A CLOSER LOOK AT THE NEW COVENANT

Jeremiah 31:31-33a: 31 "Behold, days are coming," declares Yahweh, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares Yahweh. 33 "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares Yahweh, "I will put my Law within them and on their heart I will write it;..."  

This is the prophesy of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah foresaw the day when God would institute a New Covenant that was not dependent upon either the Abrahamic Covenant or the Mosaic Covenant of the Law. This New Covenant would be written on and live in the hearts of those who know God.

That this New Covenant has come in the person of Jesus Christ is evidenced in the New Testament.

It is important to note that there is a distinction between the Old Covenant and the Old Testament; between the New Covenant and the New Testament.

The Testaments are the record of the two Covenants. The Covenants themselves are the actual agreements God made with His creation. The Old Testament testifies to the Old Covenant (and predicts the New). The New Testament testifies to the New Covenant.

As previously noted in this blog, there are many references to the New Covenant in the New Testament. The most powerful and the longest is in Hebrews (which I believe to be Paul's commentary to the Hebrew people on the book of Romans). It begins in chapter 6 as the history and "ground-work" is laid. It explodes in chapter 8 and is culminated in chapter 10, after which comes the great "faith" chapter.

Hebrews 8:1-7:

1Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

3 Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. 4 If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a] 6 But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

7 For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.

The high priest mentioned in verse 1 is, of course, Jesus Christ (Messiah).

Under the Old Covenant, priests collected and offered gifts and sacrifices to God, usually a "perfect lamb" or other four footed animal, if the donor could afford it, or perhaps a dove, which was less expensive.

The requirement was that the offerings be "perfect," which none of them were. But they were brought to the priest who would either accept or reject them. If he accepted them, they were considered perfect by the proclamation of the priest.

These were the same sorts of sacrifices that were being sold at the Temple when Jesus overturned the tables and proclaimed the space where they had been "...a den of thieves." The problem was, the priests were over charging for the offerings and were pocketing a great profit for themselves.

As we see in verse 4, the new high priest, Jesus, is no longer here. Because of the resurrection, He now sits on the throne in Heaven. In verse 5 we see that earthly priests are only "...a shadow," or wispy representation of the real High Priest.

In verse 6 we read: "...the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises."



That is one of the strongest statements that could possible be made about Jesus the New Covenant. It is SUPERIOR to the Old Covenant.

The Old Covenant depended upon rules, regulations and the Law. The New Covenant depends on, and only on Jesus. His Law is written on the hearts of those who come to know God through Him.

Hebrews 9:1 & 9:11-12

1 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ¹¹ But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here,^[a] he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. ¹² He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining^[b] eternal redemption.



This is exciting! No longer do we need to make sacrifices to God! The perfect sacrifice has already been made. As Paul's letters to Romans and to the Galatians tell us, we are freed by that perfect sacrifice from the law of sin and death!

There is a grave problem in our churches today. Under the guise of being "Bible believing," churches, they have tried to live with one foot in the New Covenant and one foot in the Old. That is both unfortunate and impossible to carry out.

The result of this charade is that Christians are not allowed to be truely free in Christ. They are still bound by the precepts and practices of the Old Covenant. They believe Christ's admonition that they "obey His commands" requires them to follow most (but certainly not all, due to "cultural considerations") of the Old Covenant rules.

Now, as Paul is quick to point out in both Romans and Galatians, we are not to use our freedom in Christ to justify sin. We are to realize that because we are free in Christ, we will no longer want to do those "things of the flesh" because we have God's Law of Love written in our hearts.

John tells us in I John 2:1 & 2 that if we DO sin, we have an "advocate," a lawyer, as it were, representing us to the Father and confirming our innocence through His perfect blood sacrifice.

What a joy it is to realize that we have this wonderful High Priest, who has given us a New Covenant by which we can now live in the asurance of our salvation apart from the Law!

That's "shoutin' ground!"

BUILDING A BIBLE BASED CHURCH Part 02

STEPS TO CHURCH GROWTH

Church growth means more than just increasing numbers, it also means maturing the numbers (which represent people) that you already have.

There are four main practices by which a church experiences growth:

1.  Personal contact

2. Advertising

3. Serendipity

4. Constant Prayer

Personal Contact

Statistics indicate that up to 90% of most churches’ visitors are invited to come by someone they know.

The trouble with this is the low percentage of attendees who are inviting friends and neighbors to come visit their church.

Growth by personal contact requires that the number of personal contacts made by members and regular attendees increase.

How can the number of personal contacts be increased?

a. Discovery – Develop a way to discover potential attendees.
b. Make contacts deliberate – There must be some method of assigning contacts to people that they will accept and follow up on.
c. Accountability – Establish a method of recording those contacts.
d. Follow-up – Several different regular methods of follow-up need to be put in place.
e. Coordination – The effort for growth must be coordinated, perhaps through an existing organization (such as the Sunday School) or through a person, group or committee.

Advertising

Saddleback Community Church, under the leadership of Rick Warren, made heavy use of advertising in its early years.

Advertising pays for itself in that when it results in a new attendee, that person is likely to make a contribution to the church, thus covering the per person cost of that advertisement. That must not be the motive for advertising, but it is the result, more often than not.

To be effective, advertising must do three things:

1. Attract the attention of the viewer/hearer.
2. Hold the attention of the viewer/hearer long enough for him/her to know what it’s about.
3. Elicit a response from the viewer/hearer.

Advertising that is cluttered with too much information will be ignored.

There’s an old adage in advertising: White space (space where there are no words) sells.

That means that peoples’ eyes need to be immediately focused on the point of the advertising.

Advertising must be clear, stating the who, what, where and when of what the viewer/hearer needs to know and perhaps one or two significant draws (such as a concert and its performer).

An effective web site is one form of advertising that will be frequented by the more contemporary prospect.

Remember these things about web sites:

1. A web site should be easy to find, easy to read, and easy to navigate.
2. Fancy or tricky elements in a web site should be avoided at all costs.  They might be artistic, but they will quickly drive people away.
3. Remember the white space sells adage and avoid a cluttered web site.
4. Burying information behind a series of links will discourage the reader from pursuing information online.  Necessary links should be on the front page of the web site.
5. Really important information should be on the front page of the church’s web site.
6. Frequent side bar information on a web site should feature special events, which will frequently change.
7. Every document produced by the church should have the web site URL printed on it, as should all other advertising.

A well designed, attractive and highly visible sign at the church site can be an effective form of advertising, again remembering the white space sells rule.

Serendipity

Some people will find your church when driving by or through some other “accidental” means.

There must be some mechanism in place to discover them, greet them, seat them, give them information about the church and help to find their way around in it.

Greeters should be in place to recognize visitors, encourage them with sincere smiles, and hand them pertinent information about the church, perhaps in the form of an introductory brochure.

An active reception area (vestibule) that gets their attention would be helpful.

The reception area might include:

1. A “Visitor Welcome Station,” where name tags could be handed to visitors.
2. A missions center showing a continuous DVD of recent mission trips
3. A continuous DVD showing various ministries of the church, such as the Youth Ministry, SAM, AWANA, Children’s Church, Sunday School, Christian growth opportunities, choir, etc.
4. Ushers prepared to actively help visitors find a place to sit comfortably.

Constant prayer

Prayer is listed last, but should be practiced first.

Prayer should not be focused on numbers, but on discovering God’s vision for the church and how it is to reach people with the gospel for Him, teach people about Him and grow people in Him.

In other words, prayer should be about discovering what God is doing and getting on board with Him to get it done.

The Biblical admonition to be constantly in prayer is a matter of focus and attitude. Each church member should be trained in how to be in prayer constantly, not just in formal, corporate settings.

Practical considerations

These are some of the practical practices that can be implemented to achieve church growth.

In addition to these, there are specific ministries that will encourage growth and those will be addressed in an upcoming post.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Great Is the Lord Almighty-Dennis Jernigan

A Study in Acts Week 6

Acts Chapter 6

Verses 1-7 – There were two groups of Jews, one spoke Greek, the other Hebrew. Each group believed in and followed the customs of its respective culture. The Apostles were having some issues keeping the Good News before both groups and dealing with their differences.

They gathered the groups together (sort of the first “congregational” form of church governance) and selected some men to help them with the administration of the groups while they concentrated on preaching the gospel.

They chose Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolaus. Nicolaus was a Gentile from Antioch who had followed the Jewish religion.

Some theologians consider these to be the first deacons. The deacon’s job is to take the pressure off of the pastor so he can preach the gospel and pray. At least that’s what the Bible indicates. In effect, they are to “run interference” for him.

In I Timothy the guidance for the selection of deacons is almost the same as that of the selection of the pastor. That’s because they are called to the same ministry.

Remember, the church was growing exponentially and the work was more than the Apostle could keep up with.

The apostles said a prayer and they put their hands on the men. Note that no “big deal” is made of the prayer. The “laying on of hands,” according to some theologians, was something akin to a handshake to indicate a covenant or contract.

That would not be to say there is anything wrong with what is practiced today as “the laying on of hands,” only that the Bible says what the Bible says about it: very little. The laying on of hands in the early church was a means of connecting the message with the messenger.

Even many Jewish and pagan priests became believers in Christ.

Verses 8-15 – Stephen was a very effective minister, but some people didn't like him (surprised?).  Some “followers” just don’t like the wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit. (They were probably Jews pretending to be followers). These men paid somebody to say bad things about Stephen.

Stephen was brought before the Sanhedrin. His face was shining with the same glow that had come upon Moses when he brought the Law from the mountain.

Stephen had grace, power and wisdom as he prepared to take a stand for Christ.

We, too, must be willing to stand for Him as noted in I Cor 15:58, Eph 6:14, II Thes 2:15 and other places.

MATTHEW 28:16-20 A CLOSER LOOK

Remember, this was after the resurrection. When the disciples went to the assigned mountain, they saw Jesus.

The word for “saw” is the Greek word: eidom. It means to know, to be acquainted with.  Its use here tells us that they recognized Jesus, even after His resurrection.

When they saw Him, they worshiped Him.

These men, because of their background, would never have considered worshiping anyone except God. The fact that they worshiped Jesus and He allowed them to do so, confirms His words, “I and the Father are one. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

“…but some doubted” (verse 17).

Have you ever used the expression, “I can’t believe my eyes?” Suppose Publisher’s Clearing House appeared at your door and presented you with a check for $10 million. You’d say, “You’re kidding, right?” That’s what happened here.

The word for “doubted” is the Greek: edistasan, whose root is distazo. The idea here is a sort of doubtful amazement.

Jesus then asserts His authority. He does not say “I've been given lots of influence,” nor does He say, “I am in a very authoritative position, here.” He says “ALL authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

He uses the Greek word, pas, which means “every.” It leaves no room for discussion. It means “all and all of all.”

Jesus is the ultimate authority over everything: the universe; the earth; the seas; the air…whatever you can think of (and much you can’t imagine). That’s a lot of authority.

Because He has this authority, He can tell you what to do…that’s the “therefore.”

The imperative, “go” is a command from the One who is the Commander.

Jesus tells his disciples to go and “…make disciples.” In the King James version, the word is translated “teach,” which is correct if you still speak 1611 English, but it is wrong is you speak 21st century English.

The emphasis here is NOT bringing them to salvation. It is what you do with them AFTER they are saved. However, It can indicate a sort of training toward becoming a Christian.

The Greek root is math, and it is used here as mathetes, which means “to train.”

It is so sad that preachers, theologians, Sunday School teachers and others believe that disciples can be made from the pulpit or the teaching lectern. That is impossible.

Training is what one does with a dog. It requires repeating an activity until it is ingrained in the brain.

The same is true with people.  Teaching them is one thing, discipling them is quite another.

Discipleship training is showing the pupil how to put into action what he has learned and then helping him practice it until it becomes second nature to him. It should be done with every new believer and should continue throughout the rest of his life.

Disciples are to be baptized as the first step in their training and the baptism is done “in the name of,” which is significant beyond explanation. It means to use God’s complete name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That’s the unfathomable Trinity.

In verse 20 Jesus uses the phrase: “…teaching them to obey (KJV: observe – which means the same thing) everything I have commanded you.”

The word Jesus uses here is the Greek: didasko.  This word means, “to teach.” Unlike mathetes, didasko CAN be done from the pulpit or the teaching lectern. It can even be done person-to-person.

The subject of what we are to teach is everything Jesus has commanded; that is: Love God with all your heart, mind soul and strength and your neighbor as yourself. He said everything in the Ten Commandments is wrapped up in those two. Everything He did in the presence of His disciples reflected those two commands.

With His closing words, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” Jesus gives us His ultimate assurance that He will neither leave us nor forsake us.

Mathew 28:16-20, “The Great Commission,” is chock-full of deep meaning and is a call to action like no other.

GET IT RIGHT OR DON'T BOTHER

Many criteria have been put forth concerning the interpretation of Scripture.

You have heard the expression, "Scripture must interpret Scripture," and it is true to a great extent.

The problem with that approach is that if you use scripture incorrectly, the Scripture you have used incorrectly will incorrectly interpret the Scripture you are trying to correctly interpret.

You have also heard that context is important, and it is.

But context can include the immediate context, the context of the chapter, the context of the particular book and the context of the Bible as a whole. Indeed, all of those contexts must be taken into account.

The study of the original texts can always be an issue in interpretation. Here we run into the issue of translation, which is always difficult.

For instance, you might read in French: "Ma montre marche tres bien." Literally translated that would mean: "My watch walks very well." But that would never be a correct translation into English. We would correctly translate that: "My watch is running well," or "My watch is correct."

There are many other devices and methods for Scripture interpretation, but there is one that works 100% of the time for every verse of the Bible, and it guarantees a correct meaning.

It begins with understanding that the Bible is not a history book, although it contains the best history of the beginning, of Israel and of Christianity ever written.

Neither is the Bible a biography, although it is the best biography of the patriarchs and of Jesus ever written.

It is not a science book, although when the Bible and science seem to conflict, the Bible is always right.

The Bible is not a "plan for life" book, although if you need a plan for your life, there is no better place to turn than God's Word.

The Bible is God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

That description is accurate and gives us the basis for understanding every verse of Scripture. If you can apply that definition of the Bible, you don't need a seminary degree, deep theology, an understanding of Hebrew or Greek or any scholarly background to correctly interpret a verse or passage.

When interpreting Scripture, three questions must be answered about the particular passage: 1) What is this passage teaching about the character of God?; 2) What is this passage teaching about God's love for His creation; and 3) What is this passage teaching about God's plan for the redemption of His creation?

If you can answer these three questions, you will interpret any passage of Scripture correctly.

More importantly, if you do NOT answer all three of these questions concerning a particular verse or passage, you will get the interpretation wrong every time.

There are many ways we can "apply" Scripture, some of them legitimate, most of the illegitimate. But if we will learn to apply the three criteria listed above, we will not only understand what God is all about, but we will move toward the unity in Christ that is one of the Bible's major themes.

Press on! Apply the three principles of Biblical interpretation and find a new joy and excitement when you read and study God's Holy Word!

CHOIR DIRECTORS MAY NOT BE THE BRIGHTEST LAMPS IN THE CAVE

I've been a choir director for over 50 years. I love it as much today as I did when I first started.

I think I'm qualified to pick a little fun on choir directors, so here goes.

A choir director was complaining to his friend about constantly being called a dumb choir director. His friend tells him, "Go do something to prove them wrong! Why don't you learn all the state capitals or something?"

The choir director thinks this is a great idea, and locks himself up for two weeks studying.


The next party he goes to, some guy is making dumb choir director comments. He gets all indignant and claims, "I'm NOT a dumb choir director. In fact, I can name ALL the state capitals!"

The guy doesn't believe him, so the choir director dares him to give him a test. He says "Okay, what's the Capital of Montana?"

The choir director shouts in triumph and says, "That's easy! It's ‘M’!"

THERE ARE COVENANTS AND THEN THERE ARE COVENANTS

A covenant is an agreement, but it is much more than that.

The word for “covenant” in Hebrew comes from the root word that means “to cut.” A ceremony was usually associated with a covenant between men. This particular ceremony was characterized by two men making an agreement and then passing through the cut bodies of slain animals to seal it.

Covenants are part of the central theme of the Old Testament. There are four major covenants: 1)The covenant with Noah; 2) The covenant with Abraham; 3) The covenant with Moses and 4) the Covenant with David.

Many theologians consider the four major Old Testament covenants as separate. They are more properly understood as a unit that reveals the very character of God, His love for His creation and ultimately His plan for its redemption.

The Old Covenant (properly understood to be the four major covenants, collectively) was one of the anticipation of the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption for His creation. That plan was consummated by the New Covenant.

The New Covenant (see the chart from Wednesday, February 6), has a name. His name is Jesus, Messiah, Redeemer, Savior, Lion of Judah, Prince of Peace, and other descriptives.

The New Covenant is the new agreement God has made with mankind, based on the death and resurrection of Christ for the remission of sin. It is a covenant with the most significant “ceremony” ever devised associated with it: the blood of Christ.

Paul told us at the Last Supper that Jesus had described the cup as “the new covenant in My blood” (I Corinthians 11:25).

Unlike the Old Covenant, the New Covenant is for all of mankind, regardless of race or national origin.

The New Covenant is the fulfillment of the Old Covenant as prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34, “Behold the days are coming, say the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out…” 

The gospel is the central theme of the New Covenant.

If we are to call ourselves “Christians,” we must realize that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled in Christ and that we cannot stand with one theological foot in the Old Covenant and one in the New.

We must choose which one we will embrace, and that choice means the difference between eternal death under the Law and eternal life under the New Covenant.

BUILDING A BIBLE BASED CHURCH Part 01

The person who taught me the most about how to meet the needs of God’s Church, His people, was Pastor Harold Brown.

I was the Minister of Education, Music and Youth. I knew music and I knew youth, but the only experience I had had with Christian Education was what I got in college and from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary extension courses I took.

In other words, nothing. They teach a lot of theology in Bible college. They teach a lot of  philosophy in Bible college. They even teach a lot of Bible. They teach a warped brand of pseudo-spirituality that does not translate into real life and they teach a strange mixture of “isms” that I call “theosophy.”

Applying that tripe in the real world of meeting Christians where they are and helping them to grow is a wasted endeavor.

What I learned from Harold Brown was how to effectively lead people to real spiritual growth using the principles laid out in God’s word.

When you look at the building of the Temple in I Kings, chapters 5 through 8, you see the phenomenal physical preparations that God instructed Solomon to make. You also see the way God spiritually prepared Solomon for the task. Finally, you see the immense attention to practical detail that God showed Solomon.

Pastor Brown taught me how that same process (which is also found in myriad other places in Scripture) plays out in the local church.

First and foremost, Harold taught me that if we want a strong, lasting worship service we have to build a strong Bible Study ministry. If we want to train many people to works of service, we have to build a strong Bible Study ministry. If we want a good music program that effectively teaches all age groups to participate, we have to build a strong Bible Study ministry. If we want a strong missions ministry, we have to build a strong Bible Study ministry.

In other words, a church that tries to set the worship service as it’s foundation might see gain over the short term due to the force of the personality at the top, but long-term, effective spiritual growth is achieved through the Bible Study ministry. That is because it is not dependent on the personality of the staff, but on the actual lay leaders in the church.

At the church I was serving, in three years, through a strong Bible Study ministry, we doubled in size, had to build a second educational complex, which was paid for before it was completed, enlarged the worship center and had seen dozens come to Christ, including two men who had served as deacons for as long as anybody could remember.

Here is the methodology he taught me to follow:

1. Prayer – not as an exercise, but as a constant moment-by-moment attitude of the heart to know God’s will for the next event in my life.
2. Preparation – not reinventing the wheel, but using the principles of God’s Word as they apply to the provision of His people’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
3. Organization – not for the sake of organization, but in order to follow God’s Word as seen in many places, not the least of which is Numbers, chapter 2: the organization of the tents of Israel in such a way that Balam could not curse them.
4. A realization that God’s Holy Spirit does not have a “new” way of doing things. Some principles He has already establish and we don’t have to ask Him for His leadership in them…we just need to find out what they are and to do them.
5. Following the Holy Spirit is not some mystical, magical, ethereal, metaphysical occurrence, but is a direct result of finding what He has already laid out for us the God’s Word.

There were five Spirit led steps that we took to accomplish what God was leading us to do:

1. We examined and discovered the needs of our community through effective, easy surveys that helped us find out who was there and who needed what.
2. We enlarged the organization by structuring ourselves for growth, including establishing classes for which there were not yet any members, so that when they came they would have a specific, pre-determined place to go (an early version of “if you build it they will come”).
3. We enlisted teachers and leaders and trained them to properly conduct a Bible Study class built on the Word of God, sound doctrine and meeting the needs of the people where they were in life. We trained teachers in regular sessions that let them go through the steps of teaching a Bible Study lesson for the particular age group to which they were being asked to minister. We discovered that it took about 15 leaders to grow by 50 members, a number that was not a formula, just a result we experienced.
4. We provided the physical space for Bible Study classes to meet. We “discovered” that to start five new units, five “spaces” were needed, not necessarily rooms. Not necessarily at the church.
5. We established a method of going after people, using the surveys we had done in step one and inviting them to the transformational Bible Study groups for all ages and stages we knew as Sunday School.

This is the Holy Spirit’s method of reaching people on a more than superficial level and for providing for their understanding of the word of God.

We learned that to enlist a hodge-podge of teachers not specifically trained in right doctrine, not properly trained to lead a Bible Study class, not in tune with the overall objective and goals of the church and not exposed to an on-going training process is to invite disaster.

From this ministry, we were able to recruit and train people for many areas of service. We trained them locally, sent them to special seminars and helped them grow in their area of ministry.

On any given Sunday we had close to 300 in Sunday School and between 100 and 150 being trained for ministry as teachers, deacons, song leaders, singers, fellowship leaders, missions leaders for adults, youth, children and preschoolers, and many other ministries, all to the glory of God.

I thank God for leading me to Herald Brown, who walked me step-by-step through the process of becoming an effective Minister of Education.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Vicki Yoh'e - Almighty

A Study in Acts Week 5

Acts Chapter 5

Verses 1-11 – Here is the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Like Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira sold their land for money. Barnabas gave all of his proceeds to the church. That would be 100%. Ananaias and Sapphira said they had given it all, but they actually held some back for themselves.

This is not an issue of the amount of money, it is an issue of the heart.

Under the New Covenant, we are to give everything we are, everything we have and everything we say and do to the Lord out of a reaction of love for Him.

If our churches could learn New Covenant giving, there would never be a “budget short-fall,” for that would be impossible.

The reason churches refuse to accept the New Covenant is because they do not trust its message. Pastors are afraid of it and won’t abandon the Old Covenant concept of giving. Many pastors see the Old Covenant as something we can keep one foot in while we keep the other foot in the New Covenant.

That absolutely will not work for the Kingdom of God. If we try to do that, we are “dead meat,” spiritually. And the stress from trying to do so will kill just a surely as Ananias and Sapphira died.

Verses 12-16 – The Apostles exercised the Apostolic gifts. Remember, an Apostle is someone who had come into direct, physical contact with Jesus.

The people thought Peter’s shadow had some sort of power. They were superstitious. This is no different from “prayer cloths,” “holy water,” and other worldly superstitions about religious artifacts, prayer and the like. These things are not magic and have no “supernatural” power. Only God has supernatural power.

 Verses 17-21 – The high priests, the Sanhedrin, the Sadducees and other Jewish “leaders” were still leading in the persecution of Christians. Meanwhile, the Apostles had gone into the Temple to preach and teach.

Verses 22-26 – The high priest and the Sanhedrin arrested the Apostles. An angel let them out and told them to stand in the Temple to preach again. The arresting officers were dumbfounded, because the locks were still on the prison doors. “How in the world did they get out?”

When they got word that the Apostles were preaching at the Temple, they arrested them again.

Verses 27-32 – The Apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin who chastised them for disobeying the order that they stop preaching. They were being implicated in the death of Jesus, and that made them very nervous (after all, it was true—politicians and religious leaders don’t like the truth, in spite of what they might tell you). The Apostles took a stand for Jesus.

That is the issue for us today. We must either take a stand for Jesus or we are relegated to those who stand against Him. There is no middle ground.

The message the Apostles were preaching had 5 parts: 1) God had sent Jesus. God was ‘our fathers’ God and Israel was His chosen nation. 2)  The Jewish leaders had killed Jesus whom God had sent; 3) Jesus was now sitting at God’s right side. Jesus was now Ruler and Saviour; 4) Now, people would have to repent and if they did that, God would forgive them because of what Jesus had done and 5) The Apostles had to tell it to everyone so they would believe the message, repent and would receive the Holy Spirit.

Verses 33-42 – The respected man,Gamaliel, introduced logic to the Sanhedrin. “If their plans and actions come from human ideas, it will all disappear. v39 But if it comes from God, it will not disappear.” Even in the face of continued persecution, it did not disappear.

The Good News of faith in, and only in, the finished work of Christ is still with us, and we must take our stand for it.

NEW COVENANT GIVING-Part 1

You know the story of the "Rich Young Man," as recorded in Matthew 19:16-22.

The man approached Jesus and asked, "Rabbi (teacher), what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"

Before we look at Jesus' answer, let's remember that Matthew was written expressly for the benefit of God's chosen people, the Jews.

This rich young man was a practicing Jew, and Jesus' response to him was one that a "good" Jew would understand.

First, Jesus recognized the proper Jewish perspective of God. "Why do you ask me about what is good. There is only One who is good."

That's pretty interesting, because Jesus clearly identified Himself as one with God (John 10:30, et.al.)

Then He offers the Jewish belief about salvation, "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."

Wanting to be sure of himself, the young man asks, "Which ones?"

Here is is important to understand the structure of the Ten Commandments. The first part of the Ten Commandments deal with man's relationship to God, while the last part deals with man's relationship to man.

Jesus elected to focus on the last part, "Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your rather and mother and love your neighbor as yourself."

Many people claim to be good because they "follow the Ten Commandments." When they are asked to name them, most leave out the first section and list the last six. Usually they do not know, nor do they care to follow the first four.

The young man professed to have followed the last six Commandments, since he was a good Jew and wanted to let Jesus know that. He seemed to realize that something was lacking in his life; either that or he was being a little sarcastic.

"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"

Jesus' answer is the point of this post.

Read carefully. "Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect..."

Wait a minute! The young man had just given what he thought was evidence that he WAS perfect. Jesus indicates that there is more to it than that.

"...go, sell 10% of your possessions and give to the poor..."

Actually, He did not say that.

Instead, Jesus revealed the requirement of the New Covenant, which was not 10%, but 100%!

"...go, sell ALL of your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."

Do you remember when Jesus praised the widow who gave her two mites? The word for "mite" is  A lepton, and it is equal to one tenth of a penny (in old English). This is in Mark 12:42 and again in Luke 21:2.

Notice that Jesus did not commend her for giving a tithe. In fact, He accosted the Pharisees for thinking they were so good for giving only a tenth of their entire income. He complimented her for giving all she had, not 10%, but 100%.

Jesus, being the embodiment of the New Covenant, then said to the rich young man, "Then come, follow me."

Under the New Covenant, God has provided everything we need at the cross of Calvary. Realizing that we cannot repay Him, He then asks for what we can give: ourselves...completely over to Him, holding absolutely nothing in reserve.

That includes, but is not restricted to: our income, our talent, our time, our possessions, our love and our very lives.

Christians will not find all of the joy of their salvation until they commit to, and enter into, the New Covenant wholeheartedly. They cannot afford to keep one foot in the Old Covenant and one in the New Covenant.

That's a recipe for spiritual disaster, whether you are a theologian, a seminarian, a Bible school graduate or a lay person.

Learn to live the joy of the New Covenant! Do it today!

The Old Covenant Compared to the New Covenant

Throughout the Church Age, there have been many religious institutions and groups that have advocated the keeping of certain Old Testament laws.

The two most popular Old Testament laws today are tithing and Sabbath keeping. Some groups take the concept so far as to wear fringes on their underwear!

There is nothing wrong with someone setting aside money or time to the Lord, but there is something wrong with using Old Testament rules and regulations as the basis for doing so.

Christians are to rely on the Holy Spirit, as revealed in the New Testament Scriptures, for our direction and not the Mosaic Law.

The following Scriptures show that the Old Covenant was fulfilled and is no longer in effect, and that Christ, through the leadership of the Holy Spirit, revealed in the New Testament, is the present manifestation of God's direction for our lives.

Old Covenant (Abrahamic by extension & Mosaic)-Black
New Covenant (By Our New High Priest - Christ)-Red
Old covenant - II Corinthians 3:14 
New covenant - II Corinthians 3:6
First covenant - Hebrews 8:7, 9:1 
Second covenant – Hebrews 8:7, 10:1-9
Came by Moses - John 1:17 
Came by Christ - Hebrews 8:6, 9:15
Law of Moses - Acts 13:38-39 
Law of Christ - Galatians 6:2
Law of sin - Romans 7:5-6 
Law of righteousness – Romans 9:30-31
Law of the flesh – Romans 7:5-6 
Law of the Spirit – Romans 8:2
Not of faith – Galatians 3:2 
Law of faith - Romans 3:27
Yoke of bondage - Galatians 5:1 
Law of liberty-  James 1:25
Ended by Christ – Romans 10:4 
Established by Christ – Hebrews 8:6, 10:9
Law of death - II Corinthians 3:7 
Law of life – Galatians. 3:11, 6:8
Entangles – Galatians 5:1 
Makes free - John 8:32, 36
A shadow – Colossians 2:14-17 
The reality – Hebrews 10:1-18
Fulfilled – Matthew 5:17-18 
Now in force – Hebrews 8:6, 10:9
Leaves imperfect – Hebrews 7:19 
Makes perfect – Hebrews 7:19
Glorious - II Corinthians 3:7 
More glorious - II Corinthians 3:8-10
Powerless to save – Hebrews 9:9, 10:4 
Saves to uttermost – Hebrews 7:25
Many sacrifices – Hebrews 9:12-13 
One sacrifice for sin – Hebrews 10:12
Temporary priest – Hebrews 7:23 
Eternal priest – Hebrews 7:17
Remembers sins – Hebrews 10:3
Forgets sins – Hebrews 8:12, 10:17
Yearly atonement – Hebrews 10:3
Eternal atonement – Hebrews 10:14
Priests have sin – Hebrews 5:1-4 
Sinless priest – Hebrews 7:26
Aaronic priesthood  - Hebrews 7:11 
Melchisedec priesthood – Hebrews 5:5-10, 7:21
Out of Levi – Hebrews 7:11 
Out of Judah - Hebrews 7:14
Animal sacrifices – Hebrews 9:12 
Human sacrifice – Hebrews 9:14-28
Earthly tabernacle – Hebrews 9:2 
Heavenly tabernacle – Hebrews 8:2
Imperfect mediator – Galatians 3:19 
Sinless mediator - I Timothy 2:5
No inheritance – Romans 4:13 
Eternal inheritance – Hebrews 9:15
Instituted upon animal blood – Hebrews 9:16-22 
Instituted upon blood of Christ – Matthew 26-28
Law of works – Romans 3:27 
Law of grace and faith - John 1:17
Works wrath - Romans 4:15 
Saves from wrath – Romans 5:9
Non-redeeming – Hebrews 10:4 
Redeems - Gal. 3:13, & Hebrews 9:12-15
Non-pleasing – Psalm 40:6 
Pleasing to God – Hebrews 10:5-18
Abolishment predicted – Isaiah. 51:6 
Establishment predicted – Hebrews 8:7
Circumcision – Exodus. 12:48 
No circumcision – Romans 4:9-12
Made to change - Hebrews 7:12 & Galatians. 3:25 
Made eternal – Hebrews 13:20
Faulty – Hebrews 8:7 
Perfect - James 1:25
Weak  - Hebrews 7:18 
Strong – Hebrews 7:25
Unprofitable – Hebrews 7:18 
Profitable – Hebrews 7:19,25
Natural program – Hebrews 9:10-14 
Spiritual program - II Corinthians 3:6, 18
Daily program – Hebrews 7:27 
Finished program – Hebrews 10:10-18
Infirm high priests – Hebrews 5:2, 7:28 
Perfect high priest – Hebrews 7:26
Made priests by law – Hebrews 7:12, 28 
Made priests by an oath – Hebrews 7:21, 28
No salvation – Hebrews 10:2-4 
Eternal salvation – Hebrews 5:9, 10:10
Perfected nothing – Hebrews 7:19 
Perfects believers – Hebrews 7:19, 10:14
Earthly priests – Hebrews 5:1-4 
Heavenly priest – Hebrews 9:24, 10:12
Repeated inability – Hebrews 10:11 
Glorious success – Hebrews 10:10-18
Many offerings – Hebrews 9:7 
One offering – Hebrews 10:10-14
Good promises – Deuteronomy. 28:1-14 
Better promises – Hebrews 8:6
A good covenant – Romans 7:12 
A better covenant – Hebrews 7:22, 8:6
Many high priests – Hebrews 7:23
One high priest – Hebrews 7:24-28
Typical tabernacle – Hebrews 9 
True tabernacle – Hebrews 8:2, 9:11
No mercy – Hebrews 10:28 
Complete mercy – Hebrews 8:12
Handmade things – Hebrews 9:1-5, 24 
Not handmade – Hebrews 9:23-24
An old way – Hebrews 8:13 
New and living way – Hebrews 10:19-20
Unavailing ministers – Hebrews 7:18 
Able ministers - II Corinthians 3:6
Carnal ministry – Hebrews 9:9-10 
Spiritual ministry - II Corinthians 3:6
Ministration of condemnation - II Corinthians. 3:9 
Ministration of righteousness - II Corinthians. 3:9
Glory covered - II Corinthians 3:13 
Glory uncovered - II Corinthians 3:18
Brings bondage – Galatians 4:24-25 
Brings liberty - II Corinthians 3:17
Cannot justify – Galatians. 2:16 
Does justify - Acts 13:38-39
Brings a curse - Galatians 3:10 
Redeems from the curse – Galatians 3:13
Live by works – Galatians 3:10 
Live by faith – Galatians 3:11
Cannot give life – Galatians 3:21 
Does give life - John 6:63-68
Exposes sin – Galatians 3:19 
Covers sin - Romans 4:1-8
Under law - Romans 6:14-15 
Under grace – Galatians 3:22-25
Done away - II Corinthians 3:7-14 
Not done away - II Corinthians 3:11
Abolished - II Corinthians 3:13 
Continues glorious - II Corinthians 3:11
Ministry of death - II Corinthians 3:7 
Reconciliation ministry - II Corinthians 5:18
For Israel only - Deuteronomy 4:7-8, 5:3 
For all men - Luke 22:20 & Mark 14:24

One of the saddest characteristics of Christian leadership today is its propensity to “keep one foot in the Old Covenant and the other foot in the New Covenant.”

The two will not mix. We must either live under the Old Covenant or we must live under the New Covenant. We cannot do both.

This is not about “Law vs Grace,” although that certainly is a part of the equation. Neither is it about “Old Testament vs New Testament.” It is about what or who is to be followed.

Many Christians call themselves “Bible Believing,” but are selective in what parts of the Bible they believe. They are also prone to using Old Testament scripture to guide or even control present day behavior.

Under the Old Covenant, God dealt with His people’s sin through the anticipation of Messiah. Under the New Covenant, sin is completely dealt with by the accomplishment of the blood of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

Under the Old Covenant, God’s Law governed behavior. Under the New Covenant, the leadership of the Holy Spirit, as revealed in the New Testament, governs behavior.

 All of the issues a church faces, doctrinal, behavioral, giving, relating to one another, and more will be resolved when the church realizes and submits to life under the New Covenant alone.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Favorite Song of All-Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

A Study in Acts Week 4

Acts Chapter 4

Verses 1-4 – Peter and John had been teaching about the resurrection and how they had witnessed it. Why do you suppose the Sadducees were angry? It was because they didn't believe in a resurrection (or Heaven), and the proclamation that Jesus had resurrected would have contradicting their pre-conceived notion.

The Sadducees, who had influence with Rome, had Peter and John thrown in prison. Even so, about 5,000 men (not to mention women and children) came to know Christ.

Verses 5-12 – The Sanhedrin (a special group of Jews that met together to be judges over the people, led by the high priest) had to decide whether Peter and John were guilty of a crime. They wanted to know how Peter and John had done this miracle (as though it were some form of trickery).

The Holy Spirit led Peter and John in what to say. They gave all the credit to Jesus Christ. They presented the healed man as their evidence.

In this passage, “the builders” represented the Jewish nation by which God chose to reveal His plan of salvation. “The stone the builders rejected” was Jesus. He became the most important stone in a building, the “cornerstone.” Through Him, God’s kingdom would be built.

Verses 13-22 – The Sanhedrin recognized two things about Peter and John: they were uneducated and they were boldly powerful. Peter and John’s message left them speechless.

They instructed the disciples not to speak of this resurrected Jesus again. Most specifically, they told them not to speak with His authority. But Peter and John chose to obey God rather than man.

Public pressure prevented the Sanhedrin from punishing Peter and John any further. For this the people praised God!

Verses 23-31 – What did the believers do when they heard the story related to them? They prayed. They praised God in prayer. They noted that all of those in authority had tried to stop God and His Messiah, Jesus, but they could not. They offered themselves as servants of God to do good works in spite of the likelihood of persecution.

Verses 32-34 –The members of the first church cared about each other. They did not just say that they cared. They showed their love by what they did. People still owned things. But they would share these things with anyone who needed them. Some believers owned land or houses. If anyone needed money, these people sold their land or houses. Nobody forced them to do this. They wanted to help each other.

Verses 35-37 – The Greek words here mean that people would put the money down ‘at the apostles’ feet’. This showed that people were offering it to God.

Luke mentions Barnabas’ gift. Barnabas was from the large group that was made up of Levi’s relatives. Each Israelite belonged to a large group like this. There were 12 such large families. Levi’s group served God in the Temple.

Later in Acts, we will read more about Barnabas ("Son of Encouragement"). He traveled with Paul and he worked with him.

As God began to spread the good news among around the world, he provided evidence of His love, mercy and grace as He enabled the Apostles to do miraculous things.

Jesus had said His followers would be able to do greater things than He had done (John 14:12). He had raised people from the dead. What could be greater than that? What are those greater things?

There is no greater (or more impossible) miracle than the changing of a person’s heart that leads to repentance of sin and trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Come Just As You Are-Unknown Artist

A Study in Acts Week 3

Acts Chapter 3

Verses 1-10 – One of the characteristics of the healings recorded in the New Testament is that they  occurred immediately. The only exception was when Jesus healed a blind man (Mark 8:22-26).

First the man could only see formless people walking around. The second time Jesus touched him he was healed completely. Perhaps Jesus healed the occipital lobe of the brain, which receives images first, then healed the rest of it: the parts that use the information to move the eyes, navigate through space, direct hand motion, remember what had been seen, recognize objects,etc.

Here Peter heals a crippled beggar. The man had asked for money, but neither Peter nor John had an;y to give. Instead, they gave him something more precious than money or healing. They brought him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Verses 11-16 – Here Peter speaks to the Jews in the Temple. They had come to find out what was going on.

Peter used the words ‘The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’. These are the same words that God used in Exodus 3:6, 15, when God introduced himself to Moses.

This miracle happened because God had glorified Jesus (given great honor and power). He had given power to His disciples to act in His name.

Peter tells them that Jesus’ blood was on their shoulders, but that thought they had killed Him, God had raised Him.

Peter acknowledges that the men had acted in ignorance (“…for they know not what they do.”).  He explained how all of this had been prophesied by “…prophets long ago (verse 21).”

He implored them to repent and realize that Jesus was their awaited Messiah.

Three things Peter said would happen if they would turn to Jesus: 1) God would forgive their sin (verse 19); 2) He would give them peace (times of refreshing-verse19) and 3)He wold send Jesus, Messiah (the anointed one).

He does the same for us when we repent and turn to Christ, trusting in, and only in, His finished work at the cross of Calvary.

Verses 17-26 – Now Peter recounts the words of Moses from Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 & 19.  This was to remind them that the one who received the Old Covenant had predicted the Christ of the New Covenant. He tells them that all of the prophets had pointed to this same Christ.

As we will see in Chapter 4, this sermon did not sit well with our old friends the priests and the Sadducees.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Bow the Knee-Russell Mauldin

A Study in Acts Week 2

Acts Chapter 02

Verses 1-4 – Pentecost was 50 days after Passover. This was the day the Jews commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses. For the Christian, this is the third in the series of important events: 1) the crucifixion; 2) the resurrection and now 3) the giving of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it interesting that we have 3 major events to begin the Christian experience?

The Holy Spirit was not a wind. For want of a better description, Luke records that His coming was like a wind. Likewise, he tells us that, although the Holy Spirit was not a tongue of fire, His anointing of each person present seemed like fire. This is reminiscent of the burning bush when God gave the Ten Commandments.

When we trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary and His resurrection, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who stays in us and fills us all.

In this instance, the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the power to speak in different languages. That was because there were people gathered there from all over the world and in order for them to understand what was happening, they would have to hear the proceedings in their own native tongues.

The Greek word translated tongues in verses 3, 4, 11, and 26 is glossa. It means language, as in my native language is English. It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew lashon.

In Verse 8 the word used is the Greek word dialektos. It means a specific dialect of a language, such as Cuban is a dialect of Spanish, Mexican is another. In our country we have Southern dialects (Y’all spoken here), New Jersey dialects, etc.

There was a phenomenon practiced in Judaism and many pagan cultures for which the Greek word was glossalalia. It presented itself in a kind of mystical babbling, suggestive of shamanism, and was very much like what some denominations practice as speaking in tongues today. This word is not used in the New Testament.

Note that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in chapter 2 of Acts was for the purpose of communicating with the people gathered. Today, the Holy Spirit empowers us to tell the Good News and always magnifies Christ above Himself. He tells us that Christ is sufficient, and that we do not need some outward sign or wonder that He brings salvation to all who will receive it.

Verses 5-13 – Men from every nation were gathered, and when each person heard the believers speak, he heard them in his own language. Their response was, “These are illiterates from Galilee! Why can we understand them in our own language?” Some of them scoffed and others accused them of being drunk.

Verses 14-21 – Peter explained what was happening and proclaimed that it was all connected to the “Day of the Lord,” that is the Good News of Christ. He spoke from Joel 2:28-32.

Verses 22-36 – Peter reiterates that he is referring to Jesus’ death and resurrection. The people who killed Jesus were Roman, but their reason for executing Him was to quiet the Pharisees, Sadducees and the priest who accused Him of blasphemy. Peter quotes from Psalm 16:8-11 to remind them that David had said God would not let His Holy One’s body be destroyed in the grave.

Verses 37-41 – The people wanted to know how they could avail themselves of this Good News. Here Peter told them to repent, receive baptism in the name of Jesus and receive God’s gift of salvation and the Holy Spirit. You receive the Holy Spirit as part of your “salvation package.”

Three thousand people repented, were saved and received the Holy Spirit that day!

Verses 42-47 – In the first church, they met together, ate together, learned together and grew together. Theirs was a life of doing, not just hearing the preaching.

On a related subject, you have heard the expression, “That’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.” You may have wondered, “What was the greatest thing before sliced bread?” It was the broken bread of the Bread of Life.”

These people performed miracles. Remember, miracles are not things that happen for which there is an earthly or scientific explanation. A miracle is an event that God gives that cannot happen otherwise. The parting of the Red Sea, the defeat of Jericho, the virgin birth were all miracles.

The greatest miracle of all is the miracle of a soul set free by repenting of sin and accepting God’s gift of salvation. When one is saved, there should be something like a burning in the heart as the Holy Spirit takes up residence there. He should then inspire us to become doers, and not just hearers of the Word.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Where Could I Go-Gaither Vocal Band

A Study in Acts Week 1

Acts Chapter 01

“Scholars” disagree about who wrote the book of Acts.  I think that’s incredible, since the writer picks up right where he left off at the end of the book of Luke.

In Luke 24:49, Luke quotes Jesus as saying, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Acts is divided into 6 sections: 1) The growth of the church; 2) The spread of the Good News in Samaria and other parts of the region; 3) How Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, a Syrian city; 4) The gospel reaches more countries; 5) How the Good News reached Europe and 6) Paul reaches Rome.

Verses 1-3 – Acts begins with the writer telling Theophilus about what he wrote in his former book, the book of Luke. He says that he had written about what Jesus did and preached. Then he picks up where he left off with Jesus words, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised…you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

It is unreasonable to think the writer could have been anyone but Luke.

Verses 4-9 – The disciples demonstrate once again that they did not understand what Jesus had told them would happen at the cross, and what His kingdom was about.

Jesus tells them again about the “power from on high” that would be theirs

In verse 9, Luke retells the accension found in Luke 24:50-53.

Verses 10-11 – The two men in white clothes see, to have been angels with a message. They testified that Jesus would come back in the same way He left.

Verses 12-14 – The disciples went back to the room where they were to wait for the Holy Spirit (although they didn’t know exactly who or what they were waiting for). Luke lists all of the disciples except Judas. In the rest of Acts, the only ones he mentions are Peter, James and John.

Women were first allowed to pray with men in verse 14. Until then, they had to be separate from the men.

Verses 15-20 – Peter addressed the group concerning Judas. He reminded them that Judas was predicted in Psalms 69:25 and that he must be replaces as predicted in Psalm 109:8.

Verses 21-36 – Two men were discussed to replace Judas, Joseph and Matthias. (Joseph was also called Barsabbas (son of the Sabbath) as well as by his gentile name, Justus).

The phrase “cast lots” was the customary way to involve God in the process of decision making. They wrote each man’s name on a stone, put the stones in a jar and shook the jar until one stone fell out. The man whose name was on the stone was considered God’s choice.

This all took place after praying about the matter. The stone with Matthias’ name fell out, and he was chosen.

This was the last New Testament record of this type of decision making. After the Holy Spirit came, the disciples no longer needed to cast lots. Instead, they allowed the Holy Spirit to guide their decision making.

In our church, we vote. It is important that we steep our voting in the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If we do so, our vote will be a uniting event. If there is divisiveness in a vote, you can be certain the Holy Spirit was not guiding. Too often we vote based on our opinions about something, rather than on the basis of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The result is division, which is NEVER the will of God.

He is a God of unity, not of division. If there is no unity, there should be no vote.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Let It Be Said of Us-Maranatha Singers

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-I Can Begin Again-Larnelle Harris

A Study in Luke Week 24

Luke Chapter 24

Verses 1-12 – When the women arrived at the tomb of Jesus, his body was not there. As usual, when the angel appeared he evoked fear. He asked, “Why are you looking in a place for dead people for someone who is alive?” Then they explained, “He is not here. He has risen.” They reminded the women that He had told them about this. The women just had not been able process the information. They didn’t understand.

According to verse 11, the apostles thought the women were speaking nonsense and did not believe them. Even though they had been told what would happen, they had not understood it, neither had they accepted it.

The resurrection is key to the Christian experience. Without it, we are just hopeless, wishful thinkers (I Corinthians 15:12-17).

Those who don’t believe in the resurrection align themselves with the Sadducees, who did not believe in a resurrection.

Verses 13-35 – Two “followers of Jesus” were on their way to Emmaus. They were discussing crucifixion and the events leading up to it and after it. Jesus used the Books of Moses all the way through the prophets to explain that what had happened was exactly what God had said would happen.

That is how I know that the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption. All interpretations that do not reveal these three things are dead wrong…eternally dead wrong.

Jesus acted as though He was going to “go on His way.” They invited Him to dinner.

Jesus does not invite Himself into our hearts, He waits for us to invite Him in through faith.

Jesus went to eat with the men. The moment he broke the loaf of bread, they recognized Him. Then He just disappeared.

These two men went and shared what had happened to them with the disciples and the other people.

Whereas they had been discouraged, now they were encouraged. When we meet the risen Savior, it fills us with encouragement.

Verses 36-49 – Imagine their surprise when Jesus appeared again and “stood among them.” He said, “Shalom” (peace be with you). Jesus is peace and He was with them.

The disciples struggled with what they were seeing. Jesus demonstrated that He was real by asking for some food. (Clearly He was a Baptist, as Baptists always eat when they gather together.)

Once again He reiterates that the three parts of the Hebrew Old Testament were all about Him. He also told them that repentance had to happen before they received the forgiveness of God.

Jesus tells them that “what the Father had promised” (the Holy Spirit) would be given them as they waited in Jerusalem (see what Luke wrote in Acts 2 about the Holy Spirit coming on them).

Verses 50-53 – Jesus walked with them as far as Bethany, then He blessed them and left them.

The good news in Luke’s Gospel began with Zechariah in the Temple. He received God’s promise about Jesus the Christ (Messiah). It culminates with the disciples praising God in the Temple.

They are waiting for the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord Jesus Christ has promised to send to them.

The Christmas Story-Michael W. Smith

CHRISTMAS SOUNDS OF PRAISE-What Child is This-Andrea Bocelli (With Mary J. Blige)

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-O Come All Ye Faithful-Celtic Woman

Luke’s Lamb of God

Luke Chapter 2

Verses 1-7 – The birth of Jesus could not logically have happened the way it was predicted in the Old Testament, most notably in Micah 5:2.  “…one will come for me, one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

No one would have expected Messiah to come out of Bethlehem unless they were very knowledgeable of the Scripture.

Joseph and Mary did not live in Bethlehem, they lived in Nazareth. The trip to Bethlehem was long and rugged and would have not even been considered by a pregnant woman.

For the Messiah to be born in the right location (Bethlehem), a series of events worked together to bring that to pass.

A pagan emperor named Caesar Augustus living thousands of miles away issues a decree that all his subjects be registered and taxed.  This order for a census is sent out far and wide.

The call is issued in Israel and Joseph takes Mary and returns to the ancestral of his family, Bethlehem.

The birth of Jesus could not have logically happened...but it did.

From this we know that Caesar may have been ruling, but God was overruling!

Why would the King of Kings be born into poverty?

2 Cor. 8:9 gives us the answer “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich.”

The cloths used to wrap Jesus were the same kind used to wrap dead bodies for burial. Even in His birth we have a picture of His death.

Jesus was born in a feeding trough and became the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35.

When someone important comes near you, say a Hollywood celebrity, a governor or even the president of the United States, how comfortable do you feel? Could Jesus have come in humble surroundings so that we would feel comfortable in His presence?

Verses 8-20 – Why were the shepherds an important part of the birth of Christ?

Shepherds were hard men who had to deal with the worlds most base troubles. (Remember David had to ward off lions, wolves and bears.) They were often crude, vile men, known for their sinful lives and considered ceremonially unclean. Society considered them the lowest of the low.

What do shepherds do for a living? What was done with the lambs they shepherded? And what was Jesus called: The Lamb of God.

This picture tells us that anybody, from any walk of life can be used of God.

Why do you think God sent an angel to the shepherds?

When the shepherds went to spread the news, where did they find the courage to tell this outrageous story?

How do you think people responded to them when they told people about the Baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger?


Notice that after they had seen the Christ Child, these formerly vile, vulgar, crude men returned to their flocks glorifying and praising God.

What do you think the shepherds’ lives were like following these events?

That God would send His darling Son Jesus into this world to die for sinners is a blessing beyond description.  That He would love us to that level is amazing beyond the power of words to describe.

Of course, it is nothing more than a story until you experience the power of the Lamb of God in a personal way.

You may enjoy hearing the Christmas story and you may love Christmas time, but you have missed the real meaning altogether if you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior.

Until you have received the Lamb of God as your personal Savior and until you know the power of His salvation, you will never really understand Christmas and the wonder of what God did when He provided His Lamb for the sins of the world.

Are you in a personal relationship with Jesus today?  If you are, then you know what I am talking about.

If you are not, you can come to know Him if you will come before Him and trust Him by faith.

Will you do that today?  Will you embrace Heaven’s Lamb as the Savior of your soul?  The Lamb was provided for you, but He will do you no good unless you come to Him in faith, trusting in, and only in , the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Give This Christmas Away-Matthew West and Amy Grant

A Study in Luke Week 23

Luke Chapter 23
Verses 1-7 – Pilate was in Jerusalem, not because he celebrated Passover, but because he feared unruliness from the throngs of people there. The priests and Pharisees who had brought Jesus to Pilate lied about what he had done. He had, in fact, told people to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus claims to be “King of the Jews,” but Biblical context lets us know that He referred to His spiritual kingdom, not a political one.

Learning that Jesus was from Galilee, Pilate sent Him to Herod. He hoped Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, would handle the Jesus problem for him.

Herod Antipas, after renouncing his first wife he married Herodias, the former wife of his half brother Herod Philip, who brought her daughter Salome with her to Antipas’ court. He’s the one who had John the Baptist beheaded.

Verses 8-12 - Herod thought of Jesus as some sort of magician and wanted Him to perform some miracles for him. However, when Jesus refused to even so much as answer his questions, Herod was not happy with Him. Herod and Pilate formed a sort of alliance.

Verses 13-25 – Pilate declared that Jesus was not guilty of the “crimes” the Jewish leaders had accused Him of. He was not inclined to execute Jesus. But the Jewish leaders persisted, so Pilate offered them a way out: choose to execute Jesus or the murderer, Barabbas. They chose to release Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

Verses 26-31 – Although Jesus was executed by Roman soldiers, we need to be very clear that Jesus was placed on the cross to pay a penalty He did not owe: the penalty of OUR sins. In verses27-30, Jesus foretells a time when the world will suffer unbearable calamity. Those times are within our view today.

Verses 32-43 – Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus would be counted among sinners was fulfilled at the cross (Isaiah 53:12). He was crucified on a “hill” named Golgotha. “Calvary” is the Latin translation of that word. Both names mean “skull.”

When Jesus said, “Father forgive them…” he was referring to the Roman soldiers, who were only following orders. One of the others being crucified beside Jesus challenged His Messiahship. The other recognized it. One was saved. One was not.

Verses 44-49 – Lots of theories have been bandied about concerning the darkness in the land: some sort of solar eclipse, a cloud of dust and many others, but none account for what really happened.

The curtain that was torn in the temple was huge. It’s purpose was to separate the people from God. When it split, it signified that people no longer had to be separated from God because of what Jesus accomplished at the cross. Jesus’ death did not bring the expected calming of the crowds.

Verses 50-56 – Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb because He was only going to need it for three days. Most of the crucified were thrown into a common grave, but Jesus was given a tomb fit for a king.

The women from Galilee saw where the *tomb was. But they had no time to prepare the body. They usually put oils, which smelled sweet, on it. Nicodemus helped Joseph to put *spices between the strips of cloth (John 19:38-40). The women wanted to finish doing this.

They went back to where they were staying in Jerusalem. The Sabbath ended at sunset on Saturday.

Sunday was on its way.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Angels We Have Hear on High-Belmont University Choir

A Study in Luke Week 22

Luke Chapter 22

Verses 1-6 – Passover was a commemoration of what God had done for the Jews in Egypt after the plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, on livestock, of boils, hail, locusts and darkness had failed to soften Pharaoh's heart.

The apostles (the 12 men whom Jesus chose to be his special helpers) were followers, but were not yet saved. We know that because Satan cannot indwell a saved person. Judas was the treasurer of the group, but actually stole from them often. He made a deal with the chief priests to turn Jesus over to them.

Verses 7-13 – Jesus instructed Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal. This will become what we call “Communion,” or more properly, “The Lord’s Supper.”

Verses 14-23 – The completion of Passover did not happen in Egypt, it happened in Christ, who became the Passover Lamb.

Verses 24-30 – The apostles still didn’t get it. They wanted to know which of them would be “greatest” in the Kingdom of God. This was the second time they had brought up this subject see Luke 9:46-48). Jesus responded that the Kingdom of God is very different from what they were expecting, and there would be no “pecking order” there.

Verses 31-34 – Simon was Peter’s name before he met Jesus, and Jesus used it to get his attention. Then he calls him “Rock,” the meaning of his name, Peter. He predicts Peter’s denial of Him.

Verses 35-38 – Jesus tells the disciples that all of the Scriptures concerning the Messiah would come true. He called Himself the Suffering Servant, from Isaiah 53:12.

Verses 39-46 – Jews prayed standing, but here Jesus falls on His knees. I do not believe He was praying about the physical pain He was about to endure, but the pain of being forsaken by His Father. The price paid for our sin is more terrible than we can begin to imagine.

Verses 47-53 – Judas led the priests and a Roman contingent of soldiers to Jesus, where he betrayed Him with a kiss. Peter cut off Malchus’ ear (John 18:10-11). Jesus healed him and put an end to the apostles’ aggression.

Jesus had given them plenty of opportunity to arrest Him in the Temple, but they didn’t want His followers to see them do it. Instead, they chose to do Satan’s work away from the crowds, in the cover of darkness…Satan’s darkness.

Verses 54-62 – Peter denied that he knew Jesus out of fear and cowardice. His denials must have seemed hollow, because some of those around him were apparently with him when he cut of Malchus’ ear.

Verses 63-65 – Jesus’ persecution and prosecution had begun. The Sanhedrin were not interested in justice. They would not call the requisite number of witnesses to testify against Jesus.

Verses 66-71 – When the Sanhedrin asked whether Jesus was the “Messiah,” they were asking about an earthly king. Jesus recognized that they would not believe Him if He told them the true nature of His being.

In verse 70 they asked Jesus a direct question about his relationship to God. He did not deny that he was ‘the’ Son of God. This had multiple meanings, including about Mary and Joseph.

Verse 71 The Sanhedrin said that this was ‘blasphemy’. They said that he was guilty. But they had broken their own laws.

Two witnesses had to agree about the person that they accused.

The Sanhedrin should not have asked a direct question.

There was another law. They could decide that someone was guilty. Then they had to wait for a day before they decided his punishment.

But they were so anxious to kill Jesus that they broke their own rules. They did not have the authority themselves to kill Jesus. So they made up charges that the Roman ruler, Pilate, would consider serious.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Do You Hear What I Hear-Mannheim Steamroller

Do You Hear What I Hear? 

Said the night wind to the little lamb 

 Do you see what I see? 

 'Way up in the sky, little lamb 

 Do you see what I see? 

A star, a star
Dancing in the night 

 With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite 

 Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy 

 Do you hear what I hear? 

Ringing thru the sky, shepherd boy 

Do you hear what I hear? 

 A song, a song
High above the tree 

With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea 

 Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king 

Do you know what I know? 

In your palace warm, mighty king 

 Do you know what I know? 

A Child, a Child
Shivers in the cold 

 Let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold 

 Said the king to the people ev'rywhere 

Listen to what I say! 

Pray for peace, people ev'rywhere 

 Listen to what I say! 

The Child, the Child
Sleeping in the night 

 He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

A Study in Luke Week 21

 Luke Chapter 21

Verses 1-4 – Jesus was teaching in the Court of the Women, also called The Treasury.

The Court of the Women was so-called, not because its use was solely reserved for women but because this was the farthest they were allowed to proceed into the Temple.

Women, who had come to purify themselves after childbirth, as Mary did (Luke 2.24), were allowed to stand in the side opening and watch the sacrifices being offered on the altar. It was in this court also that, when Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (Luke 2.22), they met with Simeon and Anna the prophetess.

Israelite men could proceed through the Nicanor Gate into the Court of the Israelites to bring their sacrifices.

The Apostle Paul, who preached primarily to the Gentiles (except for his letter to the Hebrews, which was a commentary for the Jews of his letter to the Romans), and was the first to allow women directly into the place of worship and sacrifice.

Verses 5-6 – The Temple was a magnificent building. Its construction is described in I Kings, chapters 5-8. The instructions for building it were detailed and organized, as is God, Himself.

Jesus predicted the destruction of the building, and 40 years later it happened.

Verses 7-19 – In the King James Version of the Bible, Jesus is quoted as saying, “…many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ. Notice that in the KJV this word is in italics. That means the Greek word “Christos” is not in the best original texts.

In most other translations, the phrase is translated “I am he,” but the word “he” does not occur in the best original texts, either.

The actual words used here are “ego aimi” I AM. These are the same words Jesus used when He identified Himself as the “I AM,” such as in Mark 14:62 and John 18:6.

Many will come claiming to be God or the returned Christ, but we are not to be swayed, influenced or convinced by them.

There are perilous times ahead, even for Christian Americans. Today in America there is an all-out war on things Christian. There towns that no longer allow Christian displays, Christian prayers or Christian speech in public. But we must understand them as signs that the return of Christ is “near.”

Verses 20-24 – Jesus stated that the predictions of the prophets would be realized. He especially thought of expectant mothers.

Where was He when He thought of them? See above. He was in the Court of the Women, where mothers had themselves “purified” after childbirth.

Verses 25-33 – Strange things will happen to the sun, moon and stars, just as prophesied in the Old Testament (eg.: Amos 8:9 and Joel3:15) . “This generation” (verse 32) is a reference to the “church age.” Jesus’ words are eternal. They always have been true, are true now and always will be true, even after time is no more.

Verses 34-36 – If we concentrate on the circumstances of our time and spend our time in physical pursuits, we will miss the signs of His return.

His return will take place quickly, in the twinkling (not the blinking) of an eye (the speed of light).

Verses 37-38 – Jesus continued to teach in the Temple Court every morning after sleeping on the Mount of Olives. People thronged to hear His teaching.