Tuesday 030425
Ephesians 2:8 ‘…For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH; and this is not of yourselves, it is a GIFT of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Let’s together, open the Word of God this morning, and study what we have been given. Allow me to help you in your study and search the Bible what God has intended for us to hear.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Genesis 1:1, 12:1, 32:27-28; Isaiah 7:14; Numbers 24:17-19; Acts 9:15; 2 Timothy 3:16; Acts 13:9.
This morning, we’re going to open our Bibles and learn as much as we can on how religion began.
We must first start with God because everything began with God.
Genesis 1:1 ‘…In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
In the beginning God created ‘everything.’
Everything began because and through God.
So, today we look at this world and we can find many faults with and around this world.
Those faults have all been begun by mankind.
Now God created man, but man created everything that is not perfect.
So, if I have to assume that God created religion, as ‘HE’ knows it; mankind then has formed the religions that we have today in this world.
Why I say that God created religion, God was the one that chose the Jewish nation as His ‘Chosen People.’
In Genesis 12, Abram is told by God to leave his homeland, and God promises Abram and his descendants, a new home in Canaan.
Genesis 12:1 ‘…Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Abraham is considered to be the first Jew and the father of Judaism.
Abraham’s son Isaac and his grand-son Jacob are also central figures in the Jewish religion.
Jacob is renamed Israel by God. the land of Canaan is renamed to Israel, after Jacob.
Genesis 32
vs27 ‘…And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob…’
vs28 ‘…And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and back to the land of Israel. Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai.
King David conquers Jerusalem in the 10th century BCE and makes it the spiritual and national capital of the Jews.
The land of Israel is central to the Jewish faith and is mentioned throughout the Bible.
Orthodox Judaism began in the 18th century. But in Jesus’ day when He came to this earth to fulfill the OT prophesies, Jesus was a witness to two (2) different types of Jews, and this was back in the first century.
There were the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Jews that followed the traditions that had been handed down through the centuries.
Jesus came to this earth to fulfill the OT prophesies that were made to man by God.
The Jews had to believe that Jesus was the ‘Messiah,’ sent by His Father to this earth.
Isaiah 7:14 ‘…Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Numbers 24
vs17 ‘…I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth…’
vs18 ‘…And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly…’
vs19 ‘…Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Back in the days of Jesus’ ministry, the Jewish religion was split.
There remained that part faithful to the Sadducees, Pharisees, and traditions of the Jewish religion, but there was that ‘New Believing Jew’ that believed that Jesus Christ was the promised Son of God.
Even though there were these new Jewish believers that believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they still practiced the Old traditions from their forefathers, the obeyed the Law and they still visited the synagogues just as they had before Jesus came to this earth.
This now leads us to what I just said. The only change in these Jews was the fact they believed Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Nothing else changed.
After Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried and rose from the tomb, those new believing Jews now believed in the old traditions celebrated by the Jewish nation, they obeyed the Law, the visited the synagogue and they believed that Jesus was brought back to life by God.
Nothing more. There was no extra Salvation or promise to any one of them or to us.
The synoptic gospels by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they were all written to the Jewish believer. There was never any promise of Salvation because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
The epistles written by James, Peter, John, and Jude were all written to the Jewish believer. None of the writings in these books have been written for us, Gentiles to believe in and to show us the promise of Grace by Jesus’ Death, Burial and Resurrection.
In Acts 9:15 Jesus chooses Saul to be His ‘Chosen Vessel’ to teach us Gentiles about God.
Acts 9:15 ‘…But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
The question I have asked since I found this verse, how can we as Gentiles follow any other teaching other than what Paul teaches us?
In 2 Timothy 3:16 ‘…All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Paul tells us that ALL Scripture is given to us by the Inspiration of God …
… but no where in the verse does it tell us that we should follow ALL Scripture.
There are thirteen epistles that the apostle Paul wrote.
Jesus chose the apostle Paul to teach us, who are we to use someone else’s writings.
Acts 13:9
‘…Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
‘…But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, stared at him…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
‘…Then Saul—also known as Paul—was filled with the Holy Spirit; he looked straight at the magician…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
‘…Then God filled Saul with the power of his Holy Spirit. (Saul was also now called Paul.) Paul looked straight at Elymas, and he said…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
If Jesus chose Paul, who are we that we can choose someone different to follow?
It’s an easy question, where did God tell us we could pick and choose who we want?
Where in the Word does it say that what God wants doesn’t matter?
This entire world needs to re-evaluate where they’ve been putting their faith and their trust.
One of these days, God is going to call it finished.
This church of Jesus Christ is going to be raptured from this earth and the seven (7) year Tribulation will begin.
Open your own Bibles and read what has been written in the Word.
Read for yourselves what has already been determined.
After you leave church this next Sunday, go home and open your Bibles and see if what your pastor said in church lines up with what is actually written in the Word.
We each, every one of us, learn daily from what has been written down for us.
God gave us His Word so we could be able to know when we’re being lied to, and false promises have been made to us.
Step out of the box your religion has built up around you. Read the Bible for yourself and you be the judge, have you been lied to.
Open your Bibles and read the Word He has given to us.
I love every one of y’all.
Do yourself the greatest favor you could ever hope for … OPEN YOUR BIBLE AND READ IT.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen InHIM. ><)))o>