Podcasts about kingdom of god acts

Our city fell almost dark after a massive ice storm took down miles of power lines, leaving many of our friends without electricity to heat their homes in the dead of a frigid winter. Families longed to see repair trucks in their neighborhoods working to restore power. Later, I learned that a church parking lot served as a temporary command center for the vehicles being sent out to assist those in need. Hearing about the repair trucks brought to mind Jesus’ command to His disciples in the book of Acts. For forty days after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples to encourage and teach them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Before Jesus’s return to heaven, He gave them one last promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (1:8). Jesus promised God’s incomparably great power would be available to the disciples through His Spirit. But the purpose of having power was not to keep it to themselves. Instead, the disciples let God empower them in the mission of telling others how to experience once more the connection to God’s power and love that was broken by sin. As we go out into our communities, we have the same power and calling. Empowered by God’s Spirit, we can care for those who are suffering, and share how they, too, can have access to God’s power.

This is the message from our weekend services on 5/18/2025 with Pastor Chet Lowe.

Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). Thank you, Holy Spirit!

For the next several days we will be looking at these amazing verses in Luke 8:22-26. In the previous verses in this chapter Jesus has been preaching to the crowds and His disciples on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee near the city of Capernaum. In Matthew's Gospel, you will find the larger version on His message that uses parables to teach what the “kingdom of heaven is like” (Matthew 13). Luke uses only one of these parables, the Sower, the Seed, and the Soil, that leads us into what takes place in this section of verses (vv. 22-26).   You can only imagine that by the time the Lord had finished giving "the Parables of the Kingdom" (Matt. 13:1-52), the disciples must have felt like postgraduate students in the School of Faith! They now understood mysteries that were hidden from the scribes and rabbis and even from the Old Testament prophets. What they did not realize (and we are so like them!) is that faith must be tested before it can be trusted. It is one thing to learn a new spiritual truth, but quite something else to practice that truth in the everyday experiences of life. Remember the Lord finished this message telling us that the most important thing we can do with the “Seed”, the Word of God”, is to obey it and do the will of God! That is when and how we enter into a personal, intimate, heart and spiritual relationship with our Lord! “We become His mother and brothers” (v. 21). It is now that Luke gives us this account of Jesus “getting into a boat with His disciples” and telling them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the lake."   For weeks Jesus has been ministering in the region of Galilee, working out of the fishing village of Capernaum. He has been preaching and teaching the message of the kingdom of God, and doing marvelous miracles of healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, casting out demons, and raising the dead. But there are people on the “other side” of the lake that need to experience Jesus and His miraculous saving grace! So, after Jesus has prepared His disciples, He is about to give them another lesson they will never forget. There are people on the “other side”, so they must get on the “boat of life” and navigate the “storms of life” to accomplish the will of God in taking the Gospel to the “uttermost”.   After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus about a year and a half later, Jesus would give His last words of instructions to the disciples for forty days concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-8). In His final words here, and in all the Gospel accounts, Jesus gives them the Great Commission. They are to Go into all the world and be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth. I can't help but think that maybe when they heard Jesus give them this message that their minds went back to the day they got in the boat with Jesus and were told to “cross over to the other side”.   I want to remind you that we need to still be getting into the boat with Jesus and going to the “other side”. Today, there are over 8 billion people on earth. According to Joshua Project, there are approximately 17,446 unique people groups in the world with 7,391 of them considered unreached (over 42% of the world's population)! The vast majority (85%) of these least reached groups exist in the 10/40 window and less than 3% of missionary work is done among these people.   This means there are over 3.5 billion people who have little or no access to the Gospel, while we speak 97% of mission money and efforts in places like America that is saturated with the Gospel.   Don't you think it is about time for us “to get into the boat with Jesus and cross over to the other side”? Are you praying, giving, and participating in going to the “unreached people groups of the world”?   God bless!

They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus. Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: ‘The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when he said through Isaiah the prophet: ‘“Go to this people and say, ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.' For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” ‘Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!' For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ – with all boldness and without hindrance! (Acts 28.23-31, NIV.)

Today we'll answer a basic, yet important question: What is the real gospel? The true gospel has been hijacked by televangelists, secularist, and political parties, but to rediscover it we simply need to re-read the first sermon ever preached in the church age.--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --What is the “Good News” that the church should offer to the world?Churches have corrupted it since the beginning!Galatians 1:6-7 (NLT) I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News 7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.These were the Judaizers in Paul's day, already corrupting the simple message of Jesus.Said you had to become a Jew first, and then a ChristianWorks gospel = God wants you to save yourselfToday there are too many false gospels to count, but I'll mention a few:Prosperity gospel = God wants you to be healthy and wealthyWoke gospel = God wants you to be YOU Red/Blue gospel = God wants you to be a Republican/DemocratThe true gospel has been hijacked by televangelists, secular humanists, and political parties, but to rediscover it we simply need to re-read the first sermon ever preached in the church age. That's what we'll do today.Let's turn to Acts 2.Last week we saw part one of Peter's sermonThe day Moses longed for and Joel predicted had finally come! Now the HS was available to everyoneThat's what they were seeing in real time - historic!Today we're looking at the second part of the sermonThis is the first time we see the bare essentials of the Christian messagePeter didn't sit down days earlier and write this out, but…His mind was opened to understanding the Scriptures (Luke 24:45)He had been trained by Jesus for 40 days on the “Kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3)He had just been “baptized with the Holy Spirit” and empowered! (Acts 1:8)These three things combined to produce the first sermon ever preachedAnd the basic elements of Peter's message will be repeated throughout ActsSee 3:13-26; 4:10-12; 5:30-2; 10:36-43; 13:23-41And these bare essentials have never changed.The gospel is all about Jesus.Acts 2:22-24 (NLT) 22 People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.First part of Peter's sermon was about HS (last week)But the meat of the sermon was about Jesus; already the false gospels get it wrongWorks gospel: Jesus + worksLDS: “We are saved by grace after all we can do.”Galatians 3:2 (NLT) 2 Let me ask you this one...

A Sunday sermon by Pastor Brett Deal. Have you ever met someone and after hearing a few life stories or witnessing an amazing depth of wisdom you found yourself saying, “You should write a book!” You imagine their adventurous stories chronicled in a biography or their wit and knowledge distilled into text to be passed down to future generations. This is what I imagine Theophilus must have said when he heard the good news of Jesus. He wanted to know more, to really dig deeper into the life and ministry of this man from Galilee, and Luke was willing to oblige. Luke set down the gospel stories of Jesus from birth to death, resurrection to ascension, and I imagine Theophilus with scroll in hand on the edge of his seat! But when he got to the end and read, "Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God,” surely he must have wondered, “How did the good news get here?! How did it get to me? I'm not in Jerusalem. I didn't hear this good news in the Temple courts. There must be more to the story! Seriously, Luke, stop holding out! How did the gospel go from Jerusalem to Rome!?” So, with a new patch of papyrus, Luke set out of to give us the rest of the story. He dovetails his second book perfectly with his first: "I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God" (Acts 1.1b-3).  And then, Luke reveals how it all began. Not with the disciples rushing from the mountain of ascension to the four corners of the world, but to return to the upper room and wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1.4). Friends, take some time and read Acts 1 this week as we return to the upper room this to watch and pray, to wait and prepare. Before we get to Acts 2 on Pentecost, there is some Acts 1 work to be done in our hearts and minds.

Psalm 145 is the last psalm in the book attributed to David. It is a psalm of pure praise and worship. It has been called “David's crown jewel of praise”. In this psalm, David not only reminds us why we should praise the LORD, but when and how we should praise Him. David begins by saying that we should praise God from day to day (vv. 1-2). In heaven, we shall praise the Lord forever and forever, but now is the time to get prepared as we praise Him from day to day. David also tells us that we should praise the LORD from generation to generation (vv. 3-7). One of the important obligations of the older generation is to pass on to the younger generation the truth about the Lord. Now in verses 8-13, David is reminding us of our great responsibility to share the message of the “glorious majesty of His Kingdom” to all the nations. David knew his basic theology. In verses 8-9, he speaks of the graciousness and compassion of the LORD. How God is slow to anger, great in mercy and good to all. And you can see God's tender mercies anywhere and everywhere you look!  But David also knew that this wonderful truth must be shared with others. Jonah knew it but would not share it (Jonah 4). You can't help but notice that the word "all" is one of the key words of this psalm used some 13 times. God is good to all (v. 9) and His throne lasts for all generations (v. 13). He upholds all who fall (v. 14) and the eyes of all creatures look to God for their food (v. 15). He satisfies every living thing (v. 16) and helps all who call on Him (v. 18). One day all flesh will praise Him (v. 21). David acknowledges that God not only loved His nation Israel but “all” the peoples and nations of the world! Jesus said, "Salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22), but the message of salvation was not supposed to remain with the Jews. It was not sufficient for the people of Israel to praise God and teach their children to praise Him. They were obligated to share the truth about the Lord with their Gentile neighbors and let their light shine. The prophet Isaiah told Israel in Isaiah 42:6-7: "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” The Jews were told in Psalm 96:2-4: “Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.” It was very clear that God expected His people to share His glory and salvation to all the nations of the earth! Psalm 145 begins with, "I will extol Thee" but ends with, "All flesh will bless His name" (v. 21). The church today has a similar obligation and privilege. All of God's works in creation praise Him around the world (v. 10), but for some reason, His own people do not follow this example. In the last 40 days that Jesus spent with His disciple He was, “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3b). The Apostle Paul turned the world upside down declaring the Lord's great salvation and His kingdom. The book of Acts ends with Paul as a prisoner in Rome, but even there he continued to: “…explain and solemn testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus…” (Acts 28:23). And the very last verse of Acts we find Paul, “…preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Acts 28:31). God has compassion on all and God loves a lost world (John 3:16), therefore we should not keep it to ourselves! Today, there are three billion people who still have not heard the name of Jesus. The glory and wonder of God's spiritual kingdom must be proclaimed from nation to nation beginning with those closest to us! God bless!

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (03/28/24), Hank moves on to the third part of the four-part argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the appearances of Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke writes that Jesus gave the disciples “many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NIV). Likewise, the apostle Paul exudes confidence in the appearances of Christ (1 Corinthians 15). And like Paul, Peter in his powerful Pentecost proclamation confidently communicated that many credible eyewitnesses could confirm the fact of Christ's physical post-resurrection appearances (Acts 2:29-32). One thing can be stated with ironclad certainty. The apostles did not merely propagate Christ's teachings, they were absolutely positive that he had appeared to them in the flesh. Additionally, the apostles claimed that Christ appeared to hundreds of people who were still alive. It would have been one thing to attribute these supernatural experiences to people who had already died. It was quite another to attribute them to multitudes who were still alive and available for cross-examination.

He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many 2infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Taught at Agape Bible Church on November 26, 2023. [50 minutes]

Pastor Josh McPherson is back in the pulpit today to deliver our next message, "The Upside Down Kingdom of God" from the book of Acts Chapter 16:16-40.Thanks for listening! visit www.gracecitychurch.com for more content.

A @Christadelphians Video: THE KINGDOM OF GOD What is the Kingdom of God? Several answers are given to this question: Heaven, where God is The Church ruling spiritually on earth Jesus Christ ruling in men's hearts Jesus Christ ruling on the Only the last of these fits Bible teaching. After His resurrection Jesus spent forty days with his disciples, “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). At the end of this time the disciples “asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”. He did not tell them that their idea of the Kingdom was wrong, but said: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power” (vv. 6,7). Then Jesus ascended to heaven, and angels promised the disciples: “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (v. 11). Later Peter said: “[God] shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (3:20,21). Putting these passages together, the Kingdom of God is to do with: The restoration of what once existed The nation of Israel The return of Christ The teachings of the Old Testament. That the Kingdom of God once existed is shown by some words of King David: “and of all my sons . . . [God] hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel” (1 Chron. 28:5). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christadelphians-talk/message

As we begin a new series in Acts, we look at the Vision for New Bethel Baptist Church of Building the Kingdom of God. We would love to connect with you! Check out our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ournewbethel), or check our our website (https://ournewbethel.org) for more ways to connect with us.

A message from Anthony Rist at Forest Town Church, St Albans (UK). Continuing our sermon series, 'A Journey Through Acts' at our new Sunday at 6 service, Ant speaks on how we are called to be witnesses of God's Kingdom here on earth. Acts 1:6-11.

Aaron Ku Series: Acts - To the Ends of the Earth Acts 14:1-28 St John's Church Downshire Hill - 30 April 2023, 10:30am

Tribulation, Kingdom, and Patience Rev. 12:13-17 I have noticed that a lot of sermons and discussions on Revelation are mostly about people desperately trying to figure out for sure if God is going to yank Christians out of here before the intense suffering starts. It's not an excitement about our Lord coming back. It's more of, “yeah, I don't want to suffer so get me up out of here.” But that's not what we heard this Sunday. We focused on themes like this:  “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).Tribulation: So, we understand tribulation, not just as the pronounced persecution of the end times, but as being under stress, strain, grief, etc. for an extended time in our Christian life. The suffering is not for nothing. We understand that it all produces what we have been praying for as a church. Kingdom:  We are seeing God's unrestricted rule (i.e., his kingdom) come to light. It is his beauty, his power, his radiance on display. Remember, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).  Patience:  Here we discussed endurance; staying under something. We will often feel pressure on all sides, but we “stay under” and wait on the Lord. Sometimes, God protects and prepares us by bringing us into a wilderness. He is not against us. He is working it out for our good (consider the lady in Rev. 12).  There is more to this walk than just avoiding trouble or dodging persecution. May the Lord himself be our great and exceeding reward!

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (04/06/23), Hank moves on to the third part of the four-part argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the appearances of Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke writes that Jesus gave the disciples “many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NIV). Likewise, the apostle Paul exudes confidence in the appearances of Christ (1 Corinthians 15). And like Paul, Peter in his powerful Pentecost proclamation confidently communicated that many credible eyewitnesses could confirm the fact of Christ's physical post-resurrection appearances (Acts 2:29-32). One thing can be stated with ironclad certainty. The apostles did not merely propagate Christ's teachings, they were absolutely positive that he had appeared to them in the flesh. Additionally, the apostles claimed that Christ appeared to hundreds of people who were still alive. It would have been one thing to attribute these supernatural experiences to people who had already died. It was quite another to attribute them to multitudes who were still alive and available for cross-examination.

What is God's purpose in our persecution for the cause of Jesus Christ---First, persecution for Christ's sake identifies us with Christ. It declares loud and clear that Jesus is our Savior-and Lord. We are willing to suffer for Him out of love for Him because He was willing to suffer in our place-God's holy wrath as a sacrifice for our sin and condemnation. His suffering was meritorious-mine is not.-Second, persecution for Christ's sake humbles us, sanctifies us, and lays bare our pride that there is nothing-more important than ourselves. A willingness to suffer persecution declares that Jesus and His truth and-righteousness is more important than me, my life-more important than anything.-Third, persecution for Christ's sake builds our faith and strengthens our resolve to follow Jesus Christ no-matter what. Through persecution God actually makes us stronger -not weaker-, bolder -not more afraid-.-Fourth, persecution for Christ's sake reveals this world is not our true and lasting home. Through-persecution-tribulation for Christ's sake we declare that through much tribulation we enter into the kingdom-of God -Acts 14-22-. It reveals that we truly believe -and not simply profess- that the riches of heaven far-exceed the things that we cling to here on earth.

Acts 14. From the "The Acts of the Apostles" sermon series. Preached by Stephen Baker.

     In the previous lesson, we observed how Judah's culture was improved from the top down, as good King Josiah led national reforms, and the people responded positively to him. Below is a NT example in Acts 19 of how the city of Ephesus was improved culturally from the bottom up, as a result of the apostle Paul's preaching the gospel and biblical teaching over several years.      The apostle Paul came to the city of Ephesus, and as was his custom, “he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Paul's normal ministry pattern was to preach to Jews first, then to Gentiles (Rom 1:16; cf. Acts 13:46; 17:2; 18:4, 19). However, there were some Jews with negative volition who rejected Paul's teaching, who “were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people” (Acts 19:9a). Paul did not argue with them, nor did he try to force his teaching on them. Rather, “he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9b). It's very possible Paul was renting a room at the school in order to host his daily Bible classes. Luke tells us, “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Though Paul was teaching, he continued to work with his hands to support himself and his traveling companions (Acts 20:34), and it's possible the seven churches of Asia were started as a result of Paul's ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:10; Rev 2-3). In addition to Paul's teaching, we learn “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out” (Acts 19:11-12). In this way, God was authenticating Paul's apostolic authority and validating him as a true servant of the Lord. Ephesus was a city known for its occult practices, and there were some unbelievers who thought they could borrow the name of Jesus and use it to advance their own agendas. We learn there were some “Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, [and] attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches'” (Acts 19:13). These men were identified as “Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this” (Acts 19:14). But the results were not what they expected, as “the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?'” (Acts 19:15). The question implied they had no authority, “And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:16). Though these exorcists tried to use the name of Jesus in the form of a verbal incantation to control evil spirits, it backfired on them and caused personal harm, and the event “became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified” (Acts 19:17). The failure of these Jewish exorcists became widely publicized and began to draw people to hear the Christian message. Furthermore, many of “those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices” (Acts 19:18). Those who “had believed” were Christians who had not completely let go of some of their pagan practices, but now they were willing. Luke records, “And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19). Though it took nearly two years, these Christians were finally willing to let go of their past practices by burning their magic books and turning fully to the Lord. The value of these books totaled a large financial sum, as each piece of silver was probably equal to a day's wage. “Ephesus was known for its magic, and apparently the Christians had not yet put away all such evil practices. So they brought their books and scrolls of magic and burned them as an open repudiation. Then—after the believers made their relationships with the Lord right—the Word of God grew and prevailed.”[1] The result was that people were being transformed from the inside out and Ephesian culture was positively impacted for Christ, as “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (Acts 19:20). Here we see cultural improvement in the lives of those who were positive to gospel preaching and biblical teaching.      These events marked the high point of Paul's ministry in Asia. However, some pagan craftsmen who made their living selling statuettes of Artemis felt threatened by the cultural changes that were taking place (Acts 19:23-27). Acting out of rage and economic self-interest, they formed a mob and stormed the city theater, even dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul's traveling companions, who undoubtedly felt threatened by the uproar (Acts 19:28-29). Paganism has no real answers to Christianity, and when threatened, many will resort to violence to suppress the advance of truth. Though Paul wanted to address the mob, he was prevented by friends who were concerned for his safety (Acts 19:30-31). The riot lasted for several hours with great intensity (Acts 19:32-34), until eventually the crowd tired out, at which time a city official reasoned with them to bring their complaints to the courts, where matters could be handled lawfully and peacefully (Acts 19:35-41). These events likely occurred between AD 52-55. We know Paul was marked by these events (2 Cor 1:8-9), and by the end of his ministry around AD 62-64, everyone who once supported him in Ephesus turned away from him (2 Tim 1:15). By AD 95 the church in Ephesus had grown cold and lost its “first love” (Rev 2:4).      In this pericope we observe that gospel preaching and biblical teaching can, over time, bring about positive cultural change. However, we must keep our focus on evangelism and biblical teaching, and not reducing Christianity to a methodological system merely for the purpose of effecting social change (i.e., a social gospel). We also observe in Acts 19 that when Christianity does bring about positive cultural change, it threatens those who love and live by their paganism, and when this happens, people may resort to violence to suppress the biblical teaching. Lastly, gospel preaching and biblical teaching does not always yield large or lasting results. Remember that Noah preached for 120 years, but only seven persons besides himself were saved (2 Pet 2:5), and Jeremiah preached for 23 years to the same group of leaders in Israel, but they refused to listen (Jer 25:3). Jesus came as the Light into the world, but the majority of those who heard and saw Him rejected His message, as they “loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19). Jesus informed us that “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Matt 7:13), whereas “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:14). The result is that there will continually be believers and unbelievers in the world, as the wheat and tares will grow side by side until Jesus returns and establishes His earthly millennial kingdom (Matt 13:36-42). Even Paul did not always get the same results in each city where he preached, for though he had many disciples in Iconium, Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe (read Acts 14), there were only two positive responses in Philippi, namely Lydia (Acts 16:14-15), and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:27-34). As Christians, we are more concerned about our godly output rather than the responsive outcomes of those we interact with; for though we can control our godly life and good message, we cannot control how others will respond to it.      Lastly, we live in the reality that there will always be resistance to God's work in every Christian ministry because the world is fallen and Satan desperately wants to keep everyone—both saved and lost—thinking and acting according to his world-system. New Christians will inevitably face many obstacles, because at the moment of salvation, their minds are not automatically filled with Scripture and their characters are not instantly changed to be like the character of Christ. The process of being transformed into the character of Christ and learning to think biblically involves many thousands of decisions over a lifetime, in which worldly viewpoint is driven from the mind as the believer's thinking is renovated and brought into conformity with Scripture. Without regeneration and positive volition to God and His Word, biblical discussion is hindered and the appropriation of Christian values to culture is not possible. Christians who are learning God's Word and growing spiritually will prove to be the moral fabric of any community, as they manifest the highest and best virtues within society, not the lowest and worst. And the Bible is our sword by which we destroy spiritual and intellectual strongholds, within ourselves and others (2 Cor 10:3-6), realizing true cultural change occurs through preaching the gospel and consistent biblical teaching. As Christians, we should always pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2), strive to be upstanding citizens (Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-14), help the needy in our communities (Acts 20:35; 1 Th 5:14), and above all, share the gospel and preach God's Word (1 Cor 15:3-4; 2 Tim 4:1-2). As we grow spiritually and walk with God, we stand in opposition to Satan's world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan's kingdom when we share the Gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4), and influence the thoughts and lives of others through biblical discussion (Matt 28:18-20); which we do in love and grace (Eph 4:14-15; Col 4:6), not by argumentation (2 Tim 2:24-26).   [1] Charles C. Ryrie, Acts of the Apostles, Everyman's Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1961), 102.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 21-28 | Week 11 Courage for a Christian is a simple act of faith. God is faithful. Anything He withholds is not needed. Anything He allows is necessary. We can have courage because we trust God's power and plan.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 13-20 | Week 10 God's will is for His churches to send people out to take the Gospel to places all over the world until the Good News has been preached to every ethnicity and in every language.

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, “All that you see here— the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”   Then they asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” He answered, “See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,' and ‘The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.   “Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”   Luke 21:5-19     Persecution What does a hostile persecution of the faith look like? Think of what it would be like to live somewhere in the world where Christianity is illegal; imagine being persecuted by your own family, arrested and imprisoned by the government, and killed for practicing the faith. For many people throughout the world, this is a reality, and Jesus predicted this would be the case.   As Christian men, we should expect persecution. Persecution is nothing new in the history of the Church. St. Timothy warns us in his second letter saying, “[A]ll who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). It is not hard to find plenty of good illustrations of this. For example, St. Paul had just been stoned, dragged out of the cities of Antioch and Iconium, and thought dead. Then, when he was restored to health, he preached the Gospel in a different city and made many disciples by God's grace. Next, he returned back to the city that stoned him and exhorted the disciples there, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).  So what does all this mean for you and I? It's simple: be ready. Be ready for persecution from the world but know that you were not made for this world. Tell the world that you were made for more. That is the challenge for you and I this day – to be a bold witness, to be ready as St. Paul and so many others who have gone before us. The more you trust in the Gospel and practically apply it to your life, the less there is to fear.  In your silent prayer today, imagine yourself deeply entrenched in a persecution. Where would you be? Are you hiding? Preaching in the streets? Or even, locked behind bars? As you reflect on this, beg God for the grace of perseverance and courage in the face of persecution.   Is it time for your Exodus? Learn more here: https://ex90.cc/sunday  

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 10:28-48 | Week 9 God's family is made up of people with different colors, languages, and backgrounds. He adopts us all into his family and makes us family to one another.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 9:10-31 | Week 8 God calls us out of our comfort zone and into God's Kingdom work.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 6-8 | Week 7 Christians see the world from a different perspective. We know and trust in God's power. The world does not understand God's Way. We must live in God's Way and make disciples of Jesus.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 5:27-42 | Week 6 Western culture has become less tolerant of true, biblical Christianity. We must hold to our convictions and wisely communicate our hope by standing on God's promises.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 4:29-31 | Week 5 The apostles and the Jerusalem church were living in a very special time when the Lord was working in miraculous ways to prove that Christ was alive. The people were still dealing with ordinary power struggles and intimidation. They didn't ask for their circumstances to change. They prayed for boldness. The great need of our day is for people to be bold in believing in and sharing the Gospel that saves/sanctifies.

The Secret of United Prayer - October 1-31- Pick up Daily in His Presence by Andrew Murray at the Mariners Bookstore- Visit marinerschurch.org or download the Mariners App for more information

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 3:17-26 | Week 4 God promised to send a prophet like Moses that God would use to save a people for Himself.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 2:42-47 | Week 3 There is nothing like the local church! When covenant members are living out what is described in our text, a culture of health is created and people experience God's blessing.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 2:38-41 | Week 2 The message of God is good news. All who repent of sin and believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ through faith will be saved.

The People of the Kingdom of God | Acts 1:1-8 | Week 1 God sent the Holy Spirit, as promised, to empower His people to be His witnesses to the world.

Message #38 by Pastor Caleb Pipes--ACTS: Spreading The Good News Sermon Series

The Passion of the Kingdom of God | Acts 28:17-31 | Week 1 God calls us to make sacrifices in order to serve Him. Want to serve? Click HERE and fill out the brief form.

What is the Kingdom of God? What are the characteristics of those opposed to the Kingdom of God? What can we learn about how Paul responds to this opposition? 

The Ascension and the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:1-11) Evening Sermon

Jesus Always Seemed to Talk About the KingdomWe have been looking at the truths the early church held dear that allowed them to thrive during dark, troubling times. And one primary truth was their understanding of the Kingdom of God and all its implications. They understood God as their King, and as King, their Sovereign. Therefore, they didn't fear what the enemy may do to them or how their physical needs were to be met or, frankly, anything. After all, they served the King of kings and Lord or lords who had repeatedly proven His faithfulness to them. So what could man do to them (Psalm 118:6)? And because of this confidence they held in His Kingdom, they lived in a constant state of expectation of what their King could, and would, do. Every day with Him was like a grand adventure. Plus, they knew the Kingdom of God was the central theme in the preaching of Jesus. And many of them must have heard hundreds of messages, parables, statements, examples, or stories by Jesus in order to show them the vastness of God's Kingdom. Jesus began His ministry, like John the Baptist, preaching, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). He constantly taught about the Kingdom during His time on earth with parables, miracles, signs and wonders, all designed to proclaim that the Kingdom had now come to them (Matthew 13). When He sent out the twelve disciples, He instructed them to preach, like He had, the “Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 10:7). And later, when He sent out the seventy, He gave them the same message to proclaim accompanied with miracles to authenticate their claim, “And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.'” (Luke 10:9). And after the resurrection and until His ascension, He spoke about “things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). As you can see, Jesus continually spoke about the Kingdom. But what exactly did He say? But What Did He Say About the Coming Kingdom? Before we even broach that subject, there are some questions we need to ask about what Jesus said about the Kingdom. For much of what He says, at least on the surface, seems confusing. •  What is the Kingdom of God? •  How do we explain the Kingdom is both here, and the Kingdom is also imminent? How can it be both? •  Is it a physical Kingdom? Or is it something in the hearts of men? •  Where is the King right now? And when will He come to set up His Kingdom? •  What is our place in the Kingdom of God? •  How does our life change when we realize we belong to a King, and live in His Kingdom? •  Are the rules of life different in His Kingdom than what we are experiencing now? And if so, how? In what way? •  Does Satan have a kingdom? And if so, what is the extent of his power? •  Since we live in the Kingdom of God, what are our responsibilities as subjects of the Great King? •  And are we subjects only? Or do we have a deeper intimacy with the King? •  Is the Kingdom spoken about in the Old Testament? •  And how will we be able to understand some of the confusing truths about the Kingdom? And this is only the beginning. We will answer, in time, every one of these questions about the Kingdom and more. But let's start with a simple definition of the Kingdom. What is the Kingdom of God? We know a kingdom is a territory over which a king reigns. Since God is Creator of all, then His Kingdom must include every created thing. So that would mean the Kingdom of God is wherever God reigns. And since He reigns everywhere, in one respect, the Kingdom of God is everywhere. But it's not that simple. Not even close. There is more to the Kingdom of God than you think. Join us as we discover the wondrous reality of the Kingdom of God that Jesus

What Does it Mean to be a Child of Royalty…Early on, we discovered that the central message of Jesus was about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. He began His ministry preaching the same message as John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Then, He continued revealing the value of the Kingdom and what life was like in the Kingdom. Look at just a few of these summary verses of His ministry: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people – Matthew 4:23. Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people – Matthew 9:35. When Jesus sent out His own disciples to preach and heal, notice what He told them. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 10:7. Almost all the parables focused on the Kingdom (including the Kingdom parables in Matthew 13). “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants” – Matthew 18:23. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard” – Matthew 20:1. “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son” – Matthew 22:2. “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” – Matthew 25:1. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them” – Matthew 25:14. Jesus even tied the message of salvation given to Nicodemus in John 3 to seeing and entering the Kingdom. Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus answered, “”Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” – John 3:3, 5. And Jesus also spoke about the Kingdom during the forty days between His resurrection and ascension. Look how the book of Acts begins. The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of (what) the things pertaining to the kingdom of God – Acts 1:1-3. But there is so much more. …When the Royalty is God Himself?  What allowed the early church to thrive under great persecution was the fact they fully understood the Kingdom of God and the blessed ramifications of God being their King. But they were also fully aware they were not only subjects of the great King, but children of His. In fact, as beloved children, they became heirs, and joint-heirs with Christ. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these (the ones led by the Spirit of God) are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father” – Romans 8:14-15. But it gets better. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs— heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together – Romans 8:16-17. And we haven't even looked at how much the Father loves His children, which is beyond comprehension. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the...

Wednesday, 27 April 2022   But when he was set out, Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. Acts 7:21   Stephen had just previously said that Moses was brought up in his father's house for three months. He next notes, “But when he was set out.” That refers to what is stated in the narrative of Exodus 2 –   “But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.” Exodus 2:3, 4   The brevity of Stephen's words in relation to the Exodus narrative shows that the story of Moses was universally known. Instead of giving the details, he simply acknowledges the account in the simplest of words. The events themselves would automatically be mentally filled in by each member of the council.   The word translated as “But when he was set out” means that he was exposed. The same word is used three more times in Acts where it means to explain, such as when Peter explained events that occurred (Acts 11:4) or when Paul explained the significance of the kingdom of God (Acts 28:23). Stephen continues with, “Pharaoh's daughter took him away.”   Again, the few words of Stephen are much more detailed in Exodus –   “Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. 6 And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews' children.' 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, ‘Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?' 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, ‘Go.' So the maiden went and called the child's mother. 9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.' So the woman took the child and nursed him.” Exodus 2:5-9   The word translated as “took him away” is quite interesting. It is anaireó. It is almost always translated as kill, end life, murder, put to death, and so on. For example, it is used this way in Acts 7:28. In one instance, Hebrews 10:9, it is used to signify the taking away of the Old Covenant as it is replaced with the New. It is a compound verb coming from ana, a word giving the sense of upwards, and haireó, meaning to choose or take.   In this, Vincent's Word Studies notes –   “Used among Greek writers of taking up exposed children; also of owning new-born children. So Aristophanes: ‘I exposed (the child) and some other woman, having taken it, adopted (ανείλετο) it' (‘Clouds,' 531). There is no reason why the meaning should be limited to took him up from the water (as Gloag).”   In other words, some (like Gloag) might think, “This is referring to Pharaoh's daughter taking Moses up from the water of the Nile.” But it is surely signifying more than this. It is the ending of one part of his life and the entrance of a new aspect. She “took him up” from his life as a Hebrew “and brought him up as her own son.”   This is noted in Exodus 2 as well –   “And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.'” Exodus 2:10   The meaning of Stephen's words is that Moses was both nourished and educated as a member of Pharaoh's home. What is ironic, and what may (?) be on Stephen's mind, is that just as Moses was taken away from his life as a Hebrew in order to become the deliverer of Israel, so Moses (the law) must be taken away in order for Israel to be delivered from the law's bondage. As noted, the word used to describe this is also found in Hebrews 10 –   “Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them' (which are offered according to the law), 9 then He said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.' He takes away the first that He may establish the second. 10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:8-10   Whether this was on Stephen's mind or not, the ironic nature of the use of the word to signify the changes concerning Moses (representative of the law) is remarkable.   Life application: The words of Exodus, as confirmed here, show us that Pharaoh's daughter was an exceptional financier. We can deduce this because she went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.   Sometimes, a little humor is a good thing.   Lord God, what a treasure Your word is. It is filled with wisdom, history, poetry, irony, and revealed glory. In it, we find the answer to our needs. In it, we find rest for the weary soul. In it, we find Jesus. Thank You for this wonderful, beautiful word. Amen.

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).

This message looks at the example of a suffering minister in Acts 14:19-23 whose endurance and ministry strengthened the church.

In the “prologue” to the book of Acts, Luke told Theophilus that Jesus “presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3). Proof of Jesus' resurrection was undeniable, convincing, and is the foundation of the Apostolic faith. Find out more in this episode!

WHO ARE WE MOVING FORWARD? Having come through a year and a half of pandemic adjustments and cultural turbulence, this fall serves as a significant timeframe to "reset" our understanding of what it means to be God's people. In Prov. 3:5-6, we're reminded that the best way forward is found not in our own understanding, but in a return to God's truth. This fall, we will look at what the New Testament teaches about who we are as a church. We'll focus on three key images... The Church is an Outpost of the Kingdom of God...We Follow a New Way of Life Jesus summarizes His mission as bringing the Kingdom of God (Mk. 1:13-14). When Paul entered a city, He taught about the Kingdom of God (Acts 19:8-10) and established a church (Acts 20:17). The Greek term for "church" (ekklesia) was used of an assembly of citizens from the city who met to make decisions for the good of the city. The term thus implies that God's people are meant to bless the city by living, displaying and working to advance the good way of life provided under the authority of King Jesus. The Church is the Family of God...We are Part of a New Community When we place our faith in Christ, we are adopted as sons and daughters by God the Father, with other believers becoming our sisters and brothers. (John 1:12,13; Romans 8:15-17) This reality calls us to love one another with the love of Christ. (1 Thess. 4:9-10, John 13:34-35) The Church is the Body of Christ...We Have a New Mission We are described as the Body of Christ, attached to Christ the Head, each possessing a unique and important part in building up one another (Eph. 4:11-16) and in representing Christ in His mission to the world (John 20:21-22). Discussion/Reflection Questions Why is it important to think carefully about what is true as we move forward in this phase of the challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic and other cultural issues? What does Proverbs 3:5-6 teach about having God direct our paths forward? When you think of the church as an outpost of God's Kingdom on earth, what comes to mind? How is this inspiring? How is it challenging? What are the implications of understanding the nature of the church as the family of God? As the Body of Christ, the church possesses many unique members. What do you sense as your role or place in the Body of Christ? What are you doing to intentionally draw life from Christ, the Head of the Church?

WHO ARE WE MOVING FORWARD? Having come through a year and a half of pandemic adjustments and cultural turbulence, this fall serves as a significant timeframe to "reset" our understanding of what it means to be God's people. In Prov. 3:5-6, we're reminded that the best way forward is found not in our own understanding, but in a return to God's truth. This fall, we will look at what the New Testament teaches about who we are as a church. We'll focus on three key images... The Church is an Outpost of the Kingdom of God...We Follow a New Way of Life Jesus summarizes His mission as bringing the Kingdom of God (Mk. 1:13-14). When Paul entered a city, He taught about the Kingdom of God (Acts 19:8-10) and established a church (Acts 20:17). The Greek term for "church" (ekklesia) was used of an assembly of citizens from the city who met to make decisions for the good of the city. The term thus implies that God's people are meant to bless the city by living, displaying and working to advance the good way of life provided under the authority of King Jesus. The Church is the Family of God...We are Part of a New Community When we place our faith in Christ, we are adopted as sons and daughters by God the Father, with other believers becoming our sisters and brothers. (John 1:12,13; Romans 8:15-17) This reality calls us to love one another with the love of Christ. (1 Thess. 4:9-10, John 13:34-35) The Church is the Body of Christ...We Have a New Mission We are described as the Body of Christ, attached to Christ the Head, each possessing a unique and important part in building up one another (Eph. 4:11-16) and in representing Christ in His mission to the world (John 20:21-22). Discussion/Reflection Questions Why is it important to think carefully about what is true as we move forward in this phase of the challenges and uncertainties of the pandemic and other cultural issues? What does Proverbs 3:5-6 teach about having God direct our paths forward? When you think of the church as an outpost of God's Kingdom on earth, what comes to mind? How is this inspiring? How is it challenging? What are the implications of understanding the nature of the church as the family of God? As the Body of Christ, the church possesses many unique members. What do you sense as your role or place in the Body of Christ? What are you doing to intentionally draw life from Christ, the Head of the Church?

Pray for people in Afghanistan China testing the waters The current status of our military Tim Tebow released from the Jags Voddie will be Doug's guest on Thursday The standard for Truth Ezekiel 22:19 Seek First the Kingdom of God ------------------ Acts 7:18-53 (ESV) Colossians 2:6-8 (ESV) Alive in Christ 6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ------------------ 5 Core Values of SWAT 1. God's Word 2. Prayer 3. Evangelism 4. Discipleship 5. Community ------------------ https://swatradio.com/ SWAT - Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth Call us Toll-Free at: +1-844-777-7928 Email Us a Question: ask@swatradio.com FIND A SWAT MEETING Woody's Bar-B-Que 226 Solano Rd Ponte Vedra, FL 10611 Wed. 6:30-7:30 am IHOP 3250 Hodges Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32224 Wed. Night 7-8 pm Salem Centre 7235 Bonneval Rd Jacksonville, FL Wed. 12:00-1:00 pm Jumping Jax House of Food 10131 San Jose Blvd #12 Jacksonville, FL Thursday 6:30-7:30 am The Village Inn 900 Ponce De Leon Blvd St. Augustine, FL Friday 9:00-10:30 am Woodmen Valley Chapel - Woodmen Heights Campus 8292 Woodman Valley View Colorado Springs CO 80908 Thursdays 8-9:15 pm

Lesson 1 Troubles and Hope MEMORY TEXT: “Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). “[Paul] lost no opportunity of speaking of the Saviour or of helping those in trouble. From place to place he went, preaching the gospel of Christ and establishing churches.”—The Acts of the Apostles, p. 367.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (04/01/21), Hank moves onto the third part of the four-part argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the appearances of Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles, Dr. Luke writes that Jesus gave the disciples “many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 NIV). Likewise, the apostle Paul exudes confidence in the appearances of Christ (1 Corinthians 15). And like Paul, Peter in his powerful Pentecost proclamation confidently communicated that many credible eyewitnesses could confirm the fact of Christ's physical post-resurrection appearances (Acts 2:29-32). One thing can be stated with ironclad certainty. The apostles did not merely propagate Christ's teachings, they were absolutely positive that he had appeared to them in the flesh. Additionally, the apostles claimed that Christ appeared to hundreds of people who were still alive. It would have been one thing to attribute these supernatural experiences to people who had already died. It was quite another to attribute them to multitudes who were still alive and available for cross-examination.

It is noteworthy that many Christians today expect to go to heaven when that was not the apostles' expectation. They anticipated the establishment of the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). "When they, therefore, were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom again to Israel? And he said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons..." (Acts 1:6-7). Heaven is a 20th-century apostate fallacy that developed, only God knows where. Brother Singh states emphatically, "The church cannot afford to fail. It is to provide Jesus with a staff to rule and reign here on earth."

Our nation and our world are in deep trouble. The cure for this deep trouble is for those of us who are devoted followers of Jesus Christ to make the main thing the main thing and get on with “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ…openly and unhindered” as the Apostle Paul modeled, even in the final years of his life when he was under house arrest for the cause of Christ and his Kingdom. (Acts 28:23)Some of us have never spoken of the Kingdom of God, the Gospel of Matthew calls it ‘the kingdom of heaven,” to anyone. The focus on the kingdom of God that Jesus ushered in is spoken of throughout the New Testament. The Prophet Isaiah said a predecessor would come who would be "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." John the Baptizer was the fulfillment of that prophesy who came preaching "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matt. 3:1-3)When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee in fulfillment of prophesy and from that time…began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) Jesus, while he walked this earth prior to his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, commanded his followers to “preach as you go, saying, `The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” (Matthew 10:7) After his resurrection he appeared to his followers over a period of forty days, speaking of the kingdom of God Acts 1:3.) His followers, like a man named Phillip, preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12.) So, the Bible is clear that Christians are to testify to the kingdom of God and try to convince them about Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and the God's Holy Word, the Bible. (Acts 28:23)But, what in the world happened? How has the earthly church so deviated from the main thing, producing a world in trouble?E. Stanley Jones, in his book “The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person,” way back in 1972 was ringing the bell of warning, but very few were listening. Listen to the "fresh as today's headline news" words of Jones as he speaks timely truth from the pages of his forty eight year old book. YouVersion The Bible App Multifaceted Bible with audio capabilities!Bible.Is Audio BibleSome podcast players will allow the hyperlink access embedded in the word "HERE". For those who don't import that function you can copy and past the full internet address listed below the reference. gwot.rocks home page http://podcast.gwot.rocksTransform This City FacebookYou can help support this podcast by clicking here to access our secure PayPal link found on our website. Email us at gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.orgClick HERE for BibleProject on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/TheBibleProject/featuredClick HERE for BibleProject full slate of resources, including localized their localized channels in at least 18 languages, with over 2.8 million subscribers worldwide - https://www.tbp.xyz/languagesJesus-Plan of Salvation (a YouTube animated short). https://youtu.be/e-71IaDiUkYJESUS Film: This full-length feature tells the story of Jesus and God's plan to redeem mankind to himself. The film is based on the Gospel of Luke, and has been translated into more than 1,600 languages and shown in virtually every country.You can watch it for free here: https://www.jesusfilm.org/watch/jesus.html/english.htmlor down load the movie for free. Also available in 1827 other languages!Thank you for listening! Please tell your friends about us! Listen, share, rate! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

All Christians suffer. Either you have, you are, or you will — “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). This reality is a stark reminder that we have not reached the new heavens and new earth. The New Jerusalem of no tears and no pain, of no mourning and no death, hasn't arrived yet (Revelation 21:1, 4). But just because we experience suffering as we await the redemption of our bodies, it doesn't mean that our suffering is random or without purpose. And neither does it mean that Scripture doesn't tell us how to think about our suffering now.

Pastor Steve Igo preaches on Acts 28:23-31.