Acts 13:36-39

JESUS has conquered sin and death. We live in Him and we are under the protection and guidance of the HOLY SPIRIT. He who started a good thing in you will bring it to completion… He will guide you safely home.

He has risen!!!

Justification is a legal term meaning “declared innocent” It is a legal declaration that a person is acquitted and absolved. It is by justification that a person is righteous and acceptable to God. The death of Christ was the payment of our sin debt, so that we might be forgiven.  The NKJ Study Bible.

Paul is arguing that justification is based on the work of Christ. Human effort—even when directed at keeping the Law of Moses (as primarily seen in the laws of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy)—could never attain God’s standard.Faithful Study BibleJeremiah 31:34 (NKJV)

Acts 13:36–39 (NKJV)

³⁶ “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption; ³⁷ but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. ³⁸ Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; ³⁹ and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Jeremiah 31:34 (NKJV)

³⁴ No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

John 3:16 (NKJV)

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Luke 12:1-3

Be aware of the hypocrisy of leaders. Everything that they say in private eventually is leaked to the public. 

Jesus seems to be referring to the Pharisees’ hidden sins, which will be exposed at the final judgment.

we need to be as wise as a serpent but as gentle as a lamb basing our wisdom on the Word of God. If we ask for wisdom in our current situations He is faithful to provide it. as representatives of Christ we need to be transparent in all we do…the good, the bad and the downright ugly in our lives to the glory of how god can take the uglies and turn them for our good and the good of his body, the church.

It’s as easy as 1.2.3.

Leaven: The Greek word used here refers to fermented dough that was mixed in with new dough and used as a rising agent. The small amount used in baking would permeate the entire batch of new dough. Leaven serves as an apt metaphor to describe the widespread effects of the Pharisees’ hypocritical teachings and actions. Faithlife Study Bible

Practicing hypocrisy is senseless because eventually all deeds—both good and evil—will be exposed.

Luke 12: 1,2,3 (NKJV)

12 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. ³ Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

Matthew 10:26 (NKJV)

²⁶ Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

Zephaniah 1:2-6

1. Seek the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. 2.Listen closely to the small still voice of the Holy Spirit. 3. Trust the Triune Godhead…not man to accomplish what you cannot. 4. Staying in Christ you will find peace.

God wins and evil bites the dust!

 Jerusalem

Means “city of peace”; located 14 miles west of the Dead Sea and 33 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea. The city is situated on a rocky plateau 2,550 feet above sea level. Its central position in Israel made it the ideal location for the capital. The Israelites had conquered the city of Jerusalem in the time of the judges (ca. 1210–1051 bc), but they did not occupy it during that time (Judg 1:8). Jerusalem was made the political capital of the nation after King David (1011–971 bc) conquered it and built a palace there (2 Sam 5:6–12). In 960 bc, when Solomon built the temple, Jerusalem became the religious capital of the nation as well. From this point forward, the city of Jerusalem occupied a place of prominence in the political and religious life of Israel. Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus seized on Zephaniah’s picture of the day of the Lord. On one occasion He referred to Zephaniah 1:3, when He spoke of His second coming and gathering “out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 13:41). On another occasion, Jesus no doubt envisioned Zephaniah’s description of “a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and alarm” (Zeph. 1:15, 16).

The message of God’s impending judgment on the nation of Judah and its capital city Jerusalem must have been startling to those who believed that God would never destroy the site of His holy temple. 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. The people had experienced God and then turned away from Him. The NKJ Study Bible.

Zephaniah 1:2–6 (NKJV)

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.

I 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.”

Matthew 13:41 (NKJV)

⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness,

The Ascension of Jesus the Christ

The Ascension gives authority to JESUS who conquered sin and death and now resides at the right hand of the FATHER. 

That same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will raise us to be with them for eternity.

The final sign that Jesus was the Son of God is that He was received up into heaven to be seated at the right hand (the position of authority and power) of God. The NKJV Study Bible 

The disciples’ doubt, fear, and sadness is replaced with joy after seeing the risen Jesus. Faithlife Study Bible 

Mark 16:19–20 (NKJV)

¹⁹ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Luke 24:50–53 (NKJV)

⁵⁰ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. ⁵¹ Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. ⁵² And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, ⁵³ and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

Acts 1:3 (NKJV)

³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Psalm 110:1 (NKJV)

¹ The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

Luke 10:25-28

Love God with all that is within you and give all people the justice and respect they deserve as His creation and you will have life…abundant, eternal life!

The lawyer’s answer parallels Jesus’ teaching in Matthew and Mark about the greatest commandments.These commands reflect the heart of Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God: love of God and love of neighbor. Faithlife Study Bible

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. The NKJV Study Bible 

Luke 10:25–28 (NKJV)

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.”

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV)

⁵ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Mark 12:33 (NKJV)

³³ And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Galatians 5:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Leviticus 19:18 (NKJV)

¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Zephaniah 1:2-3

In the blink of an eye, 1-2-3, it will be done. In God’s timing and according to His plan the world will change and evil will be destroyed.

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. The NKJV Study Bible 

Zephaniah 1:2–3 (NKJV)

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.

Isaiah 40:25 (NKJV)

²⁵ “To whom then will you liken Me,

Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.

1:2 I will surely destroy everything 

Ephesians 1:15-23

We need to pray for spiritual wisdom in these days of uncertainty. Faith pleases the FATHER and allows the HOLY SPIRIT free reign to work in us and through us to the glory of JESUS CHRIST. 

We are safe and protected in His hands!

A Christian may hope many things, but there is one hope that all Christians have in common, the Lord Jesus Christ. In Him we find true hope and true riches. The NKJV Study Bible

The first prayer has three parts: a thanksgiving to God for the Ephesians’ maturity in the faith; an intercessory prayer on behalf of the Ephesians, asking God to give them wisdom and knowledge to comprehend the riches of His blessings; and a digression on the “power of God” that guided God’s plan of salvation, raised Jesus from the dead, and seated Him at God’s right hand to rule over all powers. Faithlife Study Bible 

Ephesians 1:15–23 (NKJV

¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Psalm 8:6 (NKJV)

⁶ You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

Psalm 110:1 (NKJV)

¹ The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

⁶ For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Acts 21:19-21

Catholics are still governed by many rules, including circumcision, originating  with the Jewish converts to Christianity.

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian Church, with more than 1.29 billion members worldwide.As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. Roman Catholicism maintains that the Roman Catholic Church was established by Christ through the Apostle Peter as the first visible head. 

This is based on Matthew 16:18, when JESUS CHRIST said to Peter, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." (NIV)

The evidence of how God changed the lives of Gentiles was presented to the Christians in Jerusalem. The strongest evidence was the Gentile believers themselves who had accompanied Paul to Jerusalem. At this time, Paul may have also given the money he had been collecting from the Gentile Christians. The love the Gentiles expressed to their suffering Jewish brethren was a mark of their genuine conversion.

Reports were circulating that Paul had been urging Jews to abandon Mosaic traditions. However, Paul never derided his Jewish heritage nor demanded that Jewish Christians renounce the Law of Moses. He only made it clear to everyone that the law could not function as a means of salvation. There is evidence that Paul was continuing to keep the Law when he stood before Felix. The fact that he was coming to Jerusalem to worship was evidence of this. What Paul did resist was any attempt to force Gentiles to become Jews. Salvation was through faith alone. Relying on adherence to the Jewish law was repudiation of the gospel message that salvation proceeds from faith in Christ and that alone. The NKJV Study Bible 

Some Jewish people in Jerusalem believed incorrectly that Paul was discouraging Jews from keeping the law. This was not true, since Paul himself continued to observe Jewish customs. Faithlife Study Bible

Acts 21:19–21 (NKJV)

¹⁹ When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; ²¹ but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

Mathew 12:6-13

GOD sees the heart of a person, not as the world sees them, but as He made them to be! 

He knew from the beginning of time just how Mary would honor Him.

The inhabitants of Bethany wished to express their thanks to Jesus, who by a glorious miracle had honored their obscure village. Lazarus was the guest of honor. Simon was a leper who evidently had been cleansed by Jesus. He may have been the father of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. The costly fragrant oil was a perfume extracted from pure nard. Mary poured the costly perfume on both the head and feet of Jesus. She could have opened the flask in such a way that it would have trickled out; instead, she broke the flask and poured out the oil to cover Jesus’ body. The perfumed ointment was placed on Jesus before His death; normally it would have been used after His death. Judas Iscariot said that this oil cost three hundred denarii. One denarius was a laborer’s wage for one day. Thus the oil cost approximately a year’s wages. The expensive oil points to the value of Jesus’ death and the high cost of devotion to Him. The New King James Study Bible

“In the act of love done to Him she had erected to herself an eternal monument, as lasting as the Gospel, the eternal word of God. From generation to generation this remarkable prophecy of the Lord has been fulfilled; and even we, in explaining this saying of the Redeemer, of necessity contribute to its accomplishment” [Olshausen]

Beautiful are the lessons here. Love to Christ transfigures the humblest services. All, indeed, who have themselves a heart value its least outgoings beyond the most costly mechanical performances; but how does it endear the Saviour to us to find Him endorsing the principle as His own standard in judging of character and deeds. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Matthew 26:6–13 (NKJV)

⁶ And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. ⁸ But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

¹⁰ But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me. ¹¹ For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. ¹² For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. ¹³ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

John 12:2–8 (NKJV)

² There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him. ³ Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.

⁴ But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, who would betray Him, said, ⁵ “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” ⁶ This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.

⁷ But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. ⁸ For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.”

Daniel 12:1-3

No one knows the exact date of the end of times as we see them but the FATHER. We do know from Scripture that this occurred when JESUS rose from the dead and those bound in their graves walked the Holy Land and were seen by many.

At that time—typically, towards the close of Antiochus’ reign; antitypically, the time when Antichrist is to be destroyed at Christ’s coming. Partially applicable to the time of Antiochus, who was the first subverter of the Jews’ religion, and persecutor of its professors, which no other world power had done. Fully applicable to the last times of Antichrist, and his persecutions of Israel restored to Palestine. Satan will be allowed to exercise an unhindered, unparalleled energy. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 

Just as the Suffering Servant figure is resurrected and restored to a relationship with God, His people also will be resurrected and restored to a relationship with Him. The allusions serve to connect God’s people in Dan 12:2–3 with the Suffering Servant, so that God’s servant—Israel (the “people” in v. 1)—is resurrected. The concept of judgment also is implicit here, with some receiving eternal life and others eternal contempt. Faithlife Study Bible

The wise not only understand salvation themselves, they also turn many others to the way of righteousness.

Daniel 12:1–3 (NKJV)

12 “At that time Michael shall stand up,

The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;

And there shall be a time of trouble,

Such as never was since there was a nation,

Even to that time.

And at that time your people shall be delivered,

Every one who is found written in the book.

² And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,

Some to everlasting life,

Some to shame and everlasting contempt.

³ Those who are wise shall shine

Like the brightness of the firmament,

And those who turn many to righteousness

Like the stars forever and ever.

The grace of God is for everyone!

No one is beyond salvation. We must never judge a person when it comes to the grace of God. He chooses whom He wills and we can be a small part of His plan. He wants no one to perish…no not one!

Saul before his conversion persecuted God’s people. Simon, used sorcery to captivate the people of Samaria, but through the preaching of Phillip he accepted Christ and the Cross.

Stephen’s death supplied the spark for the persecution, and Saul supplied the leadership. Saul had all the legal papers he needed to direct this persecution, and he had the authority to put people to death. Saul was arresting the Christians, men and women, and taking them to prison. The NKJV Study Bible.

Even Simon is convinced of Jesus’ lordship by the power of Philip’s message and miracles—although he will prove to be ignorant of its true significance.Though this man was baptized, he had a long way to go in Christian doctrine and personal growth.  NKJV Study Bible.

Acts 8:3 (NKJV)

³ As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

Acts 8:13 (NKJV)

¹³ Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.