Oxford Bible Church - Living in the Last Days (audio)

The Rapture of the Church is a Mystery, only revealed in the New Testament (1Corinthians 15:51-52), first of all by Jesus (Matthew 24:36-44, Luke 17:26-30, 24:34-36, John 14:1-3). Pastor Derek explores the teaching of Jesus on the Rapture of the Church, a concept often attributed to Apostle Paul. As well as John 14:1-3, he studies passages from the Olivet Discourse, and the parallels of Christ's Coming in the Rapture with the days of Noah and Lot, to understand the Rapture's significance and its imminent nature. This detailed discussion encourages spiritual readiness for this event.

Understand how we can be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), by asking and receiving His presence, grace, wisdom, power and strength in our lives. Learn how to live a Spirit-filled life, empowering you to fulfil God's will with ease and divine strength. Discover the role of prayer, faith, and the Holy Spirit in breaking the yokes of oppression and manifesting God's love and power in your life.

The indwelling Spirit of God is the Administrator and Communicator of God’s blessing and grace to us in Christ ( John 16:13-15). He takes what Jesus is giving us and reveals, imparts and manifests them to us and in us, for example God's love, wisdom and power (Romans 5:5, Ephesians 1:17-20). We access this POWER in the HOLY SPIRIT through PRAYER, through waiting on the Lord and looking to Him, and asking Him to fill us with His Spirit to empower us to know and do His will. We have to choose to take the YOKE of the HOLY SPIRIT upon us, by asking for Him to fill us. (Matthew 11;28-29). Then, if we come under the YOKE of the HOLY SPIRIT, that will break the power of all the other yokes. Whatever you offer up (surrender) to God for Him to fill with His Spirit, He will surely fill you. But He will not violate our free-will, so we have to come to Him, and ask Him to fill and empower us.

The POWER of the HOLY SPIRIT is freely available to us and is working in us: “Now to HIM who is ABLE to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we (1) ASK or (2) THINK, according to the POWER that WORKS IN US.” We limit God by (1) our ASKING and (2) our THINKING. (1) If we do not ASK, we will not RECEIVE. Also, (2) the more we MEDITATE in God’s WORD, the greater will be our FAITH when we ask, enabling us to draw upon more of His grace. However much you grow in your thinking, asking and believing, you are not coming close to taxing God’s resources. You are only scratching
the surface of what God is able and willing to give you through His Spirit, because He can do exceedingly more. Ephesians 3:21: "to HIM be GLORY in the CHURCH by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” When you allow God to fill you and flow through you, then He will get the glory for the results. When we receive the fullness of His Spirit, so that He empowers us to do God’s will, then the result will be God’s glory, for He will have done it through us, rather than us doing it ourselves in our own strength.

Join Pastor Derek as he delves into one of the most important events and greatest miracles in biblical history - the Annunciation and the Incarnation. When Gabriel announced to the virgin Mary that she would conceive Jesus, the Son of God, in her womb, she submitted in faith to God’s Word, releasing the Holy Spirit to perform the miracle in her. Discover the profound announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary, explaining the miraculous conception of Jesus as the Son of God. Explore the theological implications of this event as he explains its fulfilment of prophecy and its significance in the Christian faith.

Join Pastor Derek as he explores the concept of being filled with the Holy Spirit, based on Ephesians 5:18 and the Beatitudes. This insightful teaching connects openness to the Holy Spirit with key attitudes of the heart. Learn how cultivating a merciful heart enhances your spiritual journey, allowing God's love, power, and wisdom to fill your heart and flow through your life. Discover practical applications through biblical examples and deepen your understanding of forgiveness and mercy as vital components of your spiritual growth.

Join Pastor Derek as he delves into Psalm 95, exploring the stages of coming into God's Presence through thanksgiving, praise, worship, and listening to His voice. Go on a spiritual journey through this Psalm, which calls us to draw nearer to God, with the result that we will then be able to enter our Promised Land of blessings. Psalm 95 tells us how to come to God and receive from Him. He calls us to draw near with (1) praise & thanksgiving (v1-5), then (2) worship (6-7a), then we will be able to (3) hear His voice and receive His word to us, when He speaks (v7b-11).