Bible Study with David Hathaway - (David Hathaway’s weekly TV programmes)

How can I have eternal life? (TV Audio #498)

What does it mean to be a Christian? It is not a matter of believing in a religion or attending a church. When the ruler came to Jesus, he asked a simple question, “How can I have eternal life?” The answer of Jesus was equally very simple, you have to follow Him; this means becoming His disciple, believing and trusting in Jesus and walking the same path of life that He walks, (Matthew 19.21, Amplified). In John 3 Jesus was asked a very similar question and responded, 'you have to be born again into the Kingdom of God'. 
For us to become a Christian, to know the power of God, we have to be born into the Kingdom of God. Of course the ruler asked, "How can someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!" Jesus responded, "No one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." (John 3.)
We receive this new life through repentance: 'Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptised, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' (Acts 2.38, Amplified). 

Every kind of miracle is possible! (TV Audio #497)

(Recorded in Kazakhstan)
If you put your trust in God, every kind of miracle is possible, not just healing, but whatever you need. Our God answers prayer – and He works miracles. I have seen every kind of miracle you can imagine: people born blind – God opens their eyes; broken backs – mended; cancers – healed; cripples – get out of wheelchairs. I’ve seen miracles that are not healing: financial provision; my own miraculous release from prison, and many others besides. I know these miracles will happen when I pray; I don’t have any question about it. It’s no different from knowing that every morning the sun will get out of bed and show itself at my window. God works miracles every day – but it’s for us to believe that He can, and will in our lives. This is where faith becomes so important. I would describe the word ‘faith’ in simple terms as ‘trust’, or ‘belief’. I know God and have learned to trust the God I know! That is all faith is!
'Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, ‘Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.’
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up 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 paralysed man, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.' (Matthew 9.1-8, NIV)
Only Jesus can forgive sin. The crowds knew that Jesus could heal the sick; they had seen Him do this many times before. But Jesus came to seek and save the lost. This is why this miracle in Matthew 9 is so important. Jesus wanted to demonstrate that not only did He have the power to heal the sick, but He has power to forgive our sins. Forgiveness is the greatest miracle we can ever receive. Without this forgivess, there is no salvation and hope of heaven. I accepted Christ as my Saviour at the age of 7 years and 11 months because I knew that if I did not accept Him in my life I could not enter Heaven. I took this decision alone in my bed, because the conviction of the Holy Spirit was so strong I could not sleep. I knew that if Jesus were to come back that night, my parents and my twin brother would go to be with the Lord, but I would be left. I knew Jesus was coming back, but only for those who have found personal salvation through faith in Him. That night I had to obey Him. Without Him, life at the age of 7 years and 11 months was meaningless! 
If you want to see miracles, if you want to spend eternity in heaven, first you need to know who Jesus is. The reality of our relationship with Christ is not in repeating prayers and phrases, it’s in knowing Him. I talk to Him, He talks to me! The Bible is very clear: through Jesus Christ, you and I have direct access to God! We don’t come through anybody else, He is our only mediator! Because of Jesus, we can know God in a way that the Old Testament believers never could – we have direct access to Him as our Father only through Jesus! This is the miracle of salvation: whoever you are – the widow, the single parent, the sick; however poor, however weak; the drug addict, the alcoholic, the criminal – we all have direct access to God through Christ; we have been adopted into His family. God is only a prayer away – He loves you – He wants to talk to you.

Jesus is our healer (TV Audio #496)

(Recorded in Kazakhstan) 
When people read about the miracles in the Bible and hear what God is doing around the world, they often ask, “Are these miracle healings real? – And if so, can God heal me?”
Before you read further, let me remind you that I have experienced two outstanding personal miracles of healing from cancer, both confirmed medically. In 1964 I was healed of cancer on my vocal chord and in 2003, healed of cancer in my right lung!
Physical healing is an integral part of the atonement of Christ. It has been bought for us together with our salvation, through Christ’s suffering and death. Isaiah 53 states clearly: “He was wounded for our transgressions…And with His stripes we are healed.” We believe that our sin was taken away and the penalty was paid by Christ’s suffering and death. We do not question our salvation, which is by faith in the finished work of Christ’s atonement. However the Bible clearly states that not only our sin but also our sickness was borne by Him. We need to apply the same level of faith to our healing from sickness as we do to our salvation from sin.
One of the first people that I saw healed was when I was a very young pastor and evangelist in England. Shortly after finishing college, I left the church I had pastored as a student, in Dorking, Surrey, and I was called to take over a church in Harrogate, North England, and prepare for an evangelistic crusade. I was only twenty years old. Soon after arriving, Mr Corker, one of the men in the church, 73 years old, became ill. He refused to go to the doctor until it was too late – they had to rush him into hospital where they diagnosed terminal cancer. He was so sick, they took away most of his stomach, gave him a catheter to pass the water, and a colostomy – and sent him home to die.
The doctors expected him to live for just three weeks. As his pastor, I went many times to his home to pray with him and I discovered that although he had a difficult very blunt ‘Yorkshire’ character, this man loved God from the bottom of his heart. I saw him in a new way, not just as a dying man, not just as a difficult deacon in my church, but I saw how much he loved the Lord. 
God completely healed that man! God restored all his body functions! He came out of bed; he came back in the church, completely healed at 73 years old. Why? God saw that man as an individual, saw that man's heart and his need. I marveled at the power of such a God! The miracle was so great; as a direct result, his own son became an evangelist and missionary! 
'Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralysed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up 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 paralysed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.' (Matthew 9.1-8, NIV.)

Committed to God and Word of Grace / Acts Bible Study Chapter 20 (TV Audio #495)

When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. He travelled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms round him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted...  Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20.1-12, 32, NIV)

Did you receive the Holy Spirit? / Acts Bible Study Chapter 19 (TV Audio #494)

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’
They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’
So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’
‘John’s baptism,’ they replied.
Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all. (Acts 19.1-7, NIV)

Paul's ministry in Corinth and Antioch / Acts Bible Study Chapter 18 (TV Audio #493)

'One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.' (Acts 18.9-11, NIV.)
Acts 18 recounts the apostle Paul's ministry in Corinth and Ephesus, detailing his interactions with Jews and Gentiles, his companions, and his trials. This chapter highlights the spread of the Gospel despite opposition, the importance of discipleship and mentorship, and the collaborative nature of early Christian ministry.
The Church began in Fire and Power on the Day of Pentecost, but as we have seen throughout the book of Acts, this outpouring was not just a one time experience, instead, the apostles and the early church were continually being filled with the Spirit. I believe we should be living as the early Church did - in the Fire and Power of God. 
'After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.' (Acts 18.1-4, NIV.) Persecution of the Jews has been a problem for thousands of years; yet God has always used persecution as a means of furthering the Gospel; as the Scripture teaches, what was meant for our harm, God will use for our good. 

In Him we live and move and have our being / Acts Bible Study Chapter 17 (TV Audio #492)

The Apostle Paul's Second Missionary Journey to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens.
'Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”' (Acts 17.23-31, NKJV)

Paul and Silas in prison / Acts Bible Study Chapter 16 / (TV Audio #491)

Acts 16 details the missionary journeys of Paul and his companions, highlighting several key events and their impact on the spread of Christianity. Throughout this chapter, the story demontrates the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the power of the Gospel to transform lives, and the resilience and faithfulness of Paul and his companions amidst persecution.
'About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!’
'The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’
'They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptised. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God – he and his whole household' (Acts 16.25-34, NIV).

Salvation by Grace / Acts Bible Study Chapter 15 (TV Audio #490)

Acts 15 Key Themes:Salvation by Grace: The council affirms that salvation comes through grace, not adherence to the Mosaic Law.Unity and Diversity: The early church grapples with integrating diverse cultural practices and beliefs while maintaining unity.Guidance by the Holy Spirit: Decisions are made through prayer, discussion, and reliance on the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
'Peter got up and addressed them: ‘Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles should hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.
'The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.' (Acts 15.7-12, NIV)

Confirming the Word of Grace through Signs and Wonders / Acts Bible Study Chapter 14 (TV Audio #489)

Our faith is not in things nor in people, it’s not in the preacher or the evangelist. Our faith has to be directly IN GOD and His promises! We have to emphasise this when we talk about faith. Too many people look to me, and think I’m some healer… No! God is the Healer. I explain this in every evangelistic meeting before I pray for the sick, “I am NOT a healing evangelist! Jesus is the Healer, He’s the One you have to ask!” And I teach them how to call on Him for their healing, and that’s why the miracles follow. Have faith in God!
'Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders... They gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.' (Acts 14.3, 27, NIV.)
Acts 14 recounts the missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas to various cities in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). In Iconium, they face opposition but continue to preach boldly, performing miracles that lead to some conversions. However, a plot to stone them forces them to flee to Lystra and Derbe, where they continue to spread the Gospel.
In Lystra, Paul heals a man, leading the locals to believe they are gods. When Paul and Barnabas try to correct this misunderstanding, the crowd turns against them, and Paul is stoned and left for dead. However, he survives and moves on to Derbe, where they continue preaching.
Afterward, they backtrack through the cities they visited, encouraging and strengthening the believers. They appoint elders in each church before returning to Antioch, where they report their journey to the church, recounting how God had opened doors for the Gentiles to believe.