What is Prayer?

 

What is prayer?

To answer this question, it is important that we should first examine full meaning of the Greek word for ‘prayer’, as it is the main language that the New Testament was originally written in and translated into English from.

The main Greek word used for prayer in the New Testament is ‘proseuche’ (pronounced pros-yoo-kay), which is made up of two words, ‘pros’ and ‘euche’.

"Pros" is a preposition and means moving toward or being with (being with or close to) and denotes a sense of personal closeness and intimacy between two people. This indicates that our prayer lives as born again Christians should ever be aimed at drawing closer to God - going deeper with Him in the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus! God desires to have a close, personal and intimate prayer relationship with Him. He loves communing with His children! Our relationship with Him has to be proactive and not one sided!

Dear Readers, let's search for God with all our hearts!

James 4:8

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Jeremiah 29:12-13

12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 

"Euche" is a noun and means ‘a prayer of desire or passion, or a vow’ to do something. In our case to continually seek God and draw ever closer to Him!

Bearing this in mind, we now see that when the New Testament writers (under the power of the Holy Spirit) speak of prayer, it means to draw intimately near to God and verbally share with him your earnest desires and passions for whatever it is you want to talk to him about. And as his children, we should want to talk to Him about everything, both good and bad - nothing is hidden from Him anyway, but he wants us to share everything with Him by our own free will choice!

Proverbs 15:3

The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Prayer is intimate conversation between believers in Jesus, and God our creator.

One on one prayer to God is designed to help a believer to build a close, intimate and personal relationship with the Father in Christ Jesus. It is talking to God and having a conversation with Him. It is the way we go deeper and deeper with God!

Why do we pray?
i. To build a close relationship with the Father in Christ Jesus

Prayer helps us to strengthen our love relationship with Jesus and thus with God the Father and helps as to daily build a closer and deeper relationship with the Father and our Lord Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Let’s have a look at an example of this through one of the apostle Paul’s prayers for the Church in Ephesus:

Ephesians 3:14-19

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

In verse 14 above we see that the Apostle Paul is praying to the Father in the name of Jesus. 

From verse 16 his prayer, because the church is God’s family, takes on the essence of true love (God's agape love). He starts to pray that God would strengthen the Ephesian believers in their hearts (the inner man) through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today's Christians should make this kind of prayer, praying for others, a daily lifestyle!

In verses 17 through 19 Paul encourages the Church to cultivate, grounded in Jesus, a deeper and deeper love for Jesus so that we may experience the fulness of God that the world cannot understand.

This is certainly the kind of relationship that Paul had with God and we would do well to emulate him!

1 Corinthians 11:1

 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

ii. It helps us to overcome sin and temptation

When we face the trials and temptations of life we need to press in to God more earnestly and he will strengthen us to overcome all things in Christ Jesus. We need to go deeper with God in all aspects of our prayer life!

Jesus himself is our prime example of this just before he was arrested and crucified:

Luke 22:39-43

39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

And the Apostle John says this:

1 John 5:4-5

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

iii. It helps us to find out God’s will for our lives

It is impossible for any believer to know God’s will for their life unless they are talking to Him in prayer. That’s just plain common sense!

But let’s strengthen our common sense with scripture, and no better scripture than this one with Jesus once again as our prime example:

Luke 6:12-13

12 And it came to pass in those days, that he (Jesus) went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

In these verses we see that Jesus has a big decision to make. From the many followers he had at the time, he needed to decide which of them would be the chosen twelve apostles. To be able to make the right decision Jesus knew he needed to seek the will of God the Father so he took himself aside and prayed all night.

Only then, once he knew the will of the Father was he able to make the decision of which of his disciples would he choose as the twelve apostles. A decision that would rock the world of the time!

We, as disciples of Jesus, always need to pray about all things!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

iv. Prayer helps us to achieve the work God wants us to do

Once we know (through prayer) the works that God wants us to do, we will also need to ask Him in prayer how we can achieve them. God has predestined us for good works for us to do once we are born again.

John 14:12-14

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Ephesians 2:8-10

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

v. An active prayer life is one of the keys to our spiritual awakening

When we lead an active prayer life our spirits are lifted up to be with Jesus in the throne room of God.

When this happens changes not only happen within us but in those around us as well. Prayer brings revival - miracles, signs and wonders occur!

Revelation 8:3-4

3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.

The prayers of God’s children in Christ Jesus reach His throne room. They then have a profound effect on what happens on earth under God’s hand. This is  so needed especially now in these end times!

Revelation 8:5

5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

An important part of our spiritual awakening comes to the fore when we start praying for others (called intercessory prayer) as Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercede on our behalf in prayer, we need to always follow the example Jesus sets for us.

Hebrews 7:25

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Romans 8:26-27 

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

When we intercede for others as Jesus and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, we help them (our brothers and sisters in Christ) to live their lives in accordance with the will of the Father and to receive all His promises and benefits. 

This is how the family of God ought always to be towards each other in their prayer lives, daily! Encouraging one another and building each other up in the Faith.

1 Thessalonians 5:11

 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

vi. Prayer is our key weapon in Spiritual Warfare

It is important for every new believer and indeed, every believer to know that because we are God’s children we automatically become the target for God’s enemy, who is Satan or the devil as he is quite commonly known as.

Satan’s mission on earth is to kill and destroy anything that belongs to God and anything that He created. This is primarily us, His Church and mankind in general.

John 10:10

The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

There is much to be said about Spiritual Warfare that warrants it receiving more attention. This I have done in a separate articles in four parts. Follow the below links:

Part 1: https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2023/02/spiritual-warfare-part-1-of-4-are.html

Part 2: https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2023/02/spiritual-warfare-part-2-know-your.html

Part 3: https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2023/03/spiritual-warfare-part-3-what-are.html

Part 4: https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2023/03/spiritual-warfare-part-4-what-are.html

2. Did Jesus pray?
In a nutshell – most definitely, yes and in accordance with the will of the Father!
Jesus was constantly in prayer to the Father. We should follow his example always and pray in accordance with the Father's will.

Luke 5:16

And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

Hebrews 5:7

Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Matthew 26:39

And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

There are at least twenty-five other scriptures in the New testament that tell of Jesus praying. See if you can find others as you read the Bible.

2. How do you pray?

Jesus gives us the model prayer in Matthew:

Matthew 6:9-13

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Jesus says in verse 9 that when we pray, we should pray in this order:

Verse 9: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Acknowledge that you are praying to the Father in heaven as a child would address its earthy father and recognize that His name is holy and to be revered. The ‘Our’ here indicates that we need to recognize that we are part of a family of God’s children and that as a good Father we should recognize that He loves us all.

Verse 10: Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Make sure that what you are praying for is in accordance with His will and not your will, and ask with the right motive, one that is selfless, so that His kingdom will come on earth.

James 4:2-3

2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.

1 John 5:14

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Verse 11: Give us this day our daily bread.

God is our sole provider. Let your requests for provision be made known to him. You won’t always get what you want, but He will always give you what you need, even the things you didn’t know you needed!

Verse 12: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

When we come before God we need to have a repentant heart. Examine your heart and repent of any unconfessed sin and even more importantly, forgive those that have sinned against you, cleanse yourself of any ill feeling, anger, jealousy and grudges that you may be holding against others.

Verse 13: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Temptation in this verse can also be translated from the original Greek as trials. We will all face trials and temptations in life, Jesus himself tells us so, and we need to ask God daily to give us the strength to overcome them in Christ Jesus and to lead us away from them. In Jesus we are overcomers and will be protected from evil.

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Just quoting the Lord’s prayer verbatim every day is not really prayer, it will just become a mantra. The Lord’s prayer serves as an example of how we should pray and shows us a way to prepare ourselves for prayer, to come in to God’s presence through Christ Jesus.

If we live our lives according to the Lord’s prayer we will find ourselves walking closely with him in the Spirit. Prayer is one of the keys to living the life through the Spirit that the Apostle Paul refers to in Romans 8:1-17. Please read this for yourself, it will change your life dramatically for the better!

Our prayers and petitions we pray in the name of Jesus.

John 15:16

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

3. How do we end a prayer time?

Journalise:
Keep a journal in which you can make a note of your prayers and include in your notes a date the prayer was made, what God said to you if anything and any relevant scriptures you received and just as importantly, record when the prayer was answered.

The answering part might be immediate, or it may take a while to be fulfilled. Be patient and don’t give up. My wife and I prayed that our youngest son would come back to the Lord for twenty years, he is now back and serving the Lord and his whole family are now save!

When you pray, believe and have faith that it will come to be:

The Bible tells us clearly that when we pray we must believe that we have received whatever it is we are praying for, and we will receive.

It also warns us not to hold any unforgiveness in our hearts against anybody. The inference here is that if we do, our prayers could be hindered!

Mark 11:24-25

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Matthew 9:27-30

27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us.

28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

30 And their eyes were opened;

Give praise and thanks to God with a grateful heart:

This is probably the most important part of a Christian’s prayer life – giving thanks to the Lord for everything! Especially that he answers our prayers.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2 Chronicles 5:13

It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;

4. List of bible verses related to prayer to read and study

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. 1 John 5:14

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mark 11:24

Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jeremiah 29:12

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Romans 12:12

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:7

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6

In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Psalm 18:6

And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. 1 John 5:15

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:6

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Acts 16:25

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luke 6:27-28

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Acts 1:14

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer. 1 Peter 4:7

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. John 14:13

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. James 4:2

Remember always that if we do not have love (the agape, unconditional love of God) – then we have nothing and are nothing but empty vessels!

1 Corinthians 13:1

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, just pray from your heart a simple prayer like the example below.

Dear Lord Jesus, I confess before you that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins before you. I ask that you forgive me my sins and to come into my heart to be my Lord and Saviour and to fill me with your Holy Spirit and to help me to walk a Christian life according to your teachings in the Bible. Amen.

Congratulations, you are now born-again. You now need to be water baptised and start studying the Bible for yourself and join a local fellowship in order to grow in your faith!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise for He alone is worthy.

Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven

Thank you for Jesus my Lord and Saviour. Thank you that it is by His name alone that I am saved, and it is only through Him that I receive your sonship and can share in your spiritual blessings that are for Your children only. Help me, Father by the power of your Holy Spirit to walk in a manner that is worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus and keep me from developing a sinful, rebellious heart of unbelief. Help me in my unbelief I pray!. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

Unpacking the Book of Hebrews: Chapter 3

In this chapter the writer, because of what he wrote in Chapter 2 (he starts the Chapter off with the word "therefore"), focuses on the Church being faithful because Jesus, the Son, is faithful. 

Because the Jews of the time believed that Moses was the greatest and most Godly man ever, the writer explains to them how Jesus, the Son of God is far greater than Moses! And in verses 16-19 he warns us not to rebel against God and wanted to turn back to Egypt (the place of sin) as Israel did when they refused to enter the promised land. Israel’s rebellion was caused by unbelief and lack of faith!

Please bear in mind that the Book of Hebrews is written to Jewish converts to Christianity - they were born again believers, many of whom were contemplating going back to Judaism (The Law) because of the persecution they were subject to by those outside The Faith, Christianity - faith in Christ Jesus! This chapter explains how better off we are if we hold to our faith in Jesus and not turn back to our old life and ways of sin!

Note: In the body on this article the verses from Hebrews are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.

The Son Was Faithful
1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

The writer starts this chapter with the word “therefore” which means because of what we have been told in the previous chapter, we need to consider our “Apostle and High Priest, Jesus Christ!”

Now, what is meant by the word "consider" in verse 1?

"Consider" in the original Greek text is a transliteration of the Greek word "katanoeó (Strong's 2657)" pronounced "kat-an-o-eh'-o." 

Its expanded meaning is: behold, consider, discover, perceive, notice, contemplated, detected, look more closely at.

Here the writer is encouraging us to carefully examine the faithfulness of Christ to the Father and absorb this very same faithfulness into our lives as born again believers, children of God in Christ Jesus! Our faithfulness should fully reflect that of our Saviour's!

2 who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

Jesus never changes, He is the same yesterday, today and always. Just as He is faithful to the Father so He will always be faithful to us. We must always endeavour to be the same to Him and to our brothers and sisters in Christ! Live life in the Spirit as He did!

Hebrews 13:8 (AMP)

Jesus Christ is [eternally changeless, always] the same yesterday and today and forever.

3 For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house.

In verse 3 we learn that even though Moses was touched (by the glory of God which was physically seen by the Israelites on his face. This was only a reflection of God's glory whereas Jesus is God's glory! Everything was created in Him (Jesus), through Him and for Him!

Exodus 34:29-30 (AMP)

29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hand, he did not know that the skin of his face was shining [with a unique radiance] because he had been speaking with God. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to approach him.

Hebrews 1:3 (AMP)

The Son is the radiance and only expression of the glory of [our awesome] God [reflecting God’s Shekinah glory, the Light-being, the brilliant light of the divine], and the exact representation and perfect imprint of His [Father’s] essence, and upholding and maintaining and propelling all things [the entire physical and spiritual universe] by His powerful word [carrying the universe along to its predetermined goal]. When He [Himself and no other] had [by offering Himself on the cross as a sacrifice for sin] accomplished purification from sins and established our freedom from guilt, He sat down [revealing His completed work] at the right hand of the Majesty on high [revealing His Divine authority],

Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV)

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or [e]principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.

Verse 4 is a reminder of the sovereignty of God over all things. He is the master builder who builds all things and provides all things!

5 And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward,

Verse 5: According to Jewish teaching and tradition of the times, before the arrival of Jesus Christ the Messiah, the old Rabbis considered Moses to be the greatest and most faithful man ever, even greater than the angels. 

The writer of Hebrews teaches the Jews that Moses, even though he was a great and faithful servant of God, was nothing compared to Jesus, the Son of God, that is God in the flesh! The life of Moses served as a testimony of the greatness of the one who was to come - Jesus!

6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

In verse 6 we are told that Jesus is the head of the Church (Son over His own house) and that we, as born again Christians, and here is the rub, a subtle proviso and warning, if we remain in Christ Jesus and hold firm in our faith until the end! We cannot abandon our faith in Christ Jesus and return to sin and and once again take on an unrepentant heart. If we do this we remove ourselves from God's household, His Church.

For the Jews of the time this meant turning back to the Law, the law of sin and death, being apart from Christ Jesus!

We have to remain in Christ Jesus and not abandon our faith in Him alone and return to our unsaved state of unrepentant sin! If we remain in Him, He will remain in us! Apart from Him we are nothing!

John 15:5-6 (AMP)

5 I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

In verse 5 above Jesus is addressing His Church as individuals, He says we are the branches. He is not addressing the Church as a whole or we would have said "you are the branch"! As individual members of His Church we carry the responsibility of remaining in the Vine (Jesus) for ourselves or we run the risk of being thrown into the fire and burned! Be reminded of the great falling away - apostasy! Willfully turning our backs on our faith in Christ Jesus and returning to a life of sin.

True commitment to Jesus is demonstrated by living our entire lives in Christ Jesus, not just in an initial burst. We trust that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, his second coming, if you remain in the Vine!

Philippians 1:6 (AMP)

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].

(But we have to remain in Him to the end we cannot wilfully abandon our faith on Him and live a life of unrepentant sin again. If we do we wilfully remove ourselves from His House, the Church!)

Be Faithful
7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
10 Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Verses 7-11 are, apart from the first line, a quote from Psalm 95:7-11.

In the first line the writer makes it clear that the rest of the verses from 7-11 are, as indeed is all scripture, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV)

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

The writer of Hebrews, because he is addressing Jewish converts to Christianity, uses these five verses as a warning for them not to harden their hearts to the voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit who has drawn them to salvation.

John 3:5 (NKJV)

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

We are warned not to be like the Jews who rebelled against God because of their unbelief and refused to enter the promised land and as a result suffered the consequences of God's anger and none of them were allowed to enter the promised land - His place of rest, and abundant provision!

The actions of the Jews in their refusal to believe in God's promise was considered to be evil and rebellious in His eyes. Rebellion against God in unbelief and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and it is the same for us today if we entertain unbelief in our hearts.

1 Samuel 15:23 (NKJV)

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

He also has rejected you from being king.”

Today, as born again, water baptised and Holy Spirit filled Christians we must listen to and be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit because He will guide us in all truth.

Romans 8:12-14 (NKJV)

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

John 16:13-15 (NKJV)

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;

In verse 12 we are told not to entertain any unbelief in our hearts, we have to fully trust in Jesus for all things. When we entertain unbelief in our hearts, God considers it to be an evil heart! When we have unbelief in our hearts we move away from God!

13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

Verse 13 tells us as born again Christians how we should behave towards each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are told to encourage one another every day and if we don't we run the risk od developing hardened hearts through the deceitfulness of sin. Entertaining unbelief in our hearts is sin! Encouraging each other daily in our faith should be a lifelong practice in a born again Christian not just a now and again or when I feel like it thing!

No sin is hidden from God so don't think that you can hide the sinful things you do, but openly confess them and repent of them!

Hebrews 4:13 (NKJV)

And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,

In verse 14 lets examine the phrase "partakers of Christ" in order to gain a fuller understanding of its meaning.

The word "partaker" here is a transliteration of the Greek word "metochos" (pronounced MEH-toh-khos). Strong's 3353.

Its expanded meaning is: fellow partaker or partner, a companion of, a sharer with or an associate of.

So, when we are born again we become partakers of all the Christ has from the Father. Paul says that we become "co-heirs" with Christ in all that God has for Jesus!

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV)

16 The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. 17 And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.

We gain all these things in Christ Jesus if we hold on to Jesus (the beginning of our confidence) until the end. We mustn't fall away from or abandon our faith in Christ Jesus! We must remain in the vine!

15 while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Verse 15 warns us again not to harden our hearts and abandon the faith! Live life in the Spirit!

Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV)

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Failure of the Wilderness Wanderers
16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?

In verse 16 the writer uses the analogy of the "Wilderness Wanderers" to encourage us not to give up on our belief and faith in Christ Jesus. The Israelites after hearing from God through Moses left the slavery of Egypt and headed for God's promised land.

They started of well by believing the Word of God through Moses but then, when the struggles of life caught up with them, they lapsed into unbelief which led to the sin of rebellion and they refused to enter the promised land through fear of those "giants" who were already living there. They refused to believe that God would give them victory over the enemy and as a result they wandered in the desert for 40 years and none of that generation entered the promised land!

Dear brothers and sisters let's not do the same as the "Wilderness Wanderers", after starting of well then allowing unbelief to enter our hearts through the trials of life and the lies of the Devil and then turning our backs on Jesus and willfully denying Him.

We must remain in the "vine - Jesus" and work out our salvation with fear and trembling! We must be obedient to the Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit - we must be doers of the Word and not just readers!

Philippians 2:12-13 (AMP)

12 So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ]. 13 For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure.

To find out more about "working out your salvation with fear and trembling", please read my article on the below link:
https://rayskilton.blogspot.com/2022/11/work-out-your-salvation-with-fear-and.html

17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

In verses 17-19 the writer exposes us to a characteristic of God that we tend to ignore, His anger. God's anger, unlike frail humanity, is always righteous and just - never unfair. We can always safely say that His anger is brought about by man's willful disobedience to His Word!

Because of their unbelief, the Israelites were not allowed to enter His rest! Their great failure was to not persevere in faith and thus be able to enter the promised land, God's place of rest for them.

The writer was reminding the Jews at the time, and us today, to keep our faith in Christ Jesus who is the assurance of our salvation. This is a warning for us not to turn our backs on Jesus in unbelief or we run the risk of not entering into His rest just as the Israelites did and perished in the wilderness!

Jesus reminded us in the parable of the sower that some of us will depart from the faith for various reasons.

It is wonderful to make a good start by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour (repentance from our sins), but making a good start is only the beginning of our Christian walk, we must persevere in our faith and not walk away from it, we must remain in the vine and work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Matthew 13:3-9 (NKJV)

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

Life application for today’s believers
1.We must not neglect our salvation but work it out in fear and trembling until our day of redemption is here.

Luke 21:28 (NKJV)

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

The above verse encourages us not to be overwhelmed with the challenges of life that we all face. Life and the Devil will often throw curved balls at us in many forms of uncertainty and fear. These at times can become very oppressive and depressing but Jesus reminds us that when we stand firm in our faith and keep our eyes on Him, our redemption is secure! Our faith in Christ Jesus alone is our hope and salvation.

2.Remember that Jesus is supreme over all things.
3.We must live in accordance with God’s will and not our own.
4.Jesus alone is worthy of glory, honour and praise.
5.We must abide in Jesus and not drift away from our faith and return to our old ways!

Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven
Thank you for Jesus my Lord and Saviour. Thank you that it is by His name alone that I am saved, and it is only through Him that I receive your sonship and can share in your spiritual blessings that are for Your children only. Help me, Father by the power of your Holy Spirit to walk in a manner that is worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus and keep me from developing a sinful, rebellious heart of unbelief. Help me in my unbelief I pray!. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

What is Revival?

So, the question is, "What is Revival?" 

As Christians we talk about it, we sing about it and we pray about it. But do we fully understand what revival is and how it should impact us as individual Christians and ultimately the entire Church of Jesus Christ across the world?

For this article I'm going to start by examining Isaiah 57:15, the same verse pictured above, to illustrate what God means by the word "revive or revival." 

In this verse God prophetically tells us today that He not only lives in the high and holy place (Heaven) but also with those who have a contrite and humble spirit and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Today God lives in us through the Holy Spirit.

In Isaiah 57:15 the Hebrew word for "revive" is "chayah" (Pronunciation: khaw-YAH - Strong's 1793) which is a verb, a doing word - something that God will do. Its extended meaning is: to keep or make) alive, to give life, to nourish up,  to preserve (alive),  to quicken, to recover, to repair, to restore (to life), to revive into life. 

From this we see that God's revival is for His people to enable them to complete His work in us and to complete the works that He predestined us to do.

God revived Israel on many different occasions in the Old Testament, we just have to look at the Book of Judges to prove this. He revives or brings revival to His people (the Jews) and His children in Christ Jesus!

Throughout the centuries since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, there have been numerous recordings of Holy Spirit inspired ‘revivals’ or ‘awakenings’ in the world and probably many more that were not recorded, big and small.

When I look at my own life since my spiritual rebirth in May 1988 in the little South Coastal town of Mosel Bay in South Africa, I can distinctly see times of ‘revival’ in my own spiritual walk. 

These personal times of revival may not have had the worldwide impact of a Book of Judges revival or a more modern day ‘Wesleyan Welsh Revival’, but on a personal level they have certainly had a tremendous life-changing impact on me and have inspired and enhanced my personal walk with Jesus and has given me the courage to to the things I was afraid to do!

What is revival and what is its purpose?

Most modern dictionaries today will describe the word revival as something like this:

an improvement in the condition of someone or something, a strengthening of someone or something. The strengthening of the fortunes of someone or something.

Or

an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again.

God, by the power of His Holy Spirit, has been instigating personal and corporate revivals from the time of creation! He is and wants to be continually and intimately involved in a personal relationship with each and every one of us and He actively pursues this relationship through the power of the Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus. This is why Jesus sent the Comforter to us when he ascended into heaven.

John 16:12-15 (NIV)

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jeremiah 33:3 (AMP)

‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and tell you [and even show you] great and mighty things, [things which have been confined and hidden], which you do not know and understand and cannot distinguish.’

A Definition of Revival
Ok then, if you want a definition of spiritual revival then I’m going to give you two, one for personal revival and one for corporate revival, here they come, my best shot and I’m pretty sure you will be able to improve on them.

Personal:
Spiritual revival is a sovereign move of God through the power of the Holy Spirit that is designed specifically for an individual believer to be re-energised and restored out of a period of slumber or stagnation that has stalled his/her walk to maturity and servanthood into a righteous and holy personal relationship with Jesus.

Corporate:
Spiritual revival is a sovereign move of God through the power of the Holy Spirit upon His chosen people (the Church) that is designed specifically to draw the lost to salvation and to empower his children to witness effectively to the lost in the power of the Holy Spirit being physically evidenced in miracles, signs and wonders, deliverance and healings that will follow us, to bring glory to His son Jesus.

The corporate definition is what took place at Pentecost (Acts 2) where God poured out his Holy Spirit and many unbelievers came to salvation and the disciples and others began their ministries in the power of the Holy Spirit and the Lord added to the numbers of those being saved daily!

Acts 2:2-4 (KJV)

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:47 (KJV)

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Now let’s get something straight here, revival is not a new phenomenon and when I say new, I mean it is not just a New Testament or a ‘today’ thing, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, there is nothing new under the sun!

Ecc 1:9 (KJV)

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

There is no knew thing under the sun, God is the same yesterday, today and always, He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end.

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Revelation 22:13 (NIV)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

God knows those who are his. God knows those who will heed His salvation call. He gives us so many chances to respond to His call through the power of the Holy Spirit and to the glory of Jesus!

One of the ways the God has used and still uses and will continue to use is through revival by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the lives of ‘men’ in His Church. It is the Holy Spirit that draws us to Jesus for our salvation. God will continue to bring revival to us, His Church, both corporately and individually. God has done this from the beginning of man’s days, and He will continue to do so until Jesus comes again. It’s all about Jesus, all glory to the Son!

The book of Judges is a prime example of this, God brought revival by the power of the Holy Spirit and through those individuals (the Judges) He brought revival to the nation of Israel. He also did this through some of the Kings and prophets and other individuals like Mordecai and Esther.

God brought revival to individuals and to the Church of the time through the ministry of Jesus. Jesus moved in the power of the Holy Spirit. His very birth was through the power of the Holy Spirit. The miracles, signs and wonders he performed were all done in the power of the Holy Spirit. All these things brought revival to his chosen people.

At the betrayal of Jesus by Judas and when he was arrested, the disciples fled in fear and panic and Peter denied him three times soon thereafter. I guess you could say that they became ‘unrevived’ – this is probably not even a proper word, but I hope you get my meaning in this context.

Matthew 26:33-35 (NIV)

33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”

35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

But when it came to the crunch, look what the disciples did!

Matthew 26:56 (NIV)

But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Now this situation didn’t take God by surprise in any way, remember he is the beginning and the end; nothing is a surprise to Him! He wrote the script for us, and he doesn’t change His mind, what He has ordained will come to pass when we follow His ways and are being led by the Holy Spirit!

OK so here we have a bunch of freaked out and ‘unrevived’ disciples who watch the crucifixion of Jesus and are terrified! Without their leader they decide to give up and go back to their old jobs; let’s go fishing is the general consensus; forgetting everything they’ve been taught and all the miracles they have witnessed.

Yes, I’ve been there and done that! I expect some of you have too. But God brings revival to the disciples through the power of the Holy Spirit and he does the same for us! Look what happens next.

Jesus is resurrected after three days by the power of the Holy Spirit and he appears to the disciples and many others and just before his ascension into heaven, he tells the disciples that he is going to the Father and that he will send them the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) and tells them to go and wait in Jerusalem and they will receive power from on high. He then ascends into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Now the disciples are still a bit unsure of themselves and are still in a state of ‘unrevival’ but they obey the Lord’s instructions and return to Jerusalem to wait for power from on high, but I don’t think they fully understood what that meant.

When the disciples went back to Jerusalem, they gathered together to pray in one accord in an upper room, together with some other close followers of Jesus.

Acts 1:12-14 (KJV)

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. 13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Ok. So now remember this bit because I’m going to say it big and bold so that you won’t forget:

It is the prayers of the saints (the Church), praying in unity and in one accord that ushers in revival in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Revival should not be a one off thing in our lives and then for us to go cold! No! We should continually be filled with the Holy Spirit, continually be praying and continually be burning with zeal for the Lord! Amen!

Now why do I say this? Well turn with me in your bible to Acts 2. Excuse me! You haven’t got your bible with you? Naughty, naughty! Go and fetch it quickly or switch on your electronic version.

After the upper room prayer meeting, we move on to the day of Pentecost and look what happens now!

Acts 2:1-4 (KJV)

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Here we have it then, REVIVAL, in a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, a mighty wind and tongues of fire! The very first Pentecostal revival meeting energising, empowering and equipping the saints to step out and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit, performing miracles and signs and wonders and drawing the lost to salvation in Christ Jesus – to His glory!

This was an explosion of new life within the Church which resulted in a blessing to the sick, the possessed, and the lost, this is what revival is all about.

Look around you child of God, look at the news, walk in the streets, society is breaking down fast and getting worse by the day. Rally around my brothers and sisters, gather the saints, sound the trumpet and call out to God, Church. 

Pray for revival in one accord – the world needs the saints to be revived, the world needs revival, the world needs JESUS, and we need a mighty outpouring of his Holy Spirit upon the Church – a mighty wind and a mighty flame!

The Church should be praying for revival in unity and in one accord. A revival that will not just be a one off occurrence but one of a continual refreshing of the Church. A revival that will not end until He has come again!

Let’s take a quick look at the amazing things that happened in this Holy Spirit inspired revival at Pentecost in bullet form and fired from the gun of the Holy Spirit!

The disciples and the Church are revived and filled with the Holy Spirit.The disciples measure of faith is increased, and they begin to minister in power and boldness.

Miracles, signs and wonders accompany their ministry. Thousands of unbelievers get saved. The sick are healed, and demons are cast out, setting people free. Paul is converted on the Damascus Road. The gospel of salvation is spread to both Jew and Gentile across the known world of the time. The infilling of the Holy Spirit is spread to others by the laying on of hands. And much, much more! 

Right then, I think we have now established what revival is and what its purpose is:

1. It is a sovereign move of God in the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on His Church to energise, restore and empower the Church to fulfil its destiny – individually and corporately!

Joel 2:28 (NIV)

28 “And afterward,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your old men will dream dreams,

your young men will see visions.

29 Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

2. It restores an individual – such as a returning prodigal son as in and like the restoration of the Apostle Peter after he had denied the Lord three times!

John 21:15-17 (NIV)

Jesus Reinstates Peter

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

3. It empowers the Church to move in the power of the Holy Spirit performing miracles, signs and wonders.

John 14:12 (NIV)

12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Acts 4:1:8 (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

4. It draws the lost to salvation.

Acts 2:41 (NIV)

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 4:4 (NIV)

But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

5. It inspires prophecy and the other gifts of the Spirit thus enabling God’s children to hear His voice and to know His will so that the Fruit of the Spirit can be manifest in us and through us!

1 Corinthians 12:31 (AMP)

But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal].

And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love].

1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMP)

Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people].

Prayer:
Heavenly Father
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and bring revival to my heart and that would empower me to walk on the path that you have planned for my life! I pray too, Lord, that you would pour out your Holy Spirit on your sons and daughters across the world that would spark a revival such as the world has never seen before. A revival that would bring salvation to those that you have chosen. A revival that will continue until you come again. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

Unpacking the Book of Hebrews: Chapter 2

In this chapter the writer urges us to pay attention to our salvation in Christ Jesus and not to neglect it, remembering that Jesus died for us on the cross that we might be reconciled with God through Him! We, the Church, are God’s sons and daughters through Christ Jesus and thus are coheirs with Jesus in all God’s blessings that He has stored up for us!

Note: In the body on this article the verses from Hebrews are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.

Do not neglect your salvation

1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.

Verse 1 starts off with the word therefore (because of) which implies that we need to follow on with a principle that was started in chapter one. This principle is the supremacy of Christ over all things and that it is only by His name that we are saved!

The verse ends with the phrase, “less we drift away.” So, let’s now analyse what this phrase means by examining it from the original Greek it was written in!

“Drift away” is a transliteration of the Greek word “pararreó” (Strong’s 3901 – pronounced pah-rah-RREH-oh) and its full definition is: to drift away, to slip away, to flow past. In this context it literally means to flow or glide past Jesus and not flow with or alongside Him by being led by the Holy Spirit who we should be letting lead us and guide us through life!

The word “pararreó” is derived from the Greek prefixes "para-" meaning "beside" or "alongside," and "rheo," meaning "to flow" or "to run” past.

John 14:15-17 (AMP)

15 “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.

Role of the Spirit

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.

When we persistently and wilfully do not “flow” with Jesus through the leading of the Holy Spirit, we will fall away (drift) from our faith and will perish as the world will perish. We must remain in the vine – Jesus!

The word "pararreó" is a verb and thus is this a doing word, something that we put into action ourselves (by our own choice) and is used here metaphorically to describe the act of drifting away or slipping away in both a spiritual and moral sense. It conveys the idea of something that is not anchored (Christ is our anchor in life) and thus moves away or drifts from its intended path or position. In the context of the New Testament, it is used to warn believers about the danger of neglecting their faith and allowing themselves to drift away from the truth of the Gospel.

So, verse one in this chapter is saying this principle, stated in chapter one, is one that we need to apply to our daily lives, our daily walk in Christ Jesus and hold fast to tooth and nail – the principle of life in Christ Jesus – which teaches us how to live as Christians or we will be at risk of drifting or moving or falling away from our salvation in Him. We must remain in Jesus who is the vine and the sustainer of our salvation if we abide or live in Him.

John 15:5-8 (NKJV)

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 15:6 clearly states that if we do not abide in Him we drift away and will be cast out and thrown into the fire. This is speaking of people who once ‘abided’ in Him, who were once born again, but have wilfully drifted away from their faith and no longer abide in Him!

2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,

In verse 2 the writer starts to expand on what he means by “earnestly take heed” of what we heard in chapter one about the supremacy of Christ over all things and that our salvation comes through Him alone! He does this expansion by initially taking us back to the Mosaic Law.

The phrase “For if the word spoken through angels” refers to the Mosaic law which was given to Moses at Mount Sinai.

Deuteronomy 33:2 (NKJV)

And he said:

“The Lord came from Sinai,

And dawned on them from Seir;

He shone forth from Mount Paran,

And He came with ten thousands of saints;

From His right hand

Came a fiery law for them.

The word “saints” in the above word can also be translated as “holy ones” which is another name for “angels.”

The Apostle Luke in the Book of Acts refers to Moses receiving the Law through angels at the stoning of Stephen after he chastises the religious rulers of the day.

Acts 7:51-53 (NKJV)

51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

The Mosaic Law was steadfast and strict with “every transgression and disobedience receiving a just reward.” A just reward means every transgression of the Law received a fitting punishment! It demanded to be taken seriously. The word steadfast in the original Greek is “bebaios” (pronounced BEH-bah-yos) and its full definition is: firm, secure, steadfast, sure and certain. The sense here is that God dealt with transgressions of the Law in a firm and steadfast manner.

3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

In verse 3 the writer is telling us that if the lord dealt with transgressions of the Law were “steadfastly”, how can we escape His discipline if we neglect our salvation! Remember, Jesus came to fulfil the Law and if we thus neglect to obey God’s Word, the Word is Jesus, then we will face His steadfast discipline! We must abide in Him and cultivate an ever repentant heart – a heart such as King David had who the Bible describes as being a man after God’s own heart.

Matthew 5:17 (NKJV)

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Acts 13:22 (NKJV)

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’

Once we are born again (saved) we must be doers of the Word not just readers! Our Father’s will is that we abide in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour!

Luke 11:28 (NKJV)

But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

James 1:22-25 (AMP)

22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. 23 For if anyone only listens to the word without obeying it, he is like a man who looks very carefully at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he immediately forgets what he looked like. 25 But he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience].

The second half of verse 3 tells us that this word (the gospel of salvation in Christ Jesus) was first spoken by Jesus himself and was confirmed by eyewitnesses (those who heard Him, such as the apostles). Then it was confirmed with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit given by God.

4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

In verse 4 we are told that God bears His own witness with miracles, signs and wonders that he performs through man in the power of the Holy Spirit. These things are done solely in accordance with God’s will and not in accordance with the will of man who often, tragically, fabricates a supposed move of the Holy Spirit in accordance with the flesh!

Man’s fabrication of the move of the Holy Spirit is blasphemous and truly grieves the Holy Spirit!

The Son Made Lower than Angels – Jesus the foundation of our salvation

5 For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.

God did not put this world or the world to come in subjection to angels, He put this world under man’s dominion and the world to come under the dominion of Jesus and man will rule and reign with Him.

Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

2 Timothy 2:12 (NKJV)

If we endure,

We shall also reign with Him.

If we deny Him,

He also will deny us.

Revelation 20:4 (AMP)

And then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those to whom judgment [that is, the authority to act as judges] was given. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had refused to worship the beast or his image, and had not accepted his mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:
“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

In verses 6b-8a the writer, quoting from Psalm 8:4-6 tells us that Jesus became fully man in order to fully identify with man and to suffer death for us all so that by our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Saviour, becoming saved or born again, and through His death on the cross for our sins we will also receive the gift of salvation and resurrection to eternal life!

In verse 6 we are again reminded of Christ’s full humanity, What is man…. and “or the son of man….”. Jesus referred to Himself as the “son of man” on a number of occasions!

Matthew 25:31 (NKJV)

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

Mark 14:62 (NKJV)

Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

John 3:13 (AMP)

No one has gone up into heaven, but there is One who came down from heaven, the Son of Man [Himself—whose home is in heaven].

In verses 7-8 we are reminded that under God’s direction Jesus alone is worthy of all glory and honour and God has subjected all His creation under the authority of Jesus.

Matthew 28:18 (NKJV)

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

John 1:14 (NKJV)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In verse 9 we are told that man’s dominion over all things on earth was lost at the fall of man in Eden and the promised dominion could only be restored by God through Jesus coming to earth as fully man in order to cover all man’s sin through his death on the cross. He suffered and died for us hence we have the phrase “Who was made a little lower than the angels.” This identifies Jesus as a man. Jesus defeated the evil Adam brought into the world – which was death through sin!

Romans 5:12 (NKJV)

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

But Jesus came in humility and suffering and defeated the power of death at the cross and made possible the fulfilment of God’s promise that humans will have dominion over the earth – fulfilled both through Jesus’ own dominion, and the rule of believers with Him.

Revelation 20:4 (NKJV)

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

“Crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone."

This tells us that by the grace of God and Jesus’ death on the cross and our acceptance of Him and our Lord and Saviour, we receive the same crown as Jesus.

1 Peter 5:4 (AMP)

And when the Chief Shepherd (Christ) appears, you will receive the [conqueror’s] unfading crown of glory.

Bringing Many Sons to Glory

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

In verse 10 we are told that it is appropriate that God would sacrifice His son in order to redeem man and restore his glory by making Jesus our Lord and Saviour. Jesus is our salvation.

The Greek word captain here is a transliteration of the Greek word “archégos” (pronounced ar-khay-gos' – Strong’s) and its full definition is: leader, author, pioneer, originator and prince.

The term "archégos" is used in the New Testament to denote someone who is a leader, originator, or pioneer. It conveys the idea of one who initiates or leads the way, often with a sense of authority and pre-eminence. In a biblical context, it is frequently used to describe Jesus Christ as the originator and leader of faith and salvation.

Hebrews 12:2 (AMP)

[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

Jesus died for us that we may by reconciled to God through Him for the forgiveness of our sins by the shedding of His blood. It is Jesus that washes us clean of the filth of sin because he is without sin.

Hebrews 9:22 (AMP)

In fact under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [neither release from sin and its guilt, nor cancellation of the merited punishment].

2 Corinthians 5:21 (AMP)

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

As born again Christians we are being sanctified by Jesus our saviour and because of this He calls us his brothers (and sisters). We are coheirs with Christ in all the He has with God because through Him we become children of God.

John 1:12 (NKJV)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

Romans 8:16-17 (NKJV)

16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

12 saying:
“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
13 And again:
“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

In verses 12 and 13 the writer is referencing three verses from the Old Testament that confirms that Jesus views those that are His as His brothers in his humanity and also as God’s children in his deity. Verse 12 is a quote from Psalm 22:22 and verse 13 quotes from Isaiah 8:17 and 18. These are also prophetic verses that refer to Jesus’ second coming!

14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

In verse 14 the writer explains that just as we as humans are flesh and blood Jesus also had to become fully human and take on flesh and blood so that through His death on the cross and the shedding of His human blood, He defeated the one who had the power of death on earth, that is the devil. Death (spiritual death being eternal separation from God) no longer has hold on us, as born again Christians. For us death has no sting as Jesus has the victory over death!

Romans 8:1-2 (NKJV)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NKJV)

55 “O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 15 tells us that Jesus victory over death through His resurrection has conquered the fear of death for those of us who are born again!

The fear of death rules as a tyrant over humanity. But born again Christians should have no fear of death because it is a defeated enemy that now serves God’s purpose in the believer’s life. After our physical death we will receive a resurrected body when Christ returns at His second coming and we will live an eternal life in Heaven!

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 (NKJV)

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

16 For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham.

The Father’s work in Jesus is primarily for the sake of the elect His Church who are the seed of Abraham and not angels.

Galatians 3:7-9 (NKJV)

7 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

In verses 17-18 we learn that if Jesus were not like us (fully human) He could not be our High Priest and our Saviour, representing us before the Father and making atonement (propitiation) for our sins.

The Old Testament High Priest wore a breastplate with stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel on both his chest and his shoulders. The High Priest was therefore in constant sympathy with the people of God, carrying them on his heart and on his shoulders.

Jesus did not wear the High Priest’s breastplate. But the wound in His chest and the cross on His shoulders are even more eloquent testimony to His heart for us and work on our behalf – to make propitiation for our sins.

Jesus in His humanity was tempted in every way just as we are, but He did not sin! He knew the temptations of power and the temptations of pain. He knew the temptations of riches and the temptations of poverty. He knew the temptations of popularity and the temptations of rejection. He knew the temptations of the boy and the temptations of the man. He knew temptation from His friends and temptation from His enemies. He knew temptation from His family and temptation from strangers.

He knew temptation in every human way possible – yet He did not sin. Because of this only He is able to help resist temptation, and we can only resist temptation through Him, by abiding in Him!

2 Corinthians 5:21 (AMP)

He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

1 John 3:5 (NKJV

And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

1 Peter 2:21-22 (NIV)

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

22 “He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth. (Isaiah 53:9)

Life application for today’s believers
1. We must not neglect our salvation; we must be doers of the Word and not be disobedient to the Word.
2. Remember that Jesus is supreme over all things.
3. We must live in accordance with God’s will and not our own.
4. Jesus alone is worthy of glory, honour and praise.
5. We must abide in Jesus and not drift away from our faith and return to our old ways!

Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven
Thank you for Jesus my Lord and Saviour. Thank you that it is by His name alone that I am saved, and it is only through Him that I receive your sonship and can share in your spiritual blessings that are for Your children only. Help me, Father by the power of your Holy Spirit to walk in a manner that is worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!