This week's BIble study will move on to part 1 of Acts chapter 16

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

[Acts chapter 16, verses 1-15]

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This week, in our ongoing study of the chronology of the writings of the apostle Luke, we'll be moving on to Acts chapter 16. When we concluded Acts 15 last week, Paul and Barnabas had split into two teams after having a considerable disagreement about whether the apostle Mark should come with them. But this breakup over what amounted to a personnel issue was exactly what God had planned, since the two men who had been working together for several previous years were now split up into two teams. Barnabas took Mark, who was rejoining the apostles after a hiatus of undetermined length, and sailed for Cyprus. Paul took Silas and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches”. So today, as we begin part one of Acts 16, Paul and Silas have departed Antioch and are in the process of moving from town to town – which is where we will begin at verse one.

“1) Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2) The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3) Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. 6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8) So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9) During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16, verses 1-10)

So Paul and Silas go back to where he and Barnabas had been before, to the churches they had planted together in Derbe and Lystra. The apostle Paul wanted to introduce Silas to these churches as his new coworker, as well as to further build these churches up in the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at Lystra, where Timothy lived, that he was introduced to Paul and Silas, and who ultimately had 2 books in the New Testament named after him. But then in verse 3, we encounter something a bit unexpected – as a condition to entering the ministry and being co-workers with Paul and Silas, Paul has him circumcised. The Bible's reason is clearly stated: “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”

I'm sure you remember from last week's study that this very topic was debated at length at the Council at Jerusalem, and that the decision had been handed down that Jewish believers in Jesus should not compel, not was it necessary to require, new Gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised. And yet, the first thing Paul did with Timothy was to have him circumcised! The apostle Paul was an orthodox Jew, and a former member of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, so Jewish customs meant a great deal to him. Granted, all those who knew Timothy knew his father was Gentile and his mother Jewish. Paul did not have Timothy circumcised to honor his mother, he did so in the name of 'peaceful coexistence' between Jews and Greeks there at Lystra, and as a Jewish man. As I wrote in last week's study, Paul was one of those people who were set in their ways, even if it meant going against the grain of the new faith in which he believed so strongly and taught so fervently. For that reason, I think he also circumcised Timothy as a condition of being his co-worker. Remember, this was the same man who said gay people can't be saved, who said that the apostle Mark should be banned from the ministry, and who said women should not be allowed to preach or teach, but should “remain silent”.

“4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” With this being done, the old requirement of male circumcision was done away with for good – except for certain churches that insist on continuing with this apostasy to this day. We went over that in part 2 of Acts 15. This decision strengthened the faith of the believers immeasurably, because the burden of of Old Law had been lifted for good. At last they were free to practice their faiths without feeling like they had Moses and the prophets constantly looking over their shoulders.

“6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” The geographic locations Luke was referring to here make up the area around the Black Sea, in what would be the southwestern Russian provinces today. After around the eight century, this area became predominantly Muslim, and it remains so to this day. And so they ended up going to Macedonia. And now let's move on to part 2 of this week's study, beginning at verse eleven.

“11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12) From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.”

Troas, Samothrace and Neapolis were 3 towns within a couple days walk from each other. All these towns were on or near the Mediterranean coast, in the northeast corner of that body of water, where modern-day Turkey shares a border with Macedonia. From there they went on to Philippi, the capital, where they founded the church whose name would inspire the Book of Philippians. “13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

The reason they had to go outside the city gate to pray is because there was evidently no synagogue where they could go. Or at least, not there in Philippi. So they went down to the river to pray, and presumably to bathe, although the Bible leaves out little details like that. So they encountered a group of women there, who were presumably getting their daily washing done, and they convert Lydia to the faith. So moved by the experience is Lydia that she insists on giving Paul and Silas lodging for the duration of their stay. “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. 'If you consider me a believer in the Lord,' she said, 'come and stay at my house.' And she persuaded us.” And so Paul and Silas stayed there at Lydia's house for the duration of their stay there. And next week, when we move on to part 2 of Acts 16, we'll see what happens next, as Paul and Silas find themselves in the same bad situation that Peter had found himself in Acts chapter 12 – in jail for the sake of the Gospel. See you next week!

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 15

The Conclusion of the Council at Jerusalem

[Acts chapter 15, verses 13-22]

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Last week as we left off at verse 12, a council had been convened at Jerusalem among the leadership of the early Church to discuss whether Jewish customs should be mandatory for non-Jewish believers, all of whom were united in their faith in Christ. Paul and Barnabas had first encountered this erroneous teaching on their first missionary journey together, and they had brought this to the attention of the apostles in Jerusalem. Peter, having heard all sides in this discussion, makes an eloquent statement against the whole idea of forcing Gentiles to undergo circumcision and to celebrate the Jewish Holy Days. He quotes extensively from the Old Testament – the only Bible in existence at that time – to make his arguments known. Then, Peter bears witness to what Saul and Barnabas have told him about the success of their journey, capturing the imaginations and inspiring the souls of everyone there.

This week, we'll take up where we left off as Peter concludes his speech before the group, starting at verse 13. “13) When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14) Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15) The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16) “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17) that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things — 18) things known from long ago.”

In the above passage, Simon was Peter's given name, as you recall from our studies of Luke's gospel earlier in this series. Like everyone else, James was also struck by the salvation of the Gentiles, which had previously been outside the scope of his experience just like the other apostles. Keep in mind that it was the apostle Luke who was writing this – the only non-Jew out of the original Twelve. James then quotes from Amos 9: 11-12 in verses 16-18. Although he was a Gentile, Luke made it his business to make sure he was well versed on the Torah, the Jewish Bible, to broaden his understanding of the faith of his Jewish co-workers of the Gospel, not to mention that of his Lord and Savior. “After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it....” Here we find the prophet Amos writing about the restoration of the Temple at Jerusalem, and of the coming of the Jewish Messiah, who was Christ himself.

“....that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things — things known from long ago.” This is the exact point at which Amos prophesied of the unity of Jew and Gentile under one Cross, a prophesy that had seen its fulfillment at the Day of Pentecost. And so first Peter, and now James has added his thoughts on this topic, which brings us to the second half of this week's study, beginning at verse 19. “19) 'It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20) Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21) For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.' 22) Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.” (Acts 15, verses 19-22)

Turning the Gentiles away from their new faith by imposing Jewish practices upon them is counterproductive, James argued, and so it was pointless to continue doing so. The early Church was shooting itself in the foot by turning away Gentiles and attempting to make Christianity a religion for Jews only, James stated, unless the Gentiles did certain things pertaining to the Old Law. I'm sure he quoted from Christ's teachings – which we know today as Matt. 5: 17 – pertaining to the fact that Jesus had already fulfilled that Law. Peter had previously answered the original question in much the same way in verse 11 of last week's study.

“....we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.” Instead of turning Gentiles away, James admonished his Jewish brethren, we must open up persistent communications with them. We should 'write to them', which in today's world would be a blitz of phone calls and emails telling as many people about Jesus as possible. You know, like I try to do with this blog? Not to mention my website....

The part about food that was sacrificed to idols is something seldom seen in the Western world today, although there are those who make a bigger deal about the turkey they baked for the holidays than about the church service that Thanksgiving or Christmas Sunday. The reason that blood and strangled animals were mentioned by James was because they are forbidden in the Old Law. Moreover, the consumption of blood and the meat of strangled animals has to do with Luciferianism and the Occult. As for abstaining from sexual immorality, that is something that humanity still struggles with, and all the more so for true believers. But those who succeed in avoiding sexually immoral behavior do so because they rely on the Holy Spirit that dwells within them, rather than solely on their own abilities and human willpower.

“For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” This strikes me as being a bit of a rough translation. What James was actually trying to say was that if any follower of Christ wanted to learn Jewish laws and customs, let them attend a synagogue on their own. But as for their faith in Jesus, in order to continue to maintain it, all true believers should attend church as it was in the first century A.D. As they did, James was telling them, they should all practice their faith as it was meant to be practiced, not what some 3^rd party said they should do.

“Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.” This was the way the Church grew back then. In this case Paul, Barnabas and the others – to whom the Jewish question was originally asked – were going back to Antioch to bring the answer to this question back with them, along with Silas and Judas Barsabbas.

We don't realize how easy and convenient our lives have become until we view life in the first century. News traveled at a snail's pace back then. Even our modern “snail mail” seems fast compared to back then. At least today's postal workers have those little white vans. All communication traveled on foot and was delivered by word of mouth back then, and so the four servants of the Lord set out from Jerusalem on foot headed north, bringing the news back to Antioch, where this whole journey from the last couple of chapters began. They carried with them a letter explaining everything I have written about this topic of Jew vs. Gentile. This included the best news of all, which is that all are equal under the New Law of Christ, including Jews and Gentiles and everyone else. Next week when we return, we'll delve into the contents of that letter, as well as what happened during the return trip. See you then, OK?

This week's ongoing Bible study will be part 2 of Acts chapter 13

The Apostle Paul Delivers His First Message

[Acts chapter 13, verses 16-31]

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Last week when we left off at verse 15 in part one of our ongoing study of the Book of Acts, the apostle Paul and Barnabas were together in Pisidian Antioch in the synagogue there. After the customary reading of the Law, or books of Moses, the morning sermon usually reserved for the appointed high priest of the day was going to be delivered by Paul instead. As the apostle Paul stepped into his role as guest speaker, the power of the Holy Spirit fell upon him, and he delivered a morning sermon with such anointing and one so compelling that every single person in attendance who had not yet heard the Word of God through his only Son Jesus did so and was saved by Christ's salvation! So let's take a good look at what Paul had to say, that we might come away with a chunk of that same anointing!

“16) Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelite's and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17) The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18) for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; 19) and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20) All this took about 450 years. After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21) Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22) After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ 23) From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24) Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25) As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’” (Acts 13, verses 16-25)

Notice the first thing Paul said? “Fellow Israelite's and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors...”. Paul was a Jewish man like Jesus was. But he addressed his Jewish brethren and the non-Jews present as equals, something that was previously unheard of and which since has been largely forgotten. To this day, the majority of Jews and Christians have little to do with each other. All the Jews and Muslims do is shoot at one another and kill each other. Humankind has yet to learn to live in peace with one another, and as the planet's population increases, the necessity of learning to do so increases proportionately. Meaning, as the earth gets more crowded, the lack of any peaceful coexistence will ultimately lead to our extinction.

“...he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness...” Paul was referring to the time when the nation of Israel were slaves in Egypt before Moses, with some Divine intervention, persuaded Pharaoh to “let my people go”. God tolerated their disobedience after their escape, but they stayed in the desert until that entire generation had died out. Only then were their descendants allowed to cross into the land God had given them. “(H)e overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance.” The events Paul was describing here can be found mainly in the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament.

So, we can all see now that Paul was building his case for the salvation of humanity by the shed blood of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. So Paul gives his audience some background before he traces the lineage of our Lord and Savior in verses 21 and 22: “....the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'” ’The people of ancient Israel asked for a king, and yet it was God who had led them out of Egypt and it was God who had just given them the land on which they were living, land they had conquered with nothing more than light infantry, as it is chronicled in the Book of Joshua. So God gave them Saul, but he later became so corrupt God had to remove him from power. And David son of Jesse took Saul's place after being anointed by Samuel (see 1^st Samuel 16, verses 1-13).

“From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised.” (For a detailed view of the ancestry and lineage of Christ Jesus, read Matthew chapter 1, verses 1-17, it's all right there in black and white.) He is descended from David, the son of Jesse, and this lineage is traceable all the way back to Abraham, and ultimately to Adam. The coming of Jesus was heralded by John the Baptist, as verses 24 and 25 are explained by the apostle Luke, the author of the Book of Acts. “Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’”

If nothing else, we can derive from John the Baptist the life lesson of never overestimating oneself, and of knowing one's limitations. He probably could have gotten by with claiming he himself was the Messiah, and he could easily have gotten rich doing so. But John the Baptist knew that when the real Jesus arrived, he was the one who would baptize Messiah with water. So he dared not try to replace him even if he could have for the short term. Let this be a lesson in the power of humility and personal integrity that should be taken to heart by any persons who desire positions of leadership. Never overstate or overestimate yourself, and never try to be somebody you're not. Because if you do either, they will come around and bite you and there will be no stopping that when it occurs! But rather John the Baptist stated publicly that he wasn't even worthy to untie Jesus' sandals. If John the Baptist was unworthy, how much more unworthy are we? Or have we forgotten our place in the universe, that we are God's creations and by extension his subjects? God is in charge and we are not. Period, end of story. And now let's move on to part two of this week's study.

“26) “'Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27) The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28) Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29) When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30) But God raised him from the dead, 31) and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.'” (Acts 13, verses 26-31)

As the apostle Paul continues with what amounted to his first sermon, he reminds his audience once again of the unity and equality between Jews and Gentiles in verse 26. “... it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.” Here Paul reminds them of their obligation to share the new salvation they had found in order to win as many souls as possible for the Lord, either through leadership by example or conversion from another faith, usually Judaism. “27) The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28) Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.” Do not underestimate the power those last 2 verses had on Paul's audience. Here before them all was a reformed executioner of Christ-followers, an ex-member of the Sanhedrin, and he was transformed before their eyes into one of Christianity's most powerful proponents. Paul's conversion was a very vivid and public one, and he endured a lot of personal hardship because of it.

“29) When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30) But God raised him from the dead, 31) and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.'” As Paul concludes this, the greater portion of what he had to say that memorable morning, he brings everyone in the room to the central fact of the Christian faith, that of the resurrection of Christ in verse 30. Plus, Paul reminds them of the numerous public and private appearances of Jesus after he had risen, presenting Jesus' resurrection as the proverbial icing on the cake to their faith and salvation. And, like Paul, Barnabas and the others present, they were all “his witnesses to our people”. So your assignments for the next week or so are to follow the example of Paul and the other 12 apostles, all of whom were still alive at the time these things occurred. Next week when we return, we'll move on to part 3 of Acts chapter 13 as Paul concludes his message.

This week's Bible study will be the 2nd half of Luke chapter two

The Childhood of Jesus

[Luke chapter 2, verses 25-52]

Last week when we ended the first half of our analysis of Luke chapter 2, we ended at verse 24, where Joseph and Mary presented Jesus to the Lord at the Temple in Jerusalem as their firstborn son. Today as we begin at verse 25, we find ourselves being introduced to a gentleman named Simeon, who announces the destiny of Jesus to his astonished parents and everyone else who was there. So let's start right there to begin today's conclusion to Luke chapter two.

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before seeing the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the Temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Sovereign Lord as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.' The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: 'This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.'” (Luke 2, verses 25-35)

Luke is the only gospel writer that records Simeon's saying what he said about Jesus, so we can see that this was significant for Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. Up until John the Baptist's coming, the word and the rule of God had been proclaimed through the Law and the prophets, but now with the arrival of Jesus the King and his forerunner John the Baptist, the word and rule of God is proclaimed and encountered in a new way. Jesus is the Word; Jesus is the King; the long awaited kingdom has now arrived (at least partially). For those who believe in Jesus, a tremendous shift occurs: no longer do we live merely in the era of promise with the Law and the prophets awaiting the consolation of Israel. This is the very thing the prophets of the Old Testament wrote about. Now we live in the era of fulfillment when the kingdom of God is preached as present and powerful. But, it is not yet consummated, because Jesus has yet to return for his Bride, which is his church. That's us, people, so your waiting for His return will not be in vain, you can be sure of that! 

 

Then Simeon says, “...my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people...” It is notable here that Simeon knew exactly who the baby was that he was holding. Notice that he received no prompting from either Mary or Joseph as far as what the visiting angels had told them just over 9 months previous to this. The Bible says in this passage that Simeon was “moved by the Holy Spirit”, and the fact that Simeon knew the destiny of Jesus before his parents knew constitutes written proof of this. Then Simeon calls the baby Jesus, “a light of revelation to the Gentiles”. As you recall from our studies of the writings of the apostle Paul, it was Paul who ultimately took the Gospel to the Gentiles, after his former compatriots the Pharisees forced Paul out of their ranks after his conversion on the road to Damascus (see Acts chapter 9). In the very next sentence of Luke chapter 2, it says, “The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him”. To put this in modern English, Mary and Joseph were awestruck and totally blown away by what Simeon was saying about their infant Son. And, rightfully so, as it would turn out.

Finishing out this portion of today's text, Simeon prophesy's further when he says to Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.” The “rising and falling of many” is referring to the salvation that the baby Jesus would bring to the world. Some will rise to eternal glory, others will fall to eternal shame and condemnation. Dictators will fall into the latter category, and so will many politicians. That's not just here in America, but globally! Jesus, Simeon prophesied, will be “a sign that will be spoken against”. Jesus' very name is hated by many, many people around the world. That includes those who profess to love him, and yet routinely disobey his commandments. That's what Simeon meant by “the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed”. Luke mentions this again, although indirectly, later in this gospel when he quotes Jesus' response to the Pharisees, the religious leadership of that time: “He said to them, 'You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight'.” (Luke 16; 15) And that, my dear readers, says a whole lot! So now let's move on to the next part of today's lesson.

“There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until the age of 84. She never left the Temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. When Joseph and Mary had done everything required of them by the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” (Luke 2, verses 36-40)

So here we are witnesses to another person coming on the scene in the form of Anna, an elderly woman like Simeon, who is confirming what the visiting angels and Simeon had told Mary and Joseph about the ultimate destiny of their newborn child. Anna, even though she had just walked up on the conversation, also confirmed the identity of the child that Simeon was probably still holding, calling him the Christ, or anointed One, “to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem”. The birth of our Savior was the first part of Jerusalem's redemption, the second part was Christ's death and resurrection, and the third part did not occur until May of 1948, when Israel once again became a nation after waiting for nearly 2,000 years. The fourth and final part, His 2^nd coming, has yet to be fulfilled, but it is likely we will seen this occur in our lifetimes. In fact, we may not have long to wait at all, so live your lives accordingly! Last but not least, the apostle Luke tells us that the young Jesus “was filled with wisdom”. Jesus was evidently considered to be what we would call a 'child prodigy' today. Is it any wonder, considering that he was in fact the Son of God? In point of fact, this wisdom was a family trait both then and now. One of Jesus' ancestors, King Solomon son of David, when asked by God what his one wish would be if he could make one, replied to the Lord that he wanted great wisdom. After all, if you already have maximum brain power, getting everything else one could want becomes so much easier. Because of this, God was delighted with Solomon's choice and granted his request. God wants to do the same for you as well, so why not go ahead and ask him? When you're finished with that prayer, let's conclude today's lesson beginning at verse 41.

“Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind at Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the Temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said, 'Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.' 'Why were you searching for me'?, he asked. 'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor of God and men.” (Luke 2, verses 41-52)

As I wrote earlier in this lesson, once again the apostle Luke depicts Mary and Joseph as being devout Jews following the Law to the very best of their ability. But more than that, Luke shows that the parents of Jesus were consistent with their faith and their giving year after year. We would do well to do the same. But then something unexpected happens. We have what appears to be a case of disobedience on the part of the boy Jesus. But that's not what occurred at all, as we see just a couple of verses later when Jesus answered his parents with, “'Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?' But they did not understand what he was saying to them.” The most likely scenario here is that, although Mary and Joseph did not fully comprehend what the young Jesus was trying to tell them at the time, I'm sure that hours or maybe days later they each remembered what the visiting angels had told them back before Jesus was born. Let's not forget that 12 years and nine months had transpired from that time until the present. So Jesus was talking about his heavenly Father, not his earthly one. He was talking about the One from whom he was conceived.

The other thing that I feel is noteworthy here is the tremendous patience shown by Joseph when he and Mary had found Jesus after a 3-day search on foot. Imagine yourself in such a position! What if you lost a child for three days? Wouldn't you be besides yourself with worry as well as impatience? I probably would have, although I don't have any kids at home so I can't say for sure. Plus, as I wrote above, Jesus' parents were completely stumped by the answer he gave them. They likely didn't figure out what Jesus meant by his response until some time later. “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor of God and men.” The Bible doesn't really say much else about Jesus' early years. Presumably this information has been covered over by the sands of time. That's all I have for chapter two, so next week we'll be covering Luke chapter 3. Until then, have an excellent week in the Lord!

Somewhere Along the Way, Organized Religion and Jesus Got Separated

How Christianity Lost Jesus

by Rev. Paul J. Bern

It is one of the conundrums of religious history: How did Christianity – a religion based on the teachings of a pacifist who said 'love your enemy' and who defended the poor, the outcast, and the most vulnerable – become so twisted into nearly its opposite? Why did dominant Christian institutions, such as the Vatican for example, amass obscene wealth and immense power? How could US presidents – the likes of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who claim to be devout followers of Jesus, unleash the fearsome might of modern American military technologies and firepower to slaughter people in faraway lands who were likely innocent? This latest commentary of mine traces this Christian mystery to the chronology of when the books of the New Testament were committed to writing.

We call Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew's gospel the 'Sermon on the Mount'. It is without question one of Jesus' finest public teachings. While the Gospels are filled with the stories that Jesus told and about what he did, the Sermon on the Mount is different because it's a summary of his teachings, Spiritual advice or short sayings. Under the critical analysis of our best Bible scholars, the Sermon on the Mount stands as authentic Jesus material. I have concluded that if people want to follow Jesus, they need to do three things; accept Christ as your Savior, turn away from your sins, and read and digest the Sermon on the Mount (but don't stop there!). Near the end of chapter five, one of the greatest challenges of Jesus is laid down.

“You have heard the saying ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth;’ but I say to you, do not resist one who is evil. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other side. And if someone sues you and takes your coat, let him have your cloak as well. You have also heard it said ‘love your neighbor and hate your enemy;' but I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Nothing was more basic to the society in which Jesus lived and taught than the declaration “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” The saying is a clear expression of the understanding of sin as a debt to be paid. Break one of God’s rules and God will repay you. In the prevailing understanding of Judaism in Jesus’ day, sin was a debt that must be paid. Jews traveled long distances to Jerusalem to make blood sacrifices to pay God the price of their sins against him. Yet Jesus argued against the prevailing system. Jesus did not believe that punishment cured the problem of sin. Instead, he taught passionately that the antidotes for sin were repentance, unconditional love and acts of kindness. And he gave the ultimate example of exactly that by being crucified on a cross and dying for all our sins, from our biggest and most egregious right on down to the little accidental ones. Jesus paid for it all.

It has been my observation that in the 21st century the vast majority of Christians have embraced “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” once again. Not only have Christians embraced what Jesus forbade, the western world has adopted the Biblical standard that “a debt must be paid” and applied it to our finances. This is what capitalism has done to our souls and our society. Everything revolves around money, interest and usury, and Christ has been left behind by the majority of people, most of whom are professing Christians. Yet in Exodus chapter 22, verses 25-27 it says, “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest. If you take your neighbor's cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear him, for I am compassionate.” Penalties are imposed to fit the crime, and an offender must “pay his/her debt to society” like a debtor to a moneylender. In the process of acquiring our economic sophistication and all the trappings of comfort, Christians have become what Jesus despised and rejected. It's a lot easier to say, “Pay what you owe!”, than it is to forgive and move on. It's easier to worry about ourselves than it is others.

How did this happen? Look no further than modern main stream Christianity, and the interpretation of the New Testament in particular. The man who became the apostle Paul had a supernatural experience with Jesus (a few years after His death and resurrection) as Paul traveled on the road to Damascus. Paul’s experience with Jesus took place decades before any of the parables, teachings and stories about Jesus were put in written form. They existed only as oral traditions at that time. Moreover, Paul was Jewish by birth, training and conviction. He was steeped in the tradition of sin as being debt that had to be repaid with the shedding of blood, like the Old Testament verse I quoted above. The problem with the modern application of this tradition is that Jesus’ death on the cross was the lump sum payment for the transgressions of all. The debt has already been paid in full. There is a passage in the ninth chapter of the Book of Hebrews that explains it perfectly, and I quote: “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to cover the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9, verses 24-28, NIV) The Biblical concept of Jesus’ crucifixion as the payment of the debt of all of humankind’s sins is the central focal point of Christian belief, whether in Catholicism or Protestantism. Throughout the history of Christianity, there have been many ardent followers who have advocated a return to these basic teachings of Jesus, but without all the trappings of denominational theology. Unfortunately, there are those who insist on doing this with a conservative political bias, despite the fact that the Bible is noticeably anti-capitalist.

Human beings have a long history of behaving badly. They lie; they cheat; they steal; and when pressed, they kill one another with abandon. They actually believe they can fight and kill with honor and dignity, but that's really just a myth. There is no evidence that the practice of “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” ever produced an honorable result, made people more whole with lives that are more satisfying, or produced a society that is equitable for all. The blood that Jesus shed 2,000 years ago has already paid the price for all of it. It's way past time for humankind to put our weapons of war down. Better yet, let's recycle all the scrap from those weapons of war into housing for the homeless, widows and orphans all over the world. The good news is that Jesus is still looking for those kinds of followers, the ones who want to go on a different kind of a journey. Jesus is actively seeking “sermon on the mount” folks to get the world ready for His return. He is seeking men who, when their coats are taken from them, will give up their sport coats as well. And, he seeks those who will help “beat our swords into plowshares, and our spears into pruning hooks”. Will you help get the world ready for the return of the Prince of Peace?

This week's Bible study will be 1st Timothy chapter 1

Saving Us From Our Sins is God's Top Priority

[First Timothy chapter 1]

Today we will be moving on to the apostle Paul's first letter to Timothy, better known simply as First Timothy. As we begin our study of chapter one, we find Paul giving a serious warning to Timothy about false teachers and bogus pastors. Evidently there was a problem with this almost right from the start of the early Church, as we have previously seen in other studies such as the books of Thessalonians, Ephesians, Romans and others, all of which was written by the apostle Paul. This problem still exists today, and in some ways it is far more prevalent than in the 1^st century AD due to the earth's huge growth in population since then. The proliferation of religious cults, along with the popularity of the so-called “prosperity gospel”, which is sometimes referred to as the “word of faith” movement within Christendom, are prime examples. We should all be very wary of these types of “churches” who distort the true Gospel in order to fit their message to please their congregants, when it should be the other way around. Having established that fact, or having reinvigorated it to fit with modern times, let's commence today's study beginning at verse one.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy my true son in the faith: grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work – which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these things and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers and mothers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers – and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Timothy chapter one, verses 1-11, NIV)

“... grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” How many of us today greet one another similarly today when we come together to worship? Better yet, how many of us greet total strangers this way? I have done this numerous times in the past with people I don't know, with special attention paid toward those who look like they could use some significant encouragement. I see them all the time; the homeless, the long-term unemployed, victims of foreclosure fraud that is so rampant within banks both large and small, the sick and disabled, the mentally ill, the elderly, widows and orphans, kids from single parent homes or from homes with at least one parent incarcerated, and (speaking of incarceration) those who have obviously been recently released from prison. It is these people, and others who have suffered similar misfortunes, that Jesus went to minister to, as do I. Paul comments further down in this letter about this very thing, but I'll get to that in just a minute.

“... command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work...”. What was Paul writing about here? Generally speaking, it is most likely that Paul was referring to what he called “Judaisms” in his letters to the Corinthian church, which we have studied previously, when he wrote of “false doctrines”. He was referring to a “teaching” that persists to this day that new converts to Christianity were/are required to worship Jesus Christ while also practicing traditional Judaism. According to this “teaching”, the Law of Moses and the salvation of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins must be practiced side by side, and all male children must be circumcised when they are eight days old as a sign of their complete salvation (among other things). But what did Jesus say about this when he preached? “I have come to fulfill the law”, he said. What law? Today we call the Law of Moses the Old Testament, which is exactly what they were referring to. And what of “myths” and “endless genealogies”? It is a virtual certainty that Paul was referring to people worshiping pagan gods of Greek and Roman mythology. It would appear, then, that certain churches were trying to combine them into one religion, mixing Greek and Roman gods with the One true God, whose only begotten Son saved us all from condemnation. Jesus was and is the only one who can do that; no other “god” can come even close to making such a claim. Those who do otherwise are polluting the Word of God, and they need to repent of this while they still have the chance. We're almost out of time, you know.

“Some have wandered away from these things and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about”. What can we compare this to in modern times? For one thing, I would compare it to various denominations preaching and teaching against other denominations, even condemning those who don't believe as they do, or those who don't walk, talk, think and act exactly like their church does (as if it was “their” church to begin with). Other examples of meaningless talk would include tithing (you must give exactly 10% of your income each and every week or else), the debate about same-sex marriage (the same ones who accuse gay people of immorality have issues of their own, such as rampant adultery and being addicted to porn), as well as the ultimate hot-button issue of abortion (abortion is murder, but it's perfectly OK to wage undeclared wars overseas and kill hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians). If anyone reading this is currently in a church such as I have described, you really should consider finding a better church.

“We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers... and for whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious Gospel of the blessed God...”. As the old saying goes, rules are made to be broken. Unfortunately for those who take this adage literally, the teachings of Jesus Christ are made to be kept and to be guarded zealously within our hearts and minds. Jesus taught similarly when he said, “I have come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”. It is an important fact that we all have so very little time left since the second coming of our Lord is so very close now. In fact, it could be as little as a couple of years or so until this occurs, so we are all just about out of time. It is for this very reason that we must redouble our efforts, first to purify ourselves from the inside out, and second to minister to others from the outside in so they will open their hearts to Jesus and allow Him to come in and live there. That is the second step to salvation in and through Christ. Preceding this is our own conversion (or re-dedication for those who have fallen away from the church and “forgotten their first love”), which begins when we go to the cross and confess our sins before the Lord. We first confess our sins, faults, and deficiencies, and then ask forgiveness as we devote the rest of our lives to service to Christ, performing any works or tasks that we are led to do by the power of the Holy Spirit. Having said that, let's conclude our study beginning at verse 12.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even tough I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Jesus Christ. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example of those who believe on him and receive from him eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen. Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. (1st Timothy chapter 1, verses 12-20, NIV)

“Even tough I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” This verse speaks volumes about the apostle Paul and others like him. At one time I would have had to include myself in this category, even though – like Paul – I did these kinds of things because I didn't know any better. I used to curse and swear and use profanity a lot, and I also used to have a violent temper. I even carried a loaded pistol everywhere I went, and I was once jailed briefly after getting into an altercation with someone in traffic (please don't worry, this was years before I embraced the Lord). There are countless examples of others who were once the same way – ex-convicts who find the salvation of Jesus Christ while serving time for God-knows-what is just one example – only to have their lives and themselves completely transformed by “having the mind of Christ”, as Paul wrote in an earlier letter in the New Testament. But today, thanks to Jesus Christ and only Him, I have in its place “the peace of Christ which surpasses all human understanding”, as Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippian church that we studied previously. In short, I am a radically changed individual compared to what I was prior to 1992 when I gave my heart and surrendered my life to Christ. If this is something that you aspire to but have not yet attained, take heart because it's a process that all Christians go through once they make a lifetime commitment to Jesus. Everyone can do this, not necessarily by their own will, but rather by the Spirit of Christ that inhabits the hearts of every true believer.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners... so that... Christ Jesus might demonstrate his unlimited patience as an example of those who believe on him and receive from him eternal life.” Jesus was crucified, died, and was resurrected on the morning of the third day so that all of us may secure eternal life in and through Him. He died, only to be resurrected from the dead, as an atonement for all the sins of mankind, including the really bad ones like Paul, who persecuted the early Church and supervised the death by stoning of saint Steven (see Acts chapters 6 and 7 for details). Paul, in the eyes of God and the early Church, was a murderer – actually a “hit man” by 21^st century standards – of innocent Christians, and yet God forgave him when he humbled himself on the road to Damascus (see the book of Acts chapter 9) and ordained him to be a minister of the Gospel. If God can do this for a murderer of his people, how much more than this can He do for us, for all who call upon the name of Jesus for eternal salvation and as an atonement for our sins (and I had plenty of those, you can be sure of that)

 

“I give you this instruction... so that by following [it] you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” So if anyone likes a good fight like I used to all those decades ago, fight the good Spiritual fight for Christ instead of a down-and-dirty fight in the flesh for the domination, intimidation and control of others. Love – unconditional love – always wins and triumphs over hate, aggression, fear, and greed. There are no exceptions that I can think of at the moment. So I urge you all to fight the “good fight” and to “run the good race” as Paul wrote in an earlier letter that we studied previously. Besides, with the return of Jesus being so imminent, what else would we do? How else can we live and still profess and practice allegiance to Jesus and unconditional worship? There is no substitute.

This week in our ongoing study of the Book of Romans, we'll be moving on to chapter ten

Confessing Your Faith

[Romans chapter 10]

This week in the book of Romans we will be moving on to chapter 10. The apostle Paul was a Jewish man just like Christ was, and his zeal for their conversion is well documented. But chapter 10 talks about combining Judaism and Christianity into one faith, and how to live that faith as a lifestyle. Let's get started with Romans 10 beginning at verse 1.

“Brothers, my desire and my prayer to God for the Israelites is that they might be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God, and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Moses described in this way the righteousness that is by the law: 'the man who does these things will live by them' . But the righteousness that is by faith says: 'do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven (that is, to bring Christ down) or who will descend into the deep?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart', that is, the word of faith that we are proclaiming: that if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame'. For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call upon Him, for 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” (Romans 10: verses 1-13, NIV)

What does this tell us? First and foremost, it was Paul's hearts desire that his own people, the Hebrew nation, should be saved. Paul remarks concerning his own people the Hebrew nation, “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God, and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” The Hebrew nation asserted that their salvation was derived from the Old Testament, specifically the Law of Moses that encompasses five books of the Bible from Exodus through Deuteronomy. The supreme sacrifice of Jesus Christ has replaced the old law with the new covenant of the shedding of His blood for the forgiveness of sins. “if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame'.”

Even if you don't own a Bible, the Word of God can and should be written on our hearts and in our minds. We can carry Jesus around with us, dwelling within us, as we go about our daily lives. So let's do a little self-examination here and ask a couple of key questions. Do I truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Lord over the earth? And, have I made Him Lord over my life? Or to put it another way, is there anything in my life that I put ahead of Jesus? Is my job, my home, my car and even my family something that I place ahead of God and His kingdom? These are not easy questions for some. It's all a matter of having correct priorities in life.

The next most important question we can ask ourselves here is whether or not we truly believe that God raised Jesus from the dead after He was crucified. For many this question is a no-brainer since they were raised as Christians from childhood. Others come to this knowledge and acquire this faith later in life as they search for deeper meaning in their everyday living. But there can be no doubt that God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day after He was crucified. This theme is stated repeatedly throughout the New Testament, and it is prophesied in the Old Testament as well.

“Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame”. If you believe in Jesus, you have a faith that is foolproof and untouchable. Your faith is something that no one can take away from you. It remains with you throughout your life provided that you maintain and practice it every day. Furthermore, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. Saved from what, you may ask? What is it that we should be so afraid of? The answer can be summed up in two words: eternal death. To believe in Jesus Christ means that those who truly love Him can pass from death to eternal life when our physical lives are over and our bodies wear out. Those persons who do not believe, or who believe in false gods such as money or what they see on TV, die forever when their lives are finished. And there will be a final judgment after this present world comes to an end, which is inevitable and which will happen very soon. So, we can either live once and die twice, or we can live twice and die only once, after which we will pass from death to eternal live in Christ and live with Him in heaven forever without end. The bottom line here is that eternal life in Christ is not something that happens only once and then it's over. Eternal life in Christ by His resurrection from the dead is an ongoing process that is happening continuously within our hearts and minds. St Paul comments on this further down in this passage of Scripture when he says the following:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news?' ” (Romans 10:14-15 NIV)

As you can see, belief is an ongoing process. It is not something that happens only once and then it's over. You can't call upon the name of Jesus unless you believe in Him. And you can't believe in someone you have never heard of (how silly would that be?). By the same token, how can we hear the good news about Jesus without someone telling us, such as by reading this Bible study as you are doing today? How can this good news be preached and taught if no one is sent? Make no mistake about it, God has empowered me to put up this website for the benefit of new believers who are without a doubt searching for ultimate truth. This is particularly true for the multitudes who are on the Internet, but who wouldn't touch a traditional church with a ten foot pole. He has charged me with this very mission, which I will continue to fulfill to the very best of my ability outside the boundaries of organized religion, or “Church, Inc.”, as I call it. And, how do we as new Christians come to this new set of core beliefs? St. Paul summarizes this very question further down in this same passage of Scripture when he quotes from the Old Testament prophets.

“But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, 'who, Lord, has believed our message'? Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. But I ask: 'did they not hear'? Of course they did: 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.' Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, 'I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.' And Isaiah boldly says, 'I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me' But concerning Israel he says, 'All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.'” (Romans 10, verses 16-21, NIV)

Paul's very words right here amounts to a summary judgment against his own people. Did Israel not hear the Gospel when Paul and others such as the apostle Peter enunciated it to them? Did they not understand me, he wrote? Back when I first became a Christian in 1992, this was my experience exactly. A Christian business associate had been talking to me about the Lord for months. At first I was very skeptical because I had had a strongly negative experience with the Catholic church when I was growing up. But God pursued me through my friend all during that time. He used my friend as a conduit for His power because He was seeking me, knowing well in advance of myself that He had big plans for me and a solid pathway for my life. The main point here is that God loved me first, rather than the other way around. Now Jesus wants to do the same for everyone whether they are reading this message today or not, whether they believe it or not. He is reaching out to you personally to reveal Himself to you. And He will be found by numerous individuals like myself, whether we were seeking Him or not.

This is the best news of all. God loves us so much that He has sent Jesus to each and every one of us. And Jesus has a plan, initiated by His heavenly father to bring us all under His wing. This includes yourself. So let's rejoice and be happy about finding God whether we were searching for Him or not, because in so doing we will gain a righteousness that is by faith just as Isaiah and Moses did. We can be sure that He has already found us and has loved us first. He has thought about us long before we ever thought about Him. Let's all start today to live our lives to the fullest extent possible just because we know that this is God's plan for our lives. We can maintain a better outlook on life and have a much-improved self-image by loving Jesus because He loved us first. I challenge all my readers to do this. Watch and see how much your outlook on life improves when we reciprocate God's love for us. It's the best thing we can do for ourselves at this moment. By doing so, the peace of Christ that surpasses all human understanding will be with us everywhere we go.