Podcasts about gentiles luke

Simeon's Hope December 1, 2024 Elwyn Johnston Luke 2:25 – 35 Verse of the Week: “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” Isaiah 9:2 1. Hope is living today in light of future promises. “it had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” Luke 2:26 Hope is more than optimism. Hope is based on the character of God “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” Psalm 42:5 “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” Isaiah 9:2 “I am the Light of the world” John 8:12 2. We must actively wait “waiting for the consolation of Israel” Luke 2:25 3. Welcome Jesus this Christmas “Simeon took Jesus into his arms” Luke 2:28 4. Let God birth hope in you “my eyes have seen Your salvation which you have prepared” Luke 2:30 & 31 “a light of revelation to the Gentiles” Luke 2:32

Color: Green Old Testament: Proverbs 9:1–10 Psalm: Psalm 34:12–22; antiphon: v. 11 Epistle: Ephesians 2:13–22 Epistle: 1 John 3:13–18 Gospel: Luke 14:15–24 Introit: Psalm 18:1–2a, 27, 30a, 49; antiphon: vv. 18b–19 Gradual: Psalm 120:1–2 Verse: Psalm 7:17 The Gospel Call Goes Out to All   Wisdom has issued an invitation to the divine feast: “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight” (Prov. 9:5–6). This is the call of the Spirit of Christ to believe the Gospel and to receive His saving gifts in the Holy Supper. Many make excuses and reject this invitation, even as the Jews did in the days of Jesus, yet the Master's house will be filled. The Gospel call therefore goes out to the lowly and despised, into the highways, even to all the Gentiles (Luke 14:15–24). For “you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13–22). In Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow members of the household of God. The enmity of class and race is put to death through the cross. Having been reconciled in the one Body of Christ, we are enabled to love one another (1 John 3:13–18) as we await the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end. Lectionary summary © 2021 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Used by permission. http://lcms.org/worship

Introit: Ps. 18:1-2a, 27, 30a, 49; antiphon: Ps. 18:18-19rGradual: Ps. 120:1-2 Old Testament: Prov. 9:1-10  Psalm 34:12-22 (antiphon: v. 11) Epistle: Eph. 2:13-22        or 1 John 3:13-18 ProperVerse: Ps. 7:17 Gospel: Luke 14:15-24 The Gospel Call Goes Out to AllrWisdom has issued an invitation to the divine feast: "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight" (Prov. 9:5-6). This is the call of the Spirit of Christ to believe the Gospel and to receive His saving gifts in the Holy Supper. Many make excuses and reject this invitation, even as the Jews did in the days of Jesus, yet the Master's house will be filled. The Gospel call therefore goes out to the lowly and despised, into the highways, even to all the Gentiles (Luke 14:15-24). For "you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13-22). In Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow members of the household of God. The enmity of class and race is put to death through the cross. Having been reconciled in the one Body of Christ, we are enabled to love one another (1 John 3:13-18) as we await the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end.

The Second Sunday After Trinity Forsake foolishness and live" (Prov 9:1–10). This is the call of the Spirit of Christ to believe the Gospel and to receive His saving gifts in the Holy Supper. Many make excuses and reject this invitation, even as the Jews did in the days of Jesus, yet the Master's house will be filled. The Gospel call therefore goes out to the lowly and despised, into the highways, even to all the Gentiles (Luke 14:15–24). For "you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13–22). In Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow members of the household of God. The enmity of class and race is put to death through the cross. Having been reconciled in the one body of Christ, we are enabled to love one another (1 John 3:13–18) as we await the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end. INTROIT:(Psalm 18:18-19;1-2,27,30,49.) P: The LORD was my support in the day of my calamity C: He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. P: I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress. C:For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks. P: As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; C:Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. Gloria Patri + Proverbs 9:1-10 + "Wisdom has built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars; {2} She has slaughtered her meat, She has mixed her wine, She has also furnished her table. {3} She has sent out her maidens, She cries out from the highest places of the city, {4} "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who lacks understanding, she says to him, {5} "Come, eat of my bread And drink of the wine I have mixed. {6} Forsake foolishness and live, And go in the way of understanding. {7} "He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. {8} Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. {9} Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. {10} "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." Gradual:(Psalm 120:1,2) P: In my distress I cried to the LORD, And He heard me. C:Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips And from a deceitful tongue. +1 John 3:13-18+ "Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. {14} We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. {15} Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. {16} By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. {17} But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? {18} My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." Catechetical Responsive Reading: Luther's Small Catechism P: As the head of the family should teach them in a simple way to his household. P: What is The Third Commandment? C: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. P: What does this mean? C: We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. P: What is The Second Petition of the Lord's Prayer? C: Thy kingdom come. P: What does this mean? C: The kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also. P: How does God's kingdom come? C: God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity. P: Which is the great commandment in the law?" C: "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment."Matthew 22:37-38 Verse:(Psalm 7:17) P: Alleluia! Alleluia! I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, C: And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. Alleluia +Luke 14:15-24+ {15}"Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!" {16} Then He said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, {17} "and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.' {18} "But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.' {19} "And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.' {20} "Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' {21} "So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.' {22} "And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.' {23} "Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. {24} 'For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.'""

John Radacsy

Forty days after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Simeon gives his prophecies -Luke 2-22-24- Leviticus 12-. After this, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph return home to Nazareth in the Galilee -Luke 2-39-.--The Wise Men came sometime after that and before the Lord was two-years old -Cf. Matthew 2-7, 16-17-.--In his person, the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's prophecies to Israel -Galatians 3-16- 2 Corinthians 1-20-. Thus Simeon prophesies that the Lord Jesus would be -a light, for revelation to the Gentiles- -Luke 2-29-32-, in fulfillment of Isaiah 42-6- 60-1-3.--Jesus was -appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel- -Luke 2-34-. Many who were thought of as the righteous would be rejected, while many who were rejected would be accepted, because before a person can be accepted by God, he must be humbled -Luke 18-9-14-.--Simeon foretells Mary's witnessing the agonizing death of her Son -Luke 2-35- John 19-25-26-, and points to God's Word as a piercing sword -Hebrews 4-12-13-.

Forty days after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Simeon gives his prophecies -Luke 2-22-24- Leviticus 12-. After this, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph return home to Nazareth in the Galilee -Luke 2-39-.--The Wise Men came sometime after that and before the Lord was two-years old -Cf. Matthew 2-7, 16-17-.--In his person, the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's prophecies to Israel -Galatians 3-16- 2 Corinthians 1-20-. Thus Simeon prophesies that the Lord Jesus would be -a light, for revelation to the Gentiles- -Luke 2-29-32-, in fulfillment of Isaiah 42-6- 60-1-3.--Jesus was -appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel- -Luke 2-34-. Many who were thought of as the righteous would be rejected, while many who were rejected would be accepted, because before a person can be accepted by God, he must be humbled -Luke 18-9-14-.--Simeon foretells Mary's witnessing the agonizing death of her Son -Luke 2-35- John 19-25-26-, and points to God's Word as a piercing sword -Hebrews 4-12-13-.

Forty days after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Simeon gives his prophecies (Luke 2:22-24; Leviticus 12). After this, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph return home to Nazareth in the Galilee (Luke 2:39).The Wise Men came sometime after that and before the Lord was two-years old (Cf. Matthew 2:7, 16-17).In his person, the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all God's prophecies to Israel (Galatians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 1:20). Thus Simeon prophesies that the Lord Jesus would be "a light, for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:29-32), in fulfillment of Isaiah 42:6; 60:1-3.Jesus was "appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel" (Luke 2:34). Many who were thought of as the righteous would be rejected, while many who were rejected would be accepted, because before a person can be accepted by God, he must be humbled (Luke 18:9-14).Simeon foretells Mary's witnessing the agonizing death of her Son (Luke 2:35; John 19:25-26), and points to God's Word as a piercing sword (Hebrews 4:12-13).

Introduction      Moses had previously addressed God's goodness to provide for His people since leaving Egypt (Deut 29:2-8), and called for them to commit themselves to the Lord for their own good (Deut 29:9-13) and the good of their children (Deut 29:14-15). Now Moses addresses the consequences of disobedience to the covenant if the people turn away from the Lord and adopt the idols and values of the pagan nations which surround them (Deut 29:16-29). Context      Moses opens this pericope by calling the people's attention to those spiritually poor nations who did not know the Lord or His blessings, saying,  “For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; 17 moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which they had with them” (Deut 29:16-17). Here, Israel's relationship with God was contrasted with Egypt from which they came, as well as the pagans nations through which they'd recently passed. Israel's spiritual health and blessings could be seen in comparison to the surrounding pagan cultures. According to Kalland: "The statements “How we lived in Egypt” and “how we passed through the countries on the way here” (v.16) provide the locale and historic background for the people's knowledge of the gods in those places and the nature of their worship. This is evident from the definite reference to the detestable images and idols that they saw among the people there (v.17).”[1]      So that there would be no individual or national corruption, Moses said, “there will not be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of those nations; that there will not be among you a root bearing poisonous fruit and wormwood” (Deut 29:18). According to Radmacher, “Every individual man and woman was responsible to the community as a whole for his or her relationship to God. Since the entire community was covenanted to God Himself, every individual had to follow Him…Tolerance for idolatry and pagan practices would always corrupt the community, and therefore the covenant relationship with God.”[2] And Kalland states, “The source of ‘bitter poison' (v.18) was the person who turned away from the Lord to worship the gods of Egypt and those of the other nations that the Israelites passed through on their journey from Egypt to the plains of Moab.”[3]Choices have consequences, and to worship idols is to sow the seeds of darkness and poison into one's own heart, which not only corrupts the individual, but negatively impacts others.      The arrogant person who chose idolatry was his own worst enemy and would bring God's curses upon himself. Moses said, “It shall be when he hears the words of this curse, that he will boast, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart in order to destroy the watered land with the dry'” (Deut 29:19). For that person who walks in the stubbornness of his pride and pursues idols without repentance, Moses said, “The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven” (Deut 29:20). God is always opposed to the proud, and as long as recalcitrance persists, there will be no forgiveness. God's love reaches out to everyone, but when the prideful person rejects the Lord and His love, there is no other recourse to be saved or blessed. Rather, such a one will experience the Lord's anger, and the curses mentioned in the law of Moses will fall upon him. To have one's name blotted out from under heaven meant that he would die and not be remembered among his people, which was a grievous matter for those in the ancient world. If Israelites acted like pagans and devoted themselves to idols, they would, by their own decision, experience the same fate that Moses described would be for the Canaanites (Deut 7:24) and Amalekites (Deut 25:19), whose name and memory would be blotted out. Moses continued, saying, “Then the LORD will single him out for adversity from all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant which are written in this book of the law” (Deut 29:21). To be singled out for adversity meant God targeted His judgment against the offender to deal with him according to the requirements of the law.      God's judgment upon the disobedient was a display of His holy and righteous character, but it also had pedagogical value, to help future generations know how not to behave, and to see the consequences of sinful choices. Moses said, “Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the LORD has afflicted it, will say, 23 ‘All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath'” (Deut 29:22-23). Because of the extreme wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah, God had destroyed those cities, as well as the two neighboring cities Admah and Zeboiim, and He did this as a display of His righteous judgment against them (Gen 19:24-25). Similarly, if God's severe judgment were to fall upon Israel, it would draw the attention of surrounding nations. Moses said, “All the nations will say, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?'” (Deut 29:24). God intended for Israel to know His blessings, which would have testified positively to the surrounding nations (Deut 26:19; 28:1); however, by turning away from the Lord, He would use their destruction as a lesson to those who would see and question their downfall. God's outburst of anger against His people would come if they violated the terms of the covenant and pursued idols. The surrounding Gentile nations would properly conclude, saying, “Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Deut 29:25). Breaking the covenant meant that His people “went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them” (Deut 29:26). Israel was a theocracy and God was their King, Lawgiver, and Judge (Isa 33:22), and to worship idols and serve other gods was tantamount to treason.      The choice of ongoing sinful actions would have very negative consequences for God's people, as it would bring His judgment upon them, and rightfully so. Moses said, “Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book; 28 and the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day” (Deut 29:27-28). According to Radmacher, “The nations were supposed to learn about God's grace from Israel's example; what a shame if they were to learn of His wrath instead!”[4] It is true that God did display His anger among His people, and this because they repeatedly turned away from Him and pursued sin and idolatry. However, because it's His nature, God was very slow to become angry with His people (Ex 34:6; Num 14:18; Neh 9:17; Psa 86:15; 103:8; 145:8-9; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2), and He was quick to forgive and show kindness when they humbled themselves, even in the slightest way (Neh 9:9-33). For example, King Ahab was a wicked ruler who reigned over Israel for twenty-two years (1 Ki 16:29), and Ahab “did evil in the sight of the LORD more than all who were before him” (1 Ki 16:30). By the end of Ahab's life, it is written, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife incited him. 26 He acted very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD cast out before the sons of Israel” (1 Ki 21:25-26). However, even wicked Ahab, after hearing God's judgment against him (1 Ki 21:20-24), responded in humility and “tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay in sackcloth and went about despondently” (1 Ki 21:27). And God, because He is quick to show grace and mercy, turned from His anger against Ahab, saying to His prophet Elijah, “Do you see how Ahab has humbled himself before Me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days, but I will bring the evil upon his house in his son's days” (1 Ki 21:29). Even the most wicked, as long as they have breath, may taste the Lord's goodness if they humble themselves before Him. God has certainly been patient with us (2 Pet 3:9).      Moses closed out this pericope, saying, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law” (Deut 29:29). Concerning this verse, Peter Craigie notes, “The law placed upon the people the responsibility of obedience, the result of which would be God's blessing in the land they were going in to possess. This general principle was clearly revealed; obedience would lead to God's continuing blessing, but disobedience would bring about the curse of God. To go beyond that and speculate about the future things (the secret things) was not man's prerogative.”[5] As Christians, we possess God's Word to us, which provides particular insights into realities we could never know, except that He has spoken and His Words have been inscripturated (2 Tim 3:16-17). Charles Swindoll notes: “God keeps some knowledge to Himself. There are people who will tell you that they have access to this knowledge, claiming that God has given them a special revelation of His teaching. But God never contradicts Himself. The things He holds in secret are not a different truth that will erase the things we now know. They are simply things that only the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and power, can know. Everything that is essential for life has already been stated in God's Word. We do not have need of any ‘extra' revelation. It is enough to be accountable to all that He has already told us within the pages of this Book.”[6]      Sadly, we know from Israel's history, that the majority in Israel, from the leadership down, chose to turn away from the Lord and to walk in the stubbornness of their own hearts. And if we're honest, this is the history of us all.  Historical Review of Israel      Factually, we know that after Moses died, God brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua (Deut 31:23; Josh 1:1-9), and there the land was divided, giving a portion to each of the descendants of Jacob. After Joshua died (Josh 24:29-31), Israel failed to obey the Lord and did not drive out the Canaanites as He'd instructed (Judg 1:20-21; 28-33; 2:1-4). By allowing the Canaanites to live among them, the Israelites were influenced by their pagan values and, over time, were corrupted by them. These sinful choices had an impact on their children—the third generation of Israelites since the exodus—and they turned away from the Lord and radically pursued idols, thus provoking the Lord's anger (Judg 2:10-12). This went on for roughly 300 years as Israel fell into a pattern of idolatry (sin), after which God would send punishment (suffering), then the people would cry out to God (supplication), Who would relent of His judgment and send a judge to deliver them (savior), then the people would obey God for a time (service), and then fall back into idolatry (sin). The period of the Judges was generally marked by people who did not obey the Lord, but “did what was right in their own eyes” (Judg 17:6; 21:25).      Israel's history changed during the time of Samuel, who was the last of Israel's judges. The people of Israel cried for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations (1 Sam 8:4-5). God gave them their request (1 Sam 8:22), and Saul became the first king in Israel (1 Sam 10:1). Though Saul started well, he quickly turned away from the Lord and would not obey God's commands. Saul reigned for approximately 40 years and his leadership was basically a failure (1 Sam 13:1; cf. Acts 13:21). Later, God raised up David to be king in Israel (1 Sam 16:1-13), and David reigned for 40 years and was an ideal king who followed God and encouraged others to do the same (1 Ki 2:10-11). God decreed David's throne would be established forever through one of his descendants (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4), and this is Jesus (Luke 1:31-33). Solomon reigned for 40 years after David (1 Ki 2:12; 11:42-43), and though He was wise and did many good things (ruled well, built the temple, wrote Scripture, etc.), he eventually turned away from God and worshiped idols (1 Ki 11:1-10), and the kingdom was divided afterward (1 Ki 11:11-41). The nation was united under Saul, David, and Solomon.      Israel—the northern kingdom—had 19 kings throughout its history and all were bad, as they led God's people into idolatry (i.e. the “sins of Jeroboam” 1 Ki 16:31; 2 Ki 3:3; 10:31; 13:2). The ten northern tribes came under divine discipline because of their idolatry (2 Ki 17:7-18) and were destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah—the southern kingdom—had 20 kings throughout its history and 8 were good (some more than others), as they obeyed God and led others to do the same (they were committed to the Lord like David, 1 Ki 15:11). However, Judah repeatedly fell into idolatry—as the 10 northern tribes had done—and, because of their disobedience (Jer 11:6-11; 22:8-9), they were eventually destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The dispersion of Israel was promised by God if they turned away from Him and served other gods (Deut 28:63-68). Since the destruction by Babylon, Israel has been under Gentile dominance known as “the times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24; Rom 11:25). After a temporary regathering under Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel continued under Gentile dominance with the Medes & Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Because of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, God disciplined Israel again in AD 70, and the Jews were scattered all over the world (Jam 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1). Israel's current state is one of judgment (Matt 23:37-39), and a “partial hardening” (Rom 11:25). Israel will be restored when Messiah returns to establish His kingdom on earth (Rev 19:11-21; 20:4-6). Present Application      As Christians, God calls us to holy living (1 Pet 1:14-16), and to serve as lights in a sin-darkened world (Matt 5:14-16; Eph 5:8-10). Such a life is based on good choices we make, as we daily learn God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18) and walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6). And, if we turn away from the Lord and commit egregious sins, or a lifestyle of ongoing carnality (1 Cor 3:1-4), then God will administer corrective suffering to bring us back into His will (Heb 12:5-11).      Living in a fallen world that is currently under Satan's rule (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19), it is imperative that we live wisely (Eph 5:15-16), choose our friends carefully (2 Cor 6:14), and not allow ourselves to be corrupted by Satan's world-system. And when we sin, it's important that we keep short accounts and confess our sin regularly (1 John 1:9), are filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18), and resume our walk with the Lord (Gal 5:16). In this way we will glorify God and be a blessing to others.   [1] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 182. [2] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 264. [3] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3, 182. [4] Earl D. Radmacher, et al, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary, 264. [5] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 360–361. [6] Charles R. Swindoll, The Swindoll Study Bible, (Carol Stream, Ill. Tyndale House Publishers, 2017), 245.

Glory be to God! **

Introit: Ps. 18:1-2a, 27, 30a, 49; antiphon: Ps. 18:18-19rGradual: Ps. 120:1-2 Old Testament: Prov. 9:1-10  Psalm 34:12-22 (antiphon: v. 11) Epistle: Eph. 2:13-22        or 1 John 3:13-18 ProperVerse: Ps. 7:17 Gospel: Luke 14:15-24 The Gospel Call Goes Out to AllrWisdom has issued an invitation to the divine feast: "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight" (Prov. 9:5-6). This is the call of the Spirit of Christ to believe the Gospel and to receive His saving gifts in the Holy Supper. Many make excuses and reject this invitation, even as the Jews did in the days of Jesus, yet the Master's house will be filled. The Gospel call therefore goes out to the lowly and despised, into the highways, even to all the Gentiles (Luke 14:15-24). For "you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13-22). In Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow members of the household of God. The enmity of class and race is put to death through the cross. Having been reconciled in the one Body of Christ, we are enabled to love one another (1 John 3:13-18) as we await the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end.

Jesus Came And... Offended Many Jesus Came And... Offended Many Ross Tenneson / General The Gospel of Luke / Forgiveness; Gentiles / Luke 4:22–30 Exposition of this passage Summary Exegetical Main Point: Jesus teaches that God is not under obligation to work among the people of Israel but can compassionately save surprising people. Sticky: God will show compassion to whomever he wants to, not to those whom we think he should. Connection (me) I love how welcoming our worship gatherings feel and how welcoming other churches I’ve attended in the past feel. And churches should be the most welcoming places on earth because the gospel is the most welcoming message there ever was. Yet, I confess that in my heart, I have not always had that kind of welcome toward everyone I’ve worshipped with. There are people I have worshipped with that I struggled with liking very much. I even have from time to time not been happy that a person is at the same worship gathering as me. This betrays that I have a sense of bias in my heart where I prefer certain people to be God’s children and not others and it is a favoritism toward myself that I somehow deserve to be there more than they do. Tension (we) Now, may never think these things (or admit we do), yet I want to ask you: Do you sometimes find yourself wishing that God would have saved this person instead of that person? Do you sometimes struggle to rejoice over someone’s salvation (maybe in your community)? Is there someone (maybe someone who wronged you) whom you wouldn’t want God to show mercy to? In our text this evening, Jesus is going to uncover and answer these questions that we all have in our hearts at some level even if they are not at the level of awareness. Pastor Daniel made a good point to me when I was preparing this sermon: since we are all prideful people, there is something offensive to each one of us about God’s grace and mercy. Hopefully Jesus can expose that in our hearts this evening so that he can also heal us. Revelation (God) We get to pick up in this passage where Daniel left off two weeks ago. Jesus, while in his hometown of Nazareth, had finished reading from the scroll of Isaiah about an era of God’s favor that God would bring on his people. Then he makes the astonishing claim that this prophecy was about him. Now, in the rest of this passage, we get to witness how the people in Jesus’s hometown respond to Jesus making these claims. It will be a roller coaster that starts with celebration and ends with attempted murder. Now, our outline this evening will include two simple steps[1]: (1) First, Jesus will share two sayings that describe the situation and hearts of the people of Nazareth (vv. 22-24). [Two Sayings] (2) Second, Jesus will illustrate his point by comparing himself with two prophets from the Old Testament (vv. 25-30) [Two Prophets] Two Sayings (vv. 22-24) Let’s begin then in verse 22, English Standard Version Chapter 4 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Jesus’s fellow Nazarites first respond with favor to the things that he said.[2] Perhaps there was a sense of pride that one of their own would speak with such favor to them from God’s word. Yet, that very same fact (that Jesus is one of their own) appears to also produce an alternative response in Jesus’s listeners.[3] Luke captures this reaction in the question they ask: “Is not this Joseph’s son?” While there was joy in Jesus’s claim that the prophecy in Isaiah 61, that the era of God’s favor had arrived, there was skepticism, rejection, and soon to be hostility to the idea that such an extraordinary reality could come from one who seemed so ordinary to them. They may have thought, I remember Jesus when he was this tall. I remember when he became an adult. I remember when he first became a carpenter. How could he fulfill this prophecy of the restoration for us? We will see more and more as we walk through this passage that people’s expectations play a huge role of how they respond to Jesus and his message. For one, since they were familiar with Jesus’s ordinary upbringing, they did not expect him to be a man whom the Lord used mightily and thus rejected him. Jesus was aware of the skeptical objections in their minds and responds to them publically in verse 23,[4] English Standard Version Chapter 4 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘ “Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ ” (A) Now Jesus quotes the first of the two sayings he will refer to in this passage: “Physician, heal yourself.” What does Jesus mean by saying his fellow townspeople will quote to him this saying? Evidently, the residents of Nazareth had heard of great works that Jesus had done in Capernaum of freeing a man from a demon (vv. 31-37). The thought this proverb expresses is that Jesus is under obligation to perform his works among them (in his hometown where he was raised) before he performs them for others.[5] So, in the saying, “Physician, heal yourself,” by “yourself” they actually mean “your hometown.”[6] In other words, Jesus you should do your works here, among we who raised you, before you go and do them elsewhere. There seems to be two things that are going on in their hearts here: (1) Seeing him perform his works among them would give them the proof their skeptical hearts demand.[7] (2) As Jesus’s kin, they saw themselves as more worthy and deserving of his benefits than others and were expressing jealousy of what the other town had experienced.[8] After all, they had probably helped to raise him. It is not difficult for us to begin to expect and believe we deserve certain benefits from God, is it? Likely, we wouldn’t think that way, but our emotions often give us away. I think one of the biggest evidences of this is how easy it is for us to emotionally go off the rails when something does not work out the way we expect or think that it should or the envy we feel towards others when they get what we want. (B) Next, Jesus introduces a second saying to further reveal what is happening in this sequence of events. He says in verse 24, English Standard Version Chapter 4 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. When Jesus says “truly” in the beginning of verse 24, he is indicating that what he is about to say demands our attention.[9] What does Jesus mean by “no prophet is acceptable in his hometown?” He means that their familiarity with him, especially in his developmental years, is a stumbling block for them.[10] I think we all get this point: Who here finds that some of the hardest people for you to witness to are family members and friends that you grew up with? Jesus experienced that as well and understands. Anyone who has seen us in a period or season of weakness is prone to use that as an excuse to dismiss us as messengers and avoid the message that we proclaim. For Jesus, it was not a sinful season of weakness they saw, but the ordinary process of growing up and learning new things. Since they were familiar with him as a youth , they were content to continue to think of him that way and dismiss the call to receive him as the one bringing God’s favor. Therefore, Jesus would not do the works he did in Capernaum in his hometown. Now, did you catch what Jesus referred to himself as in this verse? He calls himself a “prophet.” And by referring to himself as a prophet, he characterizes himself as one, who like the prophets before him, experienced rejection from the Hebrew people.[11] Now that we have walked through the two sayings Jesus referred to, now we will take a look at the two prophets he compares himself to. These comparisons will cause the crowd to boil over in their rage and attack Jesus. Two Prophets (vv. 25-30) In order to explain why Jesus won’t do works in his hometown, he compares himself to two Old Testament prophets: Elijah and Elisha. This explanation will almost get Jesus killed. Now, what would Jesus have to say to almost get himself killed by a town of Jewish people he grew up with? Alright, let’s take a look at the first of two prophets to whom Jesus compares his ministry: Elijah. Jesus says in verses 25 and 26, English Standard Version Chapter 4 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. This story refers back to the story of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 17. At that time, Ahab, king of Israel, had abandoned worshipping God and instead worshipped the false God Baal. Sadly, much of the rest of the nation follows suit. As a result, God inflicted the land with a drought for a period of about three years. And during that drought, God did not send Elijah to work among the people of Israel. Instead, he shockingly send him to a widow in the city of Zarephath, which was a pagan city outside of Israel.[12] She lived in a place that in the Old Testament was geographically far from God. God used Elijah to give this widow a miraculous source of food. Jesus makes a piercing point here: “Although there were many widows in Israel, God sent Elijah to none of them but only to Zarephath.” No Jewish person would have expected God to do this— to favor someone in an unbelieving nation rather than the Jewish nation. It would have, in fact, been offensive to them that a gentile would receive mercy before they would. Worse than that, Jesus is comparing them to the faithless Israelites in Elijah’s day whom God passed over.[13] What important truth does this reveal to us about God? God does not act according to our expectations of what we think he should do. I have seen God save a handful of people in my life, and guess what? He never asked me beforehand if I thought it was a good idea.[14] We have to get used to the idea that God shows mercy to whomever he wants to and some people we think should believe won’t and some people we think shouldn’t believe will. This passage is a warning against limiting God’s mercy and ever assuming there is a kind of person God wouldn’t save. Later in Luke, Jesus shares a story about a son who leaves his Father and his household and squanders his inheritance in reckless living. After running out of money, he returns home in shame. He expects his father to take him back, not as a son, but as a hired worker: that would fit with what he deserves. Yet, as his Father sees him approaching from afar, he runs to embrace him. He puts a robe and a ring on him and throws him a feast to welcome him back as a son. When God shows someone mercy, which he does everyday, it is this kind of over-the-top, scandalous event. How does his older brother respond? He gets upset and jealous that his little brother who squandered his inheritance would come back and get another share. He is offended at his father’s mercy toward his brother. This is how the people of Nazareth were responding, and this passage is warning to us not to respond this way. Here is one way I was convicted while preparing: Do you like me tend to think that there are certain people (or kinds of people) that God won’t save or even that you don’t necessarily want him to save? I have a younger brother whom probably none of you have met yet and who seems to have no interest in the things of the Lord. A lot of days, I have a small expectation that God will save him because he seems so far from God. And I noticed that when I have a small expectation God will save someone, they tend to drop out of my prayer life. Is there someone you have stopped praying for because you have a small expectation that God will save them? If we pause and think about that, it is actually us subtly assuming that God will work according to the way we expect him to work. Also, is there a person or a kind of person whom intellectually you would say you want them to know Jesus and belong here, but emotionally you are not there? This text is calling us to repent of that and to pray for and love those we just don’t tend to like. God is not going to withhold new life from someone because you or I don’t like that person. We must not be like the people of Nazareth and oppose God working in someone else’s life (and just to be clear, indifference and disengagement when God has put someone in our path is opposition, when you are sensing a burden or seeing a clear opportunity to witness to someone and you won’t). Again, I believe that when we shy away from praying for a particular person, it is an indication our hearts are in this place. Then, Luke brings up another example of God’s work through another prophet, Elijah’s student, Elisha: English Standard Version Chapter 4 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Leprosy is a disease that destroys your skin and having that disease would make you unclean and unable to enter the temple in the Old Testament. Again, the same sequence of events unfolds: God passes over his rebellious people and he shows mercy to a foreigner. Yet, he is not just any foreigner. He was the general of the Syrian army— a historic enemy of Israel’s. Syria was not only a different culture from Israel, it was a hostile one. This text is also a call to cultural humility for all of us (God will not only save particular people we don’t expect, but kinds of people we don’t expect). This text anticipates the reality that the gospel spread outside the mono-cultural Israel to the multi-cultural nations.[15] It’s a miracle that I am standing here preaching Christ to you today considering my ancestral roots. I know I have a Scandinavian Lutheran background of nice church people, but if you go back far enough, I descend from warring, pillaging idolaters. There is no people group or cultural group in the Twin Cities we should not expect to be apart of All Peoples Church one day. And we need to pray, fast, and evangelize until this is the case. We must not prefer or welcome people from one culture over another because we think that one culture is more likely to respond to the gospel than another. To have that perspective is to subtly adopt the viewpoint of the people of Nazareth. Our response to others whom we perceive as far from God can reveal if we think we are more deserving or proper for God to save. Shying away from certain people or kinds of people reveals a sense of favoritism towards ourselves. Truly believing that we have no worthiness of our own and that our only claim to God’s favor is the blood of Christ will overflow in us going to difficult people. After Jesus had said these things and exposed their sinful hearts, the people of Nazareth had had enough. Verse 28 describes how they respond, English Standard Version Chapter 4 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. In the process of hearing Jesus saying these things, Jesus’s relatives and neighbors become so enraged they attempt to kill him. What was it about what Jesus said that drove them to this point? Let’s try to put together all of the pieces to make this clear. Jesus says to those with whom he grew up among that they have rejected him. He goes further and identifies himself as a prophet who, like the other prophets in Israel’s history, faces rejection. He then characterizes the situation as similar to the era of Elijah and Elisha in that the people of Nazareth were unbelievers in God like the Israelites of that day. And because of their unbelief, Jesus was going to go elsewhere to work miracles and preach the good news.[16] And those whom they thought to be inferior to themselves would receive the blessings they thought Jesus was obligated to share with them. The weight of this truth and conviction should have humbled them and brought them to repentance; instead, they lost control and tried to kill Jesus. The point in all of this is that God will show compassion to whomever he wants to, not to those whom we think he should.[17] Therefore, our lives, our affections, and our mission should show no sort of favoritism to certain people or kinds of people. In fact, we should look for opportunities to connect with and share Jesus with the people who seem least likely on the surface to respond to Jesus— stories like these show that these are the kinds of people Jesus delights to save. That’s why our mission statement says we want to help others follow Jesus, especially those far from God. Application (us) What does this story have to say to you if you are not yet a follower of Jesus? Perhaps you are here today and you can identify with the widow of Zarephath. She was lonely (she had no husband) and overwhelmed (she had the burden of raising her kids). More than that, she was hungry. Yet, perhaps your hunger is not as much of a hunger for bread as a spiritual hunger. You know there is something missing, you know you long for more than what this world has offered you. Just like God used Elijah to give her an everlasting supply of bread and oil, Jesus will give you everlasting satisfaction for your deepest needs if you will come to him. Do you feel like you have done too much wrong for him to welcome you? Elijah’s going to this widow from an unbelieving city, a city in which the residents were far from God, shows that there is no one too far from him to receive his mercy. He will have you just as you are. The only remaining question is: will you have him? On the other hand, maybe you are more like Naaman the Syrian general. He came to the land of Israel and the prophet Elisha to seek healing for his skin disease of leprosy. He didn’t fully understand Elisha’s instructions to be healed of his leprosy. He almost refused with agner to do what the prophet had said. But in the end, his servant convinced him to do it anyway. And guess what? He was healed. Maybe you do not consider yourself religious or don’t have a religious background. Maybe Jesus sounds nice, but following him just doesn’t make much sense to you: this is not what you are used to. God didn’t heal Naaman because he fully grasped God’s plan or it was familiar to him. He saved Namaan because he followed God’s plan anyway. And what is God’s plan for you? That you would believe in the Lord Jesus and receive his sacrifice for you on the cross. That just as God used the Jordan to cleanse Naaman’s skin of leprosy, he would use the blood of Jesus to heal your sin and forgive you completely. How is it possible for God to heal and forgive all these different kinds of people? Widows from Zarephath, generals from Syria, and every sinner who sits here today? Verse 30 says, English Standard Version Chapter 4 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. While in this instance Jesus avoided dying at the hands of sinful men and women, this event foreshadows a future event.[18] Three short years later, a mob would lay hands on the Lord Jesus again. Instead of passing through their midst, he would allow himself to suffer death by crucifixion. What is his reason? To pay for the sins of any who would come to him. To pay for the sins of even those who are far from God and whom we least of all expect to join us here praising Jesus. To pay for the sins of our Somali neighbors who would believe, our lbgt neighbors who would believe, of our poor and drug addicted neighbors who would believe, and of those in our lives who are especially hard to be patient with and to be around. Perhaps you are here today and have not yet followed Jesus. I invite you before you leave this room with: repent and believe and become his child. Please speak with me or any of our member to learn how you can do this. Imagination (We) How would our community grow if we believed these things? I believe there will be a chain reaction if we have a gospel message as radical as the one Jesus presents in this text. If we believe God will save those who are far from him, we must pray for those who are far from him. If we pray from those who are far from him, we will feel an inclination to take steps towards those who are far from him, if we take steps towards those who are far from God, some will hear the gospel through us and believe. Then, our community will become more and more a group of surprising people to be together in one family. All of this starts with believing that Jesus radically saves unexpected people. Glorification (Jesus) Verse 30 ends by saying Jesus “went away.” That word that verb comes from will appear a handful of times in Luke. It is framing Jesus as on a journey toward Jerusalem where he will solve the greatest problem facing humanity: our broken relationship with God. Here we have taken the first few steps of that journey with Jesus and already we have seen that he is a great and glorious savior. He is a savior we did not anticipate or expect who save those we don’t anticipate or expect him to save. He shocks and amazes in the ways how he redeems. And we will have to keep walking through this gospel together with Jesus to see him rescue and save all these different kinds of people. [1] Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 216). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. [2][2] Green, J. B. (1997). The Gospel of Luke (p. 216). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. [3] Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 186). Exeter: Paternoster Press. [4] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 231. [5] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 232. [6] Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 187). Exeter: Paternoster Press. [7] Cf. Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (pp. 137–138). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. [8] Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 187). Exeter: Paternoster Press. [9] Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 187). Exeter: Paternoster Press. [10] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 103). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [11] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (p. 138). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. [12] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 103). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [13] Bock, D. L. (1996). Luke (p. 138). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. [14] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 234. [15] Schreiner, T. R. (2013). The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments (p. 494). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. [16] John Calvin, Harmony of Matthew, Mark, Luke, trans. David W. Rev. William Pringle, vol. 1, Calvin’s Commentaries 23 Volume Set (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2009), 234. [17] Cf. Spurgeon, C. H. (1907). The Rule of Grace. In The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons (Vol. 53, p. 501). London: Passmore & Alabaster [18] Bovon, F., & Koester, H. (2002). Luke 1: a commentary on the Gospel of Luke 1:1–9:50 (p. 156). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.

Read this article on the web on it's official page: Flashback Episode — Loving Gentiles: Luke 4:16-30

Introit: Ps. 18:1-2a, 27, 30a, 49; antiphon: Ps. 18:18-19nGradual: Ps. 120:1-2 Old Testament: Prov. 9:1-10 Psalm 34:12-22 (antiphon: v. 11) Epistle: Eph. 2:13-22 or 1 John 3:13-18 ProperVerse: Ps. 7:17 Gospel: Luke 14:15-24 The Gospel Call Goes Out to AllnWisdom has issued an invitation to the divine feast: "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight" (Prov. 9:5_6). This is the call of the Spirit of Christ to believe the Gospel and to receive His saving gifts in the Holy Supper. Many make excuses and reject this invitation, even as the Jews did in the days of Jesus, yet the Master's house will be filled. The Gospel call therefore goes out to the lowly and despised, into the highways, even to all the Gentiles (Luke 14:15_24). For "you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph. 2:13_22). In Christ, believing Jews and Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow members of the household of God. The enmity of class and race is put to death through the cross. Having been reconciled in the one Body of Christ, we are enabled to love one another (1 John 3:13_18) as we await the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which will have no end.

Rev. Seth Yi / 12-24-17

The post The Times Of The Gentiles Luke 21:20-24 appeared first on The Rephidim Project.

ISRAEL IS STILL GOD’S CHOSEN Wild Branches & Natural Branches WE MUST STOP THE ARGUMENTS OVER WHOSE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE ARE I have regularly observed conversation and debates about who the CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD are. Most recently I observed a Christian saying that THE BODY of CHRIST are the Chosen people of God! Despite of any picture that the News Media is painting of ISRAEL they are still defended by God and will not be destroyed! To this I say: THE BODY OF CHRIST are the Chosen, (The Jews INWARDLY)and (Circumcision of the Heart) so to speak! But to this I also say: But only because WE ARE GRAPHED INTO THE VINE(JESUS) of ISRAEL until the appointed time (the fullness of the Gentiles) Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. THE LORD HAS SWORN TO SAVE A REMNANT: THE LORD will save a REMNANT Of ISRAEL! He will do this at the time that their Spiritual Blindness is removed. This has been prophesied and the LORD has sworn and he Will not Relent! LET’S NOT BE IGNORANT OF THE DEVIL’S DEVISES The devil will use misunderstanding of the word or lack thereof to cause debating’s and striving among people who are to come together for the Fullness of God. Our power will come with understanding that the Fullness of the Grace of God an power will show forth at its peak when we understand the UNION of the Jew and Gentile in Christ- that have become the ONE NEW MAN! Pray for Clarity and Wisdom always so that you can understand and Rightly Divide the Word of Truth! I make it known that This MINISTRY is standing with ISRAEL praying with them and for them! God Bless you and Grace be with you! Preach Be a Voice Not an Echo www.preachbvne.webs.com www.preachbvne.blogspot.com Twitter@Preach_BA_Voice Facebook: www.facebook.com/PREACHbeaVoicenotanEcho Podacast: www.preachbeavoicenotanecho.podomatic.com Google+ URL: google.com/+PREACHbeaVoicenotanEchoMinistry Message: Minister Mrs. Shawntrell Davis Audio Production: Minister Mr.Thomas Emmanuel Davis

This message was preached at New Testament Christian Fellowship in Conover, NC on August 9, 2015. The particular focus of this study is the Tribulation Temple and the outer court of the Gentiles that John is instructed not to measure. A line of contrast is also drawn between the "times of the Gentiles" (Luke 21:24) and the "fulness of the Gentiles" (Romans 11:25).