FOREWORD

We live in a very confused and bewildering generation. The truths which undergirded Christian thinking for hundreds of years are being attacked and undermined. This is especially true when it comes to an understanding of the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The result is that many people are confused about the Biblical teaching concerning the third member of the Trinity. This has led to many unusual claims being made and strange experiences being engendered.

There is need for clear statements of Biblical truth and Betty Holt who has been engaged in front-line evangelism and extensive study of Scripture over many years has undertaken such a task. She has enabled Scripture to speak for itself
while addressing the issues which confront many believers today.

My hope and prayer is that her book will be widely read, and that it will be an incentive for all readers to delve more deeply into the Word of God and uncover its wonderful treasures for themselves

Paul Young

P R E F A C E

Others have already written books which explore, expose and repudiate many of
The false teachings which are being propagated more and more around the world
in the last days before the Lord Jesus returns to call out His Church to meet Him in the air. Those authors have done extensive research, and have carefully
documented their findings.

My burden is simply to look into God's Word, the Holy Bible, and to set forth in a straightforward manner what it teaches on those subjects which have come to my
attention.

The first chapter is intended to help the reader to come to the place where he or she truly wants to do God's will, and so be prepared to accept as final whatever He has said.

The last chapter is a guide to discovering for oneself all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge which are stored away in His precious, unerring Word.
Ralph Shallis wrote: "If we don't pay attention to what the Holy Spirit Himself says to us, if we don't carefully examine the precious text [the Bible] which He has entrusted to us, we will easily fall prey to other spirits. These spirits often act with very great intelligence; they are not so ignorant as to reveal themselves all the time. On the contrary, when they see an easy victim, a person who is unaware and who opens himself/herself to their pressure without hesitation, they force their way in saying; ' I am God's Spirit'! Let us remember that the Antichrist himself will pose as the Christ, which is the meaning of the Greek word 'Antichrist'."

If only every Christian were to read the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, over and over again, every year of their lives! (As I have been doing since 1953), then they would have a deep love of, and reverence for God's Word, and sufficient knowledge of it not to be so easily deceived by Satan's counterfeits. They would also know our great and wonderful God much better, and be enabled to live lives of true holiness and victory. Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, If you abide in my Word, you are My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31,32).

Elizabeth Holt, December 1995
All Biblical references are quoted from The New King James Version, Thomas
Nelson Publishers, U.S.A. Emphases and [ ] are mine. The title is borrowed
from John 17:17b.
_________________________
Ralph Shallis, Le Miracle de l’Esprit, copyright by Ralph Shallis et Editions Farel, Fonteney-sous-Bois, France 1977 p219 (My own translation)

Y O U R W O R D I S T R U T H

Table of Contents

Page

Foreword 1

Preface 2

Table of Contents 3

Jesus Christ is Lord 4

How the Holy Spirit Works 6

How They Fell Down in the Bible 11

Material Prosperity is Secondary 15

God's Word, My Necessary Food 19




J E S U S C H R I S T I S L O R D
and must be Lord of my life

We must confess Him as Lord in order to be saved, according to Romans 10:9,10: "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation."

This is the beginning of a whole new life, which is to be lived in a different
manner from the old one. Our body is to be surrendered and our way of thinking
is to be changed in order to serve God acceptably. "I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
Some preachers like to invite people to "accept Jesus as your Saviour and Friend." While He was called by unbelievers "the Friend of sinners", (Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34), and He referred to His disciples as His friends in John 15, nowhere in the Bible are we encouraged to see the Lord Jesus Christ as our "mate" on an equal basis.

Seeking to do God's will should be the driving force of our life as Christians.
Jesus Christ has the right to our obedience because we belong to Him. He
created us, but we wilfully disobeyed Him and sinned against Him; He bought us
back with a great price - His own life. "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are
not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's." "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 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."

These verses reveal something of the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. If
thrones and dominions must bow before Him, if He is the head of the Church, how dare I, as a mere individual, not surrender to Him and obey Him in every detail? If He loved me so much that He suffered and died in order to save me from eternal damnation, how can I fail to love Him with all of my heart? How can I seek to go my own way, instead of gladly complying with what He asks of me?
Please read the entire first chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians. Then turn to chapter 3 to learn some of the specifics about living under the headship of Jesus Christ. That chapter begins, "If you then were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." We should do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, recognising Him as the Master we serve. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the
flesh, not with eyeservice, as menpleasers, but in sincerity of heart fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not of to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ."
________
2 Romans 12:1,2 3 I Corinthians 6:19,2
People often ask whether the Bible says a Christian may or may not participate in a certain activity. A lot of things which are common nowadays are not mentioned specifically in the Bible, but there are clear guiding principles. One of these is found in I Corinthians 10:31, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." We could also ask ourselves the question, 'Is this event/activity going to make me think about bad things?' Philippians 4:8 tells us to think on things which are noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. We should consider whether this thing is going to come between us and God, as the first commandment which He gave to Moses was, "You shall have no other gods before me."

There are other verses which are based on the premise that we are to be totally
at the disposal of the Lord Jesus Christ, for Him to use as He sees fit; e.g. "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honour and some for dishonour. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from these, he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the praise and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

We are called "servants of the Lord": "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient," "As free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as servants of God." Three times in the 14th chapter of John's Gospel, Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments," or equivalent (verses 15,23 and 23). Please read these verses in their context.
It is also written, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome."

We have two compelling reasons for allowing Jesus to be Lord of our lives:
1. He is worthy of that position.
2. We love Him who first loved us and gave Himself for us.

We have no excuse for being proud of our service, no matter how much we think
we have accomplished, nor how much we think we have sacrificed in order to do
His work. "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are
commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our
duty to do.'"













H O W T H E H O L Y S P I R I T W O R K S

On the 5th of August 1994, a friend told me of what she believed to be a "mighty
work of the Holy Spirit throughout England." She said, "A revival is sweeping the country." She then went on to speak of "laughing in the spirit" and of being "slain in the spirit."

I have used a lower case 's' because, as I said to my dear Christian friend of
many years' standing, I don't believe these things are the work of the Holy Spirit."I then went to my Bible to make a list of the ways in which the Holy Spirit does work. Other references could be added, but the following is complete enough to show that hysteria and forced prostration are not the sort of effects the Holy Spirit of God produces.

To begin with, it is important to notice that, although many works are uniquely
those of the Holy Spirit, He never acts independently of the Father and/or the
Son.

1. The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus and the Father to be our HELPER. "And
I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." From these verses we also learn that the Comforter is the Spirit of truth, and that He indwells every believer always.

2. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father to remind us of Jesus' teachings. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” There is no mention made of new revelations nor of prophetic utterances; He'll only remind us of what Jesus said.

3. The Holy Spirit was to be sent by the Father and the Son to testify of
Jesus. "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me." Again, the Holy Spirit seeks no glory for Himself. Instead, He comes as a servant, a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. The Holy Spirit, being sent by the Son, reproves the world of sin, right- eousness and judgment. "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."

5. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus, saying what He hears from the Father.
"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. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you."







6. The Holy Spirit knows, and is God's vessel for revealing, the deep things
of God. "But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man
except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of
God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been
freely given to us by God."

7. The Holy Spirit enables people to recognise/confess Jesus as Lord.
"Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls
Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."

8. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts, in collaboration with the Father and the Son. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for mutual profit: for to one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But the one and the same Spirit works all these things, dividing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ."

It is suggested that the reader look this passage up in the Bible, and read the
entire chapter. See also Romans 12:2-9, which is similar to the above portion
about spiritual gifts to individual believers; and Ephesians 4:1-16, which tells us about spiritual gifts to the Church. Where does it say that every Christian should speak in tongues? Where does it say that every Christian should have the gift of healing? Why are people not asking God to give them the gift of discernment of spirits? This is probably one of the most neglected gifts in our day - and one of the most needed.

I Corinthians 12:28 includes 'helps' in the summary of spiritual gifts. This is possibly the most neglected gift of all, hardly even being recognised by many as a spiritual gift. However, it needs to be given this recognition for the encouragement of those individuals in our midst who have a desire to serve the whole Body, but who perhaps seem to be limited in their abilities, or whose family circumstances don't permit a more active participation. Those who collect the hymn books, rearrange the chairs, clean the premises, make the tea, drive the minibus, etc., etc. are serving the Body and the Lord Jesus Christ just as much as are the preachers and the song leaders.

9. The Holy Spirit baptises all believers into one body, the Body of Christ.
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit."









In his book, Le Miracle de l'Esprit, Ralph Shallis explains in depth 12 (or 15) references to spiritual baptism. What he calls the 'key reference' is Romans 6:1-11, in which he believes it is abundantly clear that the subject matter is baptism by the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we become identified with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, at the time when we are born again. Water baptism by immersion is an outward sign of what has already taken place. Other references given by Ralph Shallis as referring to spiritual baptism are listed below.

As for the teaching that the Holy Spirit comes upon a person some time after conversion, I wonder where that idea comes from? It is written, "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." The whole chapter of Romans 8 is a wonderful study of life in the Spirit, and it would be well worthwhile reading it slowly and prayerfully several times. As we grow stronger in our walk with the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and control us, so we develop a fuller appreciation of Him and increase in fruitfulness.

10. The Holy Spirit brings forth the life and character of the Lord Jesus in us. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.Against such there’s no law."

11. The Holy Spirit leads us, and frees us from the law. "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." It is advisable to read the context of this verse for a fuller understanding, i.e. vs 16-26.

12. By God's grace, the Holy Spirit gives us inner strength. "that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man."

13. God seals us, until the day of redemption, by the Holy Spirit. "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

14. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us, as does the Lord Jesus. "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

15. The Holy Spirit gives boldness for witnessing to the Lord Jesus Christ, and for working miracles in the name of Jesus. "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." "'Now,
Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that will all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.' And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

Please read also the account of a lame man's being healed in Acts chapter
3:1-10, and what Peter said about it in 3:16 and 4:8-12. A careful study of the whole book of Acts will reveal the fact that God unreservedly answered the first part of the above-mentioned prayer for boldness in preaching His Word. It will also show the small proportion of signs and wonders which God performed through the apostles. Those which did take place were, without exception, to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone. How dare any modern person try to change God's priorities by making signs more important than preaching the Gospel, and by glorifying the human agent! There is no greater miracle than a life which has been transformed by the power of God: translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His glorious light, brought from death to eternal life, cleansed from all sin and made victorious!

16. The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to speak God's Word in the languages of the hearers. "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, 'Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.' So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, 'Whatever could this mean?'

Verse 13 states: "Others mocking said, 'They are all full of new wine.'"
In spring of 1995, a sister in the Lord, who lives in the North of England, recounted to me what had happened at a Christian conference which she attended with her husband. When the well-known Bible teacher stood up to speak, somebody in the audience started to laugh. Each time the preacher began to read from the Bible, more and more people around the room joined in the laughter. Finally, the speaker himself was overcome with mirth, and unable to read even one verse from his open Bible. This dear lady then went on to assure me that it is written in the Bible that the apostles were falling all over themselves with laughter, and turned to Acts 2:12,13. Her reasoning was, "What do people do when they're drunk? They laugh. That's why the bystanders thought the disciples of Jesus were drunk with wine." What a travesty! To make such a statement is to take one's place with the mockers. (Psalm 1:1 says, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful;" These are now making a mockery of those who stand up to preach the Word of God. When the Bible preacher is silenced by laughing in the audience, it is the devil who is laughing the most. We must resist this in prayer and by speaking out the truth of God's Word.

17. The Holy Spirit gives us the words to say in the hour of trial, according to Jesus' promise: "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak: for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."











When we compare all the things which are taking place in the world today with
Matthew chapter 24, Mark chapter 13, and other passages in the Bible concerning the last days, it becomes apparent that we are now living in those days. The verse quoted above is echoed in Mark 13:11, indicating that this is the time when persecution will become more widely spread than ever. This promise of God, who changes not, will stand, as will all His others. "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." May we humbly cling to God and His Word, and trust the Holy Spirit to give us bold and gracious words of truth whenever our time shall come.


















H O W T H E Y F E L L D O W N I N T H E B I B L E

Isaiah 28:13 says that the LORD would make those who refused to hear His
Word to "go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught."

The only people of whom it is actually said, "they drew back and fell to the ground." (John 18:6) were Jesus' enemies who had entered the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Him. These men were neither worshipping the Lord Jesus, nor laughing--they were afraid. What is written about all other incidents is that the persons fell on their faces or bowed on their knees, did so voluntarily, and fell without anyone's touching or catching them. They either remained silent, or spoke coherently.

A strange phenomenon is occurring all over the United States and Great Britain, and perhaps other countries, during the 1990's. Let me give two examples. A teenage girl whom I've known for most of her life had a frightening experience in the spring of 1996. Let's call her Raquel - not her real name. Raquel, who loves the Lord Jesus and trusted Him for salvation when she was about 6 years old, attended a Christian music festival called Cross Rhythms in Devon, England. As soon as she walked into the door at the back of the room, she fell down, and was unable to control herself for about four hours. First she jerked and convulsed, and cried a long time. Then she began to laugh hysterically and was unable to stop. Finally, two people picked Raquel up, carried her to another room and laid her on a couch. A strong Christian lady who knew Raquel went and prayed with her, after which Raquel went to sleep. Several days later, Raquel was still feeling shaken by this experience. She has since developed on-going psychological problems.

Another woman told me about her "falling down." She felt a bit foggy, but knew what was going on. She started to fall forwards a couple of times, but the man in charge of the proceedings insisted she had to fall backwards. When he gave her a gentle push, she finally did fall backwards. Contrary to the claims made by some people, this woman's life, sadly, is NOT characterised by peace and joy.

Now, let's look at some biblical examples. Three times we read about Moses and Aaron falling down while they were leading the Israelites through the wilderness. On one occasion, God was dealing severely with the children of Israel because of their many rebellions against the Lord, and against His appointed leaders: Moses, who was God's mouthpiece, and Aaron, who was His high priest. So these two brothers, godly men, interceded on behalf of the nation. "And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You be angry with all the congregation?" God answered this prayer by telling them to separate the rebellious people from the rest, and only the guilty ones were struck by God's punishment.

The next rebellion took place soon afterwards; "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment.' And they fell on their faces." God's answer to Moses' intercession was to show him, again, how the judgment could be limited to a comparative few.
A means of salvation was provided - a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who came to stand between guilty sinners and the righteous wrath of our holy God.

Yet again, in the Desert of Zin, the Israelites complained because they had no water. "So Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and they fell on their faces. And the glory of the
LORD appeared to them." And God told Moses to take his rod (sometimes also called 'Aaron's rod' or 'the rod of God') and his brother Aaron, and to speak to the rock in the presence of the whole congregation, and He would give them water from the rock. This water which God miraculously supplied from such an unusual source was a picture of the Holy Spirit, Who was later to be poured out onto - and through - believers after the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ, was smitten once for all mankind. "and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ." from Whom flows living water.

In Numbers 22 we read of a man called Balaam, on his way to meet Balak, king of the Moabites, who wanted Balaam to curse Israel. God had something He wanted to say to Balaam before he met Balak, so God sent an angel to stand in the road, blocking the way. After beating and threatening his donkey, Balaam's eyes were opened so that he, too, could see the angel of the Lord. Vs. 31 says:
"Then the LORD opened Balaam's eyes, and he saw the Angel of the LORD standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face." At this stage, God had Balaam's attention and his willingness to obey, and God gave him his orders for the encounter with Balak. Please read Numbers chapters 22-24 for the full account.

When the Israelites were ready to enter the Promised Land, Joshua went to have a look at the city of Jericho from a short distance. There a Man met him, holding a drawn sword. He told Joshua he had come as commander of the army of the LORD. "And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and said to Him, 'What does my LORD say to his servant?'"

Please note: a. Joshua fell on his face.
b. Joshua was in full control of himself and he spoke.
c. Joshua acknowledged God's lordship over him.

During the period when Israel was led by judges, before God had raised up Samuel the Prophet, the nation, following the death of each judge, kept being disobedient to God. As a consequence, they were repeatedly oppressed by their
enemies. At one such time the Angel of the LORD appeared to the wife of a
man of the tribe of Dan, named Manoah. The Angel told this woman, who had never had any children, that she was going to bear a son for whose life God had
a special purpose. Upon hearing this amazing news, Manoah wanted to hear for himself the instructions concerning their promised son. So, in answer to Manoah's prayer, the Angel of the LORD appeared to Manoah's wife a second time. This thankful couple offered their guest some food, which he turned into a burnt offering to God, and used the flames as his vehicle for returning to heaven.
"It happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar - the Angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar! When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell on their faces to the ground. Manoah and his wife fell on their faces as an act of worship to God. Very likely this is the position each one of us will take when, one day, we shall see Him face to face.

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

"Then David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between earth and heaven, having in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. So David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces. David had just repented of his having ordered the numbering of the soldiers of Israel. His desire to know this number was based on a lack of faith in God. He wanted to know whether he had enough soldiers to be able to win his battles, whereas up until this time God had given David victories, even when he had been outnumbered. David's punishment was to lose some of those fighting men through an angel which God sent to kill people in Jerusalem.

As the angel reached the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, God told him to
stop, as he had killed enough people. When David saw this angel, he felt terrible, and fell on his face in repentance. David acknowledged his guilt, and the angel told him to build an altar to the LORD. David approached the owner of this piece of land to buy it from him for the altar. "So David came to Ornan, and Ornan looked and saw David. And he went out from the threshing floor, and bowed before David with his face to the ground." (v. 21). Here we have an example of a man falling down on his face out of respect for his king. There are several other examples in the Old Testament of men falling on their faces before men whom they respected or of whom they were momentarily afraid.

Some time later, when the people of Judah were being threatened by the Amonites and the Moabites, the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel, "And he said, 'Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: "Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!" Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you.' And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshipping the LORD. Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high."

The above incident occurred much later in the history of the nation of Israel. God spoke in the same sort of terms to Jehoshaphat as He had to Joshua - and both men responded to God in the same way.

Many years later still, the LORD God was in the process of showing the Prophet
Ezekiel the detailed pattern of a new temple, which is yet to be built on a very high mountain in the land of Israel (Ezekiel 40:2). When the description was nearly complete, we read in 44:4: "Also he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell on my face"

There are also some instances in the New Testament. The Lord Jesus had taken with Him up into a high mountain only those three disciples who were closest to
Him. Peter, James and John were quite impressed by His transfiguration and by the appearance of Moses and Elijah. Peter's impetuous declaration seems to indicate that he was used to seeing wonderful things. However, God the Father
Himself appeared in a bright cloud and spoke aloud saying, "'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!' And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, 'Arise, and do not be afraid.'"

After the Lord Jesus had healed ten lepers, "one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan."

The Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, when He went into the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, just before His betrayal by Judas, separated Himself from His disciples in order to be alone with His Father. The prospect of taking the sin of the world upon His own sinless Person, and the prospect of even the temporary separation from His Father gave Him such agony of soul that "He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.'"

Se we see that the biblical falling down was always forward, always voluntary and spontaneous, and the individuals lost neither their senses nor their power of speech. They fell on their faces out of awe and respect (godly fear), to repent, to worship, to praise and give thanks, to make supplication, or to surrender themselves to God's will.
















M A T E R I A L P R O S P E R I T Y I S S E C O N D A R Y

Many modern "Bible teachers" are preaching another gospel which goes something like this: "Come to Jesus and He'll make you happy," or, "God wants all of His children to be rich," and similar promises. One often hears the adage: "Nothing but the best for God's children."

Kenneth Copeland writes: "All the way through the Old Testament God promised material blessings to anyone who would walk perfectly and uprightly before Him.
If God had failed to bless Jesus financially, He would have been breaking His own Word," and "Obviously, your spiritual standing profoundly affects your financial standing. That's why, when you get hold of the gospel and begin to prosper spiritually, you can begin to prosper physically and materially as well."**
The Lord Jesus said of Himself, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." The Apostle Paul said of Him, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

The Bible says neither that God would make all of His people (Christians) rich, nor that He would make us all poor. In I Samuel 2:7 it says, "The LORD makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up." He is all-wise, all-knowing, and our part is to trust Him and to praise Him.

A. Promises and Trust

God has promised, in various parts of the Bible, to meet our needs. Let's look at a few of these promises and believe them. "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing." "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Notice that in both these verses there is a condition which we must fulfill if we want God to provide our basic necessities. We must put Him above everything else. We must reject and turn away from everything which we know to be unrighteous.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine." Under the Old Testament economy, God's giving abundant substance to those who believed on Him was linked to their responsibility to give Him a tenth of everything. However, under the New Testament economy, He promises to supply all our needs, if we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, as already observed in Matthew chapter 6.

"A little that a righteous man has is better than the riches of many wicked." "But I am poor and needy; Yet the LORD thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God." "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Yes, His supplies are unlimited, and He wants to meet all our needs. If we lack any necessity, the fault may be on the human side, in one way or another, such as some unconfessed sin. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me." Or perhaps one needs the explanation offered in James 4:2b,3 "Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures."

It has been the author's experience and observation that God wants us to work to earn our livelihood, c.f. "Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." Sometimes the way God provides our needs is by giving us more work.

In the case of missionaries and other full-time Christian workers, who labour faithfully for the Lord - and usually longer hours than the average employee - it is the responsibility of the Church of Jesus Christ to support them. In these cases, a shortage can occur because other Christians are not hearing - or not obeying God's urging to give. But the failure is NEVER on God's part. "He who promised is faithful." Under some circumstances, it could be that dishonest individuals or corrupt government officials have intercepted supplies which have been sent.

Whatever our circumstances, we should keep praising Him. Trusting Him enough to praise Him often opens the way for answers to prayer.

B. Warnings
"If riches increase, do not set your heart on them." "He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage." It is interesting to note in this second verse that there is a contrast which reveals that trusting in riches is what unrighteous people do. There is also the warning that such people will fall. Why? Because they're doing what the devil wants them to do, and because riches can be lost, stolen or lose their value. We cannot seek earthly riches and be seeking God at the same time. The two just don't go together. Lotteries, high-stake prize draws and "get-rich-quick" schemes are all snares of the devil to draw us into bondage.

"A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality is not good, because for a piece of bread a man will transgress. A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him." "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

There is a slightly different warning given to those who are already rich. "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." "And He [Jesus] said to them, 'Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist of the things he possesses.'" "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Please read also Matthew 6:19-34 for the full message that the Lord Jesus gave on this subject.

"Then He [Jesus] spoke a parable to them, saying: 'The ground of a certain rich
man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, "What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?" So he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'" But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?'" This man's fields produced in abundance. He wanted to store away all the food and live a life of revelry for years to come. How like people today who want to store up lots of money in the bank, and then live a life of luxury and ease!

The heart of mankind hasn't changed. Nor has God's Word. He says, "You fool!"
"So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." (v.21).

"Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, 'How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!' 'Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!'"


C. True Riches
"Riches do not profit in he day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death." "and that he might make known the riches of His glory..." Reading the latter verse in its context, we see that the vessels of mercy are people, whether Jews or Gentiles, whom God has formed, as a potter forms vessels, and that these people are ones who have received God's mercy and have been prepared for glory. The Apostle Paul is saying that God's glory is full of richness, and that God will reveal this richness to His elect.

"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power." This great prayer of the apostle for his children in the faith gives us a glimpse of the wonderful thoughts of the mind of God. "Christ's inheritance in the saints"; We, His redeemed ones, are the precious inheritance which our Lord Jesus Christ looks forward to receiving in eternity. He finds this inheritance (us) so glorious that he refers to the "riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." It is hard to imagine that the holy and glorious Son of God should see so much in us who were once rebellious sinners. How great are the riches of His grace!

"In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."
What are the riches of His grace? I would suggest that they are, firstly, the immeasurable amount of grace which God shows to repentant sinners and weak saints. This, in itself, is so vast, we can't begin to comprehend it. A prayerful reading of Ephesians 1:1-2:7 gives glimpses of some of the other components of "the riches of His grace."

There is yet another mention in Ephesians 3:8, "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ," And in Philippians 4:19, "And my
God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Ephesians talks about God's abundant supply of eternal riches; this verse in Philippians speaks of His unlimited ability to supply our material needs as well.

He also supplies our mental, emotional and social needs, as we rely on Him for these things. May we learn to live in an attitude of humble dependence upon
Him.

"esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward." This is written about Moses, who identified himself with his own people, the Israelites, even though it meant giving up all his privileges and wealth as the grandson of Pharoah. In Philippians 3 the Apostle Paul tells us that he did something similar. After listing his pedigree as a leading Jew, he says, "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." (v.7). We, too, need to count worldly riches, fame and success as nothing compared to all the glorious riches we have in Christ Jesus our Lord and
Saviour.

"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." What greater riches could anyone ever have than the living Lord Jesus Christ dwelling in his/her heart and life?!





































G O D 'S W O R D, M Y N E C E S S A R Y F O O D

The first benefit one is able to gain from reading the Bible is an understanding of how he/she is able to get right with God. "and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

We are told that the next step is, "as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby," It is impossible to over-emphasize our need for God's Word, the Bible. There is no other book or teaching on earth that can answer life's deep questions. The living, eternal, personal God who made us has also revealed Himself to us through the Bible. He has told us, through the writers whom He inspired, all we need to know about the history of our planet, and how we can get back into the mainstream of God's purpose in having created us. "for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

Once we have been born again into God's family, we need to continue reading
His Word in order to grow, and for the other benefits listed in II Timothy 3:16,17: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work," and in Psalm 19:7-11:

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward."

All 176 verses in Psalm 119 are about the value of God's Word. Following are those which tell us of its reviving (life-restoring) power:

v.25 "My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word."

v.40 Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness."

v.50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your Word has given me life.

v.88 "Revive me according to Your lovingkindness, So that I may keep the
testimony of Your mouth."

v.93 "I will never forget, Your precepts, For by them You have given me
life.”

v.107 "I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word."

v.156 "Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your
judgments."

v.159 "Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to
Your lovingkindness."

"For the Word of God [itself] is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

This discernment is extremely important. Sometimes we do all sorts of good things, but for the wrong motives. It is even possible to preach or teach God's
Word in the energy of the flesh, rather than being empowered by God's Spirit.
He uses just the right portions of His Word to reveal these wrong motives, or wrong sources, to those whose hearts are yielded to Him, and whose spiritual ears are open to listen to Him. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast ['right' in the Authorised Version] spirit in me."

In these days, many people are coming up with all sorts of ideas about how to be successful. Prosperity teaching is very popular, and has been dealt with in an earlier chapter of this booklet. Let's have a look at God's formula for success. It is not that He wants to make us all millionaires, but neither does He want our businesses or ministries to fail.

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Meditating on God's Word helps us to see what we should do, and how we should think and act. Obedience to what God has said results in lives in which sin is overcome, and in which the work of our hands can be blessed because He, in His infinite wisdom, has led us, even in business and practical matters.

When the Apostle Paul was preaching in Ephesus (Acts 19:13-20), there were some who opposed the Gospel through sorcery. They even tried to cast out demons supposedly in the name of Jesus, but actually using the power of evil spirits. God's work in Ephesus was hindered until those who truly believed in Jesus piled together all their idols, amulets and sorcery books, and set fire to them. Verse 20 says that afterwards: "the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed."

All through the ages and in every part of the world, this same principle has applied, and still does today. Whenever Satan has a free rein in many homes in a given community, if people in those homes become Christians, they need to take the same sort of decisive action to turn from, reject and burn everything to do with demon worship. They need to follow this exhortation: "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." Even if there is only one such person in an area, the same steps need to be taken. When they have been taken, trusting God for victory and being ready to obey Him, at whatever cost, then God's work has been enabled to go ahead in that community. The same is true in the jungles of the Amazon and in Africa, the mountains of China and in Central Europe, and in the cities of New York and London.

Once the Church of Jesus Christ becomes established in a community, it has as much need of being kept pure and clean as does every individual in it. The cleansing agent is also the same. "Christ also loved the Church and gave
Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word," This need was already present in the days of the Apostle Paul. The Holy Spirit prompted him to write this warning, which is equally relevant in our day.

"For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted--you may well put up with it! For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light."

Another strong warning is given: "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

How many teachers and preachers there are who are using verses of the Bible in isolation from their context, and misconstruing them to say things which God never intended! This constitutes both adding to God's Word, and at the same time taking away from it its real teaching. Many ideas which originated in the human mind, - or ever worse, in Satan's mind - are being expounded as if they were from God! How deceitful! How tragic!

How, then, are we to know which teaching is from God, and which is not? There's only one way: by carefully and prayerfully reading God's Word every day. We need to know what each passage used really means in its context. We also need to know God's mind, God's purpose and the methods He uses throughout the whole Bible. Nothing God has said in one part of the Bible will ever disagree with the whole, even though we, in our limited understanding, might sometimes think it does.

By reading three chapters six days a week and five on Sundays, one can read the whole Bible through in a year. One good method is to read the Old Testament in the morning and the New Testament at night. If circumstances allow, it is helpful to one's spirit to read a Psalm at noon time.

You may well say, "There's a lot of the Bible which I don't understand." If you've only read a portion once - or never at all - then your not understanding it is quite natural. God's Word is supernatural; it is understood by the enlightenment of God's Spirit, because it is the expression of the very mind of God. Therefore, when you have completed your reading of the entire Old Testament and New Testament, you begin again at Genesis and Matthew, and read again right through to Malachi and Revelation. About the third or fourth time through, you'll begin to see the Old Testament as a whole; you'll probably see it more readily in the New. By the tenth time, you'll see even more clearly where the prophets fit into the history, etc., and which Old Testament passages are shadows of which New Testament realities.

This is an exciting area of discovery. There is so much in the Bible that we'll never learn it all while here on this earth. But as we dig daily, and feed upon the Bread of God (the Lord Jesus Christ), we shall grow in our knowledge of God
Himself, His Word will keep us from sin, and we'll have the discernment we desperately need. Let us be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11:

"These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness,
and searched the Scriptures daily
to find out whether these things were so."

















Y O U R W O R D I S T R U T H



by

E. J. HOLT





































Cornwall, U.K., 1996