INTRODUCTION

Dear Friend,

Here is a course web-site of lessons of fundamental value, which are

essential for a living, active relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is a great privilege for me to be able to pass on these lessons, which

have been leamed by God's Grace in my walk with Jesus. Lessons which

have grown as a result of my walk with Him. No theories or philosophies

from books, but practicaliessons from a life hidden with Christ in God and

based on the Bible.

My personal experience of the past 25 years or more is that books often

shed light on only certain sides of a question or share just one experience.

Consequently we can often be disappointed because God just does not

treat everybody the same way. What God wants to do with you in this

world is unique. Therefore God wants to train and prepare YOU. He does

that by teaching us through every situation of our lives. God doesn't take every

problem away, but He teaches us to overcome them. We have to leam to use

the power that is in Jesus Christ. We can only do that if we are bound to Him

in a deep relationship.

'n a body there are many members with various functions, etc. So is it in the

body of Christ the church. God has given us Hisword so that His church, His

body on earth, should grow to the full. It is disastrous to see how God and His

work are restricted by human interpretation of His word, and as aresuIt that

many Christians do not develop and experience a rich, fruit-bearing life, but

are often overtaken again by fear of men. Lack of personal knowledge of God's

word, by which you can test the rightness of everyting, is the cause of so

much defeat and prevention of spiritual growth, not only in the church, but atso

in the individual Christian. We must not rest riet Godto the limits which apply

to man's mind. God is much bigger than our human ideas, emotional

experiences or interpretations of His word. So don't limit God by interpreting the

scriptures' (Bible) just in order to maintain the structure and way of working of a

denomina­tion or organisation, etc. That only brings about disunity and

disappointment. Our basis must be the pure word of God, the Bible, which is

eternal. Everything else will disappear like a piece of cloth that is eaten up by

moths.

In the Bible we read nowhere that we have to be passive chair-warmers or

pretend to be pious church members. Jesus Christ gives us the task to "go

and make disciples and call men to repentance". Spiritual growth and growth

of the church is a biblical principle. Growth is necessary to arrive at full stature

and to be able as mature adults to meet Christ when He returns to take up

His church.

The answer is:

"RETURN TO THE BIBLE AND LIVE THE WORD OUT!"

My prayer for you is that you learn to know.the Lord Jesus Christ as your

personal Saviour; that you become a living discipie of Jesus and that your life

should become a living letter from Christ.

A living letter is not a person who slavishly tries to follow the Bible as if it is a law.

Holding fast to the Bible is important, but it is also important that you LIVE.

In the High priestly prayer of John 17: 13 the Lord Jesus prayed:

"But now I come to you and I say this while I am still in the world

so that thev may have' the fullmeasure of my joy in them. Joy grows best if you

share it with others and give God the glory He deserves. John 15:16.

A Christianlife is not all hallelujahs (John 15:18-27). The reality of being a bom again

Christian who really lives daily as a living, 'thus practising, disciple of Jesus is that

strife and resistance are part of the expe­rience.

Strife comes not only from without but also from our own flesh (our old nature).

In the course "The life of Victory" we review many biblical principles which God has

given so that we can live in His will and to persist in that sort of living till He

comesagain.

Read theselesons carefully and experience the riches which God has promised in

Christ. Make use of them and thank God for them!

Evangelist Hans Hofman

INSTRUCTIONS

DO YOU WANT TO GET THE BEST OUT OF THE LESSONS? THEN FIRST READ

THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.

Before you begin the course it is important to read the following instructions carefully.

Don't look at the answer pages first. (unless you don't want to learn anything from

the lessons) Work through the lesson first and answer the questions in pencil.

When you've finished the lesson, check your answers against those on the answer

page. You can make any corrections yourself.

Always read the introduction completely before starting a lesson. Read the

instructions carefully. These are to be found in the introduction to a lesson as

well as in the questions section.

Read alt Bible verses which are referred to. Think about these verses and ask

yourself questions about them, e.g. What does this verse say about God?

Or what does God say about me here? Or how can I receive these promises?

Are there any conditions attached to them?

E.g. John 1:12. Here we read God's promise to give power to become a child of God.

The condition which God lays down for this promise in this verse is "alt who receive

Him......... to them who believe in His name...". It is clear from this that it is our task

to receive Him and to believe in His name. But it is God's work to keep His promise

to us as soon as we satisfy the conditions. In answer to the question, therefore,

"What must we do?" Jn 1: 12 says "Receive Him"

(If we don't satisfy the conditions we miss out on the fulfilment of God's promises.

So God loves us but cannot share His love with us fully because we don't listen and

don't satisfy His conditions by receiving Him.

Another example: "Which question is put to us in Joshua 24:15 ?" Here the important

point is the question which is put and not the answer to that question.

The question in this verse is: "so choose today whom you will serve".

It is therefore of great importanee when you read the questions as welt as when you

read the Bible verses to know how to distiguish between the question, the task, the

problem, the answer to..., or the promise. Only when you understand the question

properly can you give the correct answer. Most of the answers you will find in the

verses indicated, excepting those questions which require something trom you

perso­nalty.

It is not a question of whether you can locate the verse in the Bible, but whether you

understand the verse. The answer to the question is the core or central issue, about

which the text is written. So don't copy out the whole verse. If the question iS,"What

does God promise in Jn 3:16?" th en the answer is "etemal life". Here it is a matter of

the promise.

Why should you give short answers and not the whole text? The answers are the

central point of the studies. We need to leam how to think about these points and to

Iet the biblical truths soak into our souls and minds. This thinking about and

absorbing of God's truth is like vitamin-rich honey which stimulates spiritual growth

as weil as being our sword in the spiritual battle of every day.

Don't be afraid to say what God says about you. Don't be afraid to do what God says

you can and may do. Don't keep God waiting if He asks you for something.

If God gives you a task to do in His word then He gives you the power to carry il out.

Fear of failure or fear of man is more often the stumbling bloek, rather than your lack

of power. God provides but fear and anxiety hinder. Faith in God gives power but

doubt and man's arguments and reasoning drain that power.

Don't do more than one lesson per week. Don't forget that this is a STUDY-BOOK

and not just a pleasant reading experience.

PRAY before every lesson, asking God the Father in the name of His Son Jesus -the

WORD- to help you understand and to anoint you with His Holy Spirit and His power,

so that you can follow in Jesus' footsteps in every aspect of your daily life.

May the Lord bless you with His eternal Word.

Go now to lesson 1 in menu 3 submenu 1