Pastor Derek explores the theological and scriptural reasons for supporting Israel. Delve into the historical context and biblical covenants, promises and prophecies that affirm Israel's significance in God's plan. He challenges the concept of Replacement Theology, rejecting the idea that the Church has replaced Israel. God has not finished with His elect nation Israel! He highlights the importance of understanding Israel's role in both past, present and future events. Key biblical passages are examined to show God's unwavering commitment to Israel, urging viewers to align themselves with God's purposes by standing with Israel.
Psalm 2 is a dramatic Messianic Psalm that describes the victory of Christ over His enemies and the present spiritual warfare. Discover God's strategy for victory as the drama unfolds scene by scene. Discover how this Messianic Psalm relates to the Ascension and 2nd Coming of Christ, and learn about the anointing of Jesus as prophet, priest & king. This sermon emphasises the believer's role in this spiritual drama, highlighting the power of prayer, intercession, and the declaration of God's Word. Engage with this profound biblical teaching and understand your place in God's plan.
Join Pastor Derek Walker from the Oxford Bible Church as he explores the profound connections between the Gospel and the Year of Jubilee. Discover how the Gospel message, as preached by Jesus, fulfills the Old Testament Typology of the Jubilee—a time of liberation, restoration, and divine grace. He delves into the origins of the Gospel in the Old Testament, its central role in the New Testament, and its significance for believers today. This enlightening session highlights the transformative power of the Gospel as a 'now message' calling for faith, repentance, and the acknowledgment of Christ's Sacrifice. This teaching reveals the origins of the Gospel in the Year of Jubilee, which took place on the Day of Atonement, when the Jubilee Trumpeters proclaimed forgiveness, release and restoration for all, throughout all the Land, on the basis of the great sacrifice made on that day (Leviticus 25). Jesus initiated the preaching of the Gospel, and commanded us to continue preaching this same Gospel. In Luke 4, Jesus claimed that His preaching of the Gospel was the fulfilment of Isaiah 61, a prophecy of the Messiah fulfilling the Type of Jubilee for all men by preaching Good News to the poor, proclaiming the Acceptable Year of the Lord, on the basis of God's acceptance of His great final Sacrifice (Isaiah 53).
God's mighty resurrection power is available to us and working within us. This is a major them in Ephesians. Discover how the Holy Spirit provides revelation and wisdom to help us lay hold of and walk in God's power within us, the same power that raised Christ from the dead and is now active in our lives. God's mighty power is in us, through the Holy Spirit, and it is available to us, but we need to have a revelation of this power, so that we can draw upon it by faith, as well as the wisdom to walk in that power, for it is released through our obedience. Ephesians 1 gives us a revelation of this mighty power, by describing what it has already accomplished when it was released in Christ, when He was (1) made alive from the dead, (2) raised far above all powers, and (3) enthroned on high. Then Ephesians 2 describes what this resurrection power accomplished in our spirits when we were born again in Christ: (1) Our spirit was made alive with Christ, changing us from spiritual death to being spiritually alive to God. (2) Our spirit was raised far above all opposing powers (sin, satan and the world), for His victory was imparted to our spirit. (3) Our spirit was seated with Christ far above, having been empowered to reign with Christ. This same power is available to us in our life today! (Ephesians 3:20).
We need to know our identity (Prov 23:7). It has 2 sources: our (1) CREATION in Adam (Gen 1:26-27) and (2) REDEMPTION in Christ. Since we’re born in Adam, we share his identity as God’s image, to reflect & express His glory. As part of our identity, He created us male or female. In Adam, we all sinned & are under divine judgment. Our nature, inherited from Adam, is prideful rebellion against God. Man’s collective sin became so bad, God judged it at Noah’s Flood, after which He told man to fill the earth (Gen 9:1). But man rebelled again at Babel (Gen 11:1-9). So, God scattered man over the earth, dividing us into nations. This is God’s will, designed to restrain the spread of sin. It’s God’s idea to create national identities, with different characteristics, that are part of our identity & inheritance in Adam. We embrace & celebrate these aspects of our identity, as we should embrace our God-given sexual identity. As man separated into nations, they developed their own cultures & ways, so certain genes became dominant in populations, creating different abilities & appearances. Though we’re divided into nations, we belong to one human family in Adam (Acts 17:26), and so share a common inheritance (good & bad), so we’re all equal. Globalism tries to override the power of nation states to set up a one-world government. This was Nimrod’s vision at Babel, so he could rule over all mankind. A rebel against God (Gen 10:9), running the world is a worst-case scenario. Satan is trying to rebuild Babel, putting his antichrist in charge of a one-world government (called Babylon). He’ll succeed for a short time before Christ destroys it at His Return, and sets up His one world Government. Although many aspects of our natural inheritance & identity are God-given, the great problem is that we also inherit from Adam his identity & nature as a sinner. So, part of our natural identity is that by natural birth, we belong to a fallen race under Divine Judgment, whatever other natural positive qualities we might have. God has a solution for the Fall. Christ came as the 2nd Adam, to be the head of a new human race in Him, the source of a new identity. He came to bring forth a New Creation, a new family in Himself. In His death as the last Adam, He took on Himself all the fallen aspects of our Adamic inheritance of sin & death, and cancelled it, and by His resurrection He brought us into a new inheritance in the New Covenant, the firstborn from the dead of a New Creation, a new species of humanity, with His spiritual DNA. For those who receive Him as Saviour & Lord, He provides a New Birth of our spirit, making us a New Man in Christ. Thru our union with Him, we receive a new nature, identity & origin-history, for we’ve died & risen with Christ, and now belong to Him. As our 1st (physical) birth in Adam made us an inheritor of Adam, so our new (spiritual) birth in Christ makes us an inheritor of all that’s Christ’s (John 1:12-13, 3:3-7, Eph 4:23-24). We still have the God-given aspects of our natural identity & inheritance (gender, gifts, personality & nation), but our new identity & inheritance in Christ is far more important & dominant. By our union with Christ, all God’s blessings of God are ours in Christ (Rom 8:32, 2Cor 1:20, Eph 1:3). Whoever we are in the natural, the most important truth about us is who we are in Christ (Col 3:9). In this New Creation reality, Christ is all important, and He is in us all. We’re all equal in Him. National & natural distinctions still exist, but are overwhelmed by the greater truth of our identity in Christ – we belong to Him, created in His image, in God’s family & Kingdom. National distinctions & natural differences count for nothing as far as our inheritance in Christ is concerned (Phil 3:4-7). We’re all equal inheritors of salvation & eternal life (Rom 10:12-13). God has no favourites (2Cor 5:14-17). The new overrules and supersedes the old. We don’t just have a new individual identity in Christ, but a new corporate identity. We’re not just individuals; together we form one New Man in Christ (Eph 2:8-15), His New Creation, one People of God, one Body & Bride of Christ, one forever Family, living stones forming a single Temple of God. We’re God’s people, redeemed by His Blood (Rev 5:8-10). We have a common origin in His death & resurrection, a common identity in Christ, and a common purpose to live for (glorify) Him who loved us (Gal 3:26-28). We are all ONE (entity) in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28). As in Adam, we’re all of one blood (Acts 17:26), so in Christ, we’re of one blood (the Blood of Christ). Being in Christ & His family is our primary (core) identity. Our allegiance to Christ overwhelms all other loyalties, and His command is to love one another. We celebrate our natural & national diversity, but most of all we celebrate our identity & unity in Christ, where God has broken down all racial divisions.
Derek Walker delves into the profound topic of the beauty of holiness. The Beauty of the Lord is His Holiness - the sum and perfection of His moral attributes. When we trust in God and surrender to Him, He imparts His holiness to us through His Holy Spirit. Explore the connection between holiness and intimacy with God, and understand how true holiness is a divine transformation led by the Holy Spirit. Discover the significance of being set apart for God, the role of sanctification, and the spiritual journey towards righteousness. This message offers deep insights into the nature of God's holiness and the essence of a holy life.
The Spirit of Faith is described in 2 Corinthians 4:13: "we (1) BELIEVE and therefore (2) SPEAK." Pastor Derek shares about (1) believing God's Word with our heart, and then (2) speaking it forth with our lips. Faith in Jesus Christ connects us with God and His grace. We see how we express and release our faith through words and actions. This message emphasises the importance of our submission to God and of boldly speaking our faith.
Pastor Derek shares the dramatic story of Christ raising Lazarus from the dead after 4 days in John 11, a great prophetic Sign of His victory over both spiritual and physical death. By this Messianic Miracle, Jesus validated His claim to be (1) the Resurrection and (2) the Life, the One who will raise us from both (1) physical and (2) spiritual death, if we believe (trust) in Him.
Join Pastor Derek Walker of the Oxford Bible Church as he delves into John 4, exploring the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Discover the profound lessons on spiritual rebirth, overcoming barriers, and the promise of living water through the Holy Spirit. This teaching highlights the inclusive nature of Christ's message, offering salvation to all and emphasising the New Covenant of worship in spirit and truth.
Join Pastor Derek Walker from the Oxford Bible Church as he delves into the concept of spiritual rebirth, exploring Jesus' teaching in John 3, and how they relate to His first miracle of turning water into wine. Derek shares how God accomplished the rebirth of our spirit in the New Birth, and describes the nature of our New Man (our regenerated spirit). Learn about the role of the Holy Spirit in the new birth and the importance of accepting Jesus as your Saviour. This enlightening sermon is a deep dive into the Christian doctrine of being born again and how it shapes the life of believers.
Join Pastor Derek as he delves into the story of Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. This video explores the significance of this event as a sign of Jesus' divine power and its meaning for believers. Discover how this miracle symbolises transformation and the abundant life offered through faith in Christ. Pastor Walker explains the spiritual message behind the miracle, encouraging viewers to invite Jesus into their lives for a personal transformation. The first sign-miracle of Jesus in John 2 was turning water into wine, which was a demonstration of what He will do for us if we believe in Him. This is a picture of our New Birth and our ongoing transformation by the Spirit of God. The way this miracle happened shows that we must give Jesus the right to turn our water into wine, by submitting to His Lordship.
Join Pastor Derek Walker of the Oxford Bible Church as he delves into 2 miraculous events from the life of Jesus, illustrating how these miracles teach us to walk in victory over sin, satan, and circumstances. Discover the deep spiritual lessons behind Jesus calming the storm and walking on water, and learn how these acts of faith can empower us to overcome life's challenges through the Power of God's Word. 2 miracles of Jesus demonstrate how we can walk in victory over the power of sin, circumstances and satan: (1) The crossing to the other side of Galilee through a storm, and (2) Walking on the Water. God has called us to be overcomers, who go over, not under!
Join Pastor Derek Walker of the Oxford Bible Church as he explores the profound theme of Miracles and Voids. This insightful sermon delves into how God performs miracles in our lives, emphasising the importance of creating voids for His Word & Spirit to fill. Discover how to prepare your heart to receive God's blessings and experience spiritual growth. God works miracles in our lives by His Word and Spirit, but He also requires the presence of a receptive VOID in us, into which He can speak and which He can fill with His life. So, there are 2 ingredients to every miracle of God: (1) God's SPIRIT and WORD, which are the active agents of the miracle, and (2) a receptive VOID, which is necessary to receive a miracle. This is illustrated with a number of examples.
Join Pastor Derek Walker and host Howard in this engaging Q&A session, tackling a wide array of religious and societal topics. From the role of Christianity in modern politics to the historical significance of biblical events, this episode offers profound insights and discussions. Key topics include the impact of recent political decisions on religious communities, the interpretation of biblical prophecies, and the challenges of living a faith-based life in today's world. Tune in for thoughtful perspectives and spiritual guidance.
All Temples give God’s blueprint for us as His ultimate Temples. Man fell into sin & lost God’s Presence, but He’s restoring us to be His Temples – He’ll dwell within us & shine out of us forever. All the different Temples encode different aspects of His ultimate Temple, each providing a piece of the puzzle. We get the whole picture by putting together the revelation from them all. (1) Our SPIRIT = HOLY of HOLIES, (2) our SOUL = HOLY PLACE, (3) our BODY = OUTER COURT. We’re made with His THRONE in our SPIRIT to live under His authority. When we receive Christ & He’s enthroned within us, we discover our true identity, ability & personality, for His Spirit of grace flows from His throne to fill & transform our souls & empower us to do His will & be fruitful. Christ is the perfect human Temple; God was enthroned in His spirit and His Spirit filled His soul & flowed out of Him. But we were born spiritually dead, so His Spirit did not indwell us. Christ came to make us into true Temples, like Him. So, He died as our SIN OFFERING to take away our sins, and as our BURNT OFFERING to give us His perfect righteousness. Mercy Seat = ‘Place of Propitiation’ where God’s righteous judgment is fully satisfied by the Blood. He sees the Blood & declares us forgiven, so He’s now free to bless us. Once the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat & accepted by God, Israel came under mercy for another year. But she had to repeat this ritual every year signifying man’s sin wasn’t yet put away (Heb 10:1-4). Christ accomplished this (Heb 10:5-10). So, Tabernacle rituals pictured what Christ would accomplish in establishing the New Covenant in His Blood in the Heavenly Temple, and activating it in His redeemed human Temples (Heb 9:7-12). As the High Priest, He offered Himself as the final Sacrifice and took His Blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on God’s Throne, the Mercy Seat, as full payment for our sin & every blessing of grace (Heb 4:16). His Blood in Heaven ever speaks on our behalf, and is the basis for the everlasting New Covenant (Heb 12:22-24). Having done this, He sat down to signify His finished work, and entered into His work as Mediator of the New Covenant for His people (Heb 1:3, 10:11-12, 9:23-26). The Heavenly Temple is an image of God’s ultimate Temple (Man), so when we receive Christ, He also sprinkles us with His Blood & sanctifies us to Himself (1Pet 1:2, Heb 9:13-14). By His Spirit, He entered our holy of holies, and applied His Blood to our spirit, cleansing it from all sin & sanctifying it to Himself, making it a perfect new creation, and then sits enthroned there by His indwelling Spirit, to mediate the new covenant in our lives. This happened at our New Birth. He activated the New Covenant in us, so we’re now under grace. We became a functioning Temple. Having sprinkled & cleansed us with His Blood (Heb 9:13-14), He now brings us into our inheritance (v15). It's a Throne of Grace, for the Lamb’s Blood has been accepted by God on our behalf, and He sits at God’s right hand dispensing His River of Grace to us (Rev 22:1-2). This also pictures us as Temples, with Christ enthroned as Lord in our spirit, releasing His river of grace from His throne in our spirit, flowing down into our heart & life. The trees = thoughts & emotions in our soul. As we trust in Christ who lives in us, and submit to His Lordship, we receive His river of blessing into our hearts. When God entered the Tabernacle, He sat in His glory, enthroned on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, and there He met with Moses & spoke with him (Ex 25:21-22). Likewise, He sits on the throne in our spirit, His base of operation in us. 3 items in the HOLY PLACE (Heb 9:1-4) = our SOUL: *(1) MENORAH = our MIND, illuminated by the oil of His Spirit. *(2) TABLE of SHOWBREAD (‘the Bread of the Presence’) = our EMOTIONS, kept ever fresh from God's Presence, shining from the Holy of Holies. *(3) The ALTAR of INCENSE next to the Holy of Holies = our HEART or WILL, at the deepest part of our soul, called the Golden Censer (‘the Place of Incense’) in Heb 9:4, where it’s described as belonging to the holy of holies. Thus, our HEART is the junction & connection between our SPIRIT & SOUL, receiving God’s life from the spirit, so that it flows into our soul (Heb 4:12, John 7:38). By God’s design, the heart should be under the spirit’s control, so a worshipping heart is necessary to receive God’s grace into our souls. As we submit our hearts into God’s Hand (the Holy Spirit), He can guide & empower us (Prov 21:1). To reign in life, put our heart into His Hand (His Spirit), who manifests in us as rivers of living water. In the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant containing 3 items, hidden under the Throne (under His control) = 3 aspects of God’s grace, He wants to release into our soul by His Spirit: (1) the Tablets of the Covenant, (2) Aaron's Almond Rod that budded, and (3) the Golden Pot of Manna (Heb 9:3-5)
Explore the divine blueprint of God's Temples and learn how they reflect His ultimate Temple: redeemed man in Christ. We're designed to be Temples of the Living God, in the image of Christ, the perfect human Temple of God. In union with Him, by His Spirit, He transforms us into His image from glory to glory. God’s will for us as His Temples is to be filled with His Spirit, who indwells our holy of holies (SPIRIT), and also wants to fill our holy place (SOUL) and our BODY. The Tabernacle with all its furnishings was made according to a Divine Pattern (Ex 25:9,20, 26:30, Num 8:4, Acts 7:44, Heb 8:1-6). So, the earthly Tabernacle was made after the image of the heavenly Temple. The primary fulfilment of the typology of the Tabernacle is Jesus Himself. God came down to dwell among His people, by dwelling in a perfect human Tabernacle (John 1:1-14). The prophetic picture of the Tabernacle was perfectly fulfilled in the human nature of Jesus (Col 2:9). He was also filled with God’s glory through the indwelling Spirit. He was the perfect prototype human Temple of God, the basis for all future human Temples of God. By His death & resurrection, He made it possible to multiply Himself in us, like a seed planted in the earth & rising again in multiplied form (John 12:24). When anyone receives Jesus, they are put into union with Him and become living stones in His Temple built on Him, their living Foundation, and He begins to change them into His image - first, by recreating our spirits in the New Birth, then by transforming our souls, and finally by glorifying our bodies. So, Christ is not just the fulfilment of the Tabernacle pattern, the perfect human prototype Temple, but also, the transforming power that changes us into His image as God’s Temple, on the basis of His death & resurrection, so that we also become Temples of God, like Him. Thus, the pattern of the Tabernacle of Moses is primarily fulfilled in Christ, and 2ndly in us, His Body. God now lives in us, and wants to shine His glory through us. To make this all possible, on the Cross Christ fulfilled the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 1:1-12) & the Sin Offering (Lev 4:1-35). During the first 3 hours on the Cross, He offered Himself up as a sweet-selling burnt offering to the Lord (Eph 5:2). He identified with us and offered Himself for us, offering up His perfect human righteousness to God, to be accepted on our behalf, so that in Him we might be possess & be covered in His righteousness. On the basis of this aspect of the Cross, His righteousness is offered to us as a free-gift. From noon until 3pm, He fulfilled the type of the Sin Offering. He who knew no sin became sin for us on the Cross (2Cor 5:21). God signified this in the heavens by turning the sun to darkness, a picture of the radiant Sun of righteousness being covered with the darkness of our sin. In His Atonement, He paid the penalty in full for all our sins, so we can be forgiven, if we trust in Him. As our Sin-Offering, He took our sin and the punishment we deserved, releasing God's forgiveness & mercy to us, and as our Burnt Offering, He released His righteousness & life to us as a free-gift of grace. Christ's Altar of Burnt Offering is the everlasting power source for all of God’s human Temples forever, for He gave Himself for us to release His everlasting righteousness & life, which will uphold us for all eternity. The truth that His Sacrifice is forever effectual in satisfying God and in releasing His grace to us is revealed in the Law of the Burnt Offering (Lev 6:8-13). His act of obedience in offering Himself up for us on the Cross provides for us an abundant everlasting source of grace (Rom 5:8-21). By His once for all perfect offering, He gave us His righteousness, grace & life, as our everlasting possession. As one moves toward the Holy Place of worship, after the Altar of Burnt Offering was the Laver (Ex 40:30). (1) He sacrificed Himself on the Cross for His Bride (represented by the Bronze Altar), so that (2) He might sanctify & cleanse us by the WASHING of His WORD (the Bronze Laver) - Eph 5:26. The LAVER represents God's WRITTEN WORD, which reveals His LIVING WORD – Christ, the source of eternal life (John 5:39-40). As we look into the Mirror of God’s Word, the glory of the Person & Life of Christ is revealed to us, and His Spirit cleanses us from sin & sanctifies us to God (2Cor 3:18). The more we're cleansed & sanctified, the closer we can draw near to God to fellowship with Him and know Him (Heb 12:14, Matt 5:8). The Holy of Holies represents the spirit of man, in which was: “the Ark of the Covenant, in which were the Golden Pot of Manna, Aaron’s Rod that budded & the Tablets of the Covenant” (Heb 9:3-4). These 3 items in the Holy of Holies correspond to the 3 items in the Holy Place, for the soul is made in the image of the spirit, designed to express & manifest the life & nature of the spirit.
In this episode, 'the River of Life,' Derek explores the profound biblical revelation that believers are the eternal Temple of God, designed to be filled with His presence and glory. Redeemed man in Christ is designed to be the eternal Temple of the Living God, indwelt by Him and shining forth His glory. Thus, redeemed man is the ultimate, eternal Temple of God (1Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19-20, 12:12, 2Cor 6:16, Ephesians 2:21-22, Rev 21:22-26). TEMPLES are designed to be dwelling places of God, and He introduced TEMPLES to reveal His ULTIMATE PURPOSE for mankind. He created MAN to be His TEMPLE, and now His plan is to redeem us, so that we might be the DWELLING PLACE of God, that God would dwell with us and IN US forever! This is God's ultimate purpose for man - that God might dwell in us and be glorified through us. All Temples of God are a blueprint of His ultimate Temple (Man), and so they describe our nature, design, purpose and operation - how God made us to function. The first clear design feature of God’s Temples is that they are all tripartite in structure. That is, they are comprised of 3 distinct parts, with 3 different levels of holiness, sometimes represented by different heights: (1) The HOLY of HOLIES, where God is enthroned, (2) the HOLY PLACE, and (3) the OUTER COURT. Likewise man is (1) SPIRIT, (2) SOUL & (3) BODY (1Thessalonians 5:23). The greatest Presence of God is in the Holy of Holies, where He is enthroned as King, and His Presence (Glory) radiates like light shining forth from the Holiest Place. One picture of this FLOW of LIFE is that His SPIRIT of GRACE flows down like RIVERS from the highest place (the Holy of Holies or Throne Room) to water the lower places. We see this RIVER of LIFE in the Heavenly Temple (Rev 22:1-2), in Eden (Genesis 2:10) and in the Millennial Temple (Joel 3:18, Zechariah 14:8-9, Ezekiel 47). Jesus was a fully functioning Temple of God, who came to make us into Temples of God, with the Holy Spirit dwelling in our born again spirit (John 14:16-17, Romans 5:5, John 4:10,14), and flowing out through our heart as rivers of living water (John 7:37-39). So, now in Christ, God, the Holy Spirit lives within our reborn spirit (where Christ is enthroned), from where He wants to flow down as rivers of life to fill our souls with His light and life, and then flow out through our bodies to the world, as we obey Him, by speaking His words and doing His works. We are Temples of the Living God, who wants to fill and empower us and be glorified through us. As we let His River of life and grace flow down from our high place (our spirit) through our soul, as we submit to Him and obey Him, the trees in the garden of our soul (our thoughts and emotions) will continually flourish and grow and be fruitful to the glory of God.
Join Pastor Derek Walker of the Oxford Bible Church as he explores the concept of the Temples of God in a special series. Discover how believers are considered living stones, forming a spiritual Temple with Christ as both the Foundation Stone and the Capstone. This episode delves into biblical passages that illustrate the significance of Christ's role in the Church and God's plan for unity among believers.
Join Pastor Derek Walker of the Oxford Bible Church as he explores the concept of the Temples of God, both heavenly and earthly. This episode delves into the idea that believers collectively form the ultimate Temple of God, united as the body and bride of Christ. Discover how the corporate Temple embodies greater glory than individual Temples and how Jesus Christ as the Foundation Stone and Capstone unites us all.
Derek Walker describes the Millennial Temple drawing from many scriptures in Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah & Zechariah. Discover how the concept of God's dwelling with man is central to biblical revelation, from the original earthly Temple in Eden to its ultimate fulfilment in the Millennial reign of Christ - the times of restoration of all things, when the Land of Israel will be restored to be like the original Eden. The Millennial Temple, at the peak of the Mountain of the Lord, in Israel, will be at the heart of the restoration of God's Kingdom on earth at Christ's Return. Christ will reign over the whole earth from its Holy of Holies, and a River of Life will flow from it into Jerusalem, and then divide into 2 rivers to the west and to the east. This episode provides God's vision for the climax of human history in the Messianic Kingdom and the greatest of the earthly Temples, the closest image of the heavenly Temple, which therefore also provides deep insights into the nature and operation of redeemed Man in Christ - God's ultimate, eternal Temple.