We are going to begin this morning’s lesson in Acts 9.
This chapter is pivotable to our future.
I think this chapter is very informative of God.
Our God, our Creator, He is Sovereign.
Here is a definition given on google.com.
In the Bible, sovereign means God is the supreme, absolute ruler and ultimate authority over the entire universe. It means He reigns over all creation, has the power to do whatever He chooses, and that His purposes will always prevail.
I state that God can do whatever He wants to do. God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants to do it. God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants to do it, as many times as He desires to have it done.
God is Sovereign.
The Word of God was given to us because He wanted us to know. He wants us to be wise so we cannot be fooled by someone lying to us about God’s Word.
We should form our lives around what God is telling us and not just adhere specific verses into our lives.
So, when God tells us that He keeps secrets, we shouldn’t be upset and think God is not being honest with us, we should feel privileged that He is making us aware of what He really didn’t have to say a word about, He could have kept it all, a secret.
THINK ABOUT IT.
Deuteronomy 29:29 ‘…The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law…’ AKJV
And when God has determined that we needed to HEAR and know about a secret, we should intensively LISTEN.
1 Corinthians 2:7
‘…but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory…’ AKJV
Here is a different English version:
‘…The wisdom I proclaim is God’s secret wisdom, which is hidden from human beings, but which he had already chosen for our glory even before the world was made…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Throughout the OT, we are told numerous times how God made a CHOICE and His people followed that choice. Now there are also times in the Word when God made a CHOICE and His Chosen did not follow God’s choice. ONLY to find they messed up.
There are several examples found in the Word. Here is one when the Jewish questioned God’s choice and they chose for themselves.
Here is what is written on google.com.
The Israelites missed God’s choice and chose for themselves at Kadesh Barnea when they rejected the Promised Land. After sending 12 spies to scout Canaan, the people believed the majority report of fear rather than God’s promise of victory, leading to severe consequences.
You can read more in detail of this in Numbers 13 and 14.
Well, to me, the biggest CHOICE that was made by Jesus, that an overwhelming amount of Gentiles have decided to choose their own path forward can be found in Acts 9.
We begin with Jesus, the crucified, resurrected and ascended Jesus Christ appearing to Saul of Tarsus on his way to Damascus to capture more believing Jews.
Acts 9:3 ‘…And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven…’ AKJV
That ‘he’ is Saul of Tarsus and that ‘light’ from heaven is Jesus Christ.
Next we find the same, crucified, resurrected and ascended Jesus Christ, appearing to Ananias in a vision.
Acts 9:10 ‘…And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord…’ AKJV
And then finally we find where Jesus made a CHOICE of who He wanted to teach the entire population of mankind.
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
And 95 percent of Christendom, every Easter Sunday morning, returns back to the earthly teachings of Jesus when He walked on this earth instead of following the writings that Jesus CHOSE for us to HEAR and LEARN from.
What are those people that visit a man-made religion every Sunday morning going to say when Jesus tells them that He never knew them?
What are those pastors and priests, those popes, bishops and deacons going to say when Jesus tells them to depart from His presence?
Jesus CHOSE Saul of Tarsus to teach ALL mankind found on the face of the earth what God wanted for us to know.
Here is another valuable verse found in the book of Acts.
Acts 13:9 ‘…But [a]Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and led by Him, looked steadily at Elymas…’ AMP (Amplified Bible)
Footnotes
[a] Saul was the apostle Paul’s Jewish (Hebrew) name. As his ministry to Gentiles began he became known by his Roman (Latin) name, Paul.
I used the AMP version on purpose because of the attached Footnotes.
The apostle Paul wrote 13 epistles for this world to learn from.
What I find so amazing, there a those that will not read the writing of Paul because they are so different than the writings of Jesus.
Here is another fact: Jesus came to ONLY teach the Jews, the house of Israel. He tells us this Himself in the Word.
Matthew 15:24 ‘…But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel…’ AKJV
These people that will not read Paul’s writings, some will say the writings of Paul should be ripped from our Bibles and thrown away.
God’s Word tells us that ALL SCRIPTURE is Inspired by God.
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
When the book of Acts tells us that Jesus CHOSE Saul/Paul, are these people saying the book of Acts should be torn from our Bibles also?
Since Luke wrote the book of Acts, does that mean the gospel written by Luke should be torn out of our Bibles too?
When the apostle Peter writes in His 2nd book about Paul’s writings and the wisdom that he was given to write, are these people saying we should rip this book from our Bibles too?
2 Peter 3
vs15 ‘…And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you…’
vs16 ‘…as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction…’ AKJV
Are they claiming we should rip-out Peter’s 1st book too?
My question to these people is where is this verse they are reading from, that tells them they can pick and choose which writings they want to believe in?
OPEN YOUR BIBLES AND READ THE WORD FOR YOURSELF.
LEARN WHAT GOD WANTS FOR YOU TO KNOW AND STOP RELYING ON WHAT OTHERS ARE TELLING YOU.
There is a specific denomination that make the statement that the English Bible should ONLY be read in the King James Version.
That statement is nothing but a man-made remark.
NOWHERE in the Word of God, not even in the KJV does it say anything like that.
The example I use for my statement here is 2 Timothy 2:15.
2 Timothy 2:15 ‘…Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth…’ AKJV
When this verse is read by one of these Bible police (I call them), they’ll say:
Study to show yourself approved to God.
Correct interpretation … but that isn’t what is written.
These people will change the words, so it is easier for them to read and easier for them to interpret what has been written.
That is the same thing that most of the other English translations do, they use different English words to make the verse easier to understand what has been written.
Even God used different languages when the Bible was written.
The original Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.
If God didn’t value a difference in the language used, I don’t think mankind has the wisdom to make any judgements as to which words God desires to use.
I want to extend my offer to anyone of you that want to search through the Word and Follow in Jesus’ FOOTSTEPS.
Join me as we walk through the words that God has given us.
I love ALL of y’all.
Here is a reading plan I’d like to suggest for the one searching to find God in the 21st century:
Day 1 – Galatians 1-6, 1Thessalonians 1-5
Day 2 – 2Thessalonians 1-3, 1Corinthians 1-8
Day 3 – 1Corinthians 9-16
Day 4 – 2Corinthians 1-13
Day 5 – Romans 1-10
Day 6 – Romans 11-16, Philippians 1-4
Day 7 – Colossians 1-4, Ephesians 1-6
Day 8 – Philemon 1, 1 Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3, 2Timothy 1-4
Day 9 – Acts 1-7
Day 10 – Acts 8-13
Day 11 – Acts 14-20
Day 12 – Acts 21-28
The entire Bible, ALL SCRIPTURE has been given to us by God (2TIM3:16), but NOT ALL Scripture has been meant for us ALL to follow … we are told we MUST know how to RIGHTLY DIVIDE the truth of God (2TIM2:15).
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