1 Samuel 11 - 15

Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

Today's portion reveals the type of man than Saul truly was. He was a man willing to be used by God (see 11:6) and was used to defeat the king of Ammon. This great victory solidified his kingship, and unified the nation of Israel. Saul was a great military leader, but he did not pay attention to the word of the Lord from the prophet Samuel. He was impatient and edgy, performing a religious sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel.  Saul seemed to think that spiritual matters were up for debate, that what the Lord told him through the prophet did not have to be fully obeyed.

In chapter 13, Saul is waiting to attack the Philistines and had his troops garrisoned at Gilgal. He was waiting for Samuel to come and bless them and offer a sacrifice. His troops, most likely sensing his anxiety, started to desert him, so he went ahead and offered the sacrifices himself.  So while Saul was king, he thought that someone positioned him to be a prophet and a priest.  Because of his impatience, the Lord declared through Samuel that Saul kingship would come to an early end (13:13-14).

In chapter 14, Jonathan, Saul's son, shows great acumen and bravery and manages to put the Philistines into chaos, killing each other.  Because he had separated from Saul's camp and did this on his own, he was unaware of a foolish vow that Saul had placed his troops under - to refrain from eating until they had total victory.  The vow was foolish and not realistic.  But after the defeat of the Philistines, Saul discovers Jonathon's error and wants him to be killed - his own son - the one responsible for the victory over the Philistines. Jonathan's life is spared when the troops intervene.

Later, in chapter 15, Samuel comes to Saul and tells him to utterly destroy the Amalekites, every person, donkey, cow, goats, camel, everything.  This is a direct word from God to Saul through Samuel.  Saul defeats the Amalekites but does not kill their king.  Additionally, he does not kill all the animals, keeping the choicest ones.  Because of his disobedience, God "is sorry he ever made Saul king" (15:10). His kingdom is rejected forever. Sadly, Saul cannot see the error of his ways. He declares in verse 20, "But I did obey the Lord" even though Samuel has just presented evidence and explained to Saul the error of his way.  In verse 22, Samuel tells Saul, "Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams."

Saul is typical of many religious leaders today. The Word of God is clear, but they choose their own interpretation. They think their works, their sacrifices, excuse their disobedience to the Word. Ultimately, like Saul, their kingdom is rejected.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

1 Samuel 6 - 10

Saul, The King

The transition from wandering Israel to monarchical Israel is completed in today's reading.

After the Ark is returned to Israel, and after constant persecution by the Philistines, the people call out to Samuel who tells them how to come back to the God of Israel.  The destroy their shrines and idols and begin to worship Jehovah.. They are given a great victory over the Philistines when Samuel prays.Throughout the rest of Samuel's lifetime he judged Israel and served the Lord and they lived in relative peace.

As Samuel got older, the people come to him (in chapter 8) and ask that he pray that the Lord would give them a king "like all the other nations have." Samuel is hurt, but the Lord tells Samuel (8:7) "for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don't want me to be their king any longer."  Israel wanted to conform to the image of other nations and have a person to whom they could go with all their problems. They did not want to have to directly rely on God, but wanted a person to do this for them.

The Lord allowed Saul, a man of great physical stature and good looks, to be anointed king over Israel. This was a three step process: first, he was anointed by Samuel (10:16), then he was appointed by lot (10:24), then in chapter 11, we will read about a great battle he wins against the Ammonites.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

1 Samuel 1 - 5

Samuel - A Man Of God

Note: Today we begin the 14th book of our reading. This book details the transitional of Israel from prophet and priestly rule to rule by judges to rule by a king.

Samuel was a person dedicated to service to the Lord from before his conception based on a promise by his mother, Hannah, to the temple priest Eli.  Israel was in a terrible condition where even the sons of Eli who were temple priests were wicked and disdainful of the sacrifices the people brought to the temple.  Hophni and Phineas were described as "scoundrels" (2:12) who even defiled the temple with sexual misconduct (2:22). Because Eli did not intervene, and because of the shameful acts of his two sons, Eli's family and generations were cursed by an unnamed prophet in 2:27-26.

At the same time, Samuel had been turned over to Eli to serve him, the temple, and God all the days of his life. God was pleased with Samuel and began speaking to him at a early age (3:4-11). He told him of Hophni's and Phineas' and Eli's death and begin speaking to him on a regular basis.  In 3:20-21, the Bible confirms that he was a prophet confirmed by the Lord and respected by the people of Israel.

An interesting digression is detail in chapters 4 and 5 where the Israelites battle the Philistines and lose a large number of warriors.  In a fit of desperation, the take the Ark of the Lord into battle with them, and lose even a larger number of men. In addition, Eli's sons are killed, and the Ark is captured and taken away by the Philistines. When Eli hears this, he collapses and dies.  The Ark proves to be a curse to the Philistines causing great suffering to every city in which they place it and finally motivating them to return it to Israel. This is like the Word of God which is a curse to the unbeliever, condemning their sin and causing conflict and strife to those who do not accept the Word or accept the salvation of Christ.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Ruth

Kinsman Redeemer

Note: Due to personal illness this is posted a day late.

This is one of the most beautiful books in all of scripture.  The story is surprisingly simple, yet rich in symbolism and typology for the Christian believer. 

Ruth is a gentile, not an Israelite who's first husband died leaving her with her mother-in-law Naomi.  Naomi is returning to her homeland in Israel and Ruth, one of two daughter-in-laws forsakes everything to go with Naomi. Upon their return to the homeland, Ruth garners grain in the fields of Boaz, a relative to Naomi's husband and a person who can redeem the land of Naomi per the law of Leviticus 25:23-34, i.e. he is a kinsman redeemer. Boaz falls in love with Ruth and wants to redeem Naomi's land, but there is another redeemer who has a first claim, but is unwilling or unable to redeem Naomi because it would require him to marry Ruth. Thus, Boaz redeems the land, takes Ruth as his wife, and from their marriage comes the grandfather of David, the great king of Israel.

Ruth is representative of the Christian believer once wed to the dead traditions of Rome and heathenism, and willing to forsake all for the love of the God of Israel - represented by Naomi.  Israel had fallen into a poor state and thus a kinsman, Jesus Christ, comes to redeem Israel.  In the process, He falls in love with a Gentile bride - represented by Ruth and takes her as His own when He dies to redeem fallen Israel and all mankind.  The nearer kinsman is the devil who through deception in the Garden of Eden caused mankind to fall into his control, but because he is unable to marry the Gentile Bride (since he would have to accept the sacrifice of Christ and is unable to) he relinquishes his right to redeem and Christ does the redemption.

Absolutely beautiful!!!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Judges 17 - 21

Descent Into Disorder

The opening and closing statements of today's reading sets the tone for the condition that Israel had fallen to, "In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. (17:6 and 21:25). This is always a major problem when people do whatever seems right in the own eyes.  For people who had been raised under the law and had a legacy of great leaders, to have no one to follow and to have no moral compass was disastrous.

This dual epilogue (which complements the dual prologues of chapters1:1 to 2:5 and 2:6 to 3:6) which are 17:1 to 18:31 and 19:1 to 21:25 detail specific sins of people and sins of tribes. Because there was no leadership and because the people had forgotten God, people set up shrines to themselves hiring their own priest.  This type of idolatry could not be tolerated.  Additionally, the tribe of Benjamin had devolved into the sins of Sodom, desiring men over women.  Because of their gang-rape of a concubine, the tribe of Benjamin is attacked by the other tribes and nearly eliminated.

When people get to the point where they think they know better than God, then the type of lawless society described in the final chapters of Judges is the result.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Judges 12 - 16

Samson

One of the most enigmatic figures in all of scripture is portrayed in today's reading. Samson was a man promised to his parents and, by extension, Israel, by the angel of the Lord, to deliver Israel from the Philistines. He lived under a Nazirite vow (meaning his hair was not to be cut) and was anointed physically by the Spirit of the Lord as mightily as any person in the Bible. In diametric opposition, Samson was totally consumed with his own desires.  Virtually every act documented in Judges by Samson is something he did for his own benefit. This shows that God can use whoever He wishes to use to accomplish His plan irrespective of the moral and spiritual condition of the person.

No doubt the Samson wreaked havoc among the Philistines, but is was all for personal revenge. He killed to pay off the bet he made about the riddle.  He destroyed the Philistines crops because his father-in-law gave his wife to another man. Then he killed 1000 Philistines when they killed his wife and father-in-law.

After he is betrayed by Delilah and is captured by the Philistines and had his eyes gouged out, he prays to God to "...strengthen me just one more time. With one blow let me pay back the Philistines for the loss of my two eyes." (16:28).  While God permitted this and Samson killed 3000 Philistines in this one act, the victory was a shallow one and, at best, a personal one.

Samson reminds me of "convenience Christians." People who want all the good things of God but only for selfish motives.  While God can use these types of people, and sometimes does, they only bring glory to themselves and leave a bitter legacy in their wake.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word

Judges 7 - 11

Victory, An Evil King, A Fateful Vow

Three major events are described in today's reading.  First Gideon has a tremendous victory over the Midianites using a force of only 300 men. Gideon had recruited 32,000 men (7:3).  Through a multi-step process, the Lord pares this down to 300 so that they would not brag that they won the battle based on their own strength (7:2). Because Gideon relied on signs, the Lord allowed him to overhear a dream of one of the Midianite soldiers. This inspired Gideon to route the Midianites and ultimately capture their kings and slay them (8:21). Because of his great victory and the relief of the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites, the people wanted to make Gideon their leader. He took the gold booty and made an ephod (a ceremonial garment) which ended up being an object of worship.

Gideon had 70 sons by his wives and one son, Abimelech, by a concubine. Abimelech was evil and slew all but one of Gideon's 70 sons, then set himself up as a king. Because of the evil and idolatry of his kingship, God had Jotham, the surviving son of Gideon, place a curse upon Abimelech and the inhabitants of Shechem (9:7-20). This curse was later fulfilled in 9:56. Abimelech was the first of several more leaders who allowed Israel to fall into deeper and more idolatrous apostasy. There sin was great to the point that the Lord allowed the Ammonites to oppress them terribly. After years of oppression the people called to the Lord for help (10:18) and the Lord raised up Jephthah.

Jephthah was a great military man who had a mark against him because his mother was a prostitute. When the Ammonites began a war against Israel, the people who had earlier reject Jephthah asked him to be a judge over Israel and deliver them. In 11:14 -27, Jephthah sends a message to the Ammonite king that is nothing short of inspired and historically accurate.  Verse 28 states, "But the king of Ammon paid no attention to Jephthah's message." This motivated Jephthah to muster an army to wage war against the Ammonites, and in his enthusiasm, Jephthah makes a fateful vow to the Lord - 11:30-31, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering."

This vow is interesting in that Jephthah dehumanizes the person/living thing that will exit his house. He calls this "whatever" and "it", not whomever and he/she. He had to know that the most likely thing to exit his house would be a human. Yet in his haste and enthusiasm, he makes this vow. Of course, he did not need to make the vow in the first place.  The Lord had raised him up to defeat the Ammonites to begin with, thus he did not need to make a "deal" with God, he just needed to go fight the battle.

Of course, on his return from the victory, his daughter (an only child) comes from his house singing and dancing and is the object of his vow.  At this point, Jephthah should have consulted with the religious leaders in the law.  The law in Numbers 30:6-8 makes provisions for vows that are unwise or, in this case, violate a greater law, the law against human sacrifice (Lev 27:1-8).  Unfortunately, Israel had fell into such a low estate that no one stood up and counseled Jephthah on his terrible vow, and according to 11:39, he sacrificed his daughter.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Judges 1 - 6

Failed To Drive Out

We begin a new book today. In contrast to the military leadership of Joshua, this book describes the charismatic leadership of different judges.  These were not people where were in any type of formal position in the priestly hierarchy, nor were they kings, or descendants of Moses necessarily.  These were people the Lord called when the people of Israel suffered under the stress and duress of the native inhabitants of the land.

If the tribal leaders had obeyed Joshua, then none of the trials described in Judges would have happened.  But in the first chapter of Judges we read repeatedly, "they failed to drive out..." This failure represented a disregard for the Word of the Lord from Joshua. It also showed a lack of regard and esteem for the promises of God. He promised to give them victory over the inhabitants of the land, but the people did not take God at His Word and did not obey Joshua. Thus in chapter 2 verse 10 we read, "After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel."

A cycle begins of Israel putting up with the inhabitants, then being oppressed by the inhabitants, the crying out to the Lord for relief, then the Lord calling an individual who delivers them from the oppressors, then some period of peace, then the deliverer dying, and the process repeating. The first Judge was Othniel - a descendant of Caleb.  He set the example for future Judges by destroying the altars of Baal and the king of Aram. There was forty years of peace during Othniel's judgeship. After he died, the people did evil in the site of God.

Some of the Judges have more written about the than others.  In the case of Shamgar, the third judge, there is only one verse (3:31) describing him.  For Deborah  and Barak, co-judges after Shamgar there are 2 chapters (4 and 5).  

Gideon is introduced in chapter 6. He was a reluctant judge, claiming to be from the weakest clan (6:15). I 6:13, when the angel of the Lord appears unto him, Gideon asks a tremendous question, "If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?"  I think it was this insight that the Lord saw in Gideon and used to choose him as a judge.  Gideon's reluctance manifested in nearly all he did.  He had the angel show him a sign with an offering. After the Angel of the Lord  consumes the offering, Gideon is afraid the Lord will kill him. When he prepares to battle the Midianites, he places a fleece of wool before the Lord asking for dew to fall on it only and not the ground. After the Lord does this, he places the fleece, again, asking that the fleece remain dry and the ground be dewy.

There are several lessons for believers: We should always drive evil influences totally from our lives. If we take God at His Word, even though we have battles, we have the promise of victory. And, unlike Gideon, when the Lord calls us, reluctance only slows down His process.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Joshua 21 - 24

Cling Tightly To The Lord Your God

Today's reading concludes the book of Joshua and the life of one of the most outstanding leaders in Israel's history. Joshua never wavered in his commitment to possess the Promise Land.  From the first time he laid eyes on its goodness and potential until his last breath he had but one desire: to see his people in the land God gave them.  His last act is spoke of in 24:28, "Then Joshua sent all the peoples away to their own homelands."

Joshua knew the importance of cleansing the land of unbelief and evil influences. In his farewell speech to the people of Israel he gives a solemn warning in 23:7-8, "Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. Rather, cling tightly to the Lord your God as you  have done until now."  In these verses, they are told five things to not do, and one thing to do.

1. Do not associate.
2. Do not mention.
3. Do not swear.
4. Do not serve.
5. Do not worship.

The progression to idolatry is clear. By associating with idolater, then one is tempted to speak about their gods. By speaking, one is tempted to rely. By relying, one is tempted to make offerings to. By making offerings, one will worship.

This can all be avoided by doing the one thing he states, "Cling tightly to the true God, Jehovah."

Joshua knew that unless the Israelites totally eliminated sinful influences, they would resort to serving other Gods, thus his stern warnings.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Joshua 16 - 20

Dividing The Land

The division of the land continues through chapters 16-19.  It is interesting to note that some of the tribes did not drive out the Canaanites, a mistake that would come back to haunt them later. (15:63, 16:10, 17:12). This was an indication of a problem the Israelites would have after the death of Jacob.  They never took full possession of the land allowing some of the inhabitants to remain and cause trouble in later generations.

The cities of refuge were also established. These were provided for in the Law and were a safe haven for those who had accidentally killed someone and needed protection from the slain person's relatives. Six cities throughout the country were designated as cities of refuge so that any citizen had the opportunity to have their case heard by an impartial panel to determine guilt or innocence in the death of another person.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Joshua 11 - 15

Rest From War

Joshua continues his promise to God by waging war against the inhabitants of the land.  In chapter 11, he utterly destroys the people of the northern hill country and destroys most of their towns, as directed by the Lord.  The Lord hardened the hearts of the inhabitants so that Joshua had no choice but to completely destroy all of them.  Joshua knew that any of the inhabitants left alive would harbor bitterness against the Israelites and later foment rebellion, thus his harsh methods of killing all the inhabitants were used.

Joshua is representative of a person totally sold out to the will of the Lord.  In 11:15 we read, "As the Lord had commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua. And Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the Lord had given to Moses."  Joshua did not develop his own plan, or his own law, instead he obeyed the Law as it was given to Moses.  He was careful in his obedience.  As we learned yesterday, there are only two recorded mistakes that Joshua made, and in both cases he quickly corrected his errors.

Because of his obedience and effectiveness, we read in 11:23, "So the land finally had rest from war." If we are faithful in battle, the we received rest from war.  By ridding the land of its heathen inhabitants, the people of Israel were in a state where they could possess the portion of the land they were to be alloted. Joshua, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit and the unction of God, divides and allots the land to each tribe. Each tribe is positionally placed in the area that God foreordained.  The type here is clear for the believer. Once we fully surrender to the will of God and conquer sin in our lives by the Holy Spirit, then the Lord can position us in the Body of Christ, each of us performing our role for the good of the Body. Some preach, some teach, some provide money, some lead, some heal, perform miracles, etc.  Each of us have a job to do and a purpose to fulfill.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Joshua 6 - 10

Two Mistakes

Today's reading contains a record of the only two mistakes in leadership committed by Joshua.

After destroying Jericho, the Israelites move to attack the city of Ai. Unknown to Jacob, a soldier named Achan had stolen for himself a Babylonian garment, some gold, and some silver from Jericho. This had been explicitly forbidden by Joshua. Achan, out of greed and selfishness, takes these items and hides them under his tent.  When the army attacks Ai, they are chased and thirty-six Israeli soldiers are killed.  

Joshua immediately knows something is wrong. The Lord had promised him victory in every battle. Instead of ferreting out the sin in the camp, Jacob falls on his face before the Lord and starts complaining bitterly, questioning why the Lord allowed the Amorites to kill them. Verses 10 and 11 of chapter 7 contains one of the sharpest rebukes in the Bible. "But the Lord said to Joshua, "Get up! Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant! They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me." The Lord was not happy with Joshua's attitude and display. He had promised to be with them, so Joshua should have found the sin in the camp instead of whining to God about Him not being with them. Joshua holds a solemn assembly the next morning and finds the guilty party and destroys Achan, his family, and all his possessions.

After attacking and destroying Ai, Joshua and his commanders are duped by the Gibeonites. These people hear of the great victories of Joshua and are fearful for their life. They purposely deceive the Israelis into thinking they are from a far-away land and have Joshua sign a covenant with them. The Gibeonites swear to be their servants if the Israelites swear to not destroy them.

This ruse should have raised all types of concerns, but according to chapter 9, verse 14, "So the Israelites examined their [Gibeonites] food, but they did not consult the Lord." This was the second critical lapse in leadership by Joshua; it was also his last mistake. Because the Law concerning oaths provided dire consequences for breaking the oath, Joshua and Israel were bound to the covenant with the Gibeonites and spared their lives and their cities.

These two mistakes did not define Joshua's life nor did they limit his ability to continue to effectively lead Israel. Joshua was a leader in the truest sense of the word.  In spite of his mistakes, he still took God at his Word and possessed the land promised to Israel. His ability to obey and trust the Lord was rewarded by tremendous miracle in chapter 10. Joshua needed another 12 hours of daylight to complete the battle against the armies of the south, so the Lord allowed the sun to remain high in the sky until Israel defeated her enemies. 

We as believers can trust that the Lord will arrange the circumstances of our lives - no matter how impossible - so that we can defeat Satan in his attempt to control our lives. The Lord will provide all the time we need to completely rid our lives of evil influences.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Joshua 1 - 5

Crossing The Jordan

Note: Today's reading transitions back to the Old Testament and the historical books. We end our 15th week of reading and will be in the Old Testament for the next 22 weeks. This will take personal diligence and dedication, since some of our daily portions will be lengthy. I like to set aside 1 to 2 hours each evening for my reading, meditation, and blogging. Developing and sticking to a pattern is crucial to successfully completing the Bible in one year.

Joshua is a wonderful and inspiring book.  It parallels the book of Ephesians in the New Testament as well as the first part of the book of Acts. When we study Ephesians in week 41, we will draw the parallels with Joshua. This book is about the Israelites who leave their old life of wandering and cross over the Jordan river and possess the Promised Land. It is representative of the Christian believer who after being justified and sanctified is not satisfied until he/she is filled with the Holy Spirit.  If you recall, all those who disobeyed God the first time Joshua and Caleb went to the Promise Land and brought back a good report of a good land, the all perished in the wilderness. They were satisfied with baptism (crossing the Red Sea) and sanctification under the Law, but shunned the Holy Spirit (possessing the land promised to them). This is typical of so many believers today who are satisfied to say, "Well God saved me, and I try to live according to His Word, but I don't have any time or need for all this fanaticism concerning the Holy Spirit and being born again." 

After Moses dies, the Lord immediately places Joshua (whose name is the same root word used for Jesus/Yeshua) in charge. Without delay, Joshua makes plans to posses the Promise Land.  God reassures Joshua that He will be with him every step of the way (vs. 1:3-5). He commands Joshua three times to be "strong and courageous" (vs. 1:6,7,9). He has the officers tell the people to ready their provisions for crossing the Jordan. He reminds the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh that even though they are remaining east of Jordan, they still must join the other tribes in fully possessing the land.

In chapter 2, Joshua sends spies - two spies (unnamed) in a repeat of the two good spies - Joshua and Caleb that Moses had sent out 40 years prior. These spies go to Jericho to the house of a prostitute - most likely so that they would not be questioned. Rahab (and this was not a mere coincidence, but a reflection of the Divine will of God) is Ruth's mother-in-law and ends up being King David's great-great-grandmother. Even in her sinful condition, she is a woman of faith prudently recognizing the God of the Israelites and willingly helping them. In return she is offered protection if she displays a scarlet (representing blood) rope in her window.

In chapter 3, Israel crosses the Jordan to the Promise Land. The crossing is miraculous and reminiscent of their crossing the Red Sea 40 years prior. The Jordan is at flood stage. The Levites carrying the Ark must step into the water - they must physically show that they are going to cross. When their feet hit the water it immediately is diverted and walls up so the land can dry. The Levites march to the middle of the riverbed and hold the Ark up. All of the people then pass through the Jordan under the protection of the Ark. The type here must not be lost. We, as Christians, pass through our obstacles under the protection of the Word. They pass over on dry ground (3:17) signifying that while under the protection of the Word, not one drop of anything touches the believer.

After crossing, Joshua has 12 men - one from each tribe - go to the place where the Ark is and get a stone. The stones are piled as a monument at the place of encampment. This signifies their possession of the land. Then Joshua piles 12 stones at the place where the Ark is being held. This signifies that they are leaving the old land behind, to be washed over and never to return to. Then the Ark is marched to the encampment and the Jordan returned to its flooded status.

In chapter 5, as a final act before beginning the battle for the Promise Land, starting with Jericho, Joshua circumcises all the males.  These are the children of those who perished in the wandering because they did not possess the land. They had never been circumcised and thus Joshua, ever diligent and obedient to the Will and Word of the Lord has this done. After the circumcision, as they prepare to take Jericho, Jacob meets the angel of the Lord, the commander of the Lord's Host. This confirmed that the Lord would be with them in every battle.

Many mistakenly think of the Promise Land as a type of Heaven, but this is not correct. The Promise Land is a type of the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer. Although the Lord promised Canaan land to Israel as a possession, they still had to fight for every inch of ground. They still had battles daily. This is true for the believer. Even with the filling of the Holy Spirit, we still must battle Satan daily. We still must go to the Lord in prayer asking Him to forgive us of our sins and to strengthen us in our walk with Him.

My God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 27 - 28

Without Hindrance

Note: Today's reading concludes Acts and our current period of reading in the New Testament.  Tomorrow, we return to the Old Testament book of Joshua, and begin our reading of the historical books of the Old Testament. Acts bridges the Gospels to the Epistles and is the account of the Holy Spirit in the early church. It is guarded by the four Gospels each of which have their own unique tone and impetus. Matthew, the Lion, displays His Kingship. Mark, the Ox, displays His service and sacrifice. Luke, the Man, displays his humanity and knowledge. John, the Eagle, displays His divinity and revelation. These four match perfectly with the beasts in Revelations 4:7 - a subject we will cover in more detail when we study Isaiah and Revelations.

The last verse of the book  of Acts is 28:31, "boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him." (NLT).  The King James translates as, "Preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him." The Diaglott (direct Greek to English) has, "proclaiming the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with entire freedom of speech, and without restraint." These all talk about the ministry of Paul in Rome.

The Greek word, akoloutos, is the word transalated: not stop him; not forbidding him; without restraint. This is the last word of the book of Acts and literally means unrestrained. This last word is key to understanding the book of Acts and the working of the Holy Spirit in His believers.  A man totally surrendered to God is unrestrained.  He knows the truth and the truth has set him free. The chains of man's understanding, of traditions, of fear and concern are totally removed and the holy boldness of Christ fills and moves the individual. This is the message of Acts, that God will take sinners who repent and fill them with His Spirit to do His works: witness, heal the sick, raise the dead, and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Paul fulfilled this completely, turning himself over totally to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. He was akoloutos!

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 25 - 26

I Obeyed That Vision

Paul testifies before Festus, the governor who replaced Felix, and King Agrippa (Herod the Great's grandson) in the two chapters today. With Festus, he recounts how the accusations of the religious leaders are without any basis and ought to be summarily dismissed.  Festus, though, was concerned about what the Jews thought of him and asked Paul to stand trial in Jerusalem.  Paul, knowing this meant his death for no good reason, refused and appealed his case to Rome. Paul knew that he had a better chance of receiving a fair trial before the secular government of Rome instead of the religious leaders of Jerusalem. He also knew that once he was out of control of the Romans, he would be killed, thus his appeal.

King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, visited Caesarea and Festus and wanted to hear Paul testify in his defense. While before Agrippa, Paul (who knew Agrippa was familiar with the religious ways of the Jews and was aware of the Christian movement) recounts his experience with the pillar of fire on the road to Damascus. The was the seminal experience in Paul's life, the experience to which he always returned when testifying. He explains the events of that day and how the Lord told him personally that he was to witness the good things of God to the Jews and Gentiles.  In 26:19, Paul makes his famous confession, "And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven." In the King James version it is worded, "Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."

When our reading journey takes us to the Epistles (week 38) we will see that Paul remained true to his promise and obeyed the Lord in all things.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 23 - 24

Death Vow

After Paul's arrest in chapter 22, he is arraigned before the Jewish high council in a kangaroo court that had already decided to charge him as guilty. Paul, in his wisdom, yells out that he is of the sect of the Pharisees and believes in the resurrection, spirits, and angels.  This provokes the Sadducees on the council and a near-riot breaks out.  The commander has Paul remanded to the fortress until he can decide what to do.

At this time, more than forty Jews (23:13) take an oath to "not eat or drink" until they kill Paul.  The irony of this vow is striking.  Because they are inspired of the Devil and are abusive of the Holy Spirit in Paul, their elaborate plans are formulated and undone in a single night.  While plotting with the elders and priests to have Paul transported a specific time and place, they explain they will kill Paul during the transport. While their plan may have been a good one, it was not in concordance with the will of God, and thus doomed to failure.  They even reiterate their supreme sincerity to the elders "to eat nothing until we kill Paul" (v. 14).

Alas, they do not realize that Paul's nephew overhears their plan and relays this information to the commander.  The commander, worried about Paul's Roman citizenship, and his own reputation, spoils the plans of the oath-takers and takes Paul away, under extremely heavy guard, to Governor Felix is Caesarea, where he can be held safely and receive a fair hearing. As we read at the end of chapter 24, Paul is under Felix's command for two years (24:27) and witnesses to him and his wife almost daily about Jesus.

The Bible is silent about the "more than 40 Jews" who took the oath. One can guess that they either starved to death and honored their oath, or broke their oath and lived under the guilt of breaking the Law for the rest of their lives.  Either option was not good.

Acts 21 - 22

Paul Goes To Jerusalem

After leaving Ephesus, Paul and his party travel through the islands and lands near Greece visiting believers.  When they stopped in Tyre of Syria, the found local believers who were concerned about Paul's trip to Jerusalem.  Verse 4 states, "These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem." 

Several days later we find the group in Caesarea and the prophet Agabus binds his hands and feet with Paul's cloak and prophesies that "the owner of this belt [will be] bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles."

These two prophecies greatly concerned those traveling with Paul to the point that "all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem."  But Paul knew the will of the Lord, even if the road ahead was difficult and would cost him his life.  Luke writes in verse 14, "When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, 'The Lord's will be done.'"  And Paul went on to Jerusalem.

Not much time elapsed before trouble began. While Paul was attending an purification ritual, some of the religious leaders caused an uprising and incited a mob to attack and beat Paul. The riot was so bad, Roman soldiers had to come in a break it up.  Paul was arrested.  In chapter 22, after receiving permission from the commander, he addressed the crowd, telling them his testimony of meeting the Pillar of Fire.  When he told the part about the Lord sending him to the Gentiles (22:21) the crowd went into a frenzy again.  This enraged the Romans and they prepared Paul to be scourged.  Only Paul's mention of his Roman citizenship prevented the beating.  This all set the stage for Paul's appearance before Caesar.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 19 -20

Christian Baptism

Acts 19:5 is the final verse in Acts that establishes the formula for Christian baptism.  In Acts 2:38, Peter tells those who asked him what they needed to do to be saved, and he replies, "Each of you must repents of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." We see that this is a three part process: repentance, baptism, filling.  We also see that the baptism is in the name of Jesus Christ. This was first given to the Jews.

Then in Acts 8:16, the Samaritans are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, by Peter.  After they lay hands on them they receive the Holy Spirit.  Next in Acts 10, at the house of Cornelius, Peter baptizes the Gentile believers, in verse 48, in the name of Jesus Christ.  Thus Peter, with the keys to the Kingdom, baptizes all three major races of people, Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As I stated in an earlier post, this is not in conflict with Jesus' commandment in Matthew 28:19 to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. It is in 100% agreement with what Jesus commanded in that Peter does exactly what Jesus said to do, to baptize in His Name - which is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the correct and only formula for Christian baptism.

This revelation is not limited to Peter as is evidenced by today's reading.  Paul preaches in Ephesus to believers there who had been baptized by John the Baptist.  While this was a good baptism (John baptized Jesus Himself!), this was not up-to-date with the revelation given to Peter and all the disciples.  After telling them to be re-baptized, they were all baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (v.5) by Paul, who then laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.  There was no quibbling about what Jesus said versus what Peter and Paul taught relative to baptism.  The Holy Spirit in a believer agrees with the Holy Spirit that writes and reveals the Word.

What is confusing is that nearly every denominational church baptizes in the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and not in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  I have never understood their position.  They perform nearly every other ceremony and ritual in the name of Jesus Christ, but still stick to the Roman Catholic tradition of baptism in the titles.  To me, this is in error.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 17 - 18

Do Not Be Afraid

Paul and Silas continue their inspiring and effective ministry as they traveled throughout the area surround Greece, Syria, Israel and the islands in the Mediterranean area. They reasoned and taught in the synagogues, the streets, the philosopher's meeting places, and everywhere they could get an audience to hear the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Their preaching typically upset the status quo of current religious leaders. This caused fear among these leaders to the point that many resorted to violence against believers. The Jewish leaders, in particular, were extremely concerned about Paul's influence, insulting and opposing him at every opportunity.  This motivated Paul to turn his full attention to the Gentiles (17:6).

The Lord (the Holy Spirit) was well pleased with Paul.  Paul must have been concerned for his physical safety and the safety of Silas, Timothy, and the other believers with whom he traveled and associated. The Lord was ever mindful of His servant. "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told Him, 'Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city [Corinth] belong to me.'" This had to be a comfort and encouragement to Paul.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 15 - 16

Letting Go Of The Law

Acts 15 has always been an interesting chapter to me because it highlights the difficulties of human nature and the fear of change.  In many ways, people learn to live with something, even when they know it is not good for them, because the fear of change, even with the promise of something better, is too great. Think of some extreme examples: a woman stays with an abusive mate because the fear of being alone outweighs the fear of living with a devil; a person remains in a dead-end job because the fear of failure in something new is too uncomfortable; a believer remains locked in denominational creeds because the fear of rejection by friends and family for being a "religious fanatic" is too daunting.

In this chapter there is a group of Jewish believers who want the benefits of Christianity (grace, forgiveness) but still want to remain under the oppression of the Law.  All of this is hidden in self-righteousness and a desire to control others through fear.  In verse one their edict is stated, "Unless you are circumcised as required by the Law of Moses, you cannot be saved." This sounds okay, but is absolutely anti-Christian and anti-Word. Ironically, it is not even doctrinally sound under the rubric of the Law itself.  There is no place in the Law that equates salvation with the act of circumcision.

The inchoate church was vulnerable to this type of heresy.  Since Jesus was sent to the Jews and all the Apostles and early converts were Jews, then it is understandable that the Law remained a huge influence in the early church.  However, the exponential growth of Christianity and the prevalence of the Holy Spirit in Jews and Gentiles had to cause this attachment to the Law to be questioned.  Thank the Lord, Paul and Barnabas "vehemently disagreed with them" to the point that a council was set up in Jerusalem to discuss the matter. It is no surprise that Peter, the one to whom the keys to the Kingdom had been entrusted, spoke questioning those promoting the Law, "So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we [the Jews] nor our ancestors were able to bear?" (v. 10, emphasis mine).  The council correctly decided that the Law and circumcision were not required for salvation, but the early church continued to be influenced by this spirit.

Amazingly, this spirit still lives on today.  It does not point specifically to the old Mosaic Law, instead it points to rituals, liturgies, legalism, and other man-made requirements that have absolutely nothing to do with salvation through Jesus Christ.  So while the early church vehemently fought against the ideas of "Law requirements," the battle was not won on the grand scale.  Far too many Christians, yet today, still think their salvation is dependent on their actions instead of the Grace of God.  This is a war that Satan will wage until Jesus returns.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 13 - 14

Saul Becomes Paul

In today's reading Saul firmly establishes himself as a leader in the Christian church, travelling throughout Asia preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. In 13:2, the Lord directs the Apostles to "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them."  Immediately after that, we read that Holy Spirit sends them to Cyprus on their first journey (v. 4). In verse 9, Saul is named Paul and hereafter in Luke and his Epistles and the Epistles of the other writers, he is called Paul.

In 13:7-12, Paul and Barnabas preach and teach to the governor of Paphos who was under the influence of a sorcerer, Elymas. Their message is so powerful, Elymas attempts to persuade the governor away from Paul and Barnabas. Paul, though, is filled with the Holy Spirit and has the power of God.  Elymas is cursed with blindness and the governor becomes a believer.  This sets a pattern that is repeated in the Bible and throughout history all the way to today. For some, the Gospel causes blindness-spiritual blindness.  Men's hearts are hardened against anything good and righteous. However for others, the Gospel brings new life. The heart of the believer is tender towards the things of God and they fully accept His Truth and live in the Light of Gods Word.

Paul and Barnabas travel to Antioch of Pisidia where Paul delivers his first major sermon in the Bible.  The power of the Word is confirmed and many believe, both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews are disturbed by Paul's influence and rile the people up against Paul.  In 13:46 we read that Paul then turns his message to the Gentiles.

In chapter 14, they travel to Iconium and repeat their message. Verse 3 states, "But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders (emphasis mine). If we preach His Word and declare His Truth, then the Lord will prove our message with signs and wonders.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 11 - 12

Pray And Believe

Acts 12 tells a story about Peter and the believers in Jerusalem that bears a great similarity to believers today. King Herod, because of his favorable treatment of and respect from the Jewish religious leaders, attempts to provoke even more favor by starting a harsh persecution of the nascent Christian community in Jerusalem.  He has James, John's brother and one of the first apostles, killed.  He also arrests Peter and imprisons him (v. 3).

This causes great angst among the Christian believers and they begin to earnestly pray for Peter (v. 5).  The Bible does not state exactly how, or for what, they were praying in regards to Peter, just that they were praying. Peter is heavily guarded by four units of four soldiers each.  While in his cell, he is shackled to two different guards (v.6). While sleeping, an angel awakens Peter, dissolves the shackles and walks him out of the prison past the guards and into the city streets (vs. 8-11).  Even Peter is surprised at his freedom since at first he thought he was seeing a vision (v. 9). He comes to his senses and heads straight to Mary's, the mother of John Mark, house and knocks on the gate (v. 12).

A young servant girl, Rhoda, hears the knocking and determines from his voice that it is Peter (v. 14) and is so overjoyed she runs to tell the others and forgets to open the gate.  The Bible states that the people were praying (v.12), undoubtedly for Peter. However, when Rhoda tells them Peter is outside, they do not believe her! Some accuse her of being "out of her mind" (v. 15); others insist it is Peter's angel (v. 15). The point is that they do not believe that Peter is there.  Even when they open the door, they are amazed (v. 16).

This story is typical of today's believers (myself included). We pray, but we do not believe.  We ask God for something - healing, deliverance, salvation of a loved one, financial relief, etc. but then are amazed and disbelieving when He answers our prayer. No wonder Jesus admonished the disciples so often about their lack of faith. The lesson is to pray AND believe what we are praying for will come to pass.  Then instead of wasting time standing around in amazement, we should be giving glory to Jesus for answering our prayers. Lord help our unbelief - give us faith to believe You.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 9 - 10

Saul's Conversion - Peter's New Understanding

In today's reading, two of the most influential people in the early church have their thinking and lives totally changed.

Saul (later named Paul) was a zealous Jewish scholar who consented to Stephen's murder at the hands of the religious leaders and cruelly and unmercifully persecuted the believers. For some reason (and it can only be the election and grace of Almighty God), the Lord picked Paul as his "chosen instrument" (9:15) and on his road to Damascus, Saul was blinded by a mighty light.  The light was only seen by Saul (9:7) and a voice was heard from God asking Saul "Why are you persecuting me?" (9:4).  Needless to say, this got Saul's attention and he asked who was speaking. "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting." was the reply.

This reply is interesting.  As far as the scriptures tell, Saul never saw or interacted with Jesus when Jesus was on Earth.  There is no record of Saul persecuting Jesus in the flesh.  However, since the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to and received by the disciples and other believers subsequent to that day, Jesus is now identified with His church.  He is so closely identified with the Spirit filled believer that persecution of the believer is tantamount to persecuting Jesus Himself.

As we find out in the remainder of chapter 9, Saul is filled with the Holy Spirit, is baptized, and immediately begins ministering "boldly in the name of Jesus." (9:28), preaching the "Jesus is indeed the Son of God!" (9:20). So powerful and convincing is his preaching that the Jewish religious leaders plot to murder him (9:23 and 9:29). The Apostles and disciples in Jerusalem are skeptical about Saul until Barnabas (and Saul's own preaching and life) convinces them otherwise (9:27).

I chapter 10, the Bible tells about how the Lord changes Peter's understanding concerning Gentiles and the Holy Spirit. The parallels between Saul's misguided adherence to the Law and persecution of the believers and Peter's lingering attachment to the Law and his non-recognition of Gentile believers are made plain by the juxtaposition of these two chapters.  Even though Peter is a Christian and filled with the Holy Spirit, he still is holding on to the old beliefs about the law.  In his trance (10:10-16) he refuses to eat ritually unclean food even when the Lord tells him it is pure.  After being told by the Lord to go to a Gentile's home, Cornelius, when he arrives he reminds Cornelius that "It is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you." (10:28).

After hearing Cornelius' encounter with an angel and what he was told, Peter begins to minister to them. This brings the presence of the Lord and the Holy Spirit fills all of those in Cornelius' house.  Again, the Jewish believers are amazed that Gentiles are receiving the Holy Spirit.  They then baptized all of them in Jesus Name (see Acts 2:38) (note, they were not baptized in the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

The influence of the Law and the Jewish belief system still had a major influence on the early Jewish believers. In Chapter 11, verse 2, Peter is criticize for entering the house of a Gentile. This criticism is not from the Temple leaders but from fellow believers.  So not only did Saul need converting, but the minds of the believers needed converting too.

Acts 7 - 8

The First Martyr

Chapter 7 is the stirring story of Stephen, a Christian believer, who was the first martyr for the Faith  In chapter 6 verses 8 -15 the Bible tells of the arrest of Stephen and his trial before the Temple council.  Chapter 7 is one of the most concise, yet complete, retelling of the story of the Jews from Abraham to Moses.  In this, Stephen points out how the religious leaders had always persecuted the prophets and thus continued the persecution to Jesus to the point of crucifixion.  So enraged are the leaders at Stephen's accusations that they stone him to death.  His prayer on their behalf (7:60) is remarkably similar to Jesus', "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!"

It is at the end of chapter 7 and the beginning of chapter 8 where we are first introduced to Saul of Tarsus (later renamed Paul after his conversion) who at first heavily persecuted the believers, but became the central voice of Christian doctrine through his epistles. It is mind-boggling that the Lord chose Saul, just like it is mind-boggling that he chose me.  Proof that even the vilest sinner can be saved.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 5 - 6

The Persecution Continues

In today's reading several notable events occur.  First Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, attempt to deceive the disciples concerning money.  Many of the believers sold their goods and brought the money to the disciples.  There was not a requirement to do this, nor was there necessarily an expectation that all believers would do this. Ananias must have observed how thankful the disciples were to those who brought money to support the ministry.  He wanted the glory, but he also wanted to retain some of the money for himself and his wife. Together they concoct a plan in which they sell some property, keep part of the proceeds, then present the rest to the disciples as though they were donating all the money they received.  Peter was so full of the Holy Spirit that he immediately detected the hypocrisy and lying of Ananias.  As a result, Ananias immediately fell dead and was removed from the building.  About three hours later, Sapphira, his wife entered and when given a chance to tell the truth, she also lies and falls dead.  This caused great reverential fear among the believers knowing the the Holy Spirit would reveal any unconfessed sin.

After the apostles continue to hold healing services and heal people in the name of Jesus Christ, the religious leaders, filled with jealousy have them arrested again.  This time, the Lord sends and angel and frees them from jail and sends them back to the Temple to continue preaching, teaching, and healing.  So enraged are the leaders, that they have them flogged and forbid them to continue to teach in Jesus' name.  The Bible states in 5:42, "And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: 'Jesus is the Messiah!'"

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 3 - 4

Recognition

In today's portion we read two more sermons by Peter.  The change in Peter after he is filled with the Holy Spirit is clearly noticeable.  While Jesus was being persecuted, Peter denied Him three times.  After Jesus resurrected and Peter saw Him, he still went back to fishing (see John 21) and was encouraged by Jesus to "feed my sheep."  But when Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, nothing could stop him from preaching about Jesus.  As we saw in yesterday's reading, Peter employed the keys to the Kingdom in his first sermon when he explained to those who asked, how they needed to be baptized in Jesus' name and receive the Holy Spirit.

In chapter 3, Peter continues his manifestation of the Spirit.  A lame beggar asks for money, but Peter and John have no money. However, they have something much greater - the presence of Almighty God living in them. In the name of Jesus Christ they command the man to be healed, and he is.  This miracle is so inspiring that Peter preaches another sermon in 3:12-24. In verse 12 the Bible states, "Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd." No more denial! No more prodding!  With boldness Peter speaks about the risen Savior. 

The boldness and speech of Peter and John so alarmed the religious leaders that they have Peter and John arrested and put in jail for the evening.  The next morning before the council, they are asked, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this? [the miracle]"  This, of course, provides Peter and John still yet another opportunity to testify about Jesus and His resurrection power.  So strong and convincing is their testimony that even the religious leaders confess in 4:13, "They [the council] also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus."

Lord, may my life be so filled with your Holy Spirit that I provoke a similar reaction and conclusion from those around me.  May people see that I have been with Jesus.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

Acts 1 - 2

Repent And Be Baptized

Note: Today's reading marks two notable events. First, we begin our reading of Acts and second, we complete 13 weeks of reading. This means we are one-quarter of the way through the Bible.

In Acts 2, after the Holy Spirit baptizes the 120 people gathered in the "upper room," Peter delivers a tremendous sermon.  Remember that in Matthew 16:19, Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom. Peter, the one who denied the Lord three times, the one the Lord asked three times, "Do you love me?", the one who the Lord Jesus told three times, "feed my sheep", this Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit, is in a position to "feed the sheep."  There is no hesitation or fear with the Holy Spirit and Peter now can talk openly and boldly about Jesus.

His sermon is so powerful that in 2:37 the Bible states, "Peter's words pierced their hearts...". This provokes them to ask Peter, "What should we do to be saved?"  Since Jesus gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom, and had filled him with the Holy Spirit, Peter was in a perfect position to answer their question. "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins" (2:38, KJV). It is interesting to note that this is not in conflict with Matthew 28:19 when Jesus commissioned the disciples saying, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."  Father is not a name, neither is Son nor Holy Spirit.  His name is the Lord Jesus Christ.  So Peter, having the keys, provides a correct answer to those seeking salvation that is completely in line with the great commission Jesus gave the disciples.

Baptism is important since Acts 2:38 continues, "Then you will receive the Holy Spirit." So after being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, they were promised to receive the Holy Spirit. This promise was not just for those present on the day the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost as record by Luke in Acts.  It is for believers today, Acts 2:39, "This promise is to you [those who had asked Peter], and to your children [their offspring, i.e. not limited to them only], and even to the Gentiles [not just Jews celebrating the feast of Pentecost] - all who have been called by the Lord our God [everyone who seeks salvation from God].

From this we see the importance of baptism and its connection to receiving the Holy Spirit. The people who asked Peter "what must we do?" believed his answer because verse 41 says 3000 were added to the church that day.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

John 19 - 21

Do You Love Me?

Note: Our reading today concludes the Gospels and the fourth book of the New Testament and ninth book overall.

Today's reading includes John's record of the crucifixion and includes some poignant interchanges between Jesus, Mary, and His disciples. When Mary Magdaline reported that the tomb was empty, Peter and John ran to the grave site (20:3). John, who was much younger than Peter, outran Peter, but stopped (perhaps because of fear) short of entering the tomb. Brash Peter arrived and walked right in, then John followed. They observed what Mary did and in verse 9, the Bible states that they began to understand that Jesus had raised from the dead like He had promised.  After Peter and John left, Jesus appears unto Mary and makes Himself know by stating her name (v. 16).  No one can speak to a person like Jesus can and when He speaks, His voice is undeniable.  This had to be a great comfort to Mary Magdalene.

In chapter 21 there is an intimate verbal exchange between the risen Jesus and Peter. Having just instructed the fishermen to cast their net and catch 153 large fish, the disciples come to land and enjoy breakfast with Jesus.  After the meal the Lord asks Peter three time "Do you love me?" (21:15, 16, 17). Notice, it was after the meal.  Just a few days earlier after the Last Supper, Peter was asked by three people (see John 18:15-18, 25-27) if he was a disciple of Jesus and Peter denied Him three times. Jesus wanted Peter to reconsider his actions and look deep within himself.  The first two times Jesus asks Peter, He uses the Greek word agapao, meaning Divine love, for love.  Peter replies (in my opinion, honestly) using the Greek word phileo, meaning human love.  The third time Jesus asks Peter, Jesus uses phileo. To me, the significance of the wording is that Jesus wanted Peter to examine how he love Jesus. After each reply Jesus tells Peter to "feed my sheep."

Peter knew that without the Holy Spirit he could not love (agapao) Jesus in a Divine manner, thus he answered that he loved (phileo) Him in a human manner.  After receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter then could love Jesus and all believers with agapao and could also "feed the sheep."  Peter reflects and expounds on this great truth in his Epistle in 1 Peter 5:2-4, "Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly, not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor."

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.

John 16 - 18

Jesus' Final Prayer

John chapter 17 records Jesus' final public prayer before His crucifixion. It is an intercessory prayer on behalf of His followers and not a prayer asking for anything for Himself, personally.  The opening statement, "Father, the hour has come." sets the tone for the rest of the prayer. At this point Jesus is totally resigned to the fact that He will be crucified for the sins of Mankind and be the perfect sacrifice the Law demands, thus "the hour has come" there will be no more delay.  Judas had already set the trap for Jesus' betrayal  (see 18:2).

In the prayer, Jesus prays to "Father" a familiar term, an intimate term. He speaks to God, His Father, and our Father, on behalf of those who were given to the Son by the Father (v.9).  He asks for seven things in His prayer:

1. Glorify the Son as He has glorified the Father (v. 1) This is to establish that Jesus came to do the will of the Father only and not His own will.
2. Restore the Son back to the Eternal glory He had with the Father before the world began (v. 5). This ties in with John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word and 1:14 - and the Word became flesh. Jesus was returning back to His place in the Heavens as the Son of God.
3. He prays for the protection of those who were given to Him (v. 9) - protection from the world and its influences (v. 11) and protection from Satan (v. 15).
4. He prays that the Father will make them holy, i.e. sanctify them (v. 17) so they can learn His Word and Truth.
5. He prays for the unity of the believers-both current and future (v. 20)- with Him, the Father, and each other (v. 21 and 22)  that they may experience the love of God (v. 23).
6. He prays for the world might believe the message of unity (v. 21) as a witness that the Father sent the Son.
7. He prays that ultimately all believers will be with Him in Heaven (v. 24) and eternally experience the glory and love of God.

Jesus closes by reiterating His knowledge of the Father and His desire that they continue to see Him manifest the Father.

May God bless you and bless the reading of His Word.