The Jerusalem Church is Scattered

January 16, 2023 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Book of Acts Chapter 8

The one thing we should get noticeably clear in our minds is the fact that God will have His way in this world!

Even when things look dire, we need to remember that Jehovah God is in charge of every aspect of this world.

Nothing happens upon this earth that God does not know about!

What had God told to the early Church?

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Over and over again we see the command to the Church.

The Church is not a building! The Church is every true believer!

The Church in Jerusalem had grown to an exceptionally large congregation, yet no one had considered what the Lord Jesus had commanded.

Yes, when the Lord Jesus speaks, He is commanding us to do as He says.

In fact, the Bible is a Book of Commands and not a Book of Suggestions!

Since the Church in Jerusalem would not “go into all the world” then, God would allow some things to take place and the result of these things would be the Church would be obedient to the Lord.

Now God did not cause the persecution that came to the Church, but God did allow it to take place.

The early Church grew because of the “Grace” of God, and we are still in this period called “Grace”!

Because of God’s Grace, He will not do things to go against His grace!

In other words, God did not cause this persecution, or the Church could not call it “Grace”.

In our lesson today we get to see some things about a young man named Saul.

Saul will become the worst of the persecutors of the Church, until He becomes maybe the greatest Christian who has ever lived.

First the persecutor:

*Act 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Though Saul did not cast a single stone upon Stephen, Saul was still consenting to his death.

As Stephen was dying, he gave God’s final invitation to those who were super religious in Jerusalem, but Israel rejected God’s message.

Israel set out to destroy God’s Church and Israel found out that this would be impossible.

The world of today needs to take note, that man cannot destroy the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ!

God overruled Israel and used this persecution to scatter the Church as the Lord Jesus had commanded.

Act_1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The Holy Ghost (Spirit) had come and it was time for the Church to get busy about the work of the Lord!

God has a plan for this world and no one, not any human can change the plan of God.

No matter what is happening in this world, God’s plan moves along at God’s pace.

It was Saul who launched this heavy persecution.
Some godly men buried Stephen.
Saul would persecute both men and women.
The brethren were scattered in every direction.

Saul was well pleased with the death of Stephen!

As Christians we should never be pleased with the death of anyone no matter their guiltiness!

We should never be happy that someone has died without knowing the Lord as their Savior.

Fury had been building inside Saul and Stephen’s death just set Saul out to destroy all the Church.

Saul felt that the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ would destroy Judaism.

Gal 1:13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous “of the traditions of my fathers”.

What Paul had not considered is the “traditions” cannot save anyone!

We can see that there were also politics behind the work of Saul, and Saul prospered in many ways because he persecuted the Church, the Body of Christ.

The persecution of the Church began immediately on the same day that Stephen was buried which was the same day Stephen was murdered.

Note the Apostles stayed behind.

They had given some freedom by the authorities because of Gamaliel:

Act 5:34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
Act 5:35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
Act 5:36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
Act 5:37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
Act 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
Act 5:39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
Act 5:40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

Remember that Council would carry the same weight as our own Supreme Court.

The Apostles were highly esteemed by the people and these wicked men did not need any more intervention from Rome which could happen if the Jews were in some sort of civil war.

Act 4:21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

Had the Apostles fled Jerusalem, then there would have been no one left to stabilize the Church at Jerusalem.

God does not shut down one Church to see it thrive somewhere else!

The Church in Jerusalem was an important Church and still is today.

Remember the Church is that congregation of believers.

This church would have ceased to exist, and this was not part of the plan of God.

The Church requires good godly leaders who cling to the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see we can trust that what God has said is the truth!

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Do not be confused by this Scripture. Peter is not the “Rock” of the Church, it is the Gospel, the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

No matter what Satan or the rebellious governments of this world send against the Church, the Church will prevail until the day the Lord removes the Church to deal with this wicked world.

2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

We see that good godly devout men of God carried Stephen to his burial expressing great sorrow for him, but the soul of Stephen was already with the Lord Jesus Christ in our Heavenly home. These men were no longer afraid to show their faith.

*Act 8:2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

As for Saul. he joined in the persecution of the Church becoming the ring leader.

Saul had every intent to completely destroy God’s Church and remove it from the face of the earth.

Many would come behind him trying to do the same thing even in today’s time.

Even mighty Rome could not destroy the Church and none today will be able to.

Saul was like a man gone mad!

Act 26:11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Saul would even go into homes, breaking down the doors, seeking every believer.

Saul arrested everyone he could find, trying to stamp out Christianity.

Saul would storm every synagogue and he punished every believer that was present.

Even though women were considered to be insignificant in Saul’s day, Saul still went after women with the same fierceness.

Saul would send as many as he could to prison!

Act 22:4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

Saul hunted them down like some terrible criminal even though these people just professed the Lord Jesus Christ as their perfect Savior.

This became their theme.

This had been what God commanded all along.

Those that escaped went forth claiming the Lord Jesus Christ and preaching the Word of God.

Persecution will never stop the work of God!

****Act 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.

We know the Apostles were not scattered.

Most of the priests were not scattered.

It was the lay people who were scattered abroad.

That word “abroad” means “widely scattered”, beyond the bounds of a country, before the public.

They went everywhere preaching the Word of God, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev_1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

When the Word of God is preached and received it is then time to decide.

This is the power of the Christian Church.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior unto life, or He is Ruler of death unto death.

Our life and our death are in the hands of our Savior!

This is a choice we must all make and thank God, He is the God of second chances.

Act 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
Act 11:20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
Act 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

We should understand that evangelism is still the answer to persecution!

We have the life we live right now to prepare for what is said about us when we are dead.

*Act 8:5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
Act 8:6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

Philip went to Samaria which had been prepared by the Lord Jesus Christ with the message of salvation and many of those who were once enemies to the Jews became part of the Christian Church.

These are all things that can happen when we are obedient to the Lord!

Why was Philip given the power to do miracles?

We must remember there was no Bible to be given to believes in that day.

The Old Testament presented the message of the “coming of Christ”.

The message of the New Testament would be the return of Christ to get His Church. The “Good News”!

The New Testament would not be written for many years so God allowed some few men to take credit for some miracles mostly concerning healing.

Today we have the complete text of the Bible, there are no lost books of the Bible.

Miracles still happen every day but most all of them go unnoticed.

God uses persecution to demonstrate the reality of salvation.

God uses miracles for this same purpose!

Persecution of the Church can be simple abuse, or it can be violent.

It can happen at work, at home, at school, at play and yes, even at Church.

In every case God will use persecution to bear witness of Himself!

What the world needs now is to see a revived Church.

Many believe that revival is the time to reach out to the public and it can be, but the intent of “revival” is to stir the Church to get back to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We need a true movement of God in the hearts and the lives of all the children of God, inside and outside the Church.

Philip had accepted the call of God and had become an evangelist; Philip was a lay person who was trained by the Holy Spirit.

He did not go to some seminary nor any other school accept the school of the Holy Spirit and Philip obeyed the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philip preached and proclaimed the Lord Jesus Christ

Philip preached the “Good News, the Gospel and there is no better news today.

The one thing the Church needs today is to be in “one accord”!

We see just the opposite in our Churches today.

Every so-called Bible that has been rewritten just to pacify some congregation needs to be gathered and burnt for heresy.

There is only one truth and for the English-speaking world! The KJV is the closest we can get to the truth of God along with a few others that are taken from the “Received Text”.

All others are no more than commentaries that are taken from already altered versions of Scripture.

We must be in one mind and one spirit, one accord.

We must have an open mind, a willingness to listen to what God has to say, and then be obedient!

Has Satan infiltrated the Church? Yes, and we are foolish to think differently.

*Act 8:7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
Act 8:8 And there was great joy in that city.

All those who do not have the Holy Ghost living within them are under the control of evil spirits.

2Ti_2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him “at his will”.

Satan cannot touch the child of God without God’s permission. Satan can threaten like he has this power but he does not!

It is not the same for those who have not given their lives to Christ Jesus! Satan can do as he pleases with these people!

People who cannot help themselves can be healed but only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

There will be evidence of changed lives! In fact, if there is no evidence of changed lives then we need to question their salvation!

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1Jn 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

All those who would rather rewrite some book calling it a Bible just because they do not like the commandments of God, cannot then be saved!

When people understand the truth, it will certainly bring joy!

This joy will come and stay because it is the gift of God!

Philip did not have the power of miracles within himself to do miracles!

This power is only of God and God has His reasons and nothing comes from God without “faith”!

It is the deliverance from the great depths of sin that brings the greatest joy!

Deliverance from false prophets.
Deliverance from false religion.
Deliverance from sorceries which is drugs.

False religion will always fail in the end because there is no truth in false religion.

God has one message:

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Even though Philip was in a great revival in Samaria, the Holy Spirit had a special request, and we must always listen to the Holy Spirit.

*Act 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

We should know that God has His eyes on everything that is happening in this world!

Remember God knows the ending at the same time that He knows the beginning.

Every soul is important to God!

Why would this angel of the Lord not go himself?

I can think of two reasons:

1) Because this was a mission for a man. In the Lord’s salvation plan there is a place for redeemed sinners to be witnesses for Jesus Christ. No angel could accomplish this mission!

2) The Holy Spirit would already be working upon this individual and one of God’s redeemed could show him the way, the Jesus way.
An angel is but a messenger!

We should also remember Philip was in the middle of a great revival so what was so important about one man?

There were two ways from Jerusalem to Gaza, one desert, the other was through a more populous country.

Philip had no way of knowing a particular reason God would send him somewhere else during a revival, but Philip seemed to understand the importance of this mission.

We must always listen to what the Lord has to say no matter what we are doing at the time God calls!

Philip had to walk by faith!

It is our faith that is important when we are speaking to the Lord!

Jehovah does not limit Himself to our theories or our beliefs and we should not either!

God will use whatever is necessary to reach a lost soul!

God tells us all to “arise” and “go” and walk in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ!

What did Philip do?

*Act 8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
Act 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

Philip saw some man riding in a chariot who was returning from Jerusalem.

We should understand that Chief officers of nations were called eunuchs. Some were eunuchs as we understand but not all were!

Many of them were the chief ministers in eastern courts and called eunuchs.

For instance we know that Candace was the queen of the Ethiopians but all the queens of Ethiopia were named Candace.

We should understand what the Bible says:

Psa 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

This eunuch would be one of the tools Jehovah would use to fulfill this prophecy!

No doubt that this eunuch was also a proselyte to Judaism. A Gentile converted to Judaism.

Tradition tells us that even Candace was baptized by this eunuch after the work of Philip was completed.

This eunuch had taken part in all the Jewish festivals of that day, and he would now learn the simplicity of salvation by Jesus Christ.

He was reading from the Book of Isaiah the prophet of Jehovah.

It is a fact that many believers shy away from foreigners when the Lord only sees souls and all souls are as jewels and are valuable to the Lord.

The Lord Jesus wants us to reach all people with the truth!

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We might understand that if we could reach the higher ups in our own government, it could change everything about the America we see now.

The one thing that can be said about eunuchs is, that they are dedicated to their position.

This eunuch was a worshiper of God, yet he was not saved because he did not know all the truth.

We must all seek a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philip sensed what he was sent to do but Philip still needed a little push from the Holy Spirit.

After all this man was a high ranking officer of some country and not a Jew.

The Holy Spirit will always guide us if we listen to Him and place our lives under His control.

*Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
Act 8:31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
Act 8:32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

Notice that Philip came straight to the point.

It was not time to talk about the weather or the long trip. Philip was sent to this man for one purpose and Philip did what the Holy Spirit instructed him to do.

Philip initiated the conversation, but he did not give this man time to ask what he was doing chasing his chariot.

No doubt this man was faithful to have traveled such a great distance to worship Jehovah.

This man had a copy of the Word of God and few especially Gentiles had such a copy of the Word pf God.

Remember all copies were done by hand and were unbelievably valuable.

This man had a problem that he could not solve and there were no answers at his home in Ethiopia.

He did not understand that the Lord Jesus Christ died for him.

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Isa 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Isa 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

If we believe the Bible then we must understand that Isaiah was writing about our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah was writing about the Messiah who had already come and completed the work required of His Father for our salvation!

He was led like a sheep because He was the Lamb of God.
He willingly died for our sin though He could have said no.
Because He was God it was in humiliation that He died and the justice due Him was not allowed.
In this time of “Grace” His followers are innumerable and who could have numbered them.

Psa 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
Psa 22:31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

This eunuch could not have understood about the Lord Jesus Christ until He had heard this truth.

It is the same today to those who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

The prophecies of the Old Testament of the coming of the Messiah have been fulfilled.

We are now awaiting upon the return of the Messiah to collect His Church to take His bride home to Heaven to present to His Father!

He is coming back to get His Church!

Come Lord Jesus Come

Amen!

Our Lives Will Be Changed By Jesus

June 9, 2019 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Understanding Our Heritage

Book of 1 Peter Chapter 2:1-10

In our previous lesson we learned that we must be “Born Again” to be in the family of God. God writes the name of all His children in what God calls the Lamb’s Book of Life and we must be “Born Again” to have our names written in this book!

As soon as our name is written down, we find that Satan has become our enemy and it will not always be easy to be a child of God!

We will be perfect in the eyes of God because when He sees us, He sees His Son.

We will be an enemy to the world and there some lessons we need to learn very quickly!

That word “wherefore” means, for this reason.

“Wherefore” because we have been “Born Again” there are some things we must do.

*****1Pe 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

We must lay aside some things!

**Malice: Malice means that you are determined to get revenge upon your enemies or at least cause them problems, but since you are a child of God, you must let your Father in Heaven take care of all your problems including this one!

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

**All guile: Guile is being cunning and deceitful. These are some of the traits of Satan and Satan is our enemy. We certainly are not to be anything like him. To be involved in the traits guile will cause you to lose the blessings of God!

Psa_32:2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

**Hypocrisies: Spiritual hypocrisy is acting in any way that goes against the Word of God but claiming to be on God’s side.

Luk 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Leaven as used in this Scripture, is the thing that caused the Pharisees to be hypocrites. Leaven represents sin in most all of the Bible.

**All evil speaking: the word evil means wicked immorality, going against the pure Word of God.

These are some of the first things that we are to repent of, and we can learn all these things from the Word of God.

If we cannot lay aside these things, we will never be counted good enough to enter into Heaven’s gates!

I can just imagine that pearly gate will be so mirror like that we can see our new selves before we come face to face with the Lord of Glory.

We must have a desire to learn about our God and He has given us the Word of God to do so!

Again God cautions us that as “babes in Christ” we need some help to understand the Word of God, but the more we stay in the Word of God, we will grow and no longer be a “Babe”!

The Word of God is that Spiritual milk we need every day for the rest of our lives to become a mature child of God!

It is by the “Grace” of God that we are saved and the “Grace of God” that we will grow until we come useful to the Lord!

*****1Pe 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

To be “Born Again” into the family of God, begins to show us just how the “Grace” of God works in our lives!

We must also understand that God intends for us to grow in His knowledge.

We cannot have the wisdom of the Lord until we have the knowledge of the Lord!

You see God wants us to know all about Him! God does not hide anything about His character!

God did not have to reveal Himself to us at all!

We have to have food and water to make our physical bodies grow and most all babies need milk and food from baby foods.

The milk of the Gospel are the basics thoughts.

God took off His heavenly garments and came to this earth to pay our sin debt we could not pay.

We are sinners at birth, and we need a Savior and that Savior is the Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

It is the work that Jesus did that we could not do, that has reconciled us to God.

After we have tasted the “grace” of God it becomes time to grow in the Word of God!

1Pe 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Psa 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
Psa 24:9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psa 24:10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

God laid aside His majesty to come to this earth to provide a means for our salvation!

*****1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

God came to us in a body of flesh (a living stone)(The Lord Jesus Christ). The Lord Jesus was rejected by His own people.

Remember Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary a descendant of Nathan a son of King David.

The Father of Jesus was the Holy Ghost! Jesus had no earthly father until He was adopted (accepted) by Joseph who was a descendant of Solomon the son of King David.

Then prophecy was fulfilled.

Jesus was born a Jew, so His people would be the Jews the tribe of Judah.

Make no mistake, Jesus the Messiah, in the flesh was a Jew and was rejected by these foolish people at the time and that generation perished in 70 A.D. at the hands of the Roman General Titus, who hated the Jewish people.

Rome was that Empire of iron and clay that was broken into what is the Europe of today

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces

Not so long a time after this God brought to Rome to its knees because clay feet are so easily broken!

At salvation, we become the living stones who make up the Church, a spiritual house when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who can then offer up Spiritual sacrifices accepted by Jesus Christ our Savior, our King, our Master, our God!

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
Eph 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

What are our Spiritual Sacrifices?

We must offer up our souls, our bodies, all out thoughts, all our words and all our actions.

It may take some time, but these are the things that God requires of us!

It is at this time we become a part of the Scriptures!

*****1Pe 2:6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Confounded means a lot of things but “dismayed” is the meaning of this passage adding maybe “perplexed”!

Jesus, the Messiah is and was that chief corner stone.

He is elect because He is God the Father’s chosen Messiah!

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
Isa 42:3 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.
Isa 42:4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
Isa 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

Isa 49:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
Isa 49:23 And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.

Sion (Zion) of course is Jerusalem. The City of peace!

*****1Pe 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

You see, I not only believe my Lord is precious, I know He is precious, or He would never have accepted me into His family.

He did not get much when He first got me!

Much like the Israelite, I spent my 40 years in the wilderness of the world and the Lord endured me until He brought me into His family!

A loving and powerful God opens His arms to all who will believe and accept Him, yet so few do.

The only sin that cannot be forgiven is the sin of unbelief which shows disobedience, and in the end will bring the wrath of God.

God promises those who love Him will never see His wrath!!!!!

Jesus Christ is the appointed foundation stone of all creation, yet He is the foundation stone of our lives and the foundation stone of the Church.

What’s wrong with this world?

They want nothing to do with this Stone (Christ Jesus)
They do not think that this “Stone” will fit into their plans.
They do not think this “Stone” will suit what they are building.
They do not think this “Stone” is worth the price they would have to pay.

The “Stone” of eternal life is rejected because, even though His price is free, He still costs too much for the unbeliever to change!

In rejecting this world, which can only offer the promises of failure, we can learn the important things which are life and life eternal.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

In reality, Jesus Christ is the living breathing wisdom of God!

The Bible says: “but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it”

There is no life without Jesus Christ!

You see, if you cannot make peace with the Living Stone of Jesus, then that Living Stone you will stumble over. This Stone will then become the Stone of Offence and He will roll over you!

All those people who disregard the Triune God, reject that Jesus is God in the flesh will find their beliefs are false and they are foolish!

The biggest problem the world has today is the world thinks it is wise and the people of God are from an Era that has long since pasted.

This is opposite from the truth!!!!!

Again the Lord has already said what He was going to do with all unbelievers, and this is the truth of those who reject my Savior!

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Jer 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

But what of the believer?

*****1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Pe 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

What does a chosen generation do?

Those who build their lives upon the “Rock of the Lord” Jesus Christ!

If we cannot give our lives to the Lord, for His use, we have not given God the thing He wants the most !!!!!!!

When we agree with Jesus Christ, we all become a new people, who are special to the Lord! It is just that simple !!!!!

God loves the people who love His Son!

To be a Christian, means we are a very special people in the eyes of God!

That word “chosen” means that the Church is now God’s new people.

The “Born Again” chosen children of God somewhat like the chosen people of Israel in that generation of Abraham whom God will return to deal with after the “Rapture” of the Church.

The Church is to be a “royal priesthood”!

When we invite Jesus to come in our hearts we become “royal priests” to King Jesus!

There are men who are called to be Pastors and Priests and other titles, but every child of God is to be a “royal priest” to King Jesus!

We have instant access into the throne room of God!

We also have access to God no matter where He is at, because He is everywhere at the same time.

There is never a time we cannot reach out to God in thought but more in prayer!

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

If we could gather ourselves together with all the Saints of God, we would become a Holy Nation!

You see, God is building Himself a Holy Nation

To be Holy is to be different from this world!!!!!!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

If you wonder why the world hates the Christian, it is because not only are we the “Chosen People of God”, Royal Priests, but we are a little bit peculiar in fact, most of us are a whole lot peculiar which means, we are God’s own possession, in fact His special possessions!

You know the world hates that we say this but that does not make it any less true!

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In the beginning God said, “let there be light” and we are that special, particular, peculiar, and purchased creation that are to shine like the stars! Created twice to die once, who are called out of darkness into that “Light” which is the Lord Jesus Christ!

1) The Light of His truth:

Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

2) The Light of His favor:

Psa 4:6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

3) The Light of His holiness:

Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

You see when we were lost in this evil and wicked world, we were nobodies who yielded to the Devil every time he called, but now after the Light of Jesus has shined upon us, we are the people of God!

Maybe the most important feeling we can have is that we know these things are true!

1Jn_5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

You see, we are become the people of God through and by the Lord Jesus Christ!

We now have the Light of life. Not just any life but “Eternal Life”!

OH, for the love and the grace of God that He would give to all who will call upon Him in “repentance” and “faith”.

The world would say there is no god, but the world has made themselves to be little gods just as Satan has taught them!

Gen 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

God has given us “free will” to choose.

We can choose the good of Jesus, or we can choose the evil of the Devil.

Hint! I read the back of the Book and the Devil loses!

Why not get on the “Winning Side”?

Amen

Let us all pray

God Prepares Some Man

March 17, 2019 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God Prepares a Man

Nehemiah 1:2-10; 2:2-8

So far, we have seen that Zerubbabel had been sent by King Cyrus back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, the House of God.

We know that once the foundation of the Temple was laid, the work of the Temple stopped for about 18 years and God sent the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel (the government) and the High Priest (the religious leader) who had been beautifying their own homes and left off the work on the Temple.

After Haggai told them “Thus sayeth the Lord”, the work began again.

We know Ezra had come to rebuild the city and help with the Temple.

By this time there was over 100,000 people who had returned to Jerusalem and Judah.

All these people were at the mercy of their enemy and things were hard to accomplish.

It seems like Israel is always being attacked one way or another.

God sees all these things and God will send Nehemiah, a cupbearer, for the King of Persia to build the walls of Jerusalem.

Those who think God does not see what is going on in this world are foolish, God sees everything, and prayer is still the best way to get things done that we cannot do. God still expects us to do what we can do. He may not help us with those things!

Let’s begin at Nehemiah Chapter 1 and verse 1:

*****Neh 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace,
Neh 1:2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

King Artaxerxes had been on the throne for 20 years and history tells us he reigned for 20 more years.

The ninth month Chisleu would correspond to our November and sometimes part of December. The Winter months so this King was in Shushan which was the location of his winter palace. The Summer palace was located at Ecbatana. Nehemiah would have traveled with the king no matter where he traveled.

Today this location once a magnificent city is now only a place of ruins. This is also the city where the events of the Book of Esther took place.

The event that we will learn is things that happen after a conversation and then a serious prayer to the Lord and not just one prayer but a continuous prayer.

Nehemiah had never been to Jerusalem, but we know that he had been taught the Word of God by his parents.

Nehemiah had a deep concern about his fellow Jews which in that day, may have been called the Hebrew people by the world.

Nehemiah had compassion for his people, and this is a great lesson for us here today.

In fact the entire first chapter will show us the compassion he had for his people.

As we go through this lesson, we will see the Nehemiah is in typology another type of Christ.

Mar_6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

Fourteen times in the books of the Gospel the word compassion is used about our Lord and Master.

If we are to be like Christ, we are to have compassion, especially for our brothers and sisters in Christ!

What was the message Nehemiah had learned?

*****Neh 1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

As we know from last week, these Jews were suffering because God had brought a drought.

They were suffering economically.
They were suffering spiritually.
They were suffering because of the greed of those who had control, the government
They were suffering because they feared the neighboring nations.
They were suffering because they had no fear of God!

Yes antisemitism existed even in that day!

When Nehemiah heard all these things he wept for his homeland and those who were trying to live without God!

Nehemiah knew that two groups of his people had been back in Jerusalem for many years now and he was not expecting such bad news.

Psa 44:13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
Psa 44:14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

These things caused Nehemiah to weep for his homeland.

Nehemiah had such a great job in captivity he had given no thought of returning to Israel and Jerusalem, but that would now change.

*****Neh 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Neh 1:5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

These things broke the heart off Nehemiah, and we can watch as God immediately had plans for Nehemiah all along.

Nehemiah could feel the suffering of others in his own heart!

Nehemiah knew that Jerusalem was the most holy city in all the world, until Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city and the Temple.

He was hoping with all those who had returned, that things would have been much better.

God expects us to feel in our heart the needs of others! It is called compassion.

God expects us, when we are able, to help those with needs and we can do this through the Church if all the other needs of the Church are met.

Not many of us partake of fasting but sometimes fasting can clear our minds so we can see the needs of others, and the clear will of God

The greatest need of all is still salvation!

Salvation will open our eyes to the needs of others because to be saved is to trust the Lord and then try to be like Him!

Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

What we have seen is God had first placed the government back in Jerusalem along with the High Priest.

Next God sent Ezra to establish the Church.

Now God will send Nehemiah, a cupbearer, who had no great skills, to restore security to the city of Jerusalem.

God loves to use ordinary people with not many skills, because they know that they must trust in the Lord God to meet their needs!

And, Every step we take must be bathed with prayer!

*****Neh 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.

Nehemiah had not returned to Jerusalem because of his position in the court of the Persian King. So God would test him to see if he was sincere.

If our prayers are not sincere and bathed in faith, God will hear, but He may not answer until Nehemiah had enough faith to see these things take place.

God always knows what He is going to do, and God knew that Nehemiah was the man He would use.

While Nehemiah was only a cupbearer, he could learn the workings of government being so close to the King of Persia.

We should understand that God places us in places not only to witness to the lost, but to learn a skill that can benefit the Church, even if it is just a high paying job so our tithes and offerings, will be a great benefit

Some people are prayer warriors, some people keep the church going with those tithes and offerings, and some people give of themselves to keep the church going.

There is a place for every member to the church!

Al these things are to work with the commands of Jesus Christ!

The main thing is that when God calls us for His use, then we need to say yes. Self-sacrifice is the great test of faith!

By being obedient to the Lord, we step into the wonders of the plan of God!

We are of no use to God until we acknowledge His supreme power over all His creation.
We are of no use to God until we acknowledge His majesty, and His goodness, along with His greatness.
We are of no use to God until we acknowledge His faithfulness to those who love Him.

Nehemiah was an intercessor for his people, and he did not know it as of yet.

Nehemiah realized that it was actually a sin that was holding up the progress in Jerusalem.

We will find out that it is a great sin not to pray for the peace in Jerusalem and be commited to Israel as much as we are commited to our own nation also realizing that we are ambassadors for Christ to all nations.

It is always sin that interferes with progress made in our lives and our relationship with the Lord.

*****Neh 1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

By not keeping the commandments of the Lord we show the Lord that we do not love Him!

Deu 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

This not just for the Jews.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

When we are not keeping the commandments of the Lord, rightly divided, we are also very corrupt against the Lord!

*****Neh 1:8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations:
Neh 1:9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.

Nehemiah realized why he was in captivity, it was because as a nation, Israel and Judah had forsaken the Lord.

Nehemiah also realized that God had allowed room for repentance and a great promise that God had made.

If they would repent, then God would gather these Jews no matter where they had been scattered.

Deu 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,
Deu 30:2 And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;
Deu 30:3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.
Deu 30:4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee:
Deu 30:5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

We know from all these things written for us to see, that God did not break a promise then and God will not break a promise today.

How do we make America great again?

2Ch_7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

How will Israel be made great again?

It is the same for every nation where Christians are located!

Who was God talking to this day?

*****Neh 1:10 Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand.

We know that God has made certain promises to the Children of Israel and God will keep all His promises.

We also know that God’s timing is in His control.

When God’s makes a promise we cannot dictate when that promises will be fulfilled, but we can be sure that God will fulfill our needs until that time comes.

God did not need to be reminded that this was the same people He had redeemed from Egypt, but He tells us to study the Scriptures, so we know these things and it was OK for Nehemiah to mention this fact to show his own trust in the Word of God.

Isa 64:9 Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.

We also know God has made many promises to the Church and God will fulfill these promises also, again in His own time.

God has not forgotten any of these things, for it is impossible for God to forget about His children.

The good fathers always remember their children! Jehovah God is the “Greatest” Father

Nehemiah needed to see the king and God made a way for him to do so.

*****Neh 2:2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid,
Neh 2:3 And said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

Nehemiah was the king’s cupbearer. It was Nehemiah’s job to taste the wine to make sure it was safe to drink. If Nehemiah looked sick, then it could have been caused by the wine.

Certainly this king would have his eyes on Nehemiah to make sure he was healthy.

We should be able to see how God arranges things for our best interest.

Nehemiah was just some Jew who just happened to become the cupbearer for the King.

I’m sure the he was not to thrilled to be the one to make sure the King’s wine was not poisoned or spoiled.

In the end, Nehemiah had a great job but in reality, he was placed in that job just for the time that was coming now.

God always has a man in position for His plan to move forward, and I am sure He has some women in places also, just so His plan moves along as it should.

Nehemiah was not sick, he was brokenhearted, and it showed.

We will see how the plan of God is worked out with the utmost precision.

It took a lot of nerve for Nehemiah to address this king, but God had touched the heart of this king, so Nehemiah was treated more like a son than a stranger.

We can see all sorts of types in these passages!

The beginning of these things was the fact the Nehemiah had first prayed, in fact he had fasted and prayed because he had a true concern for his people.

Do we have that much concern for our children or our grandchildren that we would not fast and pray for our people just as Nehemiah?

We should pray first at the sign of trouble, we should pray often, and pray much, and sometimes we need to fast and pray and then we need to listen for God to answer. Remembering if it is according to the plan of God, He will never say no.

Salvation of our children and our families are in the will of God and part of His plan!

1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Nehemiah stood in the gap and interceded for his people. We know of another, the Lord Jesus did so on a much grander scale.

As a father for his dear son, he asked, just what is it that you need?

And what did God say about our prayers?

Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

While this king was listening, Nehemiah wanted to be sure he asked for the right things and no one knew that better than God so Nehemiah made a real quick silent prayer.

*****Neh 2:4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Neh 2:5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.

Before we go too far, we must understand, there was no benefit for this king to allow the wall to be restored around the city of Jerusalem.

If Jerusalem rebelled again it would be costly to lay siege and wait on them to starve to death again.

Two groups had already been financed by Persia to rebuild the Temple so that to should not be asked again, but to keep the city secure, not from Persia, but from the locals such as Samaria, was a thing the king may consider, especially since God, Himself would put these things in the heart of this king.

Know this, that at any time this king could have refuse any or all the request of the Jews, but he did so willingly and gladly!

So Nehemiah requested and secured a royal commission to rebuild Jerusalem and its walls.

We should remember it was dangerous for Nehemiah to show a sad countenance in front of the king.

The kings in this day were always aware of plots to over throw the king or assassination.

When God touches a ruler’s heart, it is never about over throwing that ruler.

Nehemiah had prayed and he would speak the words God had given to him, and remember God’s Word never comes back void.

God’s Word will do what He sent it to do!

We must also remember prayers that are prayed out of an emergency, out of an immediate need, many times God will answer that prayer as soon as He receives it.

It was important that the things Nehemiah asked, to be pleasing to this king!

Here again we see another “type” to help us in our prayer life. We should never pray to the Father for things that are not pleasing our King, King Jesus!

Here again we see that Jehovah God was considered to be the Creator even by this pagan king and valued for this reason.

As far as Nehemiah was concerned, this matter needed to be settled this very day.

God answered and to Him be the Glory, and because God answered, this king gave Nehemiah much more than he asked for!

*****Neh 2:5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
Neh 2:6 And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

The truth is we seldom consider and study on what we need in our prayers. I’m not talking about those needs we all have that God supplies without asking.

I’m talking about that special need! Nehemiah had been making plans on what it would take to do these things, he would now ask the king for, but only after he had made his request to the Lord.

A true lesson is that God loves details! God loves for us to consider those things we pray for and then give Him the reasons those things are important to us, and most important we must have the faith that says to God, “I know you have the power to do this thing I’m asking”.

As Preacher Sam said, “God is Able”!

Luk 14:28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

God, in answer to prayer, is ever ready to bestow what is best for us. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”

This was a silent prayer that Nehemiah prayed between the time he made his request to this king, and the answer he would give.

Another lesson we learn God is always listening. Nehemiah did not have to wait on God to finish what He was doing with someone else!

This shows us the “omnipresence” of the Lord God Jehovah!

Pro 3:4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path

We see that this king had grown affectionate for Nehemiah, not in any kind of sexual way, but as a friend and he wanted to know how long he would be gone.

*****Neh 2:7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;
Neh 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

Nehemiah knew that if he did not have proof of the things this king had promised, others in the government would deny him of any request because, Nehemiah was still just Jew, but the world forgets the Jews are still the apple in God’s eyes.

Zec_2:8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

What is the secret of our success as Christians? We must have God with us!

We do not need the machines of this world.

We do not need the methods of this world.

We just need to be obedient to God, so we know our prayers reach into Heaven.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:
Psa 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

We just need more God!!!!!!!!

We cannot believe we have the power to do the things such as Nehemiah requested, without God!

What did Jesus say?

Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Amen

Let’s Pray

The Second Temple

February 24, 2019 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Work Begins

Book of Ezra

Six months have passed since we began our study of the Book of John and now, we will spend some time in the Old Testament.

In 539 BC the Persians and the Medes under King Cyrus had defeated the Babylonians in a fierce battle for world domination just as the Prophet Daniel had predicted.

It was Isaiah that had predicted that Cyrus would do these things about 100 years before Cyrus had been born.

Isa 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

Isa 45:1 Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;
Isa 45:2 I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
Isa 45:3 And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

It was Jeremiah who had said that Jews would only be in captivity for 70 years.

Dan_9:2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem.

Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

The Book of Ezra was written by Ezra and Ezra was a Jewish Priest.

There were three groups who returned from Babylon, but not one group included any from the Northern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom had been carried off by the Assyrians and never returned to the Promise Land during this period.

Cyrus had captured all the lands of the Babylonians which included the land of the Assyrians and any of those Jews who had remained could have the same freedom to return to Israel.

Let’s begin:

*****Ezr 1:1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
Ezr 1:2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

Cyrus was the son of Cambyses, king of Persia and Mandane the daughter of Astyages, king of Media.

King Cyrus claimed himself to be the liberator of all peoples.

He allowed any group that were captured by the Babylonians to return to their homeland not just the Jews, after all he now ruled all those homelands.

He had first allowed Zerubbabel to lead the first group of the Jews back to Jerusalem. So many things had happened that were against the Word of God that not much work was done in Jerusalem.

It was Ezra who led the second group charged with the rebuilding of the Temple which was financed by King Cyrus and any free will offerings.

Cyrus also returned to the Jews all the valuables stolen from the Temple of Solomon.

Later Nehemiah would lead a third group of Jews back to Jerusalem charged with rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

By all these things we should have no doubt that it is God that puts in place the leaders of this world!

A lot of things are said about the Jews good and bad, but one thing stands out, they are dedicated builders of their nation when they get the opportunity!

They were cured of their idolatry, that had come between them and Jehovah.

If we ask what is wrong with our world today, it should be obvious that all our problems come because of sin.

We see that Cyrus was a king who believed that all his success came because of the Lord God of Heaven and Earth.

Cyrus was no Christian, but he knew where his power came from, he was not an atheist.

To the Jews, Cyrus was Kuresh, the King of Persia.

We should be able to see that God can touch the heart of any ruler at any time as He says in the Book of Isaiah.

Isa 45:13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.

God knows what is going to happen in this world before it happens!

God knows that the Jews want to see Israel survive even if many of them will never make it back home!

What did Cyrus ask the Jewish people?

*****Ezr 1:3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:4 And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.

Cyrus did not demand that all the Jews leave, and many did not, but he did allow anyone who chose to go home and be a part of the rebuilding of the Temple and there homes the freedom to do so.

We should understand that these things were all recorded in the history of Persia and are all true.

The Persia we are familiar with are now the nations of Iraq and Iran.

Any Jew that was alive from the time of captivity would remember the preaching Jeremiah and Isaiah and the other prophets that had come true and they knew it was their sin that had brought on all these things.

All these are lessons for the Church. We can see again that God will always do what He says, and it is God who places rulers into power.

Our Holy God still rules this world!

The date of this proclamation of Cyrus was 538 BC the very first year of his reign over Babylon.

Cyrus had a personal reason for these things he did.

He wanted all people to pray to their god for a long life “for him” even after he had stated that it was it was the Lord God of Heaven who had given him the victory.

Just as so many do today, he had thoughts of all people worshiping the same God which is not true. Jehovah God is a jealous God who will not share His worship with others.

What did Jehovah teach the Jews?

Exo 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Exo 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

Deu 6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Many of the Jews were ready, for they knew what God had said to the prophets.

*****Ezr 1:5 Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
Ezr 1:6 And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.

We should clearly understand that the chastening of the Lord is never about punishment it is always about reform. The Jews had been given the task of preserving the Word of God and they could not do this if they ignored the Word of God!

It is much like that today, the chastisement we go through is not about punishment it is about keeping us moving in the right direction toward eternal life in God’s Heaven.

God was working on His people all the time they were in captivity! They had been cured of their idolatry! They now rejected all pagan gods!

They longed for the Living God!

They had a new devotion to the Lord’s sanctuary, the Temple.

You see we must have a devotion to the House of God!

Heb 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Nebuchadnezzar had captured Jerusalem in 604 BC.
The proclamation of Cyrus was in 538 BC.

Leaving time for the people to gather their belongings and make the long trip to Jerusalem, the work on the Temple began May 534 BC the 70 years had been completed just as Jeremiah had said by the Holy Spirit.

What caused Cyrus to do these things, besides wanting a prayer of thanks from these Jews?

His own advisers had told him of the prophesies of the prophet Isaiah.

If we cannot see the hand of God in all these things, then we do not understand the Lord as much as we think we do!

Just as God had done in Egypt, He had encouraged those who lived among the Jews to make a free will offering to them.

Cyrus would provide the funds for rebuilding the Temple.

Cyrus would provide a military unit for their protection for a time.

These people needed a free will offering in order to sustain themselves until they could get their homes rebuilt and grow their own crops.

We have missions and ministries that cannot survive today without free will offerings.

2Co 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
2Co 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

After a rough start the children of Israel began the work of rebuilding the Temple.

*****Ezr 3:9 Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
Ezr 3:10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.

Verse 9 is not part of our lesson, but it is hard to miss that name Jeshua. In Hebrew it means “he will save”. In reality it is another form of the name Joshua which in the Greek is Jesus.

Jesus is the foundation of the Church and if you cannot accept the work of Jesus for your salvation, you cannot be saved!

For those who use typology, we can see the importance of this man named Jeshua!

In the Book of Nehemiah this same Jeshua was one of the men who gave the meaning of the Laws of Moses.

Neh 8:7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

We know that our Lord Jesus Christ has been involved in the safe keeping of the Word of God from the beginning.

Now this man was not Jesus in any way, but he could be considered a type of Jesus.

Even before the foundation of the Temple was laid the altar was repaired and offerings were made to Jehovah God.

A continuous burnt offering was made, and all the feast were kept during the rebuilding of the Temple.

These people had learned by a sad experience that they were dependent upon God!

The materials for the Temple were gathered from many nations such as Tyre and Sidon and the forest of Lebanon.

Have you ever noticed how God utilizes nations to move the Gospel?

The Romans built new roads to move their army quickly, but God used those same roads to proclaim the “Gospel”.

Today we see all sort of modern ways to communication but at the same time these things can be used to spread the “Gospel”.

We must never be afraid of these things. We must send the “Gospel” out in every way we can use because we know that the Word of God will not come back void and the Word of God cannot be stopped.

Christianity must be a uniting force and not be forced upon anyone like it was during the time of the crusades. God’s Word will make a way because it’s He who sends it!

The priests in their apparel blew the trumpets, the Psalmist with the cymbals, there was something going on at God’s House and all were invited to lay a stone on the foundation!

You want to build a Church, this is the best way!

There was singing and shouting, and praise being offered to Jehovah God for His true Word.

*****Ezr 3:11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Psalm 136 which is probably used here, tells of the great power of God but the emphasis is on God’s goodness and God’s mercy.

Mercy can be understood as compassion for those who miserable! These Jews were in captivity for 70 years. Some fared well, but I suppose many of them were no more than slaves.

God had realized these things from His beginning, and He decided, He would be more like a Father than as a Deity who cared not for His creation!

God not only has “mercy” he also expects us to show mercy even to our enemies.

Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

When we understand the mercy of God, we can begin our climb out of the miry clay of sin and then we will also praise the Lord for His goodness.

A good man knows the difference in right and wrong and he will choose right every time!

Without God’s goodness and God’s mercy, we would never get to see God’s “GRACE”.

Today the morality level and the goodness level in America, is almost nonexisting!

Being back home was a great feeling for the Jews.

Many of them had never even seen Jerusalem as they were born in captivity, but during those years their parents had continued to share the Word of God with them.

Many of those who had seen the Temple of Solomon knew that this rebuilt Temple would not possess the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple.

The things we will miss if we do look closely are:

1) This became a working church
2) They all worked together
3) They were obedient to the Word of God
4) They worked without ceasing
5) They celebrated singing worship songs
6) They were thankful

We know that today the Bible says we are a Temple of God. How are we working compared to these Jews?

1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1Pe 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1Pe 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

What did Paul preach?

1Co 3:9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

We must realize that a Temple that has fallen will never be as grand as it was before it fell and we must remember that today each Christian ia a Temple of God!

The second Temple would not ever reach the splendor of Solomon’s Temple. If we allow our temple to fall back into sin and return to the Lord with full forgiveness, we will never be the witness we could have been!

*****Ezr 3:12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:
Ezr 3:13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

The first and the second Temple were built in the exact same place, they had nearly the same foundation, they were both built with the same design.

The Temple that we raise, that our forefathers saw, is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets, with Jesus Christ Himself the Chief Corner Stone.

We have the same “gospel”, we have the same Savior, and the same Holy Spirit who lives within us for conversion, edification, support, and comfort!

For the Jews the first Temple surpassed the second Temple because it was built with better materials.

But we today as sinners who were not fit to be a Temple of God, are built into a glorious Temple of God.

As a Temple of God we must be Holy!

1Co_3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Just as the second Temple was dedicated to God. so we are to be dedicated to God.

This is where the Church of today fails the most!

In fact there are so many that have rejected the truth of God, the Church is tarnished.

We must remember Jesus did not say the Word of God was true, Jesus said the Word of God is the “Truth”!

There is no higher authority anywhere on this planet and there never will be, until the Lord returns!

Joh_17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Ezra is considered to the father of Jewish religion and he gave his life to keep the Jews in line with the Word of God.

This the same period when the Pharisees got started and this began with good intentions to keep the people in line with the Word of God.

It later days, the they begin to add their own interpretation, their own words, making their own words, the words of man, to be greater than the Word of God.

Again this is the same thing happening in our world today. The Church has allowed the world inside the Church and the words of man and politicians to be greater than the Word of God.

Some people today cannot discern the truth from the man-made laws because they refuse to study the Word of God themselves and they depend on some man to lead them in the right way. It is a shame!

When the world gets inside the Church then the work of God will cease.

*****Ezr 4:24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

We must understand that the tactics of Satan and those who reject the only God, Jehovah are wicked!

If they cannot bend the goodness of the Church to their own wishes, they will change their tactics and call the good bad and the bad good.

They will hire politicians to frustrate the work of the Church.

They will seek out men with no scruples who will deliberately use their influence and their pocketbooks, in an evil cause for their own gain!

When we get away from the promises of God and listen to the false promises of the world, the Church will cease to exist.

If not for the Holy Spirit this would take place!

As our world removes more and more of the history of our lives, they gain more control.
As the world takes control of the minds of our young people, they gain more control.
As the world tramples on the Word of God, they gain more control.

We must wake up to these tactics, take our stand on the Word of God, and refuse to move until the Lord comes.

We are not to be timid with the Word of God, we are to be bold!

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

When the Church will not take a stand, the world will roll right over us, as we see today!

Amen

Let’s Pray!

The Apostle Paul Preaching In Rome

May 20, 2013May 20, 2013 / Bobby Mayfield / 11 Comments

Preaching In Rome

Book of Acts Chapter 28

We have reached the last chapter in this great Book of Acts. We have seen so many things that caused the beginning of the early church.

We need to get back to many of the basics we have learned in these chapters!

But most of all, we must realize that the message of the Church is still the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ and that will never change!

The Church grows as the "Gospel" is spread.

This is our only job!

Last week when we left off, 276 men, including the Apostle Paul were swimming for their life in hope of reaching the shore of the island we now know of as Malta.

Let’s pick up where we left off:

*****Act 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

It was not until everyone was safely on the island that they realized they were at a place called Melita. This island of Melita is now known as Malta.

We also need to realize that where ever God places us, that is to place where we are to begin a work for God and represent Jesus Christ as His ambassadors.

We already know that God was sending Paul to Rome, so this stopover in Melita was surely the providence of God.

We should never forget this verse and we can believe that Paul never did:

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! [how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!]

*****Act 28:2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

It is probable that the people of Melita were probably descendent of Phoenician sailors who first used this island.

They were considered barbarous simply because they did not speak Greek nor Latin as their native language.

The Greeks, and after-wards the Romans, called all nations "but themselves" barbarians!

This reminds us of how people felt about each other at the tower of Babel back in the Book of Genesis.

But the people of Melita did treat these shivering survivors with great kindness by building a bonfire on the beach to warm them up.

*****Act 28:3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

It’s very interesting to note that, out of more than 300 people who were enjoying this fire, it was Paul who took it upon himself to gather sticks to keep it burning.

Among the sticks, however was a venomous snake. The snake itself was stiff from the cold and must have look much like another stick.

The heat energized the snake so that it suddenly bit the Apostle Paul.

And this did not go unnoticed!

There are always eyes on God’s people!

It is said today that you cannot find a venomous snake on the island of Malta.

*****Act 28:4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet "vengeance" suffereth not to live.

In this short time these people of Melita had already realized that some of these men including Paul were prisoners bound for Rome.

They looked on Paul is a doomed man and as good as dead.

They concluded that if it was murder he was guilty of, and had escaped the death of the sea, then the gods had punished him in this way.

That word "vengeance" comes from the Greek word "Dice" which is also the name of a Greek goddess said to be the daughter of Jupiter.

*****Act 28:5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
Act 28:6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Many eyes were watching as Paul shook the snake off into the fire. They were amazed that his hand had not swollen nor had he fell over dead, so they watched him for a great while.

But, to their amazement no harm had come to Paul.

There are two things we should note here:

1.) We have the fulfillment of Scripture.

Mar 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mar 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

This promise of protection, was not for show and was not intended to apply indefinitely. This experience of Paul’s is the only actual example of such a thing recorded in the New Testament and we should not expect for these things to happen today.

2.) We have the superstitions of the lost.

Since Paul could not be killed by the poison from this Viper then he to must be a god.

This is not the first time that this happened to Paul.

We should remember the things that happened in Athens.

Act 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Act 14:12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

There are still many pagan worshipers whom are still waiting on the return of their own false gods.

So, we can see that only one explanation will work here, "the direct intervention of the Living God"!

*****Act 28:7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.
Act 28:8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.
Act 28:9 So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

God would not only provide for Paul and his shipmates, but he would also show His true power to the people of Melita.

Publius, was the chief man of the island who was very sick at that time. Paul went to this man without being asked and through the healing power of God, healed this man of his sickness.

When this was done for Publius, many others of the island came to him, were healed also.

We must also realize Paul also had Luke, the physician, with him at this time.

And we can know that Paul was not a man who would let opportunities to witness for Christ to slip by without taking advantage of them.

It is also very possible that a church began during the time Paul was on this island.

*****Act 28:10 Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
Act 28:11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

That word "honors" means what ever those things that were given to Paul were "things of value".

Everyone on that ship had lost all their personal possessions so it seems that "these barbarians" were in actuality, "very hospitable".

Those three months were probably November through February, the same three months when sailing ceased because of severe weather conditions!

They found another ship from Alexandria, which was probably carrying wheat to Rome, and obtained passage.

Those names Castor and Pollux came from the figurehead on the bow the ship.

These names were so chosen because of the astrological sign of Gemini or, "The Twins".

These names of pagan deities were regarded as maritime patrons.

To every seaman of that time, these were the gods that steered the ship safely to each port.

This shows again the pagan world at the time of the early church!

Christians are still commanded to shine as lights in this dark world!

*****Act 28:12 And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.
Act 28:13 And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli:
Act 28:14 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome.

Syracuse is the city on the southeast coast of Sicily and about 90 miles from the island of Malta.

That phrase "fetched a compass" means they could not sail in a straight line to Puteoli but had to use tacking.

It was not until a south wind started blowing that they were able to continue sailing and then reached Puteoli the next day which was about 200 miles.

Puteoli was the harbor for the ancient city of Neapolis which today is called Naples.

Julius allowed Paul to spend some time with Christian brethren here in this city.

From here their journey to Rome would be over land.

(See Map)

*****Act 28:15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
Act 28:16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him.

It seems that as Paul traveled toward Rome a delegation from the Christian church "in Rome not of Rome" traveled to meet Paul, which they did at a place called "three taverns".

There were also others that met Paul at Appii Forum.

Appii Forum was a "market place".

The "three taverns" was a place to get refreshment.

These were road junctions on the road to Rome.

These brothers and sisters in Christ gave Paul encouragement as he neared the end of his journey.

It seems that Paul was placed under house arrest and that Luke could no longer stay with Paul but was at least allowed to visit him, as were many others.

We can read of some of these things in the Book of Philemon and the Book of Colossians which were written while Paul was in Rome.

We know that Nero was the Emperor at this time but he had not yet shown his true character.

And we know that Paul was treated with courtesy and allowed many privileges.

*****Act 28:17 And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
Act 28:18 Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.
Act 28:19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.
Act 28:20 For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

Soon after his arrival Paul assembles the local Jewish leaders to explain who he was and why he is in Rome appealing to Caesar.

Paul wanted to emphasize to his Jewish brethren that he was not guilty of any roles against his people or of their customs customs.

He told them that he had been apprehended in Jerusalem by the Jews and then came under the custody of the Romans and this had continued until that day.

The Romans had determined that there was no reason for his execution but the Jews were determined that he should not be released and therefore he had appealed to Caesar as a Roman citizen.

He informed them that he had no intention of accusing his Jewish brethren and had no charges to bring against his own people.

Some things we should realize is, that every Roman citizen deserved and often demanded a Roman trial.

An appeal to Caesar most often guaranteed the trial to be in Rome.

In Paul’s mind making his defense in the highest court in the known world at that time, could possibly result in Christianity being recognized in the Roman Empire as an acceptable religion and different from Judaism.

And it was the Living God that had put these things in place for this to happen.

*****Act 28:21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee.
Act 28:22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

Any news of these things that had happened in Jerusalem had not made it to Rome. They had not received any communication of these things from Jerusalem and were therefore "neutral" in their feelings toward Paul, after all Paul was also a Jew.

Those words "we desire" means that they thought it was appropriate to hear of the Christian movement.

So they made arrangements to hear Paul preach.

And Paul was always ready to Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

*****Act 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
Act 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

Paul always seemed to find some way to reach out to the Jews with the gospel of Jesus!

Since he could not go to the synagogues in Rome he got the Jewish leaders to come to him.

The epistle to the Romans had already reached the brethren in Rome and in it Paul had written these words:

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

So again, Paul preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by using the laws of Moses and the words of the prophets, all from the Old Testament.

Paul began with the Book of Genesis and continued through all the Scriptures proving that Jesus had fulfilled the promises to the fathers!

And we can see that they remained attentive from morning till evening.

And as always, when Jesus Christ is presented all His fullness, some will believe but most will not!

*****Act 28:25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,
Act 28:26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
Act 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

To these unbelieving Jews, Paul uses a quote that had been used by Jesus Christ and by the Apostle John.

Isa 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Paul applied the prophecy of Isaiah to the Jews rejection of Jesus as their Messiah!

Those words "well spake the Holy Ghost" in Isaiah, meant that these were the words of God Himself.

And this also meant that Paul had been obedient to the will of God!

They did not understand because they rejected God’s Word!

To reject the truth does not change the truth into a lie!

The truth is always the truth!

In Paul’s day the refusal of the Jews to receive the message of Jesus, would ultimately result in the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple that the hands of the Roman army in 70 A.D.

Then Paul gave this warning to those Jews which stands even until today and will stand until the Rapture of the Church!

*****Act 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

Paul announced that the offer of salvation would go to the Gentiles since it the Jews had rejected it.

Paul had again and again went to the Jews first, only to find that again and again it was only the Gentiles that responded to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must remember these words of the apostle John:

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Gentiles, in practically in every nation have received the Gospel gladly and in great numbers.

Though the Christians of the first century were largely Jews, this has since changed and it has been the Gentile churches and the Gentile missionaries who have been spreading the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that after the Rapture the church, it will again be those 144,000 Jews, of the Book of Revelation, who will be the missionaries of the Gospel to this lost world.

*****Act 28:29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
Act 28:30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him,
Act 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

According to Roman law, it was necessary to wait about two years for the prosecution to come forward in their case. There is no indication that the Jews ever did this and certainly not within the two-year period as Luke would certainly have mentioned it if they had.

Many Bible scholars believe that Paul was released at this point and was able to continue his missionary activities for a few more years.

And that it was a few years later that Paul was arrested and executed by Nero following the burning of Rome, which he blamed on the Christians and history has shown that it was probably he who started that fire.

It is also believed that during this time that Paul wrote the epistles to the Ephesians, the Colossians, Philemon, and to the Philippians.

It is also believed that after Paul was released from Rome and before he was finally executed that he wrote the epistles to first and second Timothy and to Titus.

To every Christian we have a tremendous example in the life of the Apostle Paul.

In the Book of Acts, Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has shown us how a small group of disciples dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ began the early church by spreading the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It began with this command:

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Which is the same command we have today!

And we should all have this same attitude of the Apostle Paul:

Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Protection In The Storm

May 13, 2013May 13, 2013 / Bobby Mayfield / 3 Comments

Protection In The Storm

Book of Acts Chapter 27

When we left off last week the Apostle Paul had appeared before King Agrippa in order for Festus the Roman Procurator to have some information to write to Caesar.

Agrippa came to only one conclusion which he informed Festus:

Act 26:31 And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, [This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds].
Act 26:32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

Festus then had what he needed to write to Caesar: Paul was not set free because "he had requested for Caesar to judge him".

It is shortly after this, that it was decided that Paul would be sent to Rome. Paul was sent to Rome, not for anything that he had done but only because the Jews had said he had done things against the Jewish religion and they wanted him to be killed and would do so if they had the opportunity.

God had already decided Paul would preach in Rome so we will see God’s plan unfold.

It would be good to consider that there was great difficulty in travel in Bible times. Travel was not only difficult but it was dangerous. There were many occasions when people started on a journey and were never heard from again. If they traveled by land, they were in danger from outlaws and thieves. If they traveled by sea, they were at the mercy of the weather, in boats that were ill-equipped to handle bad weather.

When this journey begins a group of people has set sail from Israel to Rome. This journey would begin in Caesarea, in northern Israel, were Paul and some other prisoners were delivered into the care of a man named Julius.

So let’s see how Luke takes us through this journey:

*****Act 27:1 And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band.
Act 27:2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

We should immediately notice again of the word "we".

Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, joined Paul for this trip to Rome and remained with him al least until Paul was delivered to the custody of the soldiers in Rome.

The journey to Rome will involve typical navigational practices and patterns of the first century. Another thing we should know is that due to dangerous weather conditions, no sailing occurred on the Mediterranean during the period from mid-November to early March.

Paul’s voyage was near the beginning of this dangerous sailing period.

The word "band" was in fact, the 10th part of a Legion of Roman soldiers. These "bands" were groups of normally 600 men which makes a Roman Legion about 6000 men.

Aristarchus, as well as Luke, traveled with Paul on this long voyage from Caesarea to Rome.

Aristarchus had been with Paul since his third missionary journey and was a Thessalonian.

As a Roman citizen, as well as a highly educated religious leader, it was appropriate in the eyes of the Centurion and the ship officers, that Paul have attendance and we know that Luke and Aristarchus were at least two of those that attended to Paul..

That ship of Adramyttium would be a ship based in Asia minor but Julius had no intention of selling to Rome in this ship, as it was only a coastal vessel.

*****Act 27:3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

Julius was a member of the Imperial guard and we can see that he was courteous to Paul and treated him very well. Unexpectedly Julius had a gracious attitude for people and for life and days on the battlefield can sometimes lead a man to be this way.

It should also be very obvious to us that there had been a local church established at Sidon at this time an God’s people had kept up with things that happened to Paul!

*****Act 27:4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
Act 27:5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.
Act 27:6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein.

(See map)

We will begin to see, as Luke paints with words, a vivid picture of the troubles that came to pass on this trip to Rome.

The first problem arose after the ship left Sidon. It was a straight line distance of over 350 miles from Sidon to Myra.

We must remember these ships were coastal vessels and when sailing would keep visual contact with the coast. Normally Paul’s ship would have continued sailing northward along the coast and then turned westward along the coast of what is now Asia minor.

However the winds did not allow this so the captain of Paul ship turned northwest from Sidon and pilot his vessel for the island of Cyprus and then sailing the east side of Cyprus, using the island to protect the ship from some of those contrary winds.

He then followed the coast until he got to Myra. It was approaching the season when sailing ceased on the Mediterranean so the winds were generally from the West this time of year.

At Myra, Julius transferred Paul and the other prisoners to a ship from the north African city of Alexandria, which is in Egypt.

In the stays of Paul, Rome survived because of the grain of Egypt. These ships were much larger and much sturdier vessels and generally safer in the open seas.

*****Act 27:7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;
Act 27:8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.
Act 27:9 Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,
Act 27:10 And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
Act 27:11 Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.

It was 150 miles from Myra to Cnidus and another 230 miles from Cnidus to the Fair Havens.

After some difficulty sailing, they arrived at the Fair Havens on the southern side of the Isle of Crete. By this time it was late autumn. The dangerous season for sailing was from September to November. After this date all navigation on the open sea was normally discontinued.

Paul was probably just as qualified to judge sea travel at this time as they were. Paul had been through three ship wrecks already.

2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, [thrice I suffered shipwreck], "a night and a day I have been in the deep";

We know that Paul wrote the book of Corinthians before he was captured in Jerusalem and jailed.

Those words "the fast", which is the "Day of Atonement", placed these events in early October.

In spite of this knowledge and over the protest of Paul the boat officials set sail for Phoenix planning to winter there.

*****Act 27:12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.
Act 27:13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete.
Act 27:14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

Soon, however, they are caught up in the grasp of a vicious winter typhoon.

And from this point, Luke will give to us a vivid account of this storm that was actually recorded in history.

*****Act 27:15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
Act 27:16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
Act 27:17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
Act 27:18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
Act 27:19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.

First: This ship is blown far out to sea completely out of control.

Second: These terrified sailors band the ship with ropes to help strengthen the hull.

Third: As the seas grow higher they throw all the cargo overboard.

Fourth: They also discard all the tackle and the loose objects that cannot be tied down.

And Fifth: After 14 frightful and desperate days Luke describes a time of "no hope for survival".

Those "quicksands" were off the African coast, west of Cyrene, which gives an idea that this ship had no idea of which direction it was heading.

(Again see the map)

*****Act 27:20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

There was no let up in the storm.

Day after day, and night after night, the winds and the waves raged and relentlessly battered the ship and its crew and its passengers.

We can be sure that the rain had not ceased and these were terrible and most miserable days.

The heavy clouds obscured all view of the sun by day and of the stars by night and the constant exposure to all these things caused all hope that they should be saved to be taken away.

But Jeremiah gave us these words:

Jer 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

Paul had not forgotten the things the Lord had told him. Paul knew he would give his testimony in Rome and he would have to survive this ordeal to do this.

Act 23:11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome".

*****Act 27:21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
Act 27:22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
Act 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Act 27:24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

That word "abstinence" means that these people had not eaten anything during the storm or at least very little. They had not had much opportunity and had little desire to eat and many of them had probably become seasick.

Paul made a quick reminder of the fact that he had advised them to remain in the Fair Havens, not because he had that I told you so attitude, but because he simply wanted them to listen to him now.

When you’re in that position of "no hope" it is comforting to have assurance that you will not lose your life!

We read in Chapter 23 where Paul had received direct assurance from God that he would bear witness that Rome.

And now this angel had assured him that all on board would also be saved from death.

It is often that we see that God will spare the ungodly because of godly men in their midst!

We must remember the words Abraham asked of the Lord:

Gen 18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

There have been many guilty cities and even nations that have been spared on account of God’s people and this is even more true in our day!

We also have proof of this in the New Testament and of the days we live in now:

2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: "only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way".
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

The Lord had given these words to Paul and He would not now do something differently!

*****Act 27:25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

It is important for us to "believe God" and not to just "believe in God".

The Bible teaches us:

Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

To "believe" God, is to accept God’s Word as the truth!

And we all should have this verse memorized:

2Ti 3:16 "All scripture" is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

We need nothing more than God’s "complete" Word to make our own life "complete"!

*****Act 27:26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island.

Only God could have had this information. God had assured Paul that he and all the others on the ship would be spared from death. However, there were still going to experience some difficulties, nonetheless, as they were going to be cast upon a certain island.

God will use every opportunity to reach out to the lost of this world!

*****Act 27:27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;
Act 27:28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms.
Act 27:29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

For two weeks this ship and these that were on it had been caught up in this massive storm.

The Adria, refers to the part of the Mediterranean Sea that lies between Italy and Greece and today is called the Adriatic Sea.

It is possible that these sailors heard the noise of waves breaking against a seashore and they believed that they could be very close to land.

That term "sounded" means that they were casting something like a javelin that was attached to a cord into the water that would give them some sense of the depth of the ocean.

A "fathom" was the standard measurement of the distance between the middle fingertips of the hands of an adult man with outstretched arms and is about 6 feet.

20 fathoms would be 120 feet of depth.

15 fathoms would be 90 feet of depth.

This is pretty shallow water in the midst of the ocean but because of the darkness they could not be sure of anything so they were "longing for daybreak" to come so they might possibly see land.

They did not want to run the risk of having the ship torn apart over rocks or grounded on some reef so they cast out four anchors from "the stern" or the rear of the ship.

And nothing else could be done until daybreak!

*****Act 27:30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,
Act 27:31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Act 27:32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

The crew of the ship then decided that they would take their chances and tried to lower boats so they could escape and abandon the ship.

This points out just how grave this situation really was, when a sailor thinks its safer in a small boat, than in the much bigger ship.

Paul knew that if the sailors left the ship it could mean certain doom to all the rest, so the Roman commander commandeered the ship placing it under his direct control.

Accepting Paul’s word, Julius the Roman commander, cut the ropes to the smaller boats allowing them to drop into the ocean.

Paul had been in similar situations before as he had written to the Corinthians.

2Co 11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

If all the sailors left, no one on board knew how to sail the ship!

*****Act 27:33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.
Act 27:34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.
Act 27:35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.
Act 27:36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

Paul encouraged this crew and these passengers to eat some food. They had eaten very little in 14 days. They had continued to fast because they had lost all hope. They did not trust the ship’s captain and certainly not Julius, the Roman commander who had stop them from escaping.

BUT, Paul assured them they would need their strength in the coming days and "Not One Hair" would fall from any head.

Paul assured them that they were under the absolute protection of the "Living God"!

The Bible teaches us:

Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

In other words, It is God who sets on the throne and He keeps a watchful eye on all His "Creation"!

So Paul began this meal by giving thanks that God had provided them with a meal and the time to have a meal.

Some of Paul’s last words to Timothy were these words:

1Ti 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

You see even on our worst day God will still provide our needs!

And "no hope" became "good cheer"!

You see we should always remember that our testimony, even in trying times, can be an encouragement to others!

A Christian always has hope and that hope is in the Lord Jesus!

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

*****Act 27:37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.
Act 27:38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

276 souls put their trust in the Lord. God had said not one of these men would be harmed so the Holy Spirit gives us an exact count of each and every head!

The decision to run the ship aground had already been made, so at this point everything that was not needed and that had weight was thrown overboard.

This would insure that the ship would get as close to the shore as it possibly could!

*****Act 27:39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

It is good to make note that this small bay on the island of Malta where the ship finally went aground has been called St. Paul’s Bay ever since this time and it is located behind a small island where two seas meet as we will now read.

*****Act 27:40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
Act 27:41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

That phrase "taken up" referring to the anchors, actually means either "cut away or loosed" as they would have never brought the weight of those anchors back into the ship.

The rudder had been secured by bands and these were no longer necessary. The wind was blowing toward the shore so the main sail was raised in order for the ship to get as close to the shore as possible.

The place where these two seas meet was a reef or a sandbar and when the front of the ship made contact it stuck fast and could not be moved.

The rear of the ship was being beaten by the waves and it began to break apart.

*****Act 27:42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
Act 27:43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land:
Act 27:44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land.

We must not forget it was death to any Roman soldier that allowed his prisoner to escape and none could escape if they were all dead.

But, this was not allowed by Julius.

So they all went overboard into the sea and swam, or floated, all making their way safely to shore.

We should not miss this opportunity to have the confidence that Our God can save us from any situation, of any kind, and at any time.

Some of these were Christians but most were not, yet but nothing can stop the Will of Our God from being accomplished.

And there is never a time for God’s people to give up or lose hope!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Paul’s Defense Before King Agrippa II

May 6, 2013May 6, 2013 / Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment

Paul’s Defense Before King Agrippa

Book of Acts chapter 26

In our last lesson we saw as Paul had defended himself against Felix and against Festus of the false things that had been accused of him by the Jews and the high priest.

Festus had discovered that he had no real reason to send Paul before Caesar.

Another opportunity came when Herod Agrippa II and his sister Bernice arrived in Caesarea to pay their respects to him.

This Agrippa was the son of Herod Agrippa I. He had been appointed king of the region around the Sea of Galilee by the emperor Nero.

He was also known as Marcus Julius Agrippa and was only 17 when his father died and he was the last of the Herod Dynasty.

Let’s begin I looking back to some verses that we did not cover from last week:

*****Act 25:24 And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.
Act 25:25 But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.
Act 25:26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.
Act 25:27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him.

Festus the governor was at a complete loss as to what to report to the Emperor. He actually had no reason to continue to hold Paul and neither would King Agrippa.

The Jews still demanded Paul’s life but he was required by Roman law in his report to Caesar to specify the crimes which to prisoner was accused and this he could not do.

King Agrippa was part Jew and knew much more about the Jews religion than Festus did and according to tradition he had made considerable study of his own of that religion.

So even though Festus, as the Roman official in charge of this occasion, deferred to Agrippa after Paul had been brought before them.

*****Act 26:1 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:

Without asking Paul any questions he allowed Paul to explain what he had been doing and why he had been arrested.

*****Act 26:2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:
Act 26:3 Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

Paul immediately acknowledged Agrippa’s title as King and said he was glad to answer all charges the Jews had brought against him.

Remember Paul had been accused of violating Jewish law.

Paul had been accused of desecrating the Temple.

And Paul had been accused of actually breaking Roman laws.

None of these things were true nor was there any evidence to prove such things.

We should not forget that the Herodians were Edomites, which were the descendents of Esau.

There is a great prophecy that was given to Esau by his father Isaac and I believe it was fulfilled by these Herod’s:

Gen 27:40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; [and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck].

So let’s hear Paul’s response:

*****Act 26:4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
Act 26:5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
Act 26:6 And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:
Act 26:7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

Many of Paul’s accusers were familiar with Paul’s early life. The phrase "manner of life" means not only how Paul lived but the real reasons for his actions.

The Greek word for "youth" not only means "young" but it also means "lack of experience".

Paul as a young adult, was being trained by Gamaliel to become a Pharisee and Paul knew that these Jewish leaders knew about all these things.

Paul had become a strict Pharisee and he observed all the Mosaic dietary laws and certainly all commandments as written by Moses.

But not only that, Paul had observed those things that had been added by the traditions of the Pharisees themselves.

That phrase "the most straightest sect" means that the Pharisees were uncompromising on their standards.

Then Paul mentioned the main issue from which he was being judged.

"His hope in God’s promise" was the hope of the "resurrection" of the Messiah!

That term "Messiah" is a Jewish title for Israel’s future King who would bring salvation at the end of the age or what we know as the "Millennial Kingdom".

This is the promise that all the prophets had presented to the fathers of Israel!

The Book of Galatians gives us a clear picture of how Paul understood the Old Testament Scriptures.

Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Paul insisted that it was the"promise of this Messiah" that held together the scattered tribes of Israel as a nation.

And Paul insisted that he was accused, because he believed in this hope and in his belief that this hope was fulfilled in Jesus.

And that Jesus had demonstrated this truth by His own resurrection!

Paul also makes us recognize "that representatives from all 12 tribes were still in Judea" and were still adhering to their ancient religion.

"This gives us proof that there is no suggestion in the New Testament that there are 10 lost tribes somewhere else in the world"!

It is a fact that Israelites were scattered all over the world but there are no lost tribes of Israel!

*****Act 26:8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?

The Sadducees did not believe in any "resurrection" but Paul still asked this simple question of King Agrippa.

All the Jews believed in a sovereign God so this would only be incredible if anyone but God or those that God empowered should claim to raise the dead for God only is the Creator of life!

Most every Jew of that time had no problem in believing "in creation" as written in the Book of Genesis.

To Paul it was a sad thing that the Jews, whose hope was in the coming of the Messiah and the promised resurrection, should now denied Jesus who had proved he was the true Messiah.

Most all, but the Sadducees, believed in the "doctrine of the resurrection" and many Pharisees including Paul had converted to Christianity yet the Jewish nation still rejected Jesus as the Messiah.

But we now know that they are blind to this fact.

Rom 11:7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded
Rom 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.

*****Act 26:9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Act 26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
Act 26:11 And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

Paul was not only a Pharisee but he had also been a zealous persecutor of the church. He had punished the believers and tried to force them to deny Jesus Christ and some of them he had even helped to send to their death.

But, Paul took full responsibility for his actions and Paul had voted in favor of the death penalty for all Christians.

Paul had been relentless in his persecution of the believers on Jesus Christ.

Paul had gone from synagogue to synagogue arresting or otherwise harassing those who embraced Jesus and His ways.

Paul said he was "exceedingly mad" and was "enraged" and it became Paul’s intention to eradicate Christianity not only from Jerusalem and not only from Israel but from all the world.

Sadly there are many today that have the same purpose because this is the purpose of Satan and all his followers!

*****Act 26:12 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
Act 26:13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
Act 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Paul had been one of the reasons early Christians had left Jerusalem. His zeal had driven out many of the believers and they had taken their message to the Jews in other communities.

Paul gives us a vivid description of what he saw. The light that Paul saw was a supernatural light.

What Paul saw was a Shekinah glory of God!

Listen to the words of Isaiah:

Isa 60:1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
Isa 60:2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Even at the brightness of noontime, the earth is a dark place when compared to the glory of God!

This actually blinded Paul for three days but the important thing was that Paul’s "spiritual eyes" had been opened, for he was beholding the living Christ.

Paul had written these words to the Corinthians:

2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2Co 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.
2Co 4:6 For God, [who commanded the light to shine out of darkness] , hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul had not only seen the Shekinah glory of God but he had also heard His voice!

Those that were with Paul had heard a sound but they had not understood the voice of God and they all fell to the earth but only Paul remained there.

To explain that phrase " kicking against a prick" we should understand that when an ox was too stubborn for the farmer, the farmer used a long, sharp, pointed stick. this was called an "ox goad". This encourage the animal to be obedient. If the animal kicked against the goad it would cause more severe wounds.

Jesus was using His heavenly "ox goad" to push Paul to conversion and the more that Paul resisted the more severe his wounds would be.

We know that Holy Ghost conviction can be very painful and in some cases will leave scars.

*****Act 26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
Act 26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Act 26:17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Act 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

The very best thing we can do when we are under Holy Ghost conviction is to realize that it is Jesus calling us to repent.

We cannot understand the "Grace of God" until we realize God loves every sinner.

Paul was an enemy but God does speak to His enemies.

It is very clear in this passage that God had been dealing with Paul for some period of time "But" it is also very clear that Paul had been resisting all that time!

It should also be very clear in this passage that Judaism was not enough for salvation!

And it is just as clear that no religion of the Gentiles had any means of salvation!

And these things have not changed!

There is no means for evolution to bring anyone to the saving power of God!

All false religions are in fact under the power of Satan who leads all false religions!

It is the "god of this world" who have blinded the minds that believe not and the apostle Paul had been chosen by the Lord Jesus to open their eyes to the truth.

The Lord Jesus Christ died to deliver us all from the power of darkness and into the light of the glorious gospel!

The Bible teaches us:

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

*****Act 26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
Act 26:20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.
Act 26:21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

Paul explained that he could not be disobedient to such a heavenly vision!

When Paul asked the Lord what he would have him do, he meant it sincerely and he obeyed immediately!

The changes Paul experienced involved such a radical change of his life that no one could understand at this time.

During Paul’s time in Damascus he preached mostly to the Jews that Jesus Christ was the true Son of God.

Later he went to Jerusalem where he continued to witness for Jesus and still later Paul preached to the Jews through out Judea.

Paul preached to the Gentiles primarily on his three missionary journeys after his meeting with Peter.

And Paul explained to Agrippa "that it was for these reasons" that the Jews caught him in the Temple and wanted to kill him.

*****Act 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
Act 26:23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.

Paul had had a great beginning with visions and voices.

Paul was sure in his mind and his heart that it was the Lord that had saved him throughout his ministry from those that would cause him harm.

For us the fact that Paul continued is proof of his conversion and evidence of the faithfulness of God!

Paul will say "by God’s grace" and God had enabled him to serve "by His perfect grace".

The book of Psalms teaches us:

Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

And Paul himself knew this to be true:

1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Jesus Christ was the very first one to resurrect from the dead!

There had been some before him that had been raised from the dead, but only to a physical body!

Jesus was raised in a glorified body!

The church will be raised in glorified bodies!

The book of Romans teaches us this fact:

Rom 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Our Lord Jesus currently sits at the right hand of God in Heaven!

It is a fact that Christ Jesus suffered for our sins!

It is a fact that Christ Jesus sits at the right hand of God in control of this world we live in!

It is a fact that Christ Jesus will leave this position and descend back earth!

It is a fact that the dead in Christ will be resurrected from the dead and will join the Christians who are living at that time and will meet The Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds!

"This is the Rapture the church".

And it is a fact that after this time, Christ Jesus will return to the earth this will be the second coming of Christ!

We must be ready for the return of the Son of God!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about facts!

*****Act 26:24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
Act 26:25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

Is at this point that Festus interrupted Paul. Festus was a Roman and knew nothing of the Jewish Scriptures and probably cared even less, so all these words presented to Agrippa meant nothing to him.

He suggested that Paul must have gone mad through so much study of the Jewish fables.

But Paul was not speaking to Festus, he was speaking to Agrippa, and he knew that Agrippa understood his words.

Agrippa would also understand why the Jews were so incensed at the thought that Paul was leading the Gentiles to the Lord.

These Jews were more afraid that the Christian Gentiles would soon be known as God’s chosen people and they would lose all privileges with Rome!

Paul declared that his words were true and that word "soberness" means being of a sound mind!

None of these things had been kept secret in Jerusalem.

The death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ was common knowledge!

Paul had written to the Corinthians that there were more than 500 eye witnesses, of the resurrected Christ including himself.

There was no attempt to hide the resurrection of Jesus by the early Christians!

In fact it was and is the theme of every gospel message!

And it should be so today!

*****Act 26:27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
Act 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

By asking Agrippa if he believed the prophets, Paul wanted him to acknowledge that he believed what the Old Testament Scriptures taught about the Messiah.

But before he could respond to this question, Paul answered for him, declaring "I know that thou believest the prophets".

Agrippa may not of totally understood about all these matters but he was certainly aware of them as King of Judea and he responded.

Many have laughed at this response from Agrippa. Many have said he was being sarcastic to Paul.

BUT, by his use of the word Christian this cannot be true!

The term Christian was at that time only a term of reproach and Agrippa would not have considered it a title he would endure.

There will always be those that are "almost persuaded" but praise the Lord there will always be those that are "fully persuaded"!

And Paul said:

*****Act 26:29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

There may have actually been some that day that heard the words of Paul and were persuaded but all those we will meet Heaven and they can tell us of this day.

The apostle Paul had turned this trial into an example of effective witnessing.

He had done this with his own personal testimony and the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Agrippa had resisted the divine will of God as many others do that reject the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

BUT, We know that being almost saved is still being 100% lost!

Questions?

Let’s Pray!

Paul’s Defense Before King Agrippa II

May 6, 2013 / Bobby Mayfield / 1 Comment