Luke 10:3-9

Jesus sent out the seventy to heal the sick and proclaim His salvation……healing is not only for the apostles but for any that He sends out.

The healing Jesus brought pictured what the kingdom offered. Jesus’ ministry was the arrival of the initial stages of God’s rule, which Jesus will consummate at His return. God’s kingdom comes in stages. When Jesus came the first time, He was rejected. In His second coming, He will establish His complete rule over all.

Luke 10:3-9

3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. 5 But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Luke 10:25-28

It is not enough to say that you love others as much as you do yourself. The proof is in the doing! We show our love for God by our actions for others. Everything that we do must be filtered through the agape love of God for His creation.

Jesus develops the theme of love for one’s neighbor.

Jesus was not saying that righteousness is the result of works. Rather He was saying that love for and obedience to God will be a natural result of placing one’s faith in the Lord. Those who believe in Jesus and follow Him will receive eternal rewards.

Luke 10:25-28

25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 He said to him,  “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?”

27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 And He said to him,  “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.”

Zephaniah 1:2-6

There will be a day of reckoning it is only a matter of time. When? No one but the Father knows the day. On that day all will know the truth and the truth will set man free. Free to be what the Creator meant for them to be without the shackles of sin and pride that bind him!

The message of Zephaniah begins with a pronouncement of universal judgment. These words not only introduce the particular judgment that would be pronounced upon Judah, but they also speak of the final judgment that will usher in the kingdom of God on earth. Stumbling blocks here refers to idolatry, or substitutes for God in the life and affections of a person. Because there is nothing in the universe that really may be compared to the Creator, God abhors all forms of idolatry.

Baal worship and its evils had led to the destruction of Israel and its capital Samaria in 722 b.c. Likewise, Baal worship and its associations would lead to the destruction of Judah and its capital Jerusalem in 586 b.c. Milcom is a reference to an Ammonite deity whose worship included acts of infant sacrifice.

Zephaniah 1:2-6

2 “I will utterly consume everything

 From the face of the land,”

 Says the Lord;

3 “I will consume man and beast;

 I will consume the birds of the heavens,

 The fish of the sea,

 And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked.

 I will cut off man from the face of the land,”

 Says the Lord.

4 “I will stretch out My hand against Judah,

 And against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

 4I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place,

 The names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests—

5 Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops;

 Those who worship and swear oaths by the Lord,

 But who also swear by Milcom;

6 Those who have turned back from following the Lord,

 And have not sought the Lord, nor inquired of Him

2 Peter 3:14-16

There are a myriad of Paul’s teachings that I find hard to completely understand BUT this I know, in the cross of salvation given to us in Jesus Christ we are safe, in Him we are hidden in His perfection.

Note that Peter equates the letters of Paul with the rest of the Scriptures, indicating that Peter considered the apostle Paul’s writings to be the Word of God. Note that Peter considers Paul’s writings on the end times to be hard to understand. This should be a comfort to each of us who attempt to interpret the writings of Paul on the coming of Christ.

2 Peter 3:14-16

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Psalm 67

God sent His Son with shouts of Peace, peace to the people on earth! Give Him all glory, honor and praise due Him. Who is man that You care for him, elevate him a little above the angels and allow him to come before You with any problem for Your intervention?

Psalm 67, a psalm of praise, serves as a marvelous invocation and doxology in worship. The poem calls the nations of the world to praise God, to join Israel in honoring the Creator. There is: (1) a call for God’s blessing for the purpose of world evangelization; (2) a call for the nations to bless the Lord in view of His righteous judgments; (3) a call for the nations to bless the Lord in view of His coming kingdom.

From the beginning, God had intended to bring His blessing to all nations, in fulfillment of the provisions of the Abrahamic covenant.  God’s desire is for all people to praise Him, for He is their Creator and their Provider.

Psalm 67

1 God be merciful to us and bless us,

 And cause His face to shine upon us,  Selah

2 That Your way may be known on earth,

 Your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;

 Let all the peoples praise You.

4 Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!

 For You shall judge the people righteously,

 And govern the nations on earth.  Selah

5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;

 Let all the peoples praise You.

6 Then the earth shall yield her increase;

 God, our own God, shall bless us.

7 God shall bless us,

 And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Ezekiel 20:45-48

God has the final word. Everything, every little thing, is under God’s control.

The future repentant, renewed, and regathered Israel will be characterized by: (1) a return to the land of Israel and an acceptable, sacrificial system of worship; (2) a revived, personal knowledge of its sovereign and faithful Lord; (3) a renunciation of former sins; and (4) a recognition that God’s grace governs the nation’s history of sin and salvation.

Ezekiel 20:45-48

45 Furthermore the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 46 “Son of man, set your face toward the south; preach against the south and prophesy against the forest land, the South, 47 and say to the forest of the South, ‘Hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. 48 All flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.” ’ ”

John 14:27-28

Trust God…. period. The Father gives us the Son and the Son gives us the Holy Spirit so that we are never alone and we are never left to our own defenses….God is with us! There is a peace for those who place their heart, mind and spirit into His loving care.

The customary good-bye among the Jews was to say shalom, meaning “peace.” The Lord was about to depart, so He added to this farewell by saying, My peace. The word My is emphatic. This is no conventional wish; this is Jesus’ personal, special grant of peace. The peace that Christ gives banishes fear and dread from the heart, for Jesus is in control of all circumstances. As the humble, submissive Son, Jesus submitted Himself to the authority of His Father.

John 14:27-28

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

Luke 7:31-35

God sent prophets with His wisdom shouting peace, peace to all men and man rejected them all. God sent His only begotten Son shouting peace, peace to all men and man rejected Him…..God so loves us that He gave Himself to save all of us who choose to accept Him. We are all sinners and fall short of God’s standards but He still reaches out in friendship to ALL who reach out to Him!

Jesus made a comparison between children playing a game in the marketplace and the present generation of Israel, referring especially to the Jewish religious leaders. The leaders were like the children in that they complained no matter what tune was played. John the Baptist refused to eat bread or drink wine, and the religious leaders dismissed him as demon-possessed. In contrast, Jesus, the Son of Man, was accused of living loosely and associating with sinners. No matter what the style of God’s messenger was, the religious leaders complained and rejected him.

God’s wisdom is vindicated by those who respond to it and receive blessing.

Luke 7:31-35

31 And the Lord said, “To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

 ‘We played the flute for you,

And you did not dance;

 We mourned to you,

And you did not weep.’

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is justified by all her children.”

Acts 13:6-12

It was not Paul’s faith in himself and in his own powers but it was his complete faith in the power of the Trinity that enabled him to speak, without doubting, God’s will into circumstances beyond his control. In the measure that you can believe is the measure that you can receive.

Luke presents Sergius Paulus as the first Gentile ruler to believe the gospel. The island of Cyprus was a senatorial island, which means it was Roman-controlled. As a Roman official, Sergius was a Gentile. Unlike Cornelius, there is no evidence that Sergius attended the temple or was a God-fearer. This pagan government official was amazed at the power of God and believed the truth.

Acts 13:6-12

6 Now when they had gone through 1the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Ezekiel 22:6-9

God will not always tolerate mans injustice to man. There will come an end to man’s idolatry and it will usher in the reign of Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords. He will lift up the humble and bring down the hypocrites, exposing evil and replacing it with truth.

Jerusalem’s princes had shed the blood of innocent people. These evil leaders had been: (1) taking advantage of parents and the weak (2) rejecting God and His covenant, leading to ungodliness and inhumanity (3) murdering the innocent by slandering them (4) preferring idolatrous religion and its immoral rituals (5) loving money and using it to get ahead of fellow citizens.

Ezekiel 22:6-9

6 “Look, the princes of Israel: each one has used his power to shed blood in you. 7 In you they have made light of father and mother; in your midst they have oppressed the stranger; in you they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow. 8 You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths. 9 In you are men who slander to cause bloodshed; in you are those who eat on the mountains; in your midst they commit lewdness. 

Mark 3:1-5

Jesus  went against the church's law to accomplish God's. He did what was right in God's eyes not man's.

Don’t allow the traditions and qualifications of men to take your healing from you. In the measure that you believe you can receive the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. He accepts you where you are and then renews you precept upon precept into what you were made to be. Be still and be made whole!

The Sabbath controversy continued as Jesus visited the synagogue. The Pharisees, watched Him closely, not to hear the words of life but to accuse Him. Christ put the meaning of the Sabbath to the test. Certainly it was more consistent with the intention of the law to restore this man’s afflicted hand, even on the Sabbath, than to destroy his hopes for the sake of keeping human tradition. The Pharisees did not respond, for they knew that they would condemn themselves.  Jesus demonstrated righteous anger. He was grieved with sin but did not sin Himself by retaliating or losing control of His emotions.

Mark 3:1-5

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, 2 “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them,  “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man,  “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

Acts 22:14-16

God chooses whom He wills. Who is man that God should be mindful of him? Who is man that He should deny God’s purpose for his life? God sent Paul to a people not his own to preach salvation to all men who would choose to believe.

Calling on the name of the Lord saves us. Baptism is the declaration of that calling.

The Jews did not hate all Gentiles. In fact, they permitted God-fearing Gentiles to worship in the Court of the Gentiles. A Gentile could even become a proselyte, recognized as a Jew, by being circumcised and obeying the laws of Moses. Thus the Jews in this passage were not upset about allowing Gentiles to worship God, but at the idea that Gentiles could be on an equal footing with them before God without being proselytes. The fact that the Gentiles could come to God directly by faith in Jesus Christ was offensive to them.

Acts 22:14--16

14 Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. 15 For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Mark 6:6-7

Church Doctrine is just that, doctrine of a particular denomination, it is not God’s commands. We must always make sure that we obey God’s ways and not man’s and understand the difference.

Jesus did not directly answer the question but instead addressed two more significant issues: (1) the superiority of God’s law over man-made tradition and (2) the difference between ceremonial and true moral defilement.  Jesus enters into the argument by calling His adversaries hypocrites. The term originally referred to actors who wore masks on stage as they played different characters. Thus the Pharisees were not genuinely religious; they were merely playing a part for all to see.

Mark 7:6-7

6 He answered and said to them,  “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

 ‘This people honors Me with their lips,

 But their heart is far from Me.

7  And in vain they worship Me,

 Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Romans 10:14-15

Shout it to the rooftops, sing praises of joy, for the Gospel of Peace brings good things to all who embrace it! Jesus Christ is Lord.

Romans 10:14

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

 “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

 Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

Even in a sin filled world God is capable of transforming man, precept upon precept, into the perfect image of His Son. Thank God for His loving grace to all who reach out to Him for salvation through Christ Jesus. What man cannot do, the Trinity brings to fruition!

The thanksgiving Paul offers to God for the Corinthians seems odd, considering the many problems the church was experiencing. When we focus on people’s faults, hope soon wanes and discouragement follows. But when we concentrate on the Lord, even the darkest hours can be filled with praise. Because God is faithful to His word, Paul was confident that even the sin-plagued Corinthians would stand blameless before Him. This blamelessness does not refer to the Corinthians’ works, but to their standing in Christ, their justification.

Corinth

The Corinth which Paul knew had been founded as a Roman colony during the century before Christ. It was strategically located in the Roman province of Achaia on a narrow strip of land between the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea, with two adjoining ports. Corinth’s location made it a center for trade routes passing from east to west, and the resulting prosperity brought both luxury and immorality. “To live like a Corinthian” meant to live in gross immorality, and many pagan temples located in Corinth encouraged this licentious way of life through temple prostitution. The letters Paul wrote to the believers in this city reveal the problems, pressures, and struggles of a church called out of a pagan society. Paul had founded the church in Corinth during an 18-month stay in the city.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 11:22

We must learn to discern the truth by God’s written word, the BIBLE. False teachers will always try to penetrate the Body of Christ until His return.  If the life and earthly actions of Jesus are our example then He never promised us a problem free life on earth but He did promise us an everlasting one in His heavenly kingdom. The truth will probably never win a popularity contest but it will win you the crown of life.

Paul’s adversaries were Jewish and apparently felt that this made them superior not only to Gentiles but also to Greek-speaking Jews. Paul boasted that he was just as Jewish as they were.

2 Corinthians 11:22

22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.

Philippians 1:9-11

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In a world that is full of contradictions and hypocrisy it is good to know that in Christ and through His power we can be filled with His fruit carrying out God’s will in love, mercy, peace and joy in praise of and in glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.


The love that Paul sought for the believers is the highest form of Christian love, based on a lasting, unconditional commitment, not on an unstable emotion. The first of two terms on which a directed love is built, knowledge suggests an intimate understanding based on a relationship with the person. Here the focus of this knowledge is God. Found only here in the NT, the Greek word discernment means moral or ethical understanding based on both the intellect and the senses. The word implies perception or insight into social situations. The purpose of increasing in love, controlled by knowledge, is to be able to evaluate people and situations correctly without bias.


Philippians 1:9-11

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.