Thursday 020625
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
Since the beginning of this study, our vision has been that we are ONLY going to follow what is found in the Holy Bible, that pertains to us, and we realize that it’s ONLY from our own effort that we put into this study, that we’re going to take anything away for our own use.
The verses we are going to study tonight:
Exodus 1:6-7; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Matthew 28:19; Luke 24:47; Acts 6:4, :1a, 8:1. :4-6, :12-13, :14, :15, :18-19, :20, :25.
Today ask yourself, do you feel any better today than you did yesterday?
Your church or denomination or the version of the Bible that you read, does any of it make you feel better than you did this morning when you woke up?
The actual FACT is none of it is going to matter once the end is here.
Your church won’t be able to save you; your denomination, that you believe in, it won’t be able to save you, and your favorite version of the Bible, it won’t be able to save you either.All that will matter is the God you Praise and Worship.
So, WHAT GOD DO YOU BELIEVE IN?
The only thing that matters in the end is GOD.
I’ve studied several times the timeline that is illuminated through the Bible.
If you remember our study in Genesis, mankind was shown FAITH through the eyes of Noah and Abraham.
We entered into the book of Exodus, and we read where Jacob (Israel) and his eleven sons entered into Egypt. His twelfth son Joseph, he was already there living in Egypt.
Exodus 1
vs6 ‘…In the course of time Joseph, his brothers, and all the rest of that generation died…’
vs7 ‘…but their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and became so numerous and strong that Egypt was filled with them…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Judaism was not portrayed as of yet, but the roots had been implanted into the soil. The seed had been set in motion by God.
The exact calendar year date for the birth of Moses, as of now, is given in three different dates.
Rabbinical Judaism suggests the birth of Moses was 1391 BCE; Jerome suggests it was 1592 BCE; and James Ussher suggests it was 1571 BCE.
All three of these dates are different. It makes it difficult to make a firm timeline beginning in the O.T., this world’s past.
I can boldly state though, that today’s date is 2024 A.D.
The Bible is a difficult book, to set in stone, an exact precise timeline, so rather than beginning from the OT, I am going to work from the NT.
Dates in the NT, all have a closer span than what we can see from the OT.
Some calendars have Jesus being crucified in 30AD and others suggest it was 33AD. That’s three years, it seems better than the range given for the birth of Moses, which is a range of 201 years.
Mark 16:15 ‘…Then Jesus said to them, Go to all people everywhere in the world. Tell God’s good news to everyone…’
John 20:21 ‘…Jesus said again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, in the same way I am now sending you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Matthew 28:19 ‘…So you must go to people in every country of the world. Teach them how to become my disciples. Baptize them by the authority of God the Father, his Son and the Holy Spirit…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Luke 24:47 ‘…People in every country of the world must hear God’s message. They must stop doing wrong things and change how they live. When they do this, God will forgive them. He will forgive all the bad things that they have done. People need to tell this message about the Messiah in Jerusalem first, then tell people in other countries…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
The writings above are listed in the order they are found in the Reese Chronological Bible.
The above four verses are near the end of the writings in these men’s gospels.
With the exception of John’s writings where it seems he ended his book, with the entire last chapter being a summarization of his gospel.
The point I am trying to make is that Jesus told the original remaining eleven apostles to go out, into the entire world and spread the Good News of Jesus, to the entire world.
But yet, they didn’t go anywhere.
Just a few examples: Jesus Ascended in Acts 1. In Acts 5:12, :21 and :42 it is written that apostles were in the ‘yard of the temple.’
Seeing how the temple was in Jerusalem, the apostles didn’t leave.
In Acts 6, when there was talk how the widows were being forgotten about the apostles summoned the great number of new disciples that had accumulated and from them, they picked seven disciples to care for the widows.
The original apostles, they felt they were meant solely for prayer and teaching.
Acts 6:4 ‘…But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
There have been Bible experts over the years, fighting for the apostles. Arguing how the original was exhibiting a good example by remaining and grieving with the family during the ‘Shiva’ for the deceased. The ‘Tziduk Hadin’ and the ‘Kaddish’ are two prayers recited during the weeklong mourning period.
The apostles were still celebrating the ‘Law.’ Many experts claim Grace came from the apostles, but it couldn’t have been through them, they never left the Jewish ways.
Peter, James and John didn’t know anything other than the Jewish ways and they also knew Jesus had been crucified and He was gone.
Even though the apostles found it difficult to leave and spread the word of Jesus, the number of teachers had increased greatly.
Acts 6:1a ‘…And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied…’ KJV (King James Version)
Acts 8:1 ‘…Now Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Jesus had Ascended in Acts 1 and here in Acts 8 we read the original apostles remained in Jerusalem even though Jesus told them they needed to go out into the ‘ENTIRE’ world and spread His Good News.
Acts 8
vs4 ‘…The believers who had left Jerusalem went to many different towns. In each place, they told the people the message about Jesus…’
vs5 ‘…One of them who was called Philip went to a city in Samaria. There he told the people the message about Jesus Christ, God’s Messiah…’
vs6 ‘…Crowds of people came together to hear Philip speak. They saw him do many miracles which showed that God was with him. So, they listened carefully to his message…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
The message was being spread throughout the land, even though it was done by those other than the original apostles.
Acts 8
vs12 ‘…But when they believed Philip’s message about the good news of the Kingdom of God and about Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women…’
vs13 ‘…Simon himself also believed; and after being baptized, he stayed close to Philip and was astounded when he saw the great wonders and miracles that were being performed…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
A point I need to make here, even these new teachers, these new disciples, they taught about the Kingdom of God they had no idea of what the Gospel of Grace was, they had never heard of it before, NO ONE ON THIS EARTH KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT ‘GRACE.’
Acts 8:14 ‘…The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the word of God, so they sent Peter and John to them…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Now in defense of the original apostles, they DID receive the power of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
So, after hearing how people were being ‘baptized’ they knew they needed to go and update the teachings that were being made.
Acts 8:15 ‘…When they arrived, they prayed for the believers that they might receive the Holy Spirit…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
When Phillip seen this ‘Holy Spirit’ he acted as if it was a magic act. He inquired how could purchase the ability to do such things.
Acts 8
vs18 ‘…Simon saw that the Spirit had been given to the believers when the apostles placed their hands on them. So, he offered money to Peter and John…’
vs19 ‘…and said, give this power to me too, so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Once again, I must defend the original:
Acts 8:20 ‘…But Peter said to him, may your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God with money…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Peter knew the power of the Holy Spirit was something that mankind could not purchase with money, but with that being said, Peter and the other eleven, as well as ALL the new disciples, had no idea what GRACE meant (other than a prayer they said before a meal).
Acts 8:25 ‘…And they (Peter and John), when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans…’ KJV (King James Version)
They again, returned to Jerusalem.
Keep your Bibles always open so you can use them when you study. Get Bible apps and put them on your smartphones, your tablets and your computers. It is so easy to study the Word today, you just have to start doing it.
I love ALL of you.
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>