Bible Study with David Hathaway (TV Audio Podcast)

Full of the Holy Spirit and Power / Acts Bible Study Chapters 6&7 (TV Audio #480)

'And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.' (Acts 6.7-8, KJV.)
These chapters are significant because they illustrate the challenges faced by the early Christian community, the importance of serving all members of the community, and the courage and faith of individuals like Stephen, who remained steadfast in their beliefs even in the face of persecution and death. Additionally, Stephen's speech in Acts 7 provides a concise summary of Israel's history, emphasising God's continual pursuit of His people despite their repeated disobedience.

Steadfast in faith and righteousness / Acts Bible Study Chapter 5 (WebTV #479)

Verses 1-11 highlight the importance of integrity within the Christian community. It emphasises the importance of sincerity, honesty and generosity in our dealings with God and fellow believers. Jesus taught that those who are faithful with little will be faithful with much. But the reverse is also true, if we are not faithful with what God has given us, we cannot be trusted with more. Faithfulness and trustworthiness are important virtues for the Christian.
In verses 12 to 20, we witness the extraordinary power and presence of God working through the apostles. The passage begins with the apostles performing many signs and wonders among the people. Gaining them great favour with the crowds. Despite the growing opposition from the religious leaders, the believers gathered in Solomon's Colonnade. But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them. Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord. Many were healed simply by being in their presence.
The impact of these miracles was so significant, that people brought their sick out into the streets hoping that Peter's shadow might fall on them and bring healing. Multitudes of people from neighbouring cities, also gathered in Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits. Astonishingly, everyone was healed.
In verse 31, Peter declares to the assembled council of religious leaders, that God exalted Jesus to His right hand as Prince and Saviour, to grant repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. He emphasises that they are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. Peter's message is about the exaltation of Jesus by God, the opportunity for repentance, and forgiveness of sins, and the role of the Holy Spirit in confirming these truths to believers.

The Power in the Name of Jesus / Acts Bible Study Chapter 3 (TV Audio #478)

In Acts 3, Peter and John headed to the temple for prayer. They encounter a man who was lame from birth, begging for alms at the temple gate called Beautiful. Peter commands the man to rise up and walk in the Name of Jesus Christ. Miraculously, the man is healed and leaps up, walking and praising God. This causes a commotion among the people, who are astonished at the miracle.
Peter seizes the opportunity to preach to the crowd, explaining that it was not his own power but the power of Jesus Christ that healed the man. He emphasises that the people had denied Jesus and called for His crucifixion, but that God had raised Him from the dead. Peter urges the crowd to repent and turn to God, promising forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who believe.
Many who hear Peter's message believe and join the early Christian community, which grows rapidly in Jerusalem. This chapter illustrates the power of faith in Jesus Christ to bring about miraculous healing and transformation, as well as the boldness of Peter and John in proclaiming the Gospel despite opposition.

The Day of Pentecost / Acts Bible Study Chapter 2 (TV Audio #477)

'When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.' (Acts 2.1-4, NIV.)
Acts 2 describes the events of Pentecost, which occurred fifty days after Jesus' resurrection. The disciples were gathered together in one place when suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind filled the house, and tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
A large crowd gathered because they heard the disciples speaking in their own languages, and they were amazed and perplexed. Some accused the disciples of being drunk, but Peter stood up and addressed the crowd, explaining that what was happening was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy concerning the pouring out of the Spirit in the last days.
Peter preached boldly about Jesus, his crucifixion, and resurrection, declaring him to be both Lord and Messiah. His words pierced the hearts of many in the crowd, and about three thousand people repented and were baptised that day.
The believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. They shared everything they had, and signs and wonders were done through the apostles. The community grew in number daily, and they praised God together, finding favour with all the people.
This chapter marks a significant moment in the early church's history, as it describes the empowering of the disciples by the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Christian church through the preaching of the Gospel.

All things are possible with Jesus (TV Audio #476)

All things are possible with Jesus: I began working in the Soviet Union in 1961. For thirty of these years, I worked under communism. In 1990 I was evangelising in Bulgaria; when I was invited to speak in a large church in Sofia, the pastor fled town, he was so afraid of what the communists might do to him afterwards! The next day, I was invited to speak in a church on the far side of Bulgaria, in Yambol. The building was packed out, and the Power of God was so strong, the young people under the Power of the Holy Spirit were speaking in pure English! Sensing the move of God, I got the idea to take a stadium to evangelise openly. The local pastors warned me it was impossible, nevertheless they went with me to ask for permission. Predictably the communist director of the stadium said, “It’s against our law to rent you the stadium.” But then he added, “There is nothing in our law to stop us giving it to you for free!”
I shall never forget the dramatic and exciting evangelism we held in Yambol, Bulgaria, before communism finally fell there. It was August. The music group Vinesong and I arrived the day before the opening. What could we do? Nothing? No!!! So, without permission, we decided to hold an open-air service in the big square in front of the Communist Party Headquarters in Yambol! This city of 100,000 had never witnessed such scenes before! As darkness fell the beautiful worship music drew the crowds. But when Vinesong sang in Bulgarian, ‘I bow the knee to Jesus’ – the whole crowd, 10,000 strong, knelt in prayer with their hands raised in worship and acceptance of Christ! Even the communist police on duty took off their hats, and the Communist Party Flag, which until then had been fluttering bravely in the breeze, hung down limp as if it too was bowing before the Name of Jesus!

The healing power of Jesus / Matthew 8 (TV Audio #475)

In Matthew 8, a centurion beseeched Jesus for his servant lying at home, sick of the palsy. He simply said, ‘I ALSO am a man under authority,’ – thus recognising Christ’s authority – ‘just speak the word!’ Once we accept the authority given us we can also become ‘men under authority’.
The centurion said to Jesus, ‘I am not worthy that you should enter my house… but I am a man under authority, I say to my servant go and he goes.’ The centurion had AUTHORITY to COMMAND obedience! And he recognised this same authority in Jesus to command, when he said to Him, ‘Speak the word only and my servant will be healed.’ This is exactly what Jesus meant when, in Luke 9:1, He gave His disciples ‘power and authority over all demons and to heal diseases’.
The centurion recognised authority, and demonstrated such great FAITH in Jesus and in His authority, it was enough even to heal his servant with one word! This is the secret of power over sickness and evil – authority – and I believe that we have this same authority that Jesus had. Look at Matthew 10:1 where He gave His disciples authority to cast out unclean spirits and heal all manner of sickness and disease, and at verses 7-8 where He says to them, ‘Preach… Heal the sick… Raise the dead!’ If we want to heal the sick, we need boldness and authority to cast out the sickness!

God wants to change your life (TV Audio #474)

God works many different miracles. One time in Blagoveshchensk, Siberia, there was a miracle which was to be so outstanding, which not only blessed the whole city, but also the mayor, and it left an indelible impression on all our lives.
“I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!” If I weren’t living in the Power of this Gospel, if I weren’t preaching it and demonstrating it, I would be ashamed! How can you preach about something unless you really believe in it? I’ve seen so many miracles of healing. In my own life, I’ve been healed of cancer, miraculously, twice! In 1998 I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, they wanted to replace my hip. I didn’t even think about it, within days I was healed! What I am sharing with you, I live in the Power of it. We HAVE to live in the Power of what we preach!
 

Go in peace and just believe / Mark 5 (TV Audio #473)

I believe in prayer and in a God of miracles. Many years ago whilst driving to a preaching engagement some of my staff were with me in the car, and we were praying. I said to God, ‘I’m tired of talking about the miracle of my cancer and the miracle of my release from prison, I want a new miracle, a bigger one, NOW!’ Then I realised what I had said – and my staff remember – I cried out to God, ‘Oh God, hold me by the hand whilst I go through the suffering that will bring the miracle.’ Do you understand? Miracles do not come easy. When in my most recent healing miracle I had gone to the hospital with suspected lung cancer, one of my daughters who is a nurse and was with me at the time said, ‘Dad, don’t be afraid when they diagnose the cancer. Unless they prove that you have it, you will have no evidence of a miracle when God heals you!’ God said to me, ‘David, you’ve got a mountain in your life that you’ve got to move, and that mountain is to get that cancer out from your lung. I didn’t go to a healing evangelist, I went to the Word of God and God completely healed me – no operation, no treatment – I only had God and the Bible, and that’s all I needed to confound the doctors. They were shocked, they didn’t believe God. But I do, I believe in a God of power, of miracles.

Jesus is so important to me (TV Audio #472)

I want you to understand the power of prayer, and the power which Jesus has. I spent my youth searching for God, not because I was not a Christian, since I became a Christian when I was 8 years old. But when I became a Christian, I didn’t want to be a ‘normal’ Christian – I was searching for the truth, the reality, the Power and Glory of God! I wanted to find the God of the Bible, the God of Heaven, I wanted to KNOW Him! All my life I have searched for God’s Power and His Glory! It was the dream of David the shepherd boy to see the Glory of God here, on earth! It’s my dream too!”
'When Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralysed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’
Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’
Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralysed man, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up, take your mat and walk”? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this!’ (Mark 2.1-12, NIV.)

The promise of the Holy Spirit / Acts Bible Study / Chapter 1 (TV Audio #471)

The Acts of the Apostles is the story of a transformed Church, a Church motivated, with a purpose, on fire with the power of the Holy Spirit! The Word of God says Jesus will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire!
'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' (Acts 1.8, NKJV). One time when I was away on one of my prayer walks, I was talking to the Holy Spirit and said, "Holy Spirit, You know Jesus better than any of us. I want You to tell me what was the key to the Power that Jesus had." It became absolutely clear from reading the Scripture, that when Jesus was born, He gave up His heavenly power and authority and lived as a man here on earth with us. And it wasn't until His baptism in the river Jordan, when the Holy Spirit came down on Him like a dove, that He received the Power which transformed His life. What Jesus is saying here to these humble men is, when the Holy Spirit is come, He will give you the power which will transform your lives. The revolution when you are baptised in the Holy Spirit has to be life-transforming! In the Acts of the Apostles the disciples received the baptism of the Holy Spirit – instantly they were no longer frightened and ineffective, but filled with boldness and fire! That’s what we need today in the church – a new boldness, a new authority, a new power – which is the result of a baptism in the Holy Spirit!