David Hathaway

Bearing fruit in every good work / Colossians Bible Study (Part 2) Chapter 1:5-10

Our hope is in heaven - not here! I want to say to Christians in Ukraine, in China, or wherever you may be, under persecution or in lack, our hope is not here - out hope is in heaven!
Paul is showing the Colossians so clearly in verses 5-10, “This HOPE, preached in the Gospel of truth – despite the trouble and persecution – brings forth fruit in all the world, and in you, since the day you heard it and knew the Grace of God in truth.” The Gospel preached to the first generation Church was preached to a Church which would suffer persecution and death – and here Paul continues to the Colossians, verses 7-10, “You learned this Gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, a faithful minister of Christ – and he has told me of your love in the Spirit and, from the day we heard of this, we have not ceased to pray for you, and desire that you be filled with the knowledge of God’s Will in wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you might walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him, being fruitful in good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Paul is saying, whatever the circumstances, however hard, walk worthy of the Lord in order to please, not yourself, not the pastor, but that you might please the Lord, and that you might be fruitful in what you do! 

For the hope laid up in heaven / Colossians Bible Study (Part 1) Chapter 1:1-5

'We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people – the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven.' For the Apostle Paul, the most important thing, our highest hope, is heaven. Whatever persecution, hardship, or difficulty you may face in this life, the greatest encouragement is the hope laid up for you in heaven! Today we are again facing increasing persecution. It has been said, that in many parts of the world, Christians are the most persecuted group, but we have to face the fact that persecution can simply be a part of our faith. I want to remind you that, whatever we are going through today, our hope is not down here, OUR HOPE IS IN HEAVEN. 

My God will supply all your needs / Philippians Bible Study (Part 14) Chapter 4:9-20

“My God will supply all your need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!” What a wonderful promise! My God will supply all your need! When you are committed to and support the Gospel – then stand on this promise – that when you give to the extension of the Kingdom, God will supply all your need. Wow! Paul calls this a matter of ‘giving AND receiving’, v15. When you give, stand by faith, God will take the responsibility to supply ALL your need. 

Count your blessings / Philippians Bible Study (Part 13) Chapter 4:2-8

“Rejoice in the Lord always, rejoice! Let your moderation be known to all men – the Lord is coming! Be careful, anxious, for nothing! But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” There is something very deep here; in the Spirit I sense is that we, as labourers in the Gospel should not be overly concerned about material issues. Instead, in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we should let our requests be made known to God. After all, it is God who supplies, and we should not look to men first, but trust God. When we do, v7 is fulfilled in our lives, “The peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” You know, when we trust God, it’s an implicit trust in Him and it brings peace! 

Will God dwell on earth with us (December Audio Newsletter)

As I was preparing my Christmas TV broadcast, I saw something different! We are all so familiar with the Christmas prophecy, Isaiah 9:6, ‘Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...’ But Solomon in 2 Chron. 6:18, at the dedication of the new temple asks, ‘But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…!’ Yet Jesus did come, Emmanuel, ‘God with us’ and now today even more so because Christ dwells not just with us but in us after we are ‘born again’. Our bodies should be the Temple of the Holy Spirit today!

Stand fast in the Lord / Philippians Bible Study (Part 12) Chapters 3:13-4:1

“Therefore,” the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:1, “my brethren whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, STAND FAST in the Lord!” This question of ‘standing fast’ is a reminder that despite our weaknesses, we must remain true to our faith. I’ve been working in the former Soviet Union for more than 60 years, 30 under communism and 30 since the freedom. I found that, in those days under communism, under persecution, the Underground Church remained ‘purer’ than the Church in the West, because they ‘HELD FAST’ to what they had – just as Christ said to the overcoming Church in Revelation 2:25, “HOLD FAST to what you have till I come.” 

Our hope is built on the Resurrection / Philippians Bible Study (Part 11) Chapter 3:10-14

Our hope is built on the Resurrection. We need to forget the past, our new life is in Christ. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. The Apostle Paul writing to the Philippians said, "I want to know Christ. Yes, to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that, for which, Christ Jesus took hold of me."  

Baptised into the resurrection / Philippians Bible Study (Part 10) Chapter 3:6-10

We are baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. We are saved by faith that God has accepted the sacrificial death of His Son, on the cross. He died in our place, for our sin. This makes everything else not just valueless, but totally invalid. The desire of Paul’s heart now is that he might KNOW CHRIST! Remember, when Jesus was alive on earth, Paul didn’t know Him in any personal sense. His only knowledge or consciousness of Him was his own religious hostility to Him. Now his whole desire is to sweep away all this religiousness – whether Jewish Law, or today our traditions and customs, our religious churchianity, whatever denomination we are – all of that is worthless – so that we might KNOW HIM! Paul’s desire is to KNOW CHRIST and the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION. To know Him and the Power of His Resurrection means that we ourselves, by faith in Christ, have passed from death to life! That’s why Scripture says we must be born again, from above. The old life – DEAD! That’s the symbolism of water baptism: we have died with Christ, we’re buried in the water – and we rise up to new life. By faith. That’s why baptising infants is pointless.

Rejoice in the Lord / Philippians Bible Study (Part 9) Chapter 3:1-7

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord!” This is what Paul says in Philippians 3:1. But we’re living in an age in which nations are torn apart! Only this summer, British Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss had to resign, the German Chancellor, the French and the American Presidents are unpopular – worldwide unrest – there is a turmoil, a disturbing uncertainty in every aspect of national and international life, much, but not all, as a result first of Covid, then the war in Ukraine. But it’s deeper than that. There’s a lack of leadership and morality in the so-called free world – we have uncertainty in politics, in economics, in all our social systems. We need to look for answers in Scripture. 
I found it is so interesting when I read, ‘rejoice in the Lord’! He is the only one, the only thing in whom and in which we can rejoice. Paul adds, “To write the same things to you – rejoice – is not grievous for me, but safe for you.” In his epistles, Paul’s laying down strong principles for the life of the Church. So much of the Church as we know it today is based on apostolic doctrine as taught in the New Testament. 

Shine like stars in the sky / Philippians Bible Study (Part 8): Chapter 2:14-27

'For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.'
Paul is saying, we have to keep ourselves blameless and harmless in the midst of the perversity and sin of the world. “Shine as lights in the world, holding forth the Word of Life, so that I may rejoice in the Day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, nor laboured in vain – though I be offered on the sacrifice of service for your faith.” Paul gave his life to preach the Gospel. Come on! The message we preach is the Word of Life! Life in Christ!

Jesus is our intercessor / Philippians Bible Study (Part 7) Chapter 2:11-15

In our praying to God the Father, we pray through Jesus – He is the Intercessor. He lives to make intercession for us. None of us is perfect. I’m not perfect. We all fail. It’s because of our imperfection that Jesus is the Intercessor – He paid the price for our sin! He bought our forgiveness. Therefore our Salvation is through Jesus. God the Father forgives us, helps us and blesses us – through His Son Jesus! Jesus is pleading, “I died for these people. I love these people. I lived with them. Forgive them and give them Eternal Life!” He is our Mediator. If we want access to God, we come through the Mediator, Jesus. So often, if you need to approach people – and I have to approach government and heads of denominations – you usually first come through another person who acts as an intermediary, a mediator who makes it possible. Our access to God is ONLY through Christ, there is no other way. You can’t go through ‘saints’, you can’t go through Mary – read the Scripture, it’s absolutely clear – our approach can ONLY be through Jesus. It was because Jesus was so OBEDIENT and so fulfilled God’s Plan, because He HUMBLED Himself to that extreme, GOD HAS HIGHLY EXALTED HIM and given Him a Name above every name! 

What God is about to do, and how you can be part of it (November Newsletter)

The whole world is in crisis. Only prayer-based evangelism can save Britain and the world. Time is short – we need real urgent prayer. As I prepare this newsletter, I’m about to leave for ministry in Georgia where I will be from November 14th to 21st for three days’ evangelism in the National Indoor Basketball Stadium, TV interviews and ministry in a supporting church.

Whatever you ask the Father / Philippians Bible Study (Part 6) Chapter 2:1-11

God has given Jesus a Name above every other name, so high, that at the Name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, of things in Heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, yes, in hell. The Name of Jesus is so central to our faith, to our ministry. ALL Power and Authority is in His Name. We don’t pray to saints, they’re asleep in Christ, awaiting the bodily resurrection. We don’t pray to Mary, she’s also waiting for the resurrection like the rest of us, including my parents and my wife – all are still waiting for the resurrection!

Name above every other name / Philippians Bible Study (Part 5) Chapter 2:9-12

The Name of Jesus is higher, greater, than any person. He has all power, all authority. People can choose now to commit their lives to Jesus as Lord or be forced to acknowledge Him at the judgment seat of Christ. The power we as believers have in the Gospel, is the power in the Name of Jesus.  When we pray for the sick and they are healed, it is because of the power and authority in the Name of Jesus. No ritual, no religious ceremony, can equal the authority of Jesus Name. We all need to be reminded of the power and authority in the Name of Jesus. 

In nothing be terrified / Philippians Bible Study (Part 4) Chapter 1:27-Chapter 2:5

There is no life without hardship, pain, and conflict. But we do not need to be frightened or terrified. One person with God is always in a majority. Our lives are in God’s Hands. We’re not weak, we’re not defeated. If God is with us, we are always on the victory side. Paul commands in Philippians 1:28, “In nothing be terrified by your adversaries!” I have had to learn this over the years. However extreme the circumstances, I have such a sense of comfort, consolation, joy and peace in Christ. My confidence, my trust is in Him. I believe every hardship was allowed in order to fulfil a greater purpose. 

To live is Christ and to die is gain / Philippians Bible Study (Part 3) Chapter 1:18-27

Christ should be magnified in our lives; He must be glorified in our speech, and also, in the very circumstances in which we find ourselves. When you are in hardship, sickness and distress, our prayer should be that Christ be magnified. I echo that very strongly. When I was in prison in 1972-3, I was praying, seeking that God would work a miracle through my release so great, He would be glorified by the very evidence. Prime Minister Harold Wilson came to rescue me; it was headline news and brought tremendous Glory to God because it opened doors to the Gospel all over the world – people wanting to know my phenomenal testimony.
'For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain' (Philippians 1:19-21).