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Body-Builders |
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Issue 8 from |
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In this issue ·
Feedback For new subscribers: ·
Introducing
“Artios Ministries” |
Welcome to Body-Builders! This is a new series of teaching articles intended to
bless and build the Body of Christ. I trust you enjoy this eighth issue, and I welcome your
feedback. Every blessing, George Alexander For Artios Ministries |
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Josiah was twenty-six years old. He’d been king since the age of eight when
his father had been assassinated, but now he had come into his reign proper and
was engaged in purifying and repairing the Temple. He’d sent the secretary Shaphan to Hilkiah the high priest with
instructions concerning some administrative details, when Hilkiah told
Shaphan he had found the Book of the Law (probably Deuteronomy) in the
temple. We pick up the story in 2
Kings 22 and verse 8: 8Hilkiah the high priest
said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the
temple of the LORD.” He gave it to
Shaphan, who read it. 9Then
Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials
have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted
it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” 10Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king,
“Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 11When the king heard the words
of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.
12He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of
Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's
attendant: 13“Go and enquire of the LORD for me and for the people
and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been
found. Great is the LORD’s anger that
burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book;
they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning
us.” 2 Kings 22:8-13 Comparing this with the parallel account in 2 Chronicles
34, we see three responses to the Book.
Hilkiah knew what it was, but didn’t read it. Shaphan read it, but didn’t know what it
was. The significance escaped
him. Josiah read it, realised what it
was and made a radical response. We can see the same responses to the “Book” (the
Bible) today. Some know what it is
but don’t read it; some read it but somehow don’t connect; some read it,
realise the significance and make a radical response of obedience. We have tremendous resources today. The Word comes in sermons, it comes in
books, it comes in tapes and CDs.
It’s broadcast on radio and television. We have resources like never before. Yet for all of that, this has been described as the most
Biblically illiterate generation in 2000 years of Christianity. You may say, “That’s not true of my
group”, and that may well be so. But
we all tend to some extent to reflect the spirit of the age in which we find
ourselves. And even if we know
the Word, do we do it? The Word comes to us like a wrapped chocolate
sweet. We have to take it, unwrap it,
eat it, and make it part of us. We
have to lay hold of the Word. Why put in all the effort? Why lay hold of the Word? Here are four reasons: The Word gives spiritual nourishment
We read in Matthew 4: 1Then Jesus was led by the
Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he
was hungry. 3The tempter
came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread.” 4Jesus answered,
“It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God.’” Without bread, man does not live at all—it’s a
physical necessity. But there is also
spiritual food—every word that comes from the mouth of God—on which we
live. In the wilderness, the dew
would settle every day as manna, bread from heaven—and it could only be eaten
that day. It was a wonderful
provision, but once they were used to it, they were tired of it. The diet was a bit restrictive—fried manna
for breakfast, boiled manna for lunch, grilled manna for dinner. For forty years! They were on an adventure with God in the
wilderness where they couldn’t feed themselves, and God sustained them with
daily manna. We’re on an adventure
with God in a spiritual wilderness where we can’t feed ourselves, and God
sustains us with daily spiritual manna! So we say, “What’s on the menu today?” The answer may come back, “Matthew’s
gospel.” “Oh, I’ve had Matthew’s
gospel before. I’m tired of Matthew’s
gospel. I’ve had fried
Matthew, baked Matthew, boiled Matthew ….” But we need Matthew’s gospel. The Word gives spiritual nourishment. Jesus said to pray, “Give us this day
our daily bread.” The Word gives us life and health
We often value the opinions of others in making up
our minds. Having asked, “What does
so-and-so say?” a number of times, we may even ask, “What does God
say?” This last question must
carry more weight! God doesn’t have
an opinion—His Word is truth. Proverbs says: “My son, pay attention to what I
say; listen closely to my words. Do
not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are
life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.” (Prov 4:20-22). Jesus said: “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and
they are life.” (Jn 6:63). God’s Word can bring healing, and faith for
healing. Conversely people can be
sick because of disobedience to the Word.
Jesus has the words of eternal life (see Jn 6:68; Jn 10:10; and Prov
4:22). The Word gives fruitfulness in life
The Parable of the Sower is clear and graphic (see Mark
4:3-20, and parallels). Some hearts
are trampled and compacted like the soil of the path, so that the seed of the
Word can’t penetrate and is stolen by the birds. We need to “rotavate” our heart, breaking up and softening the
soil. In some hearts the seed of the Word grows quickly,
but when the heat is on, when trouble and persecution come, they wither. The problem is a relative rootlessness,
and we need to break up our soil at a deeper level and get some stones out of
the depths of our heart. Other hearts
are already full of weeds and the seed of the Word is choked. We have a need to weed in
our hearts. There’s always hope for the soil! But whatever the condition of the soil,
there will be no crop without the seed. It’s the Word that produces the crop. It’s the Word that leads to
fruitfulness in life. The Word gives true freedom
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If
you hold to my teaching [continue in my Word], you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.” (Jn
8:31,32). Some may hear that as good
news. Some know they have an area of
bondage or addiction, and want to be free. Others insist, “I am free. I have self-determination.
I can do whatever I want.”
That’s exactly the reaction of the original hearers (see Jn
8:33). But that’s not freedom! Freedom is not the opportunity to select between
options. Choosing one option
precludes the rest, so that freedom exercised is freedom lost! Such “freedom” is illusory. True freedom is not the right to do
what you like, but the power to do what you ought. The truth empowers us to do what we
ought at every decision point. Making
the application, “If you continue in my Word, you are really my
disciples. Then you will know the
truth, and the truth will empower you to do as you ought in every
circumstance and decision.” So why lay hold of the Word? Lay hold of it because the Word gives spiritual nourishment,
because the Word gives life and health, because the Word gives fruitfulness
in life, because the Word gives true freedom. Read it, hear it, speak it, study it, meditate on
it, apply it, do it, live in the good of it—lay hold of the Word of
God! George Alexander October 2004 Note: All Bible
quotations are NIV unless otherwise stated. |
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News and Update |
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The seasons go round and round.
Now the leaves are turning and falling, and the days are more dark
than light. This is a good time of
the year to make progress. The article in this issue is a one-off on a subject that has been very
much on my heart in recent weeks, namely laying hold of the Word of God. All feedback appreciated. There’s update information on the Artios School of Theology. In addition, there are now links available to previous issues
of Body-Builders that you may have missed. Check out www.artios.org. It’s still under construction, but a
little more helpful than it was! I continue to receive more requests to subscribe to Body-Builders. If you have received this e-mail second-hand
and would like to be subscribed, please click here. If you’d like to subscribe a friend,
please click here.
(The friend will first receive an e-mail offering the chance to
subscribe.) If you have difficulty opening these e-mails or if the text looks weird
and you suspect it’s not showing as it was intended to, please let me know
and I’ll try to solve the problem. More news and developments soon …. Return to top
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Previous Body-Builders |
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You may have missed or
mislaid a previous issue of Body-Builders.
If so, don’t despair! They can
be accessed by clicking the links below: Issue
2 (The Beginning of Life) Issue
3 (Getting the Word Out) Issue
5 (The Purpose of the Church) Issue
6 (Pointers to Personal Purpose) |
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Artios School of Theology |
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Artios School of
Theology is a modular course leading to a Diploma in Theology from Artios
Ministries. The first run of the
School, with classes held in Dunfermline, is currently under way. The first
module, Old Testament Survey, had eighteen students enrolled, and was
completed in June. The second module,
“Acts of the Apostles” is currently running with seventeen students, and will
finish in December. The next module will
be “Gifts and Ministries”, and registration is now open. Classes will be held in Dunfermline
starting in January. For more
information on the Artios School of Theology, please click here*. For specific information on the next
module, please click here. At present, the course cannot be offered
by extension (distance learning), but it is hoped to make this available in
the future. * If you tried this
and it didn’t work, you may have to download an Acrobat Reader first. This is available free of charge from
Adobe. To get it, click here. |
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Introducing Artios Ministries
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Artios
Ministries is a new ministry launched officially in October 2003. The
Founder and Director is George Alexander. For 12 years, George pastored
Liberty Church in Dunfermline, Scotland, before being released in 1997 to a
wider teaching ministry. The
aims of Artios Ministries are:
Artios
Ministries is a charitable trust recognised in Scotland as Scottish Charity
number SC 034194. |
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“Artios” is
a Greek word occurring in the New Testament. It means, “complete,
fitted, completely qualified, with all its needed parts”. It
occurs, together with another word derived from it, in 2 Timothy
3:16,17 “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for
every good work.” RSV |
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Contact Information |
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Difficulties or Comments? Just click here and let us know. |
Artios Ministries 13 Whinhill Dunfermline Fife KY11 4YZ U.K. |
01383-739537 (+44-1383-739537) |
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© Copyright 2004 Artios Ministries |
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