Episodes
3 days ago
3 days ago
In this lesson, we are brought back to the issue of whether it is right to obey God when His commandments come into direct conflict with those of men in authority over believers. Peter and John had asked this question as they stood in trial before the High Court Council of Israel, but it had not been answered. However, the Lord Himself answered the question through the series of events that followed their release! When the men, with the other Apostles, returned to "preaching Jesus," all twelve were arrested for their disobedience. But a God-sent angel released them from prison, and they immediately returned to "preaching Jesus" - plus performing all manner of mighty miracles in His name. The Lord was providing the answer to the question of obeying Him over men when their commandments contradict! He also gave a direct answer through the mouth of Peter, who spoke on behalf of all the Apostles, when he said (again standing in trial before the Council), "We ought to obey God rather then men" (5:29).
The high priest and others went into a rage and wanted to slay all twelve men! God intervened by providentially using one of their own members, Gamaliel. His words spared the men from being killed, although they were each severely beaten. What the Council members saw after the men were flogged absolutely amazed them! The men were beaming with joy! They were thrilled to have been "rewarded" for knowing (in a small way) the fellowship of Christ's sufferings! They were "Happy to Suffer for Jesus"!
Find out what the Apostles did right after they were beaten and then released! It is such a strong testimony to us today!
4 days ago
Acts Lesson 14: Evangelism Explosion
4 days ago
4 days ago
Satan's use of persecution in the arrest of Peter and James by the High Court of Israel had not worked to silence either the Apostles or the Church! The threats of the religious rulers only succeeded in empowering and emboldening all the early believers even more than before they were persecuted! Thus, the Evil One tried-on another disguise. He went from being the roaring lion to the deceiving serpent when he attempted to destroy the unity of purity of the Church from with (the sin of Ananias and Sapphira - see previous lesson).
However, the persecution of the Church by Satan was mightily used by the Lord for her overall good; she was now in possession of great power, great grace, and great fear [of Him] (Acts 4:33, 5:5, 11). The great fear of the Lord, due to the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, caused the Early Church to be even more effective for Christ! The result was that multitudes both of men and women were being added to the Lord! In other words, there was an "Evangelism Explosion"!
In this lesson, all the Apostles are arrested for disobeying the Council's threat not to preach Jesus! They are liberated from prison by an angel. What did they do upon being so miraculously released? Did they run for cover in the Upper Room? No! They went straight back to the Temple where they were arrested, and stood up and preached Jesus!
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Acts Lesson 13: Sin From Within {Ananias and Sapphria; Why were they struck dead?}
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
A very, very interesting lesson! This is the first recorded serious intrusion of "Sin from Within" the Church! Learn why this lesson is really "the tale of two men, Barnabas and Ananias"?
What did the married couple of this account do to cause both their lives to be taken by God Himself? Were they saved (true believers) or unsaved? How do Ananias and Sapphira compare with Adam and Eve?
Peter's word to Ananias of Acts 5:4a repudiate those who claim the Early Church was practicing communism (no private property; an enforcement of communal property)! Find out how!
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Acts Lesson 12: How the Church is to Respond to Persecution
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
In this important lesson on Acts 4:23-33, we learn, by example, how a Spirit-filled Church responds to persecution! In the previous lesson, we had an example of how Spirit-filled individual Christians respond to opponents of the Gospel. Now, we are given the example on how the entire body of believers corporately should respond to the persecution of those in the Body of Christ, which is a threat on all of them.
What is our response to the pressures being increasingly brought on Christians in our world (and nation) today? Do we magnify the power of the Lord in our responses or do we magnify the enemy? Are we filled with anxiety and fear and anger and resentment? If so, we are magnifying evil men way out of proportion to the power and authority and sovereignty of our Almighty God!
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Acts Lesson 11: The Persecution Begins {Good Lesson for our Day!}
Monday Mar 18, 2024
Monday Mar 18, 2024
While Peter (accompanied by John and the healed lame man) was still in the midst of his powerful second sermon (Acts 3:12-26), he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of "the priests . . . the captain of the Temple [guard] . . . and the Sadducees" (4:1). They came to arrest both Peter and John (likely also the former lame man). These enemies of Christ were not only furious that His followers were preaching His resurrection, but doing so in broad daylight in the Temple! Interestingly, in Acts, it is primarily the Sadducees who take the lead in persecuting the Church. This is because their erroneous theology taught there is no resurrection of the dead!
In this lesson (Acts 4:1-22), we not only discuss the interruption of Peter's sermon (the arrest), but the interrogation he and John faced the next morning before the Sanhedrin Council, the inspiration of Peter's remarkable speech in answer to that interrogation, the immense impression his speech made on the Council, and then their intention to silence them with threats to never speak or teach in the name of Jesus again!
The response of the two Apostles to the threat of those in authority over them to never preach of Jesus was fantastic!! They would obey the Higher Authority, God! Anti-Christian governments and powerful institutions are increasingly trying to stop the spread of the Gospel message of Christ Jesus - we need to follow the example of Peter and John!
Sunday Mar 10, 2024
Acts Lesson 5: A New Birth {The Church is Born}
Sunday Mar 10, 2024
Sunday Mar 10, 2024
Learn about the amazing morning when the Church was born in light of its prophetic significance! It will amaze you how God fit everything the Jews did that day in celebration of the Feast of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) - like read from the Books of Ezekiel and Habakkuk, which speak of whirlwind and brightness around an amber-colored fire that infolded itself, and a voice of a great rushing wind, and of a time of silence, followed by speech and God remembering mercy in His wrath.
We discuss the difference between the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit in this lesson. We also discuss an interesting comparison/contrast between the work of God at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and the work of God on Pentecost (Acts 2:2-13). We also discuss "the tongues" that the believers in Christ spoke when the Holy Spirit gifted them for the special occasion!
Friday Mar 08, 2024
Friday Mar 08, 2024
A great SUMMARY of the 7 GOD-GIVEN FEAST DAYS, which serve as PROPHETIC PICTURE-TYPES of the MAJOR EVENTS in His OVERALL REDEMPTION PLAN (4 Spring Feasts: Christ's First Coming / 3 Fall Feasts: His Second Coming). The Feast of Weeks (in Hebrew, Shavuot and in Greek, Pentecost) is the fourth Spring feast given to Israel by God in Leviticus 23. It comes 50 days after the third Spring feast, the Feast of Firstfruits.
It was on the 50th day of her "new life" (freedom from her bondage to Egypt) that God, from Mount Sinai, gave Israel the Torah (the Law). The rabbis declare this to be the "birth" of Judaism. Is it not fascinating that the same feast day is celebrated by the Jews as the birth of Judaism and by Christians as the birth of the Church!
The Spirit's arrival on Pentecost 50 days after Christ's resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits was the fulfillment of the Feast of Weeks. This is what Luke meant when he wrote, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come" (Acts 2:1). A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO LEARN!
Saturday Dec 23, 2023
What the Bible Says About Angels
Saturday Dec 23, 2023
Saturday Dec 23, 2023
Angelology - the study of angels! This lesson contains a lot of information on angels. There is so much disinformation about angels in the world - everything from thinking that "good" people become angels when they die (totally false) to the blasphemous worship angels!
When did God create the angelic host? Did Lucifer fall before or after God's creation of man? Are the total number of angels set forever or can they perish and/or reproduce? When was the last time the Bible records angels singing (a question most get wrong)? Why is it so much better to be a fallen human being than a fallen angel? Are there ranks among the angels? What about spiritual warfare in the heavenlies? How many archangels are there? What is the difference between cherubim and seraphim? Are there male and female angels?
A very fascinating study!
Sunday Jun 04, 2023
Life of Christ Lesson 17: Baptist’s Beloved Bridegroom
Sunday Jun 04, 2023
Sunday Jun 04, 2023
In this lesson, we consider John the Baptist's last testimony to Christ's Deity. His ministry is completed after this final scene. He decreased, while the Lord would keep increasing - just as the Old Covenant decreased (ended), while the New Covenant increased (Hebrews 8:13). This study of John 3:22-36 serves as a "bridge" between the Baptist and Christ. As the Baptist's ministry was to point Israel (and the world) to Jesus as the long-awaited Saviour, the entire purpose of the Old Testament and the sacrificial system of Judaism was to point to Christ and the Gospel message of the New Testament.
Saturday Feb 25, 2023
Daniel Lesson 11: Dream Interpreted {Four Past Gentile Kingdoms} - Part I
Saturday Feb 25, 2023
Saturday Feb 25, 2023
This is the beginning of Daniel's interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar's God-given prophetic dream. The colossal image of the dream corporately represents the whole, anti-God world system; the various parts of the image represent four successive now-past Gentile Kingdoms - which were yet-future (except for the head of gold, representing Babylon) at the time of Daniel. The four Gentile kingdoms are: Babylon, Medo-Perisa, Greece, and Rome. The feet and toes of the image represent the yet-future kingdom of the Antichrist.
The image represents what is called "The Times of the Gentiles"; the timeline of this amazing dream-prophecy is from the Babylonian Capitivty to the Return of Christ at the end of the Tribulation! This prophecy perfectly aligns with the Book of Revelation, which is yet another proof of the Divine Authorship of the entire Scripture.
If you want God's persepective on history, you really need to have a good understanding of this very important prophetic dream! History comes alive when it is seen from God's eyes!
Sunday Jan 08, 2023
Revelation Lesson 8: Seven Churches Introduced - Part I
Sunday Jan 08, 2023
Sunday Jan 08, 2023
You are in for a real treat as you go with us through a deep study of the resurrected Christ's personal "letters" to seven First Century churches located in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey)! There is so much more revealed in these church-letters than you can imagine! They were, first of all, real churches with real strengths and weaknesses addressed by Christ. They also represented the various types of local churches that would exist throughout the Church Age, likewise with their strengths and weaknesses.
Beyond that, however, the seven churches in the sequence of the Lord's address to them, correspond amazingly with the past 2,000 years of Church history! If you have never been exposed to the prophetic nature of the seven Revelation church letters, you are in for a powerful awakening!
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Tuesday Oct 18, 2022
Genesis 3:15
THE MOST IMPORTANT PROPHECY IN SCRIPTURE is something for which all mankind should TRULY BE THANKFUL!!
This entire lesson is on one verse, called "The Proto-evangelium" (meaning "The First Gospel"). It is God's promise to mankind after the Fall of the ultimate coming and victory of a Redeemer, born of a virgin (a woman's "Seed"). This single verse contains the beginning and the germ of all Biblical prophecy! It is critical to an understanding of the "conflict of the ages" fought both in the heavens and on earth. It is this conflict that provides the key to unlocking the mystery of the ultimate purpose of history.
Look with us in this study of Genesis 3:15 at (1) Two Enemies, (2) To Seeds, and (3) Two Bruisings. Also included is a "jet tour" history lesson from the Fall to the Resurrection!!
Sunday Oct 09, 2022
Sunday Oct 09, 2022
Genesis 2:8-17
A Special Paradise (with one special Garden, two special trees, and four special rivers), a Specific Project, and a Single Prohibition!
The name "Eden" comes from "edhen," a Hebrew word that means "delight". A "garden" is a place enclosed, protected, and sheltered. Eden was the place in which the garden was planted. It had a special delight for man, not so much because it was more perfect than the rest of Earth (which was all perfect at that time), but because God specifically made it for man's delight. Matthew Henry said, "God did not put man in a palace made of silver and gold, nor in a house made of ivory, but in the most beautiful and artful place of all: nature - a Garden furnished and adorned by God Himself".
We disccuss so much more it is impossible to put it all down in this brief description! You just need to listen yourself.
Saturday Oct 08, 2022
Saturday Oct 08, 2022
Genesis 2:1-7
The second chapter of Genesis is not only a record of the seveth and final day of the Creation Week, but it provides some details about the prehistoric earth and the creation of the first man and woman not included in the first chapter. The chapters do not contradict, as some have claimed - and we discuss why they do not.
We also discuss the timing of Lucifer's fall. We talk about why God created everything in stages, rather than all at once, and the answer is interesting and another testimony to His care and concern for man. From this look at Genesis 2:1-7, we talk at length about the Sabbath rest. Also included in this study is a brief look at how wonderously the human body is - and what a testimony to the Creator we are!
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Friday Oct 07, 2022
Okay, you HAVE to listen to this message, "No More Monkey Business"! In this critical lesson, we give documented evidence about the various hominids or "ape men" (aka "missing links" between apes and humans) that have been used by evolutionists in their attempt to disprove the Biblical account of man's origin, from God. We discuss, with documentation, the truth about all these pieces of "evidence" (i.e. Ramapithecus, Australopithecus, Peking Man, Homo Erectus, Java Man, Piltdown Man, Neanderthal Man, Nebraska Man, etc.). This is AN EYE-OPENER, for this world has been greatly "hoaxed"!
We also discuss and analyze another great hoax that has been put upon the world - the age of the earth!
This is a lesson for you, your children, and grandchildren! It is time for the truth to be known!
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Genesis 1:26-41
This is the account of the crowning summit of God's creation, man. We discuss the inter-Trinitarian conversation of Genesis 1:26 ("Let Us make man is Our image," which proves God's multiple Persons in One Godhead (we analyze why He was not speaking to anyone outside Himself). Then, we look at His creation of man, His commission to man (i.e. man's privilege to reproduce and his privilege of responsibility, called "the cultural mandate"), His cuisine for man, and His closing creation comment (1:31).
Included in this study are four ways in which man differs from the animal world. We discuss what it means that we (humanity) are made in the image of God.
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Genesis Lesson 10: Creation vs. Evolution {Sixth Day} Animals that Baffle Evolutionists!
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Genesis 1:24, 25a
This is Part I of the sixth day's creation activity regarding land animals. We discuss all kinds of amazing creatures and how they testify of an Intelligent Creator. Share this lesson with the whole family - together learn how God's creatures, from the smallest to the largest, testify against evoultion! Learn about the incredibly complex self-defense system of the Bombardier Beetle, the mimicry phenomenon of many creatures, which baffle evolutionists and testify to a Creator. Learn about the sophisticated vibration sensors of moles, the upside-down pouch of the female wombat, the communication frequencies of frogs, the hibernation process of ground squirrels, the duckbill platypus, the elephant's built-in cooling system, the incredible neck of the giraffe, fire-breathing "dragons," and much more!
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Genesis 1:14-19.
God created the heavenly bodies on the fourth day of the Creation Week. This means the sun was created after the earth according to Biblical Creationism. This directly contradicts evolutionary teaching that the earth was either thrown off from the sun or that both the earth and sun condensed from a huge "protosun" of whirling dust and gas billions of years ago. We discuss why any attempt to compromise creationism with evolutionism does NOT work!
Also discussed in this lesson are the following Cosmogonies (evolutionary theories about the origin of the universe): The Big Bang Theory, The Fission Theory, and The Steady-State Theory". We also discuss how the two laws of thermodynamics, "the Law of Mass-Energy Conservation" and "the Law of Energy Decay" refute any theory that the universe somehow randomly created itself - that matter and energy came from nowhere.
Sunday Oct 02, 2022
Genesis Lesson 7: Creation vs. Evolution {Third Day} Filling the Earth!
Sunday Oct 02, 2022
Sunday Oct 02, 2022
Genesis 1:9-13.
God finished His formation work and began His filling work! See what He filled it with in this lesson!
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Genesis 1:3-5.
We discuss God's first set of "Ten Commandments" and His principle of separation (found from day one of creation until the end of Revelation), and the "Day-Age Theory". We discuss what the light of day one was, since the sun was not created until day four. We also discuss some of the vast differences between belief in Creationism from Evolutionism and how it is literally impossible to attempt to compromise the two in such ways proposed by "The Gap Theory," "Progressive Creationism," and "Theistic Evolutionism".
The stages of creation found in Genesis chapter one follow a natural sequence; each creative act was necessary before the next creative act could take place. It was all done in a precise and orderly process. Man could not have survived if the order of creation was rearranged or in a different sequence.
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Genesis 1:1b and 1:2.
We discuss the creation of the heavens and Earth, giving a serious critique of two creation theories: 1. The Gap Theory and 2. The Unshaped Earth Theory. Also discussed is the Holy Spirit's part in the creative work - the movement of the Spirit is extremely fascinating when we discover the meaning of the Hebrew word for "move" in Genesis 1:2.
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Genesis Lesson 3: Creation vs. Evolution {In the Beginning}
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Genesis 1:1a
This is the first in our "Creation versus Evolution" series. It is packed with interesting and informative vital information found in simply half a verse: Genesis 1:1a. If we are going to understand anything else in Scripture or in the world, we need to first understand the teaching of the first sentence of the Bible, for it answers the two most basic questions of humanity: when was the universe created? and where did the universe come from?
Learn how the first of many names for God used in the Scripture is a uni-plural proper noun - the name Elohim. Elohim is plural, but is used with a singular verb ("created"); this testifies of a Tri-une Godhead. We discuss how there is simply one alternative to believing in a Self-existent, eternal Creator God, and it is to believe in eternal matter. However, the concept of eternal matter cannot go "hand-in-hand" with the scientific law of cause and effect, since random particles of matter could never, by themselves, generate a complex, orderly, intelligible world and universe, much less generate living persons who are able to apply intelligence to the understanding of the complex order of the universe! Scientifically, the concept of eternal matter is impossible.
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
Wednesday Sep 28, 2022
In this second half of our Introduction to Genesis, the book of beginnings, we discuss the three main purposes for the book: the historical purpose, the spiritual purpose, and the Christological purpose (we have an entire series of finding "Christ in Genesis" - see podcast tag). We also discuss many special features of this unique and all-important first book of God's Word (i.e. it is the book of the Creation account, of human ancestry, of the patriarchs, of Israel's beginning - and it begins to teach us about God's grace, His covenant promises, and man's pilgrimage of faith).
In this study, we do a fascinating comparison between the first and last books of Scripture - the Book of Genesis and the Book of Revelation, and that amazing comparison surely shows how the whole of Scripture has one Divine Author!
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Genesis Lesson 1: The Foundation of History
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
This is the first lesson in our study of the Book of Genesis, "the book of beginnings". Genesis lays the foundation of history; it gives us the critical information needed to know about origins. Genesis is "the seedplot of the Bible" because all "the forests" of Scripture find their beginning as "seedlings" in it. Actually, it presents the beginning of everything in existence except God Himself (i.e. the origin of the universe, of order and complexity, of the atmosphere and hydrosphere, of life, of man, of marriage, of evil, of God's plan for salvation, of government, the nations and people groups, of the nation of Israel).
In this Part I of our Introduction to Genesis, in additional to discussing how the book is foundational to history, we talk about the author of the book (we discuss "The Documentary Hypothesis" which teaches that Moses was not the author - and why we disagree). We also discuss the method involved in writing Genesis and the dating of the book (when it was written).
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Acts Lesson 26: Stephen’s Martyrdom {A Standing Ovation!}
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Stephen's message of Acts 7 was the masterpiece of a skilled artist painting pictures of Jesus Christ from Old Testament characters; it was the discourse of a Scriptural scholar, the keenly selective historical dissertation of a Spirit-filled prophet, and the work of a lethaly skilled warrior using the two-edged sword of truth! It was also Stephen's death warrent. He had lived like Jesus, he had spoken like Jesus, and he was to die for Jesus.
Stephen, whose face glowed like that of an angel, was bound for Heaven. There are causes worth dying for, and Stephen found the best. He died for the sake of the only message on earth that saves the eternal souls of men, the Gospel of Christ. Stephen was the first person to die for the truth of Jesus' atonement work. When his spirit was about to depart from his body, he looked up to see the resurrected Lord standing on the right hand of God! He was not in His seated "finished-work of redemption" position! It was the body language of the Redeemer saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"! Stephen finished his course; he ran the race to the finish line and was the first to cross - and the Lord gave him a standing ovation!
Tuesday Sep 20, 2022
Acts Lesson 25: Stephen’s Message VIII {Israel’s Indictment}
Tuesday Sep 20, 2022
Tuesday Sep 20, 2022
This is the conclusion of the longest sermon in the Book of Acts - and likely the most important. Stephen had reviewed Israel's history and the great contributions of some of her most honored leaders (Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon). The High Court of Israel had gotten a quick overview of her history, which the men permitted Stephen to present because they loved to hear about themselves. However, slowly, his selective presentation started to get uncomfortable as they began to realize where his focus on their "rejection of deliverers" pattern of behavior was going. Was he really going to indict them for having rejected (and killed) Jesus?! Would he dare to go that far!?
Yes, he would, even though he knew it would likely cost him his life. Realizing his listeners were reaching the end of their tolerance of him and were about to make him stop, Stephen catapulted into his application-rebuke - and it was BOLD and BLUNT! After calling them "stiff-necked" and uncircumcised in heart and ears, He told them, ". . . ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye" (Acts 7:51)! He also accused them of the betrayal and murder of "the Just One" - and they knew he spoke of Jesus and used for Him a title only reserved for God!
Stephen's phenomenal use of his two-edged sword, the Word of God, hit its target. The Sanhedrin Council members "were cut to the heart" (7:54). Their hypocritically pious masks were torn off and they were exposed for the false shepherds they were. Yet, rather than repent, they gnashed their teeth in seething anger. THEY had been the ones on trial, and they were guilty of having blasphemed everything God had ever given them! They could not defend themselves, so they decided they would silence the one who spoke the truth about their depraved hearts. Saul of Tarsus was among them; little did they know he would soon pick-up where Stephen left off! Truth cannot be silenced, much as men might try.
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Acts Lesson 24: Stephen’s Message VII {The Temple}
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Monday Sep 19, 2022
Acts 7:44-50; Stephen's defense against the charge that he had blasphemed the Temple. Tensions are beginning to rise in the Council members listening to his powerful message! He is coming close to his conclusion. Stephen had evidently spoken a lot (in his past debates in the Greek-speaking synagogues) about the One (Jesus) Who was greater than the Temple, which is why he was accused of blasphemying the Temple. In his sermon, Stephen stressed how the Tabernacle (later the Temple) served as a witness of tha which was Greater! It was a picture-type witness of the day when the Messiah would tabernacle with men and open the way for God to bring a redeemed people boldly into His holy Presence to tabernacle (dwell) with Him forever!
Stephen's point was that he was not blaspheming the current Temple by his understanding that its purpose was ended, and it would give place to the next stage: God dwelling in His people.
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
Acts Lesson 23: Stephen’s Message VI {The Law}
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
Sunday Sep 18, 2022
In Acts 7:38 to 43, Stephen shifted from demonstrating his respect for Moses to demonstrating his respect for the Law. He was again claiming "not guilty" to the charge brought against him that he blasphemed the Law. He affirmed his absolute faith in the Law by declaring God was its Author and Moses its recipient.
In summarizing the final 40-year period of Moses' life, Stephen went on the offensive. He reminded the Council how quickly Israel had turned her heart back to Egypt and her "gods" once Moses ascended Mount Sinai. With him out of sight, they readily dismissed the very one who delivered them. Stephen's point was that this was exactly what Israel's religious rulers did. The One Who came and did the work of deliverance for them was now also "out of sight" - for He had ascended much higher than Mount Sinai! They turned from the Prophet like unto Moses, their Messiah, and were, in effect, clinging to the works of Aaron's hands, pictured by their whole priestly system of Judaism. With the completed atonement work of Christ, Judaism was a dead religion. The reality had come, so the patterns and shadows were no longer needed. But the hearts of Israel's leadership were focused on the world (Egypt) - and Stephen said, they "rejoiced in the works of their own hands" (Acts 7:41). They did not worship God; they worshipped a "god" of their own making.
It was the members of Israel's High Court who broke the Law, just as their forefathers had done at Sinai and throughout their entire history!
Saturday Sep 17, 2022
Acts Lesson 22: Stephen’s Message V {Moses; Divine Commission}
Saturday Sep 17, 2022
Saturday Sep 17, 2022
In Stephen's historical narrative regarding Moses, he came to his Divine Commission at the Burning Bush. Learn how the thorny bush is a picture of Israel!
Stephen's message about Moses was powerfully applied to the Lord Jesus and Israel's rejection of Him when he got to verses 35 to 37. Dr. John Phillips wrote that Stephen "skillfully dropped his brush and pallet and picked up his sword" as he brought home to the Council all he had been saying about Moses in light of Jesus! With Moses, God honored the one Israel had rejected. He sent them the very one they had rejected to be their ruler and deliverer. His implication was that the Jews had done to Jesus what their forefathers did to Moses.
It is often said, by Jewish people today and others, as well, that if Jesus was their Messiah, the leaders of Israel would have known and recognized Him. However, that would not be consistent with her spiritual leaders throughout her history. This was the point Stephen was making in Acts 7. It was their typical response NOT to accept the men God sent to deliver them, as exemplified with Joseph and Moses - and how God's prophets were treated. What they did to Jesus was exceedingly more serious, for in having rejected Him, they rejected the Great I AM of the Burning Bush - they only One Who provides spiritual deliverance!
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Acts Lesson 21: Stephen’s Message IV {Moses; Two Deliverances}
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Friday Sep 16, 2022
As Stephen did with Joseph, he likewise did with Moses - he preached Christ (without mentioning His name) by his selective summation of Moses' life (his initial rejection and eventual acceptance as Israel's deliverer). He wanted them to see that Jesus was very much the Fulfillment of Moses' words about the Messiah being "a Prophet . . . like unto me" (Deut. 18:15).
In this lesson, Stephen got into the second phase of Moses' life (his second 40-year life segment), when he made his first "visit" to his people as their deliverer and was rejected and then vanished from sight (presumed dead) as he lived with the Gentiles (Midianites).
Stephen's underlying message to the Jews of his day was that unless they wanted to continue to follow the pattern of their forefathers, who betrayed and rejected the ones (Joseph and Moses) who God providentially "raised from the dead" to be their deliverers, they should repent for having done exactly the same with Jesus!
Thursday Sep 15, 2022
Acts Lesson 20: Stephen’s Message III {Moses, the Deliverer Delivered}
Thursday Sep 15, 2022
Thursday Sep 15, 2022
In the first 16 verses of his amazingly brilliant sermon, Stephen covered Israel's history from Abraham in Mesopotamia to Joseph in Egypt (a fascinating way to attack the Jews' proud obsession with the land, as well as their arrogance toward Jews who lived outside the land). In his second sermon "division," he dealt with the historical period of Moses and the Law. In verses 17 to 43, he actually covered the circumstances prior to the birth of Moses all the way to the time of the Babylonian Captivity.
As Stephen did with Joseph (Lesson 19), Israel's first deliverer, he did likewise with Israel's next historical deliverer, Moses - he used them both as types of Christ (which they are). He knew the Jews would not interrupt him as he spoke of Moses, for they thought of no one more highly than him (they elevated him far too much).
The whole idea of picture-types of the Messiah having been prophetically revealed in the lives of their most honored historical figures was a completely new concept to the Jews. Stephen showed them, via his summary-narration of the life of Moses, that the similarities between Moses and Jesus are nothing short of having been divinely orchestrated.
Take out your Christ-colored glasses as we take a train-ride (not a jet-tour as with Joseph) through the life of Moses!
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Acts Lesson 19: Stephen’s Message II {Jet-Tour of Life of Joseph}
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
In his purposely selective account of Jewish history (which kept the attention of the Council members, for they loved their own story), Stephen was making his defense against the accusations that he had blasphemed Moses, God, the Temple, and the Law. In doing so, he was also (unknown to them, at first) building his case of indictment against his Jewish audience! He was exposing their unjustified physical obsession with the land (Israel), the Law, and the Temple. Rather than humbly acknowledging these were great privileges to be used wisely for God's glory in their witness of Him to the rest of the world, they proudly turned them into their false triune "god"! They had come to view them as pillars of proof for their heavenly security!
The most important thing Stephen was accomplishing (yet unknown) in his powerful sermon was presenting the High Council of Israel with evidence for faith in Jesus! He did this by using several key figures from Israel's history: Joseph and Moses. In this lesson, which is Stephen's jet-tour account of the life of Joseph, the Council members heard for the first time the Biblical account of Joseph used as a graphic illustration of their own evil, envious betrayal and murder of Jesus!
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Acts Lesson 18: Stephen’s Message I {Abraham of Mesopotamia}
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Stephen had "an irresistible ministry"! He was a Scripture-scholar, extremely skilled and astute in using the Old Testament to defend his faith in Jeus. He was a Christian apologist ("apologia" is a Greek word that refers to "a speech in defense of something").
Stephen's POWERFUL message of Acts chapter 7 was basically a last major appeal to the leadership of Israel (the Sanhedrin Council) to accept Jesus as the long-promised Messiah. Stephen was brought for trial before the Council, falsely accused of four things: speaking blasphemous words (1) against Moses, (2) against God, (3) against the Temple, and (4) against the Law. While he stood before his opponents and their lying accusations, his face was glowing with the righteousness of truth and the glory of God! Amazing. By visibly putting His "glory stamp" on Stephen's face, the Lord Jesus was showing forth His approval of the message he had been proclaiming in the synagogues and which he was about to proclaim in Acts 7.
Stephen's message was his response to the evil high priest's question, "Are these things so?" - referring to the four accusations against him. In verses 2 to 50, he managed to keep his hostile listeners' attention by talking about their favorite subject: themselves and their heritage! Yet, as he reviewed the major periods of Jewish history, he indirectly was responding to the false and accusations against him and building his case against them! His sermon is brilliant on so many levels! It was completely irrefutible, and cost him his life.
In this lesson, Stephen began his "history lesson" regarding Israel's period of the patriarchs by speaking about Abraham. You have to listen to how absolutely clever Stephen was in using "father" Abraham to convict the Jews of their own sinful prejudices!
Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
Acts Lesson 17: Stephen’s Ministry
Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
Tuesday Sep 13, 2022
This is the first of ten messages on one of the most influential men for the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ who ever lived, Stephen. There is a reason why more information is recorded in the eternal Word of God on the martyrdom of Stephen than any other man's death except the Lord Jesus - that reason is twofold. First, Stephen's words and witness had an IRRESISTIBLE impact on the heart, soul, and mind of Saul of Tarsus (who became Paul, human author of about half of the New Testament). Second, it was Stephen's martyrdom that resulted in the great First Century persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, which forced Christians into the next two regions of Christ's Great Commission, Judea and Samaria.
Stephen is my ultimate hero when it comes to understanding the importance of using the Old Testament to preach Jesus Christ! He is my hero when it comes to boldness in proclaiming Christ to a very hostile audience! He is my hero when it comes to giving his all for his Lord and Saviour and doing it with grace and forgiveness of those who killed him. Stephen well deserved the STANDING OVATION he received from the Lord Jesus! I cannot wait to meet him one day.
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Acts Lesson 16: Growing Pains and Gains
Monday Sep 12, 2022
Monday Sep 12, 2022
The Early Church grows both in numbers and in spiritual maturity, which is not without it's "pains"!
With growth by multiplication comes “growing pains”; more potential problems arise whenever bigger numbers of people are involved. With growth, there is always the need to make adjustments; there is the need for the spiritual leadership to wisely delegate the work load of the ministry with others who are spiritually qualified. As Moses learned through the wisdom of his father-in-law Jethro, he could not single-handedly “do it all” (Exodus 18:13-26), so the twelve Apostles discovered they could and should not attend to all the multi-faceted aspects of the ministry alone. Fortunately, the Early Church was led by twelve Spirit-filled men, who rightly handled the first threat to the beautiful unity of the Church with God-given wisdom.
What the problem was and how the Apostles took care of it is the subject matter of this lesson, entitled, “Growing Pains and Gains”. The outline for this look at Acts 6:1-7 consists of two parts: I. “Slighted Widows” (6:1-4) and II. “Seven Workers” (6:5-7).