Acts 15:12-19 Grace to the Gentiles

 God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that all who believed in Him could be saved. 

Amos 9:11–12 

“On that day I will raise up

The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,

And repair its damages;I will raise up its ruins,

And rebuild it as in the days of old;

That they may possess the remnant of Edom,

 And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,

”Says the LORD who does this thing.

No greater love exists than the agape love of God!

Acts 15:12-19

12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’ 18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, The New King James Version

grace (Gk. charis) (15:11; Rom. 3:24; 5:15; Eph. 2:5; Titus 2:11) Strong’s #5485: The Greek word for grace is probably equivalent to the Hebrew word chesed meaning “lovingkindness,” a word frequently used by the psalmists to describe God’s character. In the NT, the word charis usually means divine favor or goodwill, but it also means “that which gives joy” and “that which is a free gift.” This is a noteworthy occurrence of the word grace, because while it was one of Paul’s favorite words for God’s free gift of salvation, here we see Peter using it in the same way.

As the mission to Gentiles (non-Jewish people) continues forward, the early church is faced with the challenge of understanding theologically how the Gentiles have been accepted into God’s people. The meeting recorded here, regularly called the Jerusalem Council, took place circa ad 49. 

James quotes from Amos 9:11–12. The tabernacle of David refers to the humbled Davidic dynasty. God promised to restore the dynasty to fulfill his promises about the royal line. Faithlife Study Bible

Barnabas and Paul reported what God was doing in changing the lives of Gentiles with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their testimony at this council was critical. The council listened to James because he was the first of the three pillars of the church. He was the leader of the church in Jerusalem until he was stoned to death at the insistence of the high priest in a.d. 62. 

James was the Lord’s half brother, the one who did not believe until the Lord appeared to him privately after the Resurrection. 

While the testimony of Peter, Barnabas, and Paul was important for the council in making their decision, something more than the experience of the Gentiles had to be taken into consideration. The council needed to know what the Word of God said. James pointed out that what was happening among the Gentiles was in full agreement with the Old Testament (Amos 9:11, 12).

The testimony of Paul and Barnabas—those who worked among the Gentiles—and most importantly the teaching of Scripture, indicated to James that God was truly at work. In view of this, he suggested that a letter be drafted that alleviated Jewish requirements for Gentiles who placed their trust in Jesus. Though James did not want to trouble Gentiles with Jewish ceremonial regulations, he believed certain practices should be followed. He mentioned four issues: eating food offered to idols, sexual immorality, eating food from animals that had been strangled, and eating food with blood. If Gentiles continued such practices, there would continually be tension between the Gentile and Jewish Christian communities. 

There is a debate as to whether these requirements were ceremonial or moral in nature. If they were ceremonial, “things polluted by idols” would refer to food offered in pagan temples. “Sexual immorality” would refer to the marriage laws of Leviticus. The prohibition against eating blood preceded the Law of Moses and extended back to the contract God made with Noah. On the other hand, if these prohibitions were moral in nature, the food polluted by idols would relate to the problem of Revelation 2:14, 20. Evidently some Gentile Christians were attending the celebrations and banquets held in pagan temples that frequently involved sexual immorality. The NKJV Study Bible

All of prophesy in the Old Testament concerned the nation of Israel.

James 1:1 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Isaiah  59:20 

“The Redeemer will come to Zion,

 And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” Says the Lord.

Isaiah 60:1 

Arise, shine; 

For your light has come! 

And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, 

And deep darkness the people; 

But the Lord will arise over you, 

And His glory will be seen upon you. 

3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, 

And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah writing to the people of Israel told them that spiritual darkness would overcome the world but the Lord will rise on them and His glory would shine on them. They will lead other nations and peoples to God the Son.

Zechariah 8:20  “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, And seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also.” 22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the Lord.’ 23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”

The Jews will be sought for their connection to the King. God will be with them. 

Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.

Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 

Matthew 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Jesus, the King of Israel, went into all the cities and villages teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. He chose the 12 and sent them to the lost sheep of Israel,  not the gentiles.

Mathew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 

Proverb 28:10 (ESV) "Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance." Godly decisions and God's law go hand in hand. Because of Jesus, our inheritance is no longer limited to physical property. There is a greater hope for all who believe in Christ.

When we read the word "blameless" in Proverbs 28:10, we may feel like we're automatically disqualified from this inheritance; after all, we aren't perfect people. But the Hebrew word translated as "blameless" doesn't necessarily mean sinless. In fact, some Bible translations use the word "honest" (NLT) in Proverbs 28:10. Our first step to receive the inheritance of the blameless is to be honest about our sin (Romans 3:23). Recognizing our hopeless state as sinners, separated from God and unable to uphold His perfect law, we can then receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior and put on His righteousness (Romans 3:22; John 3:16). 

We can take Jesus' words as a warning to look out for people with misleading intentions, and we can also use them as a mirror to evaluate our own hearts. Jesus gave His life, even while we were sinners, so we could be forgiven and redeemed through faith in Him (Romans 5:8). As followers of Christ, we are called to reflect His heart, looking not only to our own interests but to the interests of others and humbling ourselves to live servant-hearted lives (Philippians 2:4-11; John 13:1-17). First5

This we know: Life happens.

And there’s a part of me that needs to make sense of it all.

Instead of clarity, I become sad. Stuck. Cautious. Afraid. Distrustful. Feeling alone, even surrounded with people.

Our hope is tied to our capacity—our aptitude and wiring—to rebuild.

And what does it mean to rebuild?  That hope and grace, and renewal and rebirth, are alive and well. Not because we have a certain skill set, but because it is in our DNA reservoir.

So. This week, let us not use our energy to worry. Let us use it to draw on that reservoir. To believe. To create, trust, love, heal and grow (in faith). And in our awkwardness and our vulnerability, let us risk, try, give, care, contribute, stand up. And hold a hand. A reminder that we are indeed walking one another home. Sabbath Moments 

God, your rescuer, has the right vision. He also has the right direction. He made the boldest claim in the history of humanity when he declared, “I am the way” (John 14:6). People wondered if the claim was accurate. He answered their questions by cutting a path through the underbrush of sin and death…and escaping alive. He’s the only One who ever did. And he is the only One who can help you and me do the same.

He has the right vision—he has seen the homeland. He has the right directions—he has cut the path. But most of all, he is the right person because he is our God. Who knows the jungle better than the One who made it? And who knows the pitfalls of the path better than the One who has walked it? Max Lucado

Happy 4th And the freedom that is given in Christ Jesus

Today we will have a picnic at the Quarry, our tree farm, with the family. Have a wonderful 4th of July.

Jesus, that He would sanctify us with His own blood, was crucified outside the city walls of Jerusalem. Now as believers, we honor the Cross of Christ, as Jesus suffered unimaginable pain and death for our salvation. All the sins of mankind were laid on Him and on Him God poured out His wrath and His mercy. 

Jesus willingly took on the sins of the world. 

For here we are strangers but we look forward to our citizenship which is in heaven. We are God’s ambassadorson on earth. We are to do good and offer the sacrifice of praise for His grace and mercy. 

Pray for the truth of the Gospel of Grace to be offered to all who will accept it. 

The Bible contains the Gospels but it is not the Gospel. The Gospel of Grace is the salvation given in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. Believe it! And you will not perish but have everlasting life with Him. God did not send His only begotten Son to us to condemn us but that through Him we could be saved. John 3:16

Proverbs 26:4-5 helps us discern how to answer someone who is acting foolish. At first, these verses may seem to suggest answering a fool but then contradict that instruction with counsel to do the opposite. On closer inspection, the idea is that when it comes to insignificant issues, it's often unwise to argue. However, when someone spouts folly regarding important topics, such as how to receive eternal life, they need to be answered correctly.

All of us make foolish decisions sometimes or fail to follow God's wisdom, instead trusting our own. So let's check ourselves to see where pride, self-righteousness or spiritual blindness may have crept into our lives. Each day brings new opportunities to seek God and apply His wisdom in our decisions. First5

In truth, I can be enamored by self-sufficiency, reputation, accomplishments (and yes, stuff). But deep down, I know that life can be lived without all of these things. But I can’t be fully human or fully alive without friends. And I can’t be fully human and fully alive without connection with fellow journeyers.

I find it interesting that Jesus kept pointing this out to his disciples. He cautioned them from rejoicing in their resumes. And he invited them to be his friends. He didn’t tell them what to believe. He invited them into a relationship.Sabbath Moments 

What would it take to restore your hope? Three answers come quickly to mind. The first would be a person who knows the way out – someone you can trust. And from him you need some vision – someone to lift your spirits. Perhaps most important, you need direction. If you have someone who can take you from this place to the right place, now you’ve found someone who can restore your hope. Jesus offers to do this for you. Or, to use the words of King David: “He restores my soul” (Psalm 23:3). Max Lucado

John 1:1-18 The Word Made Flesh

The Word was made flesh and dwelt among His creation. One day we will know in whole what now we  accept by faith.

John 14:6–9 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”…

Glorious is our God and worthy of all praise!

Colossians 1:15–19 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him…

The Word Was God John 1:1 is probably the strongest passage in the New Testament for declaring the deity of Jesus Christ. Because of this, many who deny this biblical doctrine, especially cultists, have attempted to undercut it by arguing that this passage only teaches that Jesus is “a god” and so not fully Deity. This confused position falls on at least two grounds. Such a view is polytheistic, the belief in more than one god. Second, it betrays a misunderstanding of Greek grammar. Verse 1 of the first chapter of John reads, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The last portion of verse 1 is the major point of contention. It reads in the Greek theos en ho logos, or literally, “the Word was God.” God, or theos, occurs in this verse without the Greek article ho, so that some have contended that the lack of the article in the Greek text should cause the statement to be translated “the Word was a god.” The best understanding for the translation, however, as recognized by Greek scholars, is that since theos is a predicate and precedes the noun logos and a verb, it is natural for it to occur here without the article. Greek scholars are agreed that the verse should be translated as it regularly is in modern and ancient translations, clearly affirming that Jesus is indeed God.

The New Covenant God writes  on our hearts and our understanding is guided by Holy Spirit in whose care we have been entrusted.

The ultimate sin is that of unbelief. The gospel of Christ in His birth, death and resurrection are the gift of God and He will not allow His Holy One to have given His life in vain.

John 3:16 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. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Paul declared the Gospel of Grace to those sanctified by Christ Jesus. The plan of redemption was put in place before Adam’s fall. Christ gave Himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil. When we fall Holy Spirit will convict us and  will correct us to bring us back to a knowledge of the truth found only in Christ Jesus. 

Faith alone pleases God. 

Proverbs 25:11 (ESV) "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."

Proverbs 25:15 assures that a message conveyed patiently over time can dramatically change the course of a situation. On the other hand, a sentiment conveyed at the wrong time or too frequently can be damaging. Proverbs 25:20 provides three images of pain, discomfort and agitation caused by attempting to apply joy to a situation where grief still lingers. First 5

“Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention,” L.R. Knost reminds us. “So, go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.”

So. Here’s our question for today: What does it mean to embrace the gift(s) of the light that is within each of us?

I do know this: when life gets crazy, I don’t see the light. I see (focus on) darkness and brokenness. And when I “shut down” in that way, I forget (and discount) that we are on this journey with one another.

Because here’s the deal: Sometimes we need to be carried.

And sometimes, we need to carry.

Either way, this week remember that the smallest of words can make the biggest difference. You can be the voice for those who don’t have one.

“Sometimes our light goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being,” Dr. Albert Schweitzer wrote, “Each of us owes the deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this inner light.” SabbathMoments 

When God found me, I was a fruitless stump with deep roots. Even so, he found a place for me. It required a good yank and no small amount of cleaning up, but he took me from badlands to his home,  and he displayed me as a work of his own. Such is the work of the Holy Spirit.

My friend, the Spirit of God will transform you into a handiwork of heaven and display you in full view. Now, expect to be scrubbed, sanded, and varnished a time or two or ten. But in the end, the result will be worth the discomfort. Max Lucado

John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. The Preincarnate Work of Christ 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. The Forerunner of Christ 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. The Rejection of Christ 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. The Acceptance of Christ 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The Incarnation of Christ 14 And the Word became 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. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. The New King James Version

The Gospel of John is a complex theological work, weaving events from the life of Jesus into a dramatic presentation of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God. The authority and person of Jesus as theological themes are much more important to the writer than historical chronology or his own authority. 

The writer only identifies himself as an eyewitness and as the beloved disciple it is early church tradition that ascribes the work to the apostle John. The Gospel of John was probably written ca. ad 85–95. 

John’s Gospel opens with a prologue that is rich with allusions to old testament themes and influenced by Jewish traditions on the exaltation of divine wisdom. This prologue also introduces the concept of Jesus as the divine “Word.” In doing so, it establishes a claim to Jesus’ divinity—connecting Jesus’ identity with philosophical and biblical concepts about creation and the organization of the universe. Faithlife Study Bible

Genesis 1:1 starts with the moment of creation and moves forward to the creation of humanity. John 1:1 starts with creation and contemplates eternity past. The fact that the Word was with God suggests a face-to-face relationship. In the ancient world, it was important that persons of equal station be on the same level, or face-to-face, when sitting across from one another. Thus the word with indicates a personal relationship, but also implies equal status. 

The Word, Jesus Christ Himself, is an active Person in communication with the Father (1 John 1:2). Moreover, the Word was God. The word order in Greek shows that the Word was “God,” not “a god.” This is a straightforward declaration of Christ’s deity, since John uses Word to refer to Jesus. 

The Word was of the very quality of God, while still retaining His personal distinction from the Father. Neither the Person of Christ, nor His Sonship, came into being at a point in time. Rather, the Father and the Son have always been in loving fellowship with one another. All things were made through Him: God the Father created the world (Gen. 1:1) through God the Son. All creation was made through Him. Thus He is the Creator God. Note that life is not said to have been created; life existed in Christ. 

Humans are dependent on God for life. Our existence, spiritually and physically, depends on God’s sustaining power. In contrast, the Son has life in Himself from all eternity. The life, Jesus Christ, is also the light of men. This image conveys the concept of revelation. As the light, Jesus Christ reveals both sin and God to humans. Later in this Gospel, Christ declares Himself to be both the life (11:25) and the light (8:12). Death and darkness flee when the life and light enter. The dead are raised and the blind receive their sight, both physically and spiritually. 

Christ entered this dark world to give it spiritual light. 

The word translated comprehend can mean (1) to take hold of; (2) to overpower; or (3) to understand. Therefore, this verse may mean that darkness did not positively take hold of or understand the light, or that darkness did not negatively overcome the light. Both statements are true. 

Humans did not appropriate or understand the light, nor did they overtake or overpower it. Although Satan and his forces resist the light, they cannot thwart its power. In short, Jesus is life and light; those who accept Him are “sons of light”. 

As the creation of light was the beginning of the original creation (Genesis 1:3), so when believers receive the light, they become part of the new creation. 

John the Baptist is here contrasted with Jesus Christ. Jesus is God. John was a man sent from God. Jesus was the Light. John was the lamp that bore witness to the Light. To bear witness means “to testify” or “to declare.” The term is particularly important to his purpose, which is to record adequate witnesses to Jesus as the Messiah so that individuals might believe in Him. Believe means “to trust.” John uses this verb almost one hundred times in his Gospel to express what must take place for a person to receive the gift of eternal life. 

In order to give due notice to the incarnation of Jesus, this verse may be rephrased: “That was the true Light coming into the world, which enlightens every man.” Jesus became man in order to reveal the truth to all people. 

The phrase believe in His name occurs three times in the Gospel of John. Name does not refer to the term by which He is called, but to what His name stands for—the Lord is salvation. In this context, the phrase means to believe that Jesus is the Word, the life, and the Light—that is, He is the Christ, the Son of God. To them He gave the right refers to the legitimate entitlement to the position of children of God. By believing, undeserving sinners can become full members of God’s family.

This new spiritual birth is not of blood, that is, by physical generation or by parents. Nor is the new birth of the will of the flesh, that is, by personal effort. Neither is the birth of the will of man, that is, something done by another individual. 

Each person must individually trust Jesus Christ for eternal life. It is a gift to be received, not a reward achieved through any human effort. 

The Son of God who was from eternity became human, with limitations in time and space. This is the doctrine of the incarnation: God became human. Nothing of the essential nature of deity was lost in this event; we might rephrase became as “took to Himself.” John uses the word flesh to refer to the physical nature of humans, not to our sinful disposition. Dwelt comes from the Greek word for tent that was used in the Greek Old Testament for the tabernacle, where the presence of God dwelt. 

As God manifested His glory in the tabernacle, so Jesus displayed His divine presence before the apostles. Only begotten (3:16, 18) means unique, one of a kind. 

All who trust Christ are born of God. In the Gospel of John, these “born ones” are called children of God, but Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. He is the only Son who is fully God. He is also full of grace and truth. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He proclaimed Himself to be “abounding in goodness and truth”. As applied to Jesus Christ, this phrase marks Him as the author of perfect redemption and perfect revelation. 

Jesus was born after John the Baptist and began His ministry later than John the Baptist. Yet John the Baptist said Jesus was before him, meaning that Jesus’ existence is from eternity past.

Grace for grace means grace piled upon grace. 

Moses and the people had received grace, but they were in tremendous need of more grace. Throughout the New Testament, grace is God’s favor expressed to sinful humankind apart from any human works or worth. Though there was abundant grace and truth expressed by God through the Law He gave Moses, it is in the person of Jesus Christ that grace and truth are realized to the fullest. 

God is Spirit and is invisible unless God chooses to reveal Himself. Humans cannot look at God and live. Abraham, the friend of God, did not see God. Even Moses, the lawgiver, could not look at God’s face. However, the Son is in intimate relationship with the Father, face-to-face with God. God became visible to human eyes in the man Jesus. It is through seeing the Son that we see God. We cannot see Him today, but we know Him through His word. 

The One who is the Father’s only begotten Son and who knows God intimately came to earth and declared Him. The NKJV Study Bible

1 John 1:1–2 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—

Hebrews 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Revelation 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.