that living by faith means OBEDIENCE to God, when He calls us out from our old life into a new life where we have to trust God and His promise (v8). Then (6) the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) show us that a life of faith means being focused on and motivated by a HEAVENLY HOPE, even their eternal heavenly home, the City of God (v9-10,14,16), rather than what this world has to offer (v13,15). Then (7) SARAH shows us how we RECEIVE the PROMISES of God by faith, by judging Him faithful who had promised (v11), causing us to be fruitful for God (v12). Finally (8) ABRAHAM proved his faith by demonstrating that he loved God more than the most precious thing in his life, by being willing to SACRIFICE his beloved son Isaac to God, trusting God to resurrect him (v17-19, James 2:21-22). Likewise, the ultimate test of our faith in God and love for God is whether we are willing to SURRENDER what is most precious to us, and trust it into God's hands, for Him to resurrect as and when He pleases.

God became a Man in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is God, the Son, and the Son of God. Jesus is the central Person in the Bible, our Saviour and the Source of Eternal Life, and we must believe in Him and come to Him to receive salvation and eternal life (John 5:39-40, 1John 5:11-12). Salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9), and only God can be our Saviour, so if Christ came to save us He must be God. Pastor Derek shares a number of Scriptures in the New Testament, which show that Jesus is fully God as well as fully man, and that believing in His Deity is necessary for salvation. In John 1:1,14, He is introduced as the Eternal Word made flesh, and later Jesus says that we receive eternal life through believing in Him - the God-man (John 3:16, 6:47, 20:31). In Romans 10:9, Paul tells us that those who confess: "Jesus is Lord" from a believing heart are saved. Derek shows that this is a confession of Christ's Deity and our submission to Him. In John 20, Thomas gives us a picture of saving faith, when he worships Jesus saying: "My Lord and my God" (v28). In John 8:58-59, Jesus claimed to be the I AM, and in John 8:24, He said: "If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.” When Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Jews tried to stone Him to death, because they knew He was claiming equality with God (John 5:18). His response was to affirm that He should be honoured just as the Father is honoured (v23). In Matthew 16:15-18, Jesus declared that receiving, embracing and confessing this revelation from God that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God is the key to be blessed with forgiveness and eternal life and become part of His true Church, built upon the Rock (Christ Himself). Romans 10:13 says "all who call on the Name of the Lord (Jesus) shall be saved." This is a quote from Joel 2:32, where 'Lord' translates 'Jehovah.' Thus this says Jesus is Jehovah God, and that we are saved through believing and calling upon Him as our Lord God. Thus saving faith must include knowing and submitting to Jesus as our Lord and our God.

"Life and death are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21). Jesus said that with our tongues we either bring forth good or evil things in our lives (Matthew 12:34-37). The course of our life and our spiritual growth is greatly determined by our use of our tongue. James 1:22-25 tells that we must not just be hearers, but also doers of the word and that we will be blessed in our doing (obedience). Then he highlighted the control of our tongue as being of first importance in doing God's word (v26), and later he devotes James 3 to explaining and illustrating the power of the tongue and the importance of us controlling it, so that we only speak the good and not the evil. Derek expounds James 3 explaining the wonderful examples given by James, including horses, ships, fires, wild beasts and springs.