Friday 020725
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:
Acts 9:1-2, :3-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Acts 9:15-16, :19-20; Galatians 1:15-19; Acts 10:5-6, :12-16, :28-29, :44-48.
In my attempt to spread the Word, to the people in the 21st century, I am posting a new lesson every morning.
I am posting my lessons on eleven (11) different sites.
On Facebook, I am:
Whosoever inhim Bible Study
Or, in a search engine, simply type:
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whosoeverinhim.cw.center
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I hope you find it appealing and satisfying, studying your Bible with us.
So, ask yourself, do you feel any better today than you did yesterday?
What if you were told, your time is up!
Let’s get back into the book of Acts and continue studying His Word.
So, we just left as Peter and John returned back to Jerusalem.
In Acts 9 we (us Gentiles) begin hearing the part of the Bible that we have been meant to study and pay attention to.
Acts 9
vs1 ‘…In Jerusalem Saul was still trying to scare the followers of the Lord, even saying he would kill them. He went to the high priest…’
vs2 ‘…and asked him to write letters to the synagogues in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted the high priest to give him the authority to find people in Damascus who were followers of the Way. If he found any believers there, men or women, he would arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem…’ ERV (Easy-to-read version)
Saul was on his way to Damascus to capture the believers in Jesus Christ.
Acts 9
vs3 ‘…As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him…’
vs4 ‘…He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Every Christian today MUST have heard the story that happened to Saul. Jesus chose Saul to teach us Gentiles His Word and to teach about all of the wonderful things we had to look forward to.
There are many today, many, way too many that still want to read and recite verses from the for Jewish gospels, they want to repeat verses taken from back out of the OT, but none of these writing have been meant for us to follow.
We know from 2 Timothy 3 that ‘ALL SCRIPTURE’ is from God, but nowhere, in no version is it written that ALL SCRIPTURE is meant for us to FOLLOW.
2 Timothy 3
Vs16 ‘…All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…’
vs17 ‘…that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
I do not see the word FOLLOW anywhere.
Does ‘reproof’ mean to ‘follow?’
From google:
No, reproof means to show disapproval of someone’s behavior, not to follow.
Definition
Reproof is a formal noun that means to express disapproval of someone’s behavior or actions. For example, a teacher might reproof a student for laughing and running around the classroom.
Synonyms
Synonyms of reproof include rebuke, reproach, and remonstrance.
Origin
The word reproof comes from the late Latin word reprobāre, which means ‘to disapprove, reject, or condemn.’
NO NOT LATIN!!!
Now they’re going to be talking about the Latin word ‘raptura.’ (Rapture)
ALL Scripture has been Inspired by God, but the gospels and the OT, for us Gentiles, is for us to observe, like a road map. For us to see how the Jewish people scoffed at Jesus and the UNBELIEF in God and how we were to do the exact opposite.
We are to Love Jesus and BELIEVE in God.
Saul is now called Paul, and he is chosen by Jesus to teach the Gentile nation about Him.
Acts 9
vs15 ‘…But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel…’
vs16 ‘…for I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
I have, for many years voiced that I believed that God gave up on His ‘chosen’ people. Jesus gave up on His ‘chosen’ original apostles still hanging around Jerusalem, waiting for Jesus to return to set up His Kingdom.
God chose to begin with another teacher. A teacher that would learn directly from Him and lose the man-made ways and the Jewish traditions known by man.
So, rather than Paul going to Jerusalem to learn from those that spent three years living with Jesus, God chose for Paul to learn by the teacher Himself, Jesus taught Paul what He wanted us to know about.
Now when Paul started, he too had taught in the synagogues like the original eleven.
Acts 9
vs19 ‘…and he took food and was strengthened. Saul Begins to Preach Christ. Now for several days he was with the disciples who were in Damascus…’
vs20 ‘…and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, He is the Son of God…’ NASB (New American Standard Bible)
But Jesus had other plans for Paul. He wanted him out away from the Jewish people, away from the synagogues. Jesus sent Paul where he was away from all man-made influences.
We are going to take a leap out of Acts and go to Paul’s writings in Galatians.
Galatians 1
vs15 ‘…But God in his grace chose me even before I was born and called me to serve him. And when he decided…’
vs16 ‘…to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the Gentiles, I did not go to anyone for advice…’
vs17 ‘…nor did I go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me. Instead, I went at once to Arabia, and then I returned to Damascus…’
vs18 ‘…It was three years later that I went to Jerusalem to obtain information from Peter, and I stayed with him for two weeks…’
vs19 ‘…I did not see any other apostle except James, the Lord’s brother…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Jesus wanted Paul to learn His teachings and not be influenced by what ‘man’ wanted him to know.
This should be an example for us humans on this earth today. We should be listening to the words of Jesus Christ instead of listening to what a man-made church wants us to hear or to believe in.
Now to go back into the book of Acts, seven years after the Ascension of Jesus, Peter does finally leave Jerusalem and travels outside of the city to teach. With that being said, Peter went to Joppa, a fifteen hour walk from Jerusalem.
Peter was asked by a group of Gentiles to come and speak with them in Caesarea while he was in Joppa.
Acts 10
vs5 ‘…You must send some men to Joppa. They will find a man who is staying there. He is called Simon Peter. Your men must tell him to come here to Caesarea…’
vs6 ‘…He is staying at the house of Simon the tanner. His house is near the sea…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Maybe, before leaving these days in Joppa before Peter goes to Caesarea, this is when Peter had his dream of different foods. Foods that Jewish people did not eat … pork to be specific.
The angel of God tried telling Peter that ALL food has been made for mankind to eat but Peter still had his Jewish roots buried deep within his head.
Acts 10
vs12 ‘…In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds…’
vs13 ‘…Then a voice said to him, get up, Peter; kill anything here and eat it…’
vs14 ‘…But Peter said, I can’t do that, Lord! I have never eaten anything that is not pure or fit to be used for food…’
vs15 ‘…But the voice said to him again, God has made these things pure. Don’t say they are unfit to eat…’
vs16 ‘…This happened three times. Then the whole thing was taken back up into heaven…’ ERV (Easy-to-Read Version)
Peter had not changed his Jewish ways. He still believed and practiced the Jewish religion.
It was at this time when the men from Caesarea came for Peter. They took him to meet Cornelius.
Acts 10
vs28 ‘… Peter said to the people, you understand that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit anyone who is not a Jew. But God has shown me that I should not consider anyone unfit or say they are not pure…’
vs29 ‘…That’s why I didn’t argue when your men asked me to come here. Now, please tell me why you sent for me…’ ERV (Easy-to-Read Version)
Peter is stepping outside of his (Jewish) box and beginning to follow what Jesus tried teaching His followers.
This is another lesson that so many need to learn today in the 21st century; so many have been kept in this little box, taught to them by their church or their denomination and they don’t believe they can go outside that box. But if these people would simply read the Word for themselves, they’d see this box that has kept them pinned in for so long, it is man that has put this box up, not God. Our problems today are ‘MAN’ not God.
Acts 10
vs44 ‘…While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down on all those who were listening to his speech…’
vs45 ‘…The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the Holy Spirit had been poured out as a gift also to people who were not Jews…’
vs46 ‘…They heard them speaking different languages and praising God. Then Peter said…’
vs47 ‘…How can anyone object to these people being baptized in water? They have received the Holy Spirit the same as we did…’
vs48 ‘…So Peter told them to baptize Cornelius and his relatives and friends in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days…’ ERV (Easy-to-Read Version)
Peter had gotten out of his box …
… that is until his Jewish friends came to get him.
That is our next lesson. I love y’all. Keep your Bibles open and study all the time.
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>