Podcast appearances and mentions of israel paul

Study session scripture: Romans 9:1-13I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”Study session topics:God's Saving Promises to Israel Paul's sorrow for the Jews Paul desires salvation for his people so greatly that he would be willing to not just lose his salvation, but become an enemy of God if it would save Israel Paul is speaking hypothetically here (I could wish) because he knows and has shown that only one person giving of themselves sacrificially could achieve salvation for others Earlier, at the start of Ch. 3, Paul stated that there is much benefit to being an ethnic Jew. Here, he lists those benefits: Adoption Glory Covenants The Law Worship Promises Patriarchs Human Ancestry of Christ Despite all of these advantages, a great many Jews remain unsaved (as it is today). Advantages do not save: Paul's explanation of how God has kept His promises -"[I]t is not as though the word of God has failed"--this is a theme for the next few chapters This passage echoes and expands on what Paul says in Ch. 2:28-29 Abraham as example again Paul further makes his point by pointing to Jacob and Esau This is another example of God's foreknowledge (choice) 2 big points to be made from these examples: God's choice is emphasized in both cases by choosing the second-born Given how wicked all mankind is, God's choice is the only way anyone will be saved Study session audio: S4 E23: Romans 9:1-13 Download

Don't Let Anyone Fool You! Ephesians 5:3-20 by William Klock The last three weeks we've been making our way through the fourth chapter of St. Paul's letter to the churches in Ephesus, just getting into the first couple of verses of Chapter 5 last Sunday.  This is rubber-meets-the-road stuff.  In Ephesians 1-3 Paul writes about what the church is and our part in God's plan to renew his creation.  By the blood of Jesus' sacrifice at the cross, God has purified us from the stain of sin and death and set us free from their bondage.  And then, having purified us and made us fit for his holy presence, he's filled us with his Spirit.  He's made us—his church, his people—to be his temple.  He has made us stewards of his presence and his wisdom and his life.  Through Jesus and the Spirit, he has given back to us the vocation that Adam rejected.  And now he calls us, as he called Adam, to be fruitful and to multiple and to fill the earth.  And as we fill the earth, we expand the temple.  We carry God's presence with us.  We bring his light and life into the darkness.  We confront the foolishness and injustice of the world with his wisdom.  As I've said repeatedly, we are in the present God's working model of his future new creation.  We—the church—are the architect's model meant to show what his grand project of renewal and recreation and resurrection will one day look like. Which is why Paul has stressed, has said that it's vital to our identity as the church that we put off the old way of being human and put on the new—the new exemplified by Jesus who is the firstborn of God's new creation, the new Adam and prototype of God's renewed humanity.  God told Israel repeatedly: Be holy as I am holy.  That's why he gave Israel his law.  And this is why God has raised Jesus from the dead—to lead the way—and this is why he's filled us with his Spirit.  Instead of a law written on stone tablets that our hearts would struggle to embrace, God has united us with his resurrected son and his Spirit has renewed or hearts and has written his law of love on them.  It's still a struggle.  The world, the flesh, and the devil do their best to make us forget our baptism.  They do their best to drag us back into the slavery from which Jesus has freed us.  But this is why Paul stresses at the beginning of this very practical part of his letter, in 4:25, “Put away lies.  Each of you speak the truth with your neighbour.” Brothers and Sisters, that's what it comes down to.  Jesus the Messiah, resurrect from the dead, is God's truth.  The renewed creation he represents is the truth.  Everything else is a lie.  It began when the serpent lied to Adam and ever since Adam's disobedience, the world has been filled with pain and tears, darkness and death—because we chose the lie over the truth.  But if we know Jesus, if we have been united with him in faith in our baptism, he is the truth—the truth and the way to life.  Put off the lies and the old way of being human and embrace Jesus, embrace the truth, and be the new humanity God is making us. And we saw last Sunday, that as Paul gets into the practical details of this he starts with our speech.  It's not only that we shouldn't speak lies; he says to put away anger and vulgar speech and, instead, to be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God forgave us in the Messiah.  Instead of letting the pain and brokenness of the world sweep us up into a storm of rage, instead of lashing out at those who hurt us, be God's new humanity, look to the example of Jesus.  De-escalate, respond to wrongs with forgiveness, respond to anger with tender-heartedness, be kind.  Break the cycle.  This is why we need our hope—that vision of God's creation set to rights, modelled by Jesus—we need that vision always before us.  We need to remember that we are God's temple, the stewards of his presence and his wisdom, so that we can make him know to the world, so that we can expose the foolishness of the world with the wisdom of God—with his new creational way of life—with godliness, with holiness, with justice. And I think Paul started with anger because even the most pagan of pagans knows—even if he won't admit it—that anger and wrath only make the world worse.  They hurt others, they destroy our relationships, they make the darkness darker.  Even though the pagans might laugh at the idea of being kind to your enemies and showing mercy to the weak—because that was loser talk to the Greek and Romans—when they looked at the church they saw a community of mercy and reconciliation, of kindness and peace that they had to envy.  That witness made the Greeks and Romans constructively curious and won many to the faith.  But, like I said, I think Paul starts with anger and wrathful words because—even if they confront our sins head on—it's hard to argue with him.  And so he establishes that this is what God's wisdom for the world looks like.  This is new creation and it's infinitely better than the darkness of the pagan world. And now he can move on to the thing that's going to get everyone's hackles up, that everyone's going to want to push back on: sex.  And money.  Mostly sex, but greed is a familiar friend of sexual immorality.  Look at Ephesians 5:3-10 [page 1162 in the pew Bibles]: “As for sexual immorality, impurity of every kind, or greed: you shouldn't even mention them!  You are, after all, God's holy people.  Shameful, stupid or course conversations are quite out of place.  Instead, there should be thanksgiving.” “You should know this, you see: no sexually immoral or impure person, no one who is greedy (in other words, an idolator) has any inheritance in the Messiah's kingdom or in God's.  Don't let anyone fool you with empty words.  It's because of these things, you see, that God's wrath is coming on people who are disobedient.” “Don't let anyone fool you.”  Brothers and Sisters, this is about truth—real truth—and it's about God's wisdom that will set his creation to rights.  Again, ever since Adam believed the lie of the serpent that he could be like God, we humans have been making a mess of God's good creation.  Instead of living the truth of it and instead of living out the wisdom of God, we live a lie.  We've rejected the true story about God and about his creation and about us, the one in which he is good and faithful and loves us; the story in which he created us to live in his presence and to know his generosity; the story in which he called us to care for his garden temple and blessed us with children (and with sex so we can make them) so that we could expand that temple and the place of his good presence until his glory filled the whole earth.  But instead we've tried to write our own stories for ourselves.  Brothers and Sisters, we weren't created to do that.  We're terrible at it.  Writing our stories for ourselves has corrupted God's good creation.  Our stories compete with each other.  We hurt each other.  We use and abuse each other.  We even abuse ourselves.  We deny the truth about God and worship idols instead.  We deny the truth about creation.  We even deny the truth about ourselves.  And some of the most powerful stories we try to write for ourselves are about sex and money. We write our own stories about sex to justify all sorts of awful things: to justify sex before we're married; to justify affairs when we're married; to abandon our spouses; to justify the use and abuse of others through pornography and prostitution; to use and abuse our spouses when we are married; to abuse each other through unnatural relations, men with men and women with women; even to deny the reality of how God made us as men and women—writing our stories in which men are women, women are men, humans are cats—the most absurd denials of reality.  And money.  We write out own stories to justify taking and taking and taking, to justify stealing, to justify crushing others, to make ourselves rich, to put ourselves on at the top—idolatry—all the time forgetting the story God's already written about his great goodness and his generosity.  We write our stories instead of living in the grand story of love and truth and beauty that God has written for us and we make a mess of his creation and each other. To be clear: Paul was a Jew, steeped in Israel's scriptures.  He knew that God created men and women to complement each other and, in that, to learn how to share and love and show grace in humility and to learn something about even the nature of God who exists as Father, Son, and Spirit in mutual love and harmony.  Paul knew that God created sex and that sex is good.  It's the blessing God gave in order to fulil his mandate to be fruitful and to fill the earth. Marriage and sex are part of the reality of God's good creation.  Paul was no prude.  God's first commandment was about something that results in more delight, physical pleasure, and the glory of mutual love than anything else.  The devil can't beat it, but he can corrupt and counterfeit it with lies.  He'll fool us into abusing God's gift selfishly and in ways that hurt and destroy and that reject God's purposes for it. Brothers and Sisters, don't be fooled by those lies.  God's word and God's son, the firstborn of his new creation, show us the truth, the reality of his creation.  So Paul says in verses 3 and 4 that as his people we have been given God's Spirit that we might know the truth, the wisdom of new creation and model it for the world.  This is why truth matters.  This is why Paul tells us not to tell lies.  Sexual immorality means telling lies about God's creation.  It means misrepresenting the very new creation he's give us the Spirit to live out. And Paul casts a wide net.  Sexual immorality—the Greek word should sound familiar: porneia.  We get our word “pornography” from it—sexually immoral writing, literally.  It meant any sexual activity outside marriage.  And, of course, for the Jews—and anyone else in that world no matter how pagan they were—marriage meant a man and a woman.  But just in case we might think of something that doesn't fall under the heading of porneia—sexual immorality—Paul ads “impurity”—any kind of sexually deviant behaviour that would render one unclean or impure before God.  Remember, the point of Jesus' death, of his blood shed at the cross as a sacrifice for sin, was to wash us clean from the stain of sin—to purify us the way the priests in the Old Testament used the blood of the sacrifices to purify the temple—so that God can dwell with us, so that the Holy Spirit can dwell within us.  We are God's temple and the first rule of the temple has always been purity, holiness. And it's not like Paul was sheltered and didn't know about sexual immorality.  Sex was everywhere in the world of Greece and Rome.  If you've ever had the misfortune of stumbling onto a Pride Parade—it happened to us once in Portland—and you see the open and proud displays not just of sexuality and nudity, but lewd, vile, grossness on shameless public display.  Greece and Rome were like that everywhere every day.  When we think of worship, we think of a church, a place that is quiet and holy.  When we think of priests we think of sexual purity—even sometimes abstinence and celibacy.  It was the opposite in the pagan world.  The worship of fertility gods and goddesses involved ritual prostitution and sex and raucous orgies in the temples.  Priests were often ritual prostitutes.  Wives were generally expected to be chaste, but men could and did have sex with anyone they wanted—male or female—just so long as it wasn't another man's wife.  Slaves were fair game for rape.  We know this from ancient literature and art.  There were occasionally philosophers or emperors who wrote that maybe all this sexual licentiousness had gone too far and wasn't good for society, but the pagans weren't interested.  People like their sexual immorality.  Paul and the Ephesians knew all about this world.  Most of the Ephesians, being gentiles, had been very much a part of that world.  So they knew the power of the gospel.  They knew the power of recovering the truth of God's creation.  They'd been transformed by it.  About a hundred and fifty years later, the famous doctor and philosopher Galen wrote about Christians and said two crazy things stood out about them: They believed in the resurrection of the body and they didn't sleep around the way everyone else did.  He thought they were crazy, but he also respected them.  They put off the old way of being human and put on the new way that Jesus taught them and the whole world noticed.  Those two thing: belief in the resurrection of the body and not sleeping around go together.  Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6 that the body is not meant for immorality but for the Lord and the Lord for the body.  Just as God raised the Lord Jesus, he will one day raise us, so it's incumbent upon us to glorify God in our bodies. The world will tell us otherwise.  There were all sort of “empty words” in Paul's day, used to justify sexual immorality, just as there are today.  As our culture has rapidly de-Christianised over the last half century or so it's been tempting for Christians and for the church to buy into those empty words.  The world's empty words tell us we need to be more tolerant.  And there is a place for toleration in the church.  Thinking of 1 Corinthians again, Paul told the Christians there that they needed to be tolerant of their differences.  Some ate food butchered in the pagan temples and other refused to.  Paul told them to tolerate each other.  That's what love does.  But it doesn't work with everything.  It doesn't work with lies.  In that same letter Paul called them out for tolerating sexual immorality and incest.  There's no place for that in the new creation.  Saying so isn't hate speech.  It's telling the truth.  At heart, it's a warning against idolatry.  In 1 Thessalonians 1 Paul calls us to “turn from idols to serve the living God”.  Brothers and Sisters, ethics, Christian morality, being pure and holy isn't just good advice.  It's a call to worship. This is why Paul warns in verses 5 and 6: the sexually immoral, the impure, the greedy—they have no place in the kingdom.  These things are idolatry.  It's because of these things that God's wrath is coming on the disobedient.  This idolatry, these behaviours, this trying to write our own stories for our own benefit and to the hurt and detriment of others, this is why the world is broken, this is why it needs renewal, this is why Jesus died and rose again.  When the day comes that the church, the temple has filled the earth with God's presence and glory, Jesus will finish his work of new creation.  He will put a final end to sin and death.  And that will mean that wiping from creation of anyone who still insists on disobedience, on sin, on writing their own stories.  If Jesus sets the world right and leaves them, they'll just corrupt it all over again.  And, I think, pointing back to Israel: Paul warns that you can't call yourself one of God's people and live in disobedience and impurity.  That's like the Israelites setting up altars to Baal or Asherah and worshipping with cult prostitutes in the temple alongside God's altar.  It doesn't work.  Either you belong to God or you don't.  Either you give him your full allegiance and obedience or you don't.  Either you're part of his new creation or you're not. So Paul goes on in verse 11: “So don't get involved in the works of darkness, which all come to nothing.  Instead, expose them.  The things they do in secret, you see, are shameful even to talk about.  But everything becomes visible when it's exposed to the light, since everything that is visible is light.  That's why it says...” And here Paul quotes what appears to be an early Christian hymn, “‘Wake up, you sleeper! Rise up from the dead! The Messiah will shine on you!' So take special care how you conduct yourselves.  Don't be unwise, but be wise.”  Brothers and Sisters, that's the nature of being the working model of God's new creation.  Wisdom is the way God intends his creation to work.  And as his new humanity, his wisdom is what we're called to live out in the midst of the foolish darkness of the world.  “Make every opportunity you have,” Paul goes on in verse 16, “because these are wicked times we live in.  So don't be foolish; rather, understand what the Lord's will is.  And don't get drunk with wine; that way lies debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit!” Again, think of those pagan temples.  Ephesus was full of them.  Where people would go to worship their gods in drunken orgies with priests and priestesses and who were prostitutes.  It was the idolatrous lie taken to extremes.  In contrast, picture the temple in Jerusalem.  A place purity.  Its priests forbidden to drink in its precincts lest they lose their inhibitions and become like the pagans.  A holy place where heaven and earth overlapped.  The place where humanity could go to meet God—and know his glory.  Everything about it a reminder of the garden that Adam had forsaken, but also everything about it pointing forward to God's new creation and the day when his presence and his glory will fill the earth.  And now Paul tells us, leave behind that old, corrupt way of life and its lies and be God's temple—a temple not of bricks and mortar, but a living temple.  Never forget that he has filled you with his holy Spirit. The devils and the world won't like our challenge to them.  They will throw their lies at us.  They will even threaten us if we won't go along with the lies.  They always do that.  In the days of the Maccabees, the Greek king made the eating of pork a loyalty test for the Jews.  To many it didn't seem like such a big deal.  There were other more important points of the law to keep.  But the faithful Jews knew, it was a symbolic compromise.  To give in was to reject the living God for the paganism of the Greeks.  And just so in the early centuries of the Church.  Caesar would not tolerate the challenge of Jesus, the world's true Lord.  He could tolerate Christians doing just about anything, so long as they acknowledge him as lord with a pinch of incense offered at his festivals or in his temples.  But those early Christians knew, even though it seemed like a small thing, it meant everything.  And just so today.  The world increasingly insists: honour the rainbow, use the pronouns.  And it might seem like such a small thing.  We can keep going about all our other Christian business.  But Brothers and Sisters, that's the lie.  And to capitulate, to offer that pinch of incense on the rainbow altar is to give up everything. So remember the truth of new creation embodied in Jesus the Messiah who died and rose again to lead the way.  Do not capitulate to the lies.  And, as Paul says in verses 19 and 20: Being filled with Spirit, “speak to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and chanting in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.” Brother and Sisters, encourage one another.  None of us can stand alone.  We were never meant to.  You can't build a temple out of a single stone.  God has brought us together to be his temple and together we fill it with his praises, giving thanks for what he's done.  Giving thanks that he hasn't left us to languish in a lie that brings death.  Giving thanks that he's given himself to die to deliver us from that lie and to wash us clean from its stain.  Giving thanks that he rose from the grave to conquer the lie and to reestablish the truth of his good creation.  Giving thanks that he's filled us with his Spirit to make us the firstborn of his new and renewed world.  Sing his praises with each other.  Sing his praises to each other.  Drown out the lies, drown out the idolatry with the truth of his glory as you give thanks for his mercy and grace, as you give thanks for his lovingkindness, as you give thanks for his goodness and his generosity and his faithfulness.  Remind each other of his glory so that we feel no need to live in any story but the glorious one that he has written for us. Let's pray: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the many and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Why stand with Israel - Paul Cohen - 14th Dec 2025 by The King's Way Christian Fellowship - Glen Waverley

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Paul's prayer for Israel- Paul remembered the emptiness of trying to honor God with a life of religious works. His heart broke for his fellow Jews who had not yet come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Are we burdened to pray for unsaved friends and family?

ACTS 26:1-15 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak for yourself." So Pail motioned with his hand and began his defense: 2 "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently. 4 The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest set of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12 On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' 15 Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord replied."  FROM THE LESSON The Herodian Dynasty - it lasted for four generations and was an opponent of Jesus and his movement all throughout the New Testament. It started with Herod the Great who had tried to destroy the infant Jesus. His son, Herod Antipas, was the one who had John the Baptist beheaded. His son, Herod Agrippa, was the one who had James put to death with the sword in Acts 12. His son, Herod Agrippa II, was the one who Paul stands before in Acts 26. Paul's Speech Before Agrippa II - it is Paul's last and longest speech in the book of Acts. It begins in verse 2 and lasts through verse 23. It is the third time the reader of Acts hears the story of Jesus' appearance to Paul on the road to Damascus. The other two times are in Acts 9 and in Acts 22. Conversion Story - "the language of conversion may be misleading because at no point did Paul waver in his belief that the God of Abraham was and is the true God, the one and only creator God. Paul didn't change Gods. And from his point of view, he didn't even change religions." (NT Wright) Hope of Israel - Paul preached that the hope of Israel has been fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection fulfills Paul's hope in God in three ways: 1 Hope is rooted in resurrection promise. 2 Hope is renewed in resurrection praise. 3 Hope is realized in resurrection practice.  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1 How would you define hope? How is biblical hope different from the way hope is used in our everyday language?  2 Hope is rooted in resurrection promise. Read Acts 26:6. Discuss what it means for our hope to be rooted in the promises of God. 3 Hope is renewed in resurrection praise. Can you remember a time when your hope was renewed through worship? Share the story with your group. 4 Hope is realized in resurrection practice. Can you remember a time when something that you desperately hoped for was actually realized? Share with your group. How did it make you feel? How did it affect the way you live? Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have a realized hope. How does the resurrection of Jesus Christ transform the way we hope?

In this episode, Dr. T. Michael W. Halcomb (  @tmichaelwhalcomb  ) interviews Dr. Jason Staples. They will talk about "Israel, Paul, 90s Movie Quotes", and more. This is an interview you don't want to miss. Tune in! ***GlossaHouse resources are available at our website! - https://glossahouse.com/ ✏️ ***Sign up for classes with GlossaHouse U - https://glossahouse.com/pages/classes

A new MP3 sermon from IFCA International is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Signs Intensifying: What’s Ahead for Israel? - Paul Scharf Subtitle: IFCA 2024 Annual Convention Speaker: Paul Scharf Broadcaster: IFCA International Event: Conference Date: 6/27/2024 Length: 60 min.

Israels Bodenoffensive gegen die Hamas lässt auf sich warten. Zufall? Nein, die israelische Regierung fürchtet einen noch größeren Krieg.

GOD  ISRAEL  PAUL  US  We saw in the first part of Acts fifteen from verses one to eighteen last week how James interpreted the prophecy of Amos concerning the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David. That prophecy foretold the future history of Israel and also that there will be a restoration of the house of God's presence in the earth called the Tabernacle of David – and also called the church of the firstborn by Paul in Hebrews. This would be a place of faith in Christ in the liberty of the Spirit for all of mankind that would now be gathered to God from all over the world. I now want to comment on Acts 15 from verse 19 to verse 30. (The Scriptures are at the end of these notes). After James had declared the prophesy of Amos concerning the Tabernacle of David he speaks on behalf of the Jewish elders and apostles including Paul and Barnabas, to the congregation, and he summarises the decision of the council regarding salvation as being through grace and faith in Christ and that they should not make the Gentiles obey the Jewish laws. However, he made two exceptions that concerned the Jewish food laws, and it was only later on that Paul was able to teach and to guide both Jewish and gentile Christians on how to honour God in these issues according to their faith and also to their conscience before God. Paul explained it was about loving one another and being sensitive to not offend the conscience of others who are weaker in their faith. The story continues from verse 30.  Paul and Barnabas leave Jerusalem along with Silas and Judas and report to the Christians in Antioch about the results of the council and their new freedom in the faith, because of the prophecy of Amos. Everybody in Antioch was happy with that, and it was decided that Judas and Silas, who had stayed for a while and had strengthened the church there with powerful preaching, should be sent back to Jerusalem. But Silas decided to stay on in Antioch (vs.34). Paul then suggested to Barnabas that they should go back to Turkey and visit the cities where they had preached before and see how the new converts were going. Barnabas agreed with this and said that he wanted to take John Mark with him, but Paul disagreed because he thought that John mark had let them down by deserting them in Pamphylia earlier on. Their heated contention over this was so great that they parted company from that time on. Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cypress while Paul took Silas with him to Syria and Cilicia to strengthen those churches, and the Antioch church blessed their journey. There is another account of this story which fills in some gaps. Paul writes his personal account in the Book of Galatians about his time at the council at Jerusalem with James which we have just read about. His account starts in Galatians two from verse one through to verse eleven. He was certainly not impressed with some of the legalistic church leaders. ‘They tried to get us all tied up in their rules, like slaves in chains. But we did not listen to them for a single moment', And the great leaders of the church who were there had nothing to add to what I was preaching.'  He ends his account of the council meeting by saying ‘they shook hands with Barnabas and me and encouraged us to keep right on with our preaching to the Gentiles while they continued their work with the Jews.'  He then continues from Galatians 2:12-20 recounting how that a little while after that council meeting, when he and Barnabas were back in Antioch Peter visited the Antioch church and seemed to join in and approve of the freedom of their faith, until when later on some Jewish Christian friends of James also visited the church. Peter then stopped eating with the gentile Christians for fear of what they would tell James because of his ruling about Christians having to obey Jewish food laws, and this behaviour of Peter highly offended Paul.  It is interesting that this account of Paul's of the council meeting and Peter's visit to Antioch soon after and his offensive legalistic behaviour was not mentioned by Luke in this chapter of Acts. Perhaps he refrained from mentioning it out of respect for Peter, even though he does mentions in Acts 15 the disagreement of Paul and Barnabas. This is what Paul wrote about Peter's visit. Galatians 2:12-20 When Peter came to Antioch I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong. For when he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians who don't bother with circumcision and the many other Jewish laws. But afterwards, when some Jewish friends of James came, he wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these Jewish legalists, who insisted that circumcision was necessary for salvation, would say; and then all the other Jewish Christians and even Barnabas became hypocrites too, following Peter's example, though they certainly knew better.  Paul continues his rebuke of Peter and Barnabas in Galatians 2:14 ‘When I saw what was happening and that they weren't being honest about what they really believed and weren't following the truth of the Gospel, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Though you are a Jew by birth, you have since discarded the Jewish laws; so why, all of a sudden, are you trying to make these Gentiles obey them? You and I are Jews by birth, not mere Gentile sinners, and yet we Jewish Christians know very well that we cannot become right with God by obeying our Jewish laws but only by faith in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And so we, too, have trusted Jesus Christ, that we might be accepted by God because of faith—and not because we have obeyed the Jewish laws. For no one will ever be saved by obeying them.”  Paul continues to contend with Peter and Barnabas about their disappointing behaviour in front of the Christians in Antioch and concludes by saying, I am offending God if I start rebuilding the old system I have been destroying of trying to be saved by keeping Jewish laws, for it was through reading the Scriptures that I came to realize that I could never find God's favour by trying—and failing—to obey the laws. I came to realize that acceptance with God comes by believing in Christ. I have been crucified with Christ: and it is no longer I that live, but it is Christ who lives in me.' Paul's teaching allowed the Gentile world to hear the full Gospel of grace and truth, not only regarding the freedom from the shackles of legalism and Jewish tradition, but to give us entrance into the life-giving Spirit of Jesus. This is the faith we contend for, as the goal of our faith - the salvation and healing of our souls and our living in the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. (before I finish I have more to say about … )We will read again the prophecy of Amos that James declared to the Jewish Christian leaders in Jerusalem concerning rebuilding the Tabernacle of David.   Acts 15:16 ‘I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins and set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the LORD who reveals his plans made from the beginning. When James quotes Amos he is saying that there will be a restoration of the house of God's presence in the earth called the Tabernacle of David. This would be a place of faith in Christ in the liberty of the Spirit for all of mankind that would now be gathered to God from all over the world. He says that the rejection of God by Israel in the days of Amos is the same as their current rejection of Jesus. Mankind was now being welcomed to dwell with God in this new spiritual house called the Tabernacle of David until Jesus would return to the earth.    Jesus also said this prophetically about Israel and about us ‘I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and I am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep which are not of this fold; I must also bring them in, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. John 10:14 This prophecy of Amos goes on to speak about the scatterings of Israel as a nation and also speaks about a permanent final regathering of Israel (verses 11-15). There were two scatterings since Amos – one was when Israel was taken captive in Babylon for seventy years and then regathered, as recorded in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. And the last scattering was when the temple was destroyed in 70 AD - not long after James makes this declaration. Isaiah also prophesies about two regatherings since Amos, and that Israel would not remain scattered but finally be gathered again ‘a second time' (the final regathering actually occurred in 1948).  We will read the prophecy of Isaiah. “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, which shall be left, from Assyria and from Egypt, and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Shinar and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. 12. And He shall set up an ensign for the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” (Isaiah 11:11-12 (AV) The nation of Israel was re-established in 1948 with Jews being drawn back to Israel from all over the world and has remained and prospered miraculously against impossible odds – and is there to stay until Jesus returns. We are witnessing this phenomenon at this moment as uncomfortable as it is to see Israel in Old Testament warfare again, but I pray that Hamas will return the hostages and that innocent lives will be spared on both sides, and I pray particularly for Israel the prayer of Paul's from Romans 9 that all Israel will come to salvation through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 15:18-40 That is what the Lord says, who reveals his plans made from the beginning. “And so my judgment is that we should not insist that the Gentiles who turn to God must obey our Jewish laws, except that we should write to them to refrain from eating meat sacrificed to idols, from all fornication, and also from eating unbled meat of strangled animals. For these things have been preached against in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” Then the apostles and elders and the whole congregation voted to send delegates to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. This is the letter they took along with them: “From: The apostles, elders and brothers at Jerusalem. “To: The Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings! “We understand that some believers from here have upset you and questioned your salvation, but they had no such instructions from us. So it seemed wise to us, having unanimously agreed on our decision, to send to you these two official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. These men—Judas and Silas, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ—will confirm orally what we have decided concerning your question. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden of Jewish laws on you than to abstain from eating food offered to idols and from unbled meat of strangled animals, and, of course, from fornication. If you do this, it is enough. Farewell.” The four messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the Christians and gave them the letter. And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read it. Then Judas and Silas, both being gifted speakers, preached long sermons to the believers, strengthening their faith. They stayed several days, and then Judas and Silas were encouraged to return to Jerusalem taking greetings and appreciation to those who had sent them. But Silas decided to stay on in Antioch. Paul and Barnabas also stayed on at Antioch to assist several others who were preaching and teaching there. Several days later Paul suggested to Barnabas that they return again to Turkey and visit each city where they had preached before, to see how the new converts were getting along. Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul didn't like that idea at all, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia. Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas and, with the blessing of the believers, left for Syria and Cilicia to encourage the churches there.  

Memphis police release videos showing showing five police officers beating Tyre Nichols. The United States.. once again on edge over a police killing of an unarmed Black person. Seven people killed at a Synagogue outside Jerusalem.. days after 9 Palestinians were killed by Israeli commandos in Jenin.

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 11:11-32. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The remnant of the children of Israel throughout history -- The three-stage process leading to the salvation of Israel -- Paul's reiteration of the three stages, throughout this passage -- The literary device of parallelism in the Bible -- Paul's seven parallel passages, each laying out the three-stage process of Israel's salvation -- The first passage: the cause-and-effect nature of the stages in the process. For more Bible studies, visit ScriptureStudies.com

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 9:1-9. These studies focus on what the Bible says, and what it means. Topics covered: The importance of teaching both “God's sovereignty” and “human responsibility” -- Summary of chapters 9 through 11 -- Paul's concern for the children of Israel -- Paul's love for the children of Israel -- The blessings of God, poured out over Israel -- God's sovereign choice concerning Israel in the Christian era -- Distinguishing the fate of the nation of Israel, versus the fate of individual Jews -- Christian salvation is given on an individual basis -- Examples of God's sovereignty over election -- Isaac, the child of the promise. For more Bible studies, visit ScriptureStudies.com

This week, we discuss grafting and how it applies to everyday life. Sam and Mark dive deeper into Romans 11 along with your questions. They discuss predestination and our families, the remnant of Israel Paul mentions in Romans 11, and how we can engage in faith conversations. You can also be part of the discussion by submitting a question by texting the word "question" to 96123 and following the prompt you receive. You can also listen to the full sermons by searching for "First McKinney Audio."

Message from Charles Cleworth on September 19, 2021

Hosea 14 As one reads through the Prophets, whether Major or Minor, Pre-exilic or Post, one is met with a single voice that is unanimous in its cry, certain in its proclamation, and absolute in its conclusion. Though Israel lies presently in a state of unbelief, far away from their God on account of their iniquities; a cry sounds forth from the pages of this precious book that what is at present, shall not always be!!   We look in this sermon at God's promise of spiritual restoration for the Jewish people at the end of time when Messiah shall come the second time.

Message from Paul Blair - Pastor on May 30, 2021

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4 NIV).It's interesting how God uses the challenges of life to work in our lives and to develop of Christ-like character.Some of the best advice I've ever received is: “Don't waste your problem.”  Make sure you use whatever is happening in your life as learning and growing opportunities.  Allow the situation to deepen your faith in God.  Allow it to cause you to trust Him in ways you never have.  Let the thing you are facing right now be a catalyst for developing Godly character.I want you to consider this question: what do you still need to learn?  What areas do I still need to grow?  God will provide opportunities. Patience?  Self-control?  To be more loving?  To be less reactionary?  To learn to wait on God?Why haven't I moved to the next level?  You may be where God wants you to go, because you have not sufficiently learned the necessary lessons.- Noah – 100 years to build the ark- Abraham – 25 years until his son was born- Joseph – 13 years as a slave and a prisoner- Moses  - 40 years- David wait 20 years until he was king over all of Israel- Paul – 3 years in Arabia- Even Jesus waited 30 years before it was time to begin his earthly ministryJust because you aren't there yet, doesn't mean God has forgotten you, forsaken you, or given up on you.  It's quite possible that you are in still in the School of Character.  He may not let us move forward until we learn certain lessons.Character is developed in times of testing.How do we learn character?  Character is never built in a classroom. Character is built in the circumstances of life.  God builds character in our lives by allowing us to experience situations where we are tempted to do the exact opposite of the character quality. Character development always involves a choice. When we make the right choice, our character grows more like Christ.  Christ-like character is the goal of the Christian life.  To settle for anything less is to miss the point of spiritual growth. We are to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 NIV).Today's Challenge: Consider what opportunity has God brought into your life to help you develop Christ-like character?Discussion Questions:What have you learned from recent problems or difficulties?How have you grown in Christ-like character through the things you have gone through?Where in your character do you still need to grow?Recommended Resource: Character Still Counts by James MerrittVisit the website: 5MinuteDiscipleship.comFollow on social:Facebook.com/5minutediscipleshipInstagram.com/5minutediscipleshipClick here to learn how you can start your own podcast.

Day 183 of the One Year Audio Bible Experience. Elisha performs miracles throughout Israel. Paul describes his conversion to the High Council in Jerusalem. Support the show at Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/storymaster Join our Facebook group for further discussion: https://www.facebook.com/the1yearbiblechallenge 2 Kings 4:38-44 2 Kings 5 2 Kings 6:1-23 Acts 21:27-40 Acts 22:1-22 Psalm 79:1-13 You're listening to the "Holy Bible One Year CHALLENGE" with Master Storyteller, Michael Wood. Featuring the Holy Bible Easy-to-Read version and used by permission from Bible League International --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/1yearbible/message

Day 183 of the One Year Audio Bible Experience. Elisha performs miracles throughout Israel. Paul describes his conversion to the angry mob in Jerusalem. 2 Kings 4:38-44 2 Kings 5 2 Kings 6:1-23 Acts 21:27-40 Acts 22:1-22 Psalm 79:1-13 CLICK HERE to support this podcast. Your donation will keep this podcast FREE for everyone around the world. Your support helps us add new episodes, add more music, and more voice actors! Come back to earlier episodes for a new Bible Experience! Taken from the HOLY BIBLE: EASY-TO-READ VERSION © 2014 by Bible League International and used by permission. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/1yearbible/message

One of Eastgate’s logo designs is emblazoned with the words, “A work in progress”, because that’s what we are. We haven’t arrived at what we’re aiming for, and God is still in the process of shaping and molding us into a community with purpose. That’s true of all of us who are following Christ – we’re all a work in progress. Sometimes, however, we may feel like there’s been a labor strike because nothing much seems to be happening. Progress seems to halt, we stumble back into old habits, we face setbacks. Sometimes that happens with those we love and pray for as well. It’s in those times we can be tempted to wonder if God has given up on us or those we care about.That is what’s happening in the text we’ll be reading this Sunday as we continue our study of Romans. We’ll be reading all of chapter 11. Yes, I agree, that’s a lot of verses to cover. It’s largely a review and summary though, so we’ll be able to handle it in big chunks. Paul is wrapping up his thoughts concerning Israel’s rejection of the Messiah – and in doing so, he poses questions about God rejecting Israel.What does he conclude about that question – did God reject Israel? In v1, what does he base his answer on – what proof does he highlight concerning Israel? Paul took comfort in something small compared to the majority. How can that comfort us when we are wondering if God has given up on our situation?Something else that Paul does is remind himself of the story of Elijah when he was on the run from Ahab. What does v4 remind us of concerning God’s providence?Paul then recaps his thinking through the rest of the chapter – but when using the metaphor of branches cut off of a tree and new branches grafted in, he makes a hopeful statement in v24 about the potential impermanence of Israel’s rejection of Christ. How can his hopeful statement encourage us when we feel like we have stumbled and stagnated in our own journey with God?We will deal with all the various interpretations of vs 25-26 on Sunday.The whole section of ch 9-11 has some very discouraging things to say…but all of it ends on such a hopeful note. It’s just a reminder of the truth Paul stated in chapter 8:28 – God is always at work, through all things, to bring about what’s best for us.Hopefully this will encourage you as well.

What is the relationship of non-Jewish believers to the commonwealth of Israel? Paul writes expressly to all believers to let them know that the dividing wall has come down. The removal of the wall is the finished work of Yahusha and it is our jobs, as believers, to determine what the dividing wall is and what it is not.

Why was God displeased with the Israel? Paul tells us that the thing that displeased God was their evil craving or desire. Where is you heart set?

Why was God displeased with the Israel? Paul tells us that the thing that displeased God was their evil craving or desire. Where is you heart set?

Julia Fisher talks to Paul Calvert, a young man from Cumbria now living in Israel. He describes his life there today, working to bring young Jewish and Palestinian children together, as well as working as a journalist presenting a weekly radio programme broadcast in Bethlehem. Our aim is to build bridges... To build bridges of understanding and support, in a spirit of reconciliation, between believers (both Jewish and Arab) in the Holy Land (Israel and the Palestinian Areas) and Christians worldwide. olivetreefund.org