ACTS 1: 5

 ACTS 1: 5

WAIT FOR THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER

1) The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2) Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen.

3) To whom also He shewed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

4) And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of The Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me. 

5) For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

COMMENTARY

   Who is "Theophilus"?  The word "theophilo" means "friend of God".  Theophilus could have been a Gentile Believer, Dr. Luke's attorney, or a number of other people.  The Gospel of Luke covers the earthly ministry.  click here for the introduction to the Gospel of Luke:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/2011/12/lukes-purpose-in-writing-luke-11-4.html

   Jesus was teaching the Apostles and Disciples on Kingdom things, some of which they just did not understand.  They were believing that Jesus would destroy the Romans and set up His Kingship right then but to their dismay,  He was crucified.  We know they did not understand a lot of His teaching, because He kept telling them that He would be killed; but when it happened, they were shocked.

   After He was killed (His Passion), He appeared to the Apostles and continued His teaching and giving commandments to them.  One thing He commanded them was to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Promise of The Father (The Holy Spirit).  Their faith had to overcome their fear of being slaughtered by the Roman soldiers and/or the Jewish leaders.  After all, they had killed Jesus!  Now, as you meditate on this, what would it take to overcome your fear of being killed?  The answer, of course, is The Gospel!  For when we die, we are ushered into the very presence of Jesus Christ, Himself!  What Glory!  For us, death has no sting.

   Believers are to follow Jesus in baptism with water, which symbolizes our death to sin and our resurrection as "a new man in Christ".  Our lives are no longer our own, but we give ourselves to Jesus, Who gave Himself for us, that we may be with The Father eternally, as it was intended from the beginning.

   And when we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we will be baptized with The Holy Ghost.  He indwells us, and teaches us and guides us.  He gives us words to say when we are ignorant.  He is ever with us.

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PRAYING FOR HEALING

 PRAYING FOR HEALING

  We are commanded to meditate on Kingdom things:  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure , whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  Philippians 4: 8  KJV

   That being said, we have been praying for one of our own (our church members).  He is two years old and was attacked by animals.  He suffered massive damage BUT is in the hospital.  The family has been very specific when asking for prayer for his healing:  that the tissue be salvageable, that the nerve endings can be reconnected, etc.  Our prayers have included the specific requests that they have made.

   This morning, while having my coffee, contemplating on what is true, pure, lovely...on Kingdom things, I remembered to Whom I have been praying.  This is The Creator of all things.  He formed this baby wonderfully and fearfully in his mother's womb.  I went to giving Him praise for His answer to our prayers, regardless of what that answer might be (all of the congregation is praying).  

   I believe the Holy Bible as it is written:  Genesis 2: 7 says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;  and man became a living soul."  Do you take this verse at face value?  Do you understand how intricate the human body is?  how many individual systems work together for the whole?  Do you believe He formed the respiratory system, then the muscular system, then the skeletal system. etc. or do you believe He gathered up some dirt and formed it in His image then breathed life into it?

   I don't believe He pieced anything together as some of the commentaries say that I have read say.  I believe as He thinks, so does He.  

   Which brings me to the point of my meditation:  this baby's healing does not require God to fix one issue, then another, then another.  If He chooses, He can simply think or speak and the baby will be healed, whole;  as if the incident never happened, or He can choose something less amazing.  We don't know why God allows Satan to attack us in various ways, but we DO know God loves us, He is in control, and He ALONE deserves our praise.  Amen?

What are your thoughts?  We welcome your feedback, whether you agree with this post or not.  This is simply the way I believe.    If you have not accepted the gift of salvation, please click here https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

 

MATTHEW 4: 5 - 7 CAST THYSELF DOWN

 CAST THYSELF DOWN

MATTHEW 4:  5 - 7

5) Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and sat Him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6) And said unto Him, "If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down:  for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee:  and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.

7) Jesus said unto him, "It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

COMMENTARY

   This is the second time Satan tempted Jesus in the desert after He had fasted forty days and forty nights.  Jesus' human body was weak.  He sat Jesus on a pinnacle of the temple, which some say is around 300 feet in the air and told Him to jump.  He was saying to try to commit suicide and we'll see if the angels actually come to your rescue.

   The devil knew Jesus was the Son of God.  He knew Him from the time God had created all things, including angels.  He was challenging Jesus to demonstrate His power and royal position.  Satan is well versed at quoting scripture but he alters it to suit his purpose.  If you read the entire scripture, you will see the difference:  

Luke 4:  11) For He shall give His angels charge over Thee, TO KEEP THEE IN ALL THY WAYS.

12) They shall bear Thee up in their hands, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a stone.

   Jesus then answers Satan with Holy Scripture from the first part of Deuteronomy 6:  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God.  

   We are not to willingly put ourselves in harms way.  We are to obey God's teaching.  Here is the rest of chapter 6 of Deuteronomy:  16b as ye tempted Him in Massah.

17) Ye shall DILIGENTLY keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes, which He has commanded Thee.

18) And thou shalt DO THAT WHICH IS RIGHT AND GOOD IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD:  that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers.

19) To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD has spoken.

20) And when thy son asks thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgements, which the LORD our God has commanded you?

21) Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 

22) And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:

23) And He brought us out from thence, that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers.

24) And the LORD commanded us to DO ALL THESE STATUTES, TO FEAR THE LORD OUR GOD, FOR OUR GOOD ALWAYS, THAT HE MIGHT PRESERVE US ALIVE, AS IT IS AT THIS DAY.

25) And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.  King James Version (KJV) Public Domain (language updated by me).

   Understanding that the Old Testament is the law and we live under grace does not negate the law.  There are rules your own family lives by.  Your rules are there to promote harmony and good health, among other things.  It is the same with the law in the Old Testament.  He says it is "for our good always".

   Are you a child of God?  Have you accepted Jesus, His only begotten Son as your personal LORD and Savior?  You cannot imagine the blessings if you have not taken that step.  Click here to learn more:   https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html 

If this ministry is a blessing to you, please pray that God uses our efforts for His Kingdom.  You are encouraged to leave us a message to tell us how we are making a difference in your life.  Please also share this post on your favorite social media.  Thank you so much for allowing us into your life.

THOSE IN POSITIONS OF POWER IN ROME

 THOSE IN POSITIONS OF POWER IN ROME

DURING THE TIME OF JESUS

LUKE 3:  1, 2

   It may be helpful to acquaint ourselves to those in positions of power in Rome during the time of Jesus.  It is good to be able to know a little about the main characters and what motivated them.

1) Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Tachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 

2) Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

COMMENTARY

TIBERIUS CAESAR

photo courtesy of Rome.us

   First of all, let me say that Rome was an empire at this time, not just a city.  Tiberius was head of the entire empire; he was the emperor.  

   Tiberius Caesar's parents, Tiberius Claudius Nero (Father) and Livia Drusilla (Mother) divorced when he was four years old.  His mother later married Rome's first emperor, Augustus Caesar.  Augustus adopted Tiberius.  Augustus Caesar didn't want Tiberius to become emperor.  You can read more about him at https://rome.us/roman-emperors/tiberuis.html

PONTIUS PILATE

photo courtesy of Evidence for the Bible

   Pontius Pilate was the governor of the Roman Province of Judaea under the rule of the Emperor Tiberius.

   The Roman Empire was a country, if you will and Judaea was a Province, much like a state.

HEROD, TETRIARCH OF GALILEE

photo courtesy of christianitytoday.com

   The Province of Judaea was then divided into four areas, maybe comparable to counties in the United States.  Herod was the head of the area of Galilee. This is Herod the Great.  His official title was "Client King".  Client kings were considered allies of Rome and were expected to provide troops and resources to the Roman Empire in times of war.  In return, they were allowed to retain their own rule and govern their people.  They were expected to show loyalty and obedience to the Roman Empire.

ANNAS

   Annas was perhaps the most powerful Sadducee in the first century.  He was a descendent of Aaron.  And, like other Sadducees, only recognized the five books of Moses to be authoritative.  The Sadducees believed only in the present and worked to promote themselves and a life of luxury.  They did not believe in the resurrection.  He was appointed by Rome to the position of Chief Priest (head of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious governing body).  Nonetheless, the Jewish people considered him to be priest by divine law.

Caiaphas

   Caiaphas was the son in law of Annas and became the Chief Priest when Annas stepped down.   He was head of the Sanhedrin by name only because Annas retained the power.  Like Annas, he was also a Sadducee.

Understand this: there is a resurrection and there will be a rapture. Do you believe? Click here to learn more about how you can join us in the rapture if Jesus doesn't tarry:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

If this message is a blessing to you,  please share it on your favorite social media.  And as always, you are encouraged to pray for this ministry, that God will be glorified in our efforts.  Thank you.

PSALM 65 SERMON

PSALM 65 SERMON

Pastor posted this and I obtained permission to add it to my ministry blog.  Enjoy 

January 2, 2022

First Baptist Church of New Caney

  · 

It's hard to cancel services but we want to make sure no one gets infected with Covid.

I came across a verse this past week while doing some research that jumped out at me.

Psalm 65:11, "You crown the year with Your goodness; and Your paths drop abundance."

This Psalm begins by stressing that praise awaits the God who hears our prayers. Then the writer calls attention to the truth that though we sin, we have a God who purges our sins and takes them away. Then we read in verse 4...

"Blessed is the person whom You choose and cause to approach You, that they may dwell in Your presence; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, even of Your holy temple."

The sense is that when God came to His people, He would be received in a spirit of praise. This praise can be pure silence because what the worshiper feels is an overwhelming sense of God's goodness that one's praise has no utterance at first.

Kidner writes, "It may sometimes be the height of worship, in other words, to fall silent before God in awe at His presence and in submission to His will.”

Our ability to approach God is because of God Himself.

He is the connection!

He chose us and granted us the privilege to enter into His presence.

It's there in His presence that believers find true satisfaction. The imagery here is of God being the host and as His guest we are protected, provided for and preserved.

So, as we go through this Psalm, we observe the greatness of our God in our lives and in nature itself. Thus, in verse 11, David highlights the truth that a plentiful harvest was the crown jewel of a productive year because of God's unmerited goodness. In other words, though the ground was cursed because of Adam's sin, God in His mercy can override the curse when His people are walking in harmonious fellowship with Him. And note, God doesn't do things in small proportions but in abundance - "...Your paths drop abundance."

Listen, it doesn't matter what the economic conditions may be. Our Jesus isn't bound by our economy. What He is bound to do is blessing His people abundantly when their soul satisfaction is Him. There's the key to having this New Year crowned with His goodness, to where the paths we walk are full of His abundant blessings. It's when we find in Him our satisfaction and not the things of the world. If we want God's abundant blessings in our lives then we must come to the place that we're drawing ever nearer to Him. The question we have to ask is...

“How do I get that intimate with God to where my soul is fully satisfied?”

It requires daily time in His Word as well as consistent time in prayer. It's about hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

Nothing will change this year to keep it from being like last year unless we decide to take our relationship with Jesus a whole lot more serious than we ever have. Jesus awaits to bless you, but it will take a faith commitment to grow our faith deeper, wider and broader than we ever have if we want His abundance poured into our lives.

Isaiah 43:18-19, "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

God has a reason in asking us to remember not the things of the past. Perhaps we have made a mess of our life. Failures, frustrations, sins and sufferings, hurts and offenses have marked our journey. With this heavy burden we cannot move forward. Whatever might have happened, we need to leave it all to the ocean of the mercy of God. We are called to trust Him for He promises us to meet us where we are.

So, let's make a faith commitment in this New Year that Jesus has blessed us with to seek Him with the whole heart like never before. Let's let Him be our satisfaction over everything else and when He is, we'll be able to praise Him even in the storms that may come.

Blessings in this New Year!

Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Click here for more information to receive the greatest blessing of all: salvation:  https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.

If this message is a blessing to you,  please share it on your favorite social media.  And as always, you are encouraged to pray for this ministry, that God will be glorified in our efforts.  Thank you.