Saturday 120724
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:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Matthew 9:35; Mark 1:14; Luke 9:2; John 3:3; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 2:16, 16:25; Galatians 1:11-12, 2:1-2, :7-9.
So, tonight, we’re going to continue with our lesson asking:
ARE YOU READY
Do you feel any more confident in your walk with Jesus Christ today than you did yesterday?
There are so many denominations out there expressing their thoughts and beliefs. There are so many that have turned away from God and the Bible and that is our number ONE priority with this study and that is to get people back in the Word of God and leave these man-made messages alone.
A short time back, we did a study on the book of Genesis. I tried to focus on the amount of FAITH that was present in that time period compared to how many then, didn’t believe.
Today, we are kind of in the same boat, except today, there are people that believe more strongly in what their church or their denomination preaches instead of what God has taught us.
These people recite those things that make them feel good. They pretend to exhibit a front as if God told them, it was okay. But these words, these thoughts and these beliefs are not written in the Word.
God told us there was only ONE God and there is only ONE Word. If God didn’t change in the beginning, how come so many people are so easily talked into believing that God all of a sudden can change for us today in the 21st century.
God doesn’t change. We need to change our lifestyles to fit into God’s Word, His Word is not going to change to fit into our lifestyles.
So, from the last lesson, there was a large hangup when I said Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are not gospels from the New Testament.
They are gospels that were about the Good News, but these were writings of Jesus when He was alive and walked this earth. The N.T. happened, after Jesus had Died, been Buried and Rose again from the tomb.
Our Gospel for us Gentiles was given to us by Paul the apostle, chosen by Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15
vs1 ‘…My Christian friends, I want you to remember the good news that I taught to you. You received it from me, and you continue to believe it as a true message…’
vs2 ‘…Because of the message that I spoke to you, God will save you. He will save you if you continue to trust that same good news. If you do not, you have believed it for nothing…’
vs3 ‘…I received the good news from Christ, and I told that message to you. I told you the most important things: Christ DIED as a sacrifice for our sins. The Bible already said how that would happen…’
vs4 ‘…People BURIED his dead body. On the third day after that God RAISED him up to live again. The Bible already spoke about that too…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
Back when Jesus walked this earth, during His earthly ministry, He taught of the gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Mat 9:35 ‘…And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people…’ KJV (King James Version)
Mark 1:14 ‘…Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God …’ KJV (King James Version)
Luke 9:2 ‘…And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick…’ KJV (King James Version)
John 3:3 ‘…Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…’ KJV (King James Version)
But for us Gentiles, we had never been taught the Gospel but more important than that was the GIFT that God gave to us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 ‘…For it is by God’s grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God’s GIFT, so that no one can boast about it…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
I can understand why our churches today don’t let us know of these two verses, but they were given to us for FREE and those churches can’t charge for what we have been given, so I assume they just let it fall to the wayside and let us worry about the message for ourselves.
There are many that don’t believe the Gospel of Paul because Paul calls it in the word ‘MY’ Gospel.
Romans 2:16 ‘…In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel…’ KJV (King James Version)
Romans 16:25 ‘…Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began…’ KJV (King James Version)
Romans 16:25 ‘…Let us give glory to God! He is able to make you stand firm in your faith, according to the Good News I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
Maybe several reasons can be made why Paul used the word ‘MY’ instead of saying the word ‘Jesus.’ I’m unsure if it really matters, but I think the most important words that has been left out, is the words ‘MYSTERY’ and ‘SECRET.’
It was because of this mystery as to why Paul was given the MESSAGE and not the remaining eleven original apostles.
It is the reason Gentile’s were given the GIFT and not the chosen ones.
Eventually the wording that Paul used changed.
Galatians 1
vs11 ‘… Let me tell you, my friends, that the gospel I preach is not of human origin…’
vs12 ‘…I did not receive it from any human being, nor did anyone teach it to me. It was Jesus Christ himself who revealed it to me…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
When Paul had finally had enough of the Jewish leaders telling the Gentiles how they had to follow the Law and be circumcised to be accepted by Jesus, Jesus finally told Paul it was time to meet with the original disciples.
Galatians 2
vs1 ‘…14 years later, I went to Jerusalem again. This time I went with Barnabas, and I also took Titus with me…’
vs2 ‘…I went there because God had shown me that I should go. I talked to the Christian leaders there. I explained to them the good news that I teach to the Gentiles. But I talked only to those men who seemed to be the leaders. I wanted to be sure that they agreed with the message that I taught. I did not want my work, both in past times and now, to be worth nothing…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
It all came down to a ‘Gentleman’s Agreement’ that satisfied the council.
Galatians 2
vs7 ‘…On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised…’
vs8 ‘…for he who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles…’
vs9 ‘…and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised…’ NET (New English Translation)
The‘right hand of fellowship’ = they shook my hand.
There is one key word that totally defines the Bible, that word has to be ‘MYSTERY.’ God is God, He can do whatever He wants to do whenever He wants to do it. The problem with mankind, just as it was with Satan, there are men that think they know better than God. They tell themselves they don’t need to follow the words of God, they are semi-smart, they can come up with their own rules.
It’s so unfortunate for these few people out there because they only have themselves and whoever else they may acquire on their side, but when the end comes, these few, they’ll only have their leaders to ‘protect them.’
(I hope you can read the sarcasm in my typing).
Keep your Bibles open and study the Word that we have been given. Study each and every day. Begin your days reading a devotional or read a chapter from the book of Proverbs.
Any time you spend in the Word is well planned out time.
I love y’all. Always remember, one day Jesus is going to teach each one of us exactly ALL that corresponds with that word LOVE.
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>