Bethesda Shalom

Session 1 of 4 Click below for more information about The Sanctuary Conference: www.sanctuaryconference.org Listen to other sermons by Paul M. Williams: www.bethesdashalom.org/

Hebrews 11:5-6 Stephen Riddell brings a Holy Spirit anointed word on what it means to walk with God.  Stephen is an elder at The Lifeboat Fellowship, Dungannon, N. Ireland.  It was our privilege to have Stephen bring the Word of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 20 The account contained in 2 Chronicles 20 concerns a certain king named Jehoshaphat; a godly king, who though not perfect, was a man of tremendous faith who feared the Lord and walked in the ways of his father David. Throughout his 25-year reign as the King of Judah, Jehoshaphat witnessed firsthand, the supernatural hand of God in delivering him out of a number of precarious situations in which his life was placed in great jeopardy. Here stands an account of one such deliverance that I trust shall be a challenge and an encouragement to you.  I want to present to you three lessons in faith. #1. FAITH’S TRIAL, #2. FAITH’S ANSWER, and #3. FAITH’S REWARD

2 Kings 5:13 If there’s one thing that I came to learn quickly as a newborn babe in Christ, it was this: it’s not everything that God asks of us, we’re going to understand.  In fact, many times, what God asks seems foolish when brought to the bar of natural reasoning.  There are many reasons why God sets things up this way, not least for the testing of faith and for the glory of His name.  Faith forever stands diametrically opposed to sight as north stands opposed to south and east to west.  Sight believes because it sees, but faith believes because God said it!   “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:5).  In this sermon, I endeavour to set before you, three accounts of where God’s people were instructed by God to do things that on face value seemed foolish and against all human logic.  Their faith and obedience are an inspiration for us all and in every case, the Lord worked in miraculous power to bring to naught the wisdom of men. 

1 John 2:15-17 They tell us, “...nothing’s built to last”.  It’s not always that I agree with what “they” like to tell us, but in this instance, they’re spot on!! I like walking, and at odd times my path leads me into farming land.  I love standing by the gate and looking out at the wheat fields, the ripened heads swaying in the wind.  Upon my journey, I sometimes see an old clapped-out tractor with a rusty plough lying amidst the undergrowth.  Immediately my mind begins to wonder, “...there was a day when this tractor ploughed these fields and this plough didn’t have a spot of rust upon it. One day when the tractor’s engine was started for the first time, its brand-new coat of paint shone with pride.  I wonder how many sat in its seat?  I wonder are they still alive?”  You, know there’s something about history that fascinates me but there’s one thing about history that forever holds true — what was, no longer is, and what it shall one day no longer be. This sermon is an appeal to flee from covetousness and

Hebrews 11:1-3 If there were just two words that I would have you take away with you so as to keep in memory, it would be these two words, “BY FAITH”.  No less than 16 times within the 40 verses that span the eleventh chapter of the Book of Hebrews; the words, “By faith” appear. Beginning with Abel, the son of Adam, the names of men and women are chronicled and the mighty victories that they wrought by faith are held in review for our remembrance. Abel, Enoch and Noah.  Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Jacob. Joseph, Moses and the Gentile harlot Rehab. All had one thing in common, one thing that wrote their name in the book, they believed God!!  Brothers and Sisters, I can think of no greater experience as a Christian than when God asks you to stand this side of faith and to trust Him.  Against all odds, against everything that the natural eye would say otherwise. To take God at His Word and to simply say, “God I believe you and  I’m going to trust you”, is the story of the heroes and heroines of the faith!! 

Soul-Ties It is believed by those within the deliverance movement that it is possible for a person's soul to be spiritually knitted/bonded/glued/tied to another person’s soul such that one takes on the personality traits of the one they are apparently soul-tied to.  It is believed that there are godly soul ties that are from God and ungodly soul-soul ties that are demonic. One of the main areas of focus, when it comes to the teaching of soul ties, is ungodly soul ties formed through immoral sexual relationships.  Like two sheets of card being glued together such that when they are separated, bits of the card being separated remains bonded to the other piece; in the same way, it is believed that when two souls come together in the act of fornication, a part of that person’s soul remains bonded to yours and yours to theirs.  One can only imagine the effects of this being multiplied ten times over.  Thus the aim of deliverance becomes about breaking ungodly soul-ties and restoring one’s fragmented soul back into

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7 If I was to ask the vast majority of professing believers, what it was that Jesus accomplished upon the cross.  Without hesitation, the overwhelming response would be, “He died that sins might be forgiven”, to that I say amen!!  But if I was to probe a little further by asking the second time, “what was it that Jesus accomplished upon the cross”, for the most part, I would be greeted by blank faces. The Church in our hour regrettably, has chosen to focus only on that one aspect of the cross — sins forgiven — and the conclusion that it has drawn from this, though it would never say it is this: “The only difference between the world and the Christian is this; the Christian has been forgiven of their sins whereas the world has not?”  In other words, when it boils down to Christian living, there isn’t really any radical difference between the child of God and the child of wrath.  But friends, the Bible that I hold in my hand rejects this darkened reasoning.  What saith the Apostle?  “...Shal

Blessings and Curses Pt. 3 The generation that welcomed Derek Prince with open arms, sucking up his new-fangled teachings regarding blessings and curses, failed to hold him to account to the standard of the Bible.  God’s people were only too happy to sit at the feet of the guru and to be spoon-fed! Where were the Pastors warning their flocks?  Where were the watchmen lifting up their voices?   We see a huge resurgence in our day of the toxic teachings of Derek Prince as it relates to blessings and curses, fuelled to a large degree by his online presence on social media platforms like YouTube.  The only way in which this generation shall escape the error of the last is if they stop blindly following “Men of God” and instead begin following the “Word of God”.  In this tenth teaching part, we conclude our studies of what Derek Prince taught concerning blessings and curses.  We take another look at the wide spectrum of curses that a Christian can apparently be under and examine Biblically, the supposed steps need

2 Peter 1:1-12 Doctrine matters! Foundations matter!  Everyone wants to build but if there are no foundations upon which to build, the building’s not going to stand.  We must begin with foundational matters/those great positional truths of Scripture - they are anchors to our soul. But we must never allow ourselves to settle there. We must be poured out into the vessel of experience. Too many Christians have remained for too long settled on their lees, living in the realm of the positional and never coming down to the land of the experiential.  In this sermon, we look at the glorious truths that Peter furnishes for us and the exhortation which follows to live in the reality of this.

Part 9 The Bible is full of commandments from God with attached blessings to them.  Conversely, there are other verses in the Old Testament with attached curses.  With that in mind, it might well be said, “What’s the need for this teaching? Blessings and curses are Biblical.” However, as one compares what Derek Prince teaches, to that which Holy Scripture teaches, there are fundamental and major differences.  As one looks in the Old Testament at the theme of blessings and curses one will find that it exists in the framework of covenant relationship.  In Deuteronomy 28 (and the parallel passage in Leviticus 26), God lays before His covenant people Israel, a number of blessings and many more curses, conditional upon their obedience or disobedience respectively.  What would you think, if one was to take the covenantal blessings and curses given to Israel and use them as a universal framework for all mankind today?  That’s precisely what Derek Prince does. In this ninth teaching part, we look at a list of blessin

Matthew 24:1-5 As nears our Lord’s return, the Word of God tells us that widespread deception will mark the generation that shall witness the Second Coming of Christ.  When the disciples asked our Lord saying, “...Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Mt. 24:3).  The first words out of Jesus’ mouth were, “Take heed that no man deceive you” (vs. 4).  Of all the many things He could have said, and of all the many things He went ¬on to say; first thing’s first, He warns the disciples against deception; “Take heed that no man deceive you”.  As a Pastor/shepherd, I see so many of God’s people in this late hour, wandering hither and thither, “...scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd”. Brothers and Sisters, I want to be straight with you, this is no hour for wandering about, there are prowling wolves out there waiting for their dinner, and guess what’s on the menu?  You got it...SHEEP!!  If there’s one thing I’ve learned not to do as a C

Part 8 In the introduction to a book written by Derek Prince, titled, “Blessing or Curse”, one is met by the following words. “In the 1970s Derek Prince began to unfold for believers an astonishing, life-changing teaching from the Bible that few people had ever heard. It was a thoroughly scriptural and God-blessed message about blessings and curses. This startling revelation—which he would continue to develop and gain spiritual insight about over the next three decades—has profoundly influenced several generations of theologians and preachers. More importantly, it has provided a simple key to a better life for hundreds of thousands of Christians all over the world”. Just as in the 1960s, when Dr. Prince began unfolding for believers a message about deliverance that few people had ever heard, so in 70’s he began doing the same again but this time from the standpoint of blessings and curses.  In this teaching, we begin to examine this strange and peculiar teaching through the lens of Holy Scripture.  Far from i

Psalm 61:1-4 As one walks through this fallen world, it seems that pain and sorrows are the appointed lot of man.  Sinners and Saint alike taste of these bitter waters, but the added comfort for the child of God is the knowledge, that whatever trials are traced upon his dial, they are done so by the Son of love.  Be this as it may, God’s people do not always recognise it as so.  In times of great calamity, rather than looking to the Lord, they can draw away from Him  This sermon is an encouragement to those enduring hardship to look to the Lord!  “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:1-2).  

Part 7 As one examines the various techniques employed within the deliverance ministry, it becomes quickly obvious that they are greatly wanting in terms of Biblical support.  Where in the Bible do we see Jesus leading the demonised in a prayer for deliverance at the end of which they begin expelling demons themselves? Where do we see Jesus conducting mass deliverance services?  Not only are these practices non-existent, the Word of God contradicts them!  Jesus cast out demons in the power of the Holy Spirit and by the Word of His authority.  The Gospels inform us that He ministered to individuals, one by one, though they thronged him in great numbers.  According to leading proponents within the deliverance movement, believers have been given authority by Jesus Christ to cast demons out of themselves.  Where in the Bible do we see the demon-possessed delivering themselves?  In this seventh teaching part, we shall continue to peel back the layers of this harmful movement and bring its teachings to the judgment

2 Kings 5:1 There’s nothing like sitting before an open Bible, with an open heart, asking that the Lord might breathe upon the text and illuminate one’s understanding.  Ah, to have those rhema moments where the text of Scripture seems to leap from the page, where the Word of God is comprehended from His Spirit to our spirit, there’s nothing that compares like unto it.  Fasten your seatbelt, as we go for a ride through chapter 5 of the Book of Second Kings to learn lessons from the life of Naaman the Syrian.

Part 6 We have spent considerable time exploring the realm of deliverance ministry – a movement impacting the lives of millions of Christians worldwide.  In the last teaching part, we examined the teaching of Dr. Derek Prince and Frank Hammond as it relates to how demons “supposedly” enter a person.  In this sixth teaching part, we want to look at how they “supposedly” leave. We shall first undertake a brief survey of the New Testament to see how Jesus and the disciples cast out demons. Having done this, we shall then turn our attention to look at how leaders within the deliverance movement cast out demons.  You are going to see that the two stand poles apart and the biblical evidence supporting the “expelling” of demons (as they maintain), is non-existent.  You are going to have to make a choice, whether to stand on the side of man’s word or to stand on the side of God’s Word.  Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/6_Expelling_the_Demons.pdf

Revelation 22:7-15 Many have endeavoured through the ages to predict the date of Christ’s Second Coming.  In the 1830s, a Baptist minister from New York by the name of William Miller began publicly sharing his newfound belief, that Jesus Christ was going to return around the year 1843.  This belief began to gain momentum across denominations, and by 1840 it had become a nationwide campaign with between 50,000 and 100,000 followers.  This growing group was dubbed ‘The Millerites’.  When 1843 passed without Jesus coming, one of William Miller’s followers, a  preacher by the name of Samuel Snow, pinpointed an exact date for the Lord’s return — October 22, 1844.  Such was the expectation and hope placed in the October 22 1844 date that many of those devout Millerites cast in everything, giving away all their possessions.  If my dates are correct, today marks the beginning of a new year, January 1st, 2023, and what do you know? Jesus hasn’t come back yet!! When October 22 1844 came and went without the Lord coming

Part 5 As we have begun peeling back the veil of deliverance to see the teachings that lie beneath, there’s one thing that has been striking to discover, and that is the all-consuming nature of the movement.  According to the deliverance practitioners, there is no Christian outside the scope of needing deliverance.  Having looked at the list of the identifying characteristic hallmarks of supposed demonisation in the last teaching part, we turn our attention in this teaching to ask the question, “How do Demons Enter?”.  As we explore this question by comparing Scripture with what leading figures within the movement teach, namely Derek Prince and Frank Hammond, what you will discover will both shock and horrify you.     Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/5_How_Demons_Enter.pdf

1 Timothy 2:1-6 A presentation of the Gospel! “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time”.