Podcasts about old testament scriptures

Are we saved by faith or by works? After appealing to both his and the Galatian's personal testimony to prove the necessity of faith, the apostle Paul turns to the Old Testament Scriptures to prove his point. Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel is the prime example of a man justified by faith. Pastor Doug Horner preaches from Galatians 3:6-9 in a message titled, "By Faith, Abraham..."

Jesus' words and deeds are best interpreted in the light of the Old Testament Scripture. Thus, the fact that Jesus said at the temple, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37), makes much more sense when read alongside Exodus 17, in which Yahweh provided life-giving water to the thirsty Israelites. On this program, Shane takes a deep dive into John 7-9 with the help of New Testament scholar Andreas Köstenberger. After discussing the rich Old Testament background that helps to illuminate John's meaning, the two also discuss whether the story of the woman caught in adultery is an authentic part of the Fourth Gospel or a later addition.SPECIAL OFFER — If you upgrade to a PAID subscription or make a GIFT of any size, we'll send you a downloadable PDF copy of Luke's Key Witness (shown below). When you subscribe, you'll get instant access to the book here (it's currently behind a paywall). If you choose the donation option, you'll receive the PDF via email. Click the image below for a preview. Thanks for your support!SHOW NOTESBooksSigns of the Messiah, Andreas J. KöstenbergerEncountering John, Andreas J. KöstenbergerA Theology of John's Gospel & Letters, Andreas J. KöstenbergerThe Jesus of the Gospels, Andreas J. KöstenbergerTruth Matters, Köstenberger, Bock & ChatrawCommentary on the NT Use of the OT, Carson, Beale & KöstenbergerEchoes of Exodus: Tracing the Theme of Redemption, Roberts & WilsonThe Angel of the Lord, Matt Foreman & Doug Van DornThe Lamb of God: Seeing Jesus in Exodus, Nancy GuthrieJesus in the Old Testament, Iain DuguidJourneys with Jesus, Dennis JohnsonThe Surprising Genius of Jesus, Peter J. WilliamsThe Jewish Gospels, Daniel BoyarinLuke's Key Witness, Shane RosenthalArticlesThe Date of John's Gospel: Are We Witnessing a Paradigm Shift? Shane RosenthalFinding Christ in All of Scripture, Shane RosenthalNew Life in the New Year: The Story of Exodus, Shane RosenthalAuthenticating the Fourth Gospel, Shane RosenthalScribes of the New Covenant, Shane RosenthalOn Faith & History, Shane RosenthalWater Into Wine? Shane RosenthalWhat's the Point of Jesus' Parable of the Rich Man & Lazarus? Shane RosenthalA New Way of Reading Scripture, Shane RosenthalThe Identity of the Beloved Disciple, Shane RosenthalA New Argument for John's Identity, Shane RosenthalAudioThe Messiah's Redemptive Mission, Humble Skeptic #72The Angel of Yahweh, Humble Skeptic #70 with Foreman & Van DornThe Sinai Inscriptions, Humble Skeptic #71 with Michael S. Bar-RonDid The Exodus Ever Happen? Humble Skeptic #69 with David RohlJacob's Ladder, Humble Skeptic #63 with Richard Bauckham and othersBabylon, Humble Skeptic Episode #66 Decoding the Prophecies of Daniel, Humble Skeptic #68 Jewish Views of the Messiah, HS #38 with Daniel BoyarinStories of Jesus: Can We Trust Them? HS #61 with Peter J. WilliamsWhich John Wrote John? Humble Skeptic #50VideoLuke's Key Witness, Shane Rosenthal on The Alisa Childers Podcast Get full access to The Humble Skeptic at www.humbleskeptic.com/subscribe

I hope you had a blessed Resurrection Day! In honor of our Lord's resurrection, let's do a deep dive into some Old Testament Scriptures that I believe prophesied about the resurrection of Jesus.On the road to Emmaus, Jesus criticized people for not believing that the Scriptures prophesied about His own sufferings and glory that would follow. Jesus used the Scriptures to explain this to them. Could these have been some of the passages Jesus used?Sources Cited:Neofiti Genesis 3:15Scriptures Referenced:Luke 24:25-27Genesis 3:15Psalm 16:9-11Acts 2:24-32Psalm 22:12-18,21-22,30-31Hebrews 2:9-12Isaiah 53:9-12Psalm 110:1,7Hosea 6:1-2Jonah 1:17Matthew 12:39-401 Peter 1:10-12*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

I hope you had a blessed Resurrection Day! In honor of our Lord's resurrection, let's do a deep dive into some Old Testament Scriptures that I believe prophesied about the resurrection of Jesus.On the road to Emmaus, Jesus criticized people for not believing that the Scriptures prophesied about His own sufferings and glory that would follow. Jesus used the Scriptures to explain this to them. Could these have been some of the passages Jesus used?Sources Cited:Neofiti Genesis 3:15Scriptures Referenced:Luke 24:25-27Genesis 3:15Psalm 16:9-11Acts 2:24-32Psalm 22:12-18,21-22,30-31Hebrews 2:9-12Isaiah 53:9-12Psalm 110:1,7Hosea 6:1-2Jonah 1:17Matthew 12:39-401 Peter 1:10-12*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

In Ephesians 3 the Apostle Paul outlines the ‘mystery' (the Greek word simply means ‘secret') that God always intended for the Gentiles to be included in the blessings of the gospel. From verses 14-22 we read of the Apostle's prayer for the believers' spiritual strength and growth. Notice that the love of God surpasses understanding and includes four dimensions – length, breadth, depth and height. This indicates that the love of the Father cannot be measured. Chapter 4 contains a plea for unity among the body of believers. In the truth there is a sevenfold unity (verses 4-6). This is essentially because God, our Father is one. Those verses cite several Old Testament Scriptures supporting this purpose – Psalm 68; Deuteronomy 30. The result is that the distribution of gifts is defined by the function they fulfil in promoting and producing a united body. Each believer has been called to a new life described in verses 17-32. Carefully read verses 20-24 which tell us how faithful believers in Christ live by modelling their lives on his. Also contemplate the need to replace old evil habits with positive beneficial behaviours as verses 25-32 teach us. The last three verses say that any failure to act in a way that reveals that we are the children of the Almighty will grieve our loving Heavenly Father. The only way to overcome sin is by “replacement therapy”.

In Ephesians 3 the Apostle Paul outlines the ‘mystery' (the Greek word simply means ‘secret') that God always intended for the Gentiles to be included in the blessings of the gospel. From verses 14-22 we read of the Apostle's prayer for the believers' spiritual strength and growth. Notice that the love of God surpasses understanding and includes four dimensions – length, breadth, depth and height. This indicates that the love of the Father cannot be measured. Chapter 4 contains a plea for unity among the body of believers. In the truth there is a sevenfold unity (verses 4-6). This is essentially because God, our Father is one. Those verses cite several Old Testament Scriptures supporting this purpose – Psalm 68; Deuteronomy 30. The result is that the distribution of gifts is defined by the function they fulfil in promoting and producing a united body. Each believer has been called to a new life described in verses 17-32. Carefully read verses 20-24 which tell us how faithful believers in Christ live by modelling their lives on his. Also contemplate the need to replace old evil habits with positive beneficial behaviours as verses 25-32 teach us. The last three verses say that any failure to act in a way that reveals that we are the children of the Almighty will grieve our loving Heavenly Father. The only way to overcome sin is by “replacement therapy”.  

Jesus says of the Old Testament Scriptures that “they … bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). This is especially true of two central messianic prophecies, Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and Psalm 22, which feature prominently in Holy Week services. In Isaiah 52–53, we gain remarkable details about Jesus' crucifixion from a prophecy that was written more than 700 years before His death. In Psalm 22, the Holy Spirit inspired David, about 1,000 years before Jesus' birth, to record words that apply in part to David himself but above all to the Messiah. It would not be a stretch to say that Isaiah 52–53 is a biographical portrait of Jesus Christ, and Psalm 22 is autobiographical, since Jesus took the words of David on His own lips at His crucifixion. Or perhaps we should view it the other way around, with “David's Son, yet David's Lord” (LSB 451:1; cf. Matthew 22:41–46) lending the words to His ancestor. Either way, opening the Old Testament leads us straight to Jesus. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the April 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The Suffering Servant” on Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and Psalm 22. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Jesus says of the Old Testament Scriptures that “they … bear witness about Me” (John 5:39). This is especially true of two central messianic prophecies, Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and Psalm 22, which feature prominently in Holy Week services. In Isaiah 52–53, we gain remarkable details about Jesus' crucifixion from a prophecy that was written more than 700 years before His death. In Psalm 22, the Holy Spirit inspired David, about 1,000 years before Jesus' birth, to record words that apply in part to David himself but above all to the Messiah. It would not be a stretch to say that Isaiah 52–53 is a biographical portrait of Jesus Christ, and Psalm 22 is autobiographical, since Jesus took the words of David on His own lips at His crucifixion. Or perhaps we should view it the other way around, with “David's Son, yet David's Lord” (LSB 451:1; cf. Matthew 22:41–46) lending the words to His ancestor. Either way, opening the Old Testament leads us straight to Jesus. Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the April 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “The Suffering Servant” on Isaiah 52:13–53:12 and Psalm 22. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us! Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

(Psalm 119:89) A person's character is only as good as their word. God's good name is connected to the innerancy of His Word. In this study we learn the principle of divine preservation and deepen our conviction in the trustworthiness of the Bible. (0976250327) ----more----  How Can I Know the Bible Is Right? Psalm 119 is the Psalm of the Scriptures. In fact, of the 176 verses in Psalm 119, all but two make a definite reference to the word of God in some way. It is a powerful Psalm, and right in the middle of it, we read these words: Psalm 119:89 says, "Forever, oh Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." What does it mean? It means the word of God never changes. So the question is, "Can I trust the Bible?" We've been talking about the fact that God gave His word, He revealed Himself in Scripture, and he inspired the very words of Scripture to be written down by men. He used men to convey his truth to men, but he did it in such a way that we hold in our hands the perfect word of the living God. Can you trust it? There are so many proofs that the word of God can be trusted.  Historical and Scientific Proofs of the Bible For example, there's historical proof. Think of all the fulfilled prophecy in scripture. Did you know that about 30% of your Bible is prophecy? Think of that. There's no real prophecy in any of the other what are referred to as holy books outside the Bible. All of these religions have their holy books, but read them carefully, and you'll find that one of the vastween them and scripture is that the word of the living God is full of very exact differences bet prophecies. Andcies have already been fulfilled exactly as scores of those specific prophe God said. It's an accurate book. The Bible lines up perfectly with proven historical records. As a matter of fact, even archeology has begun to prove the Bible's claims. For years, historians said there was no such group as the Hittites, for example, no such group as the Hittites that was given in scripture. That was a myth. And yet archeology has now proven the Bible's claims of a group known as the Hittite. It's proven the historical existence of David and a united kingdom (Israel). 100% of the time, after all the evidence was in the Bible, it was vindicated. Now, I'm not saying that to say that we vindicate the Bible with external things. Remember that we accept the word of God by faith. We come to God by faith that he can be trusted. I'm simply saying that the word of God is accurate in every way. Scientifically, for example, the Bible revealed truth beyond its years. Leviticus 17:11 talks about the life of the flesh being in the blood. We've only really discovered that in the last few hundred years - this use of blood. Job 26:7 tells us that the earth is suspended in space. Isaiah 40:22 that tells us the Earth is round. Luke 17 tells us that the earth revolves on its axis. Genesis 22:17 tells us that the stars are more than can be counted. Genesis 1 tells us that plants and animals reproduce after their own kind or species. Hebrews 1:2 tells us that there are other worlds or planets. Job 28 25 tells us the air has weight. Psalm 8:8 tells us the ocean has currents. I'm saying to you that the God of all truth can be trusted.  What is the Preservation of Scripture? And so we've come today to another thing that must be discussed when you're studying what the Bible says about the word of God. We've talked about revelation, we've talked about inspiration. Let's talk today about preservation. What does preservation mean? It literally means that God Almighty, who was powerful enough to give his word, is powerful enough to preserve his word to every generation. Now I wanna give you a number of scriptures that may help with this in your own mind.  Scriptural Evidence of Preservation Listen to the words of Psalm 12:6-7. "The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of earth purified seven times." Now listen to this. "Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever." I hear people say I believe God may have given his word perfectly the first time, but after all of these years. Certainly it's been tainted by man, wait a minute. The same God who gave his word is powerful enough to preserve His word to every generation. That includes our generation. How about Psalm 33:11, "The council of the Lord standeth forever. The thoughts of his heart to all generations." We're in the all generations. How about Psalm 100:5? And by the way, for every verse I'm showing you today there are a dozen more just like it. I'm just giving you a little sample here. Psalm 100:5 says, "For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to all generations." I want to remind you that the character of the word is tied to the character of the God of the Word. So if you want to agree that the Lord is good, if you want to agree that His mercy is everlasting, then you must agree that His truth endured to all generations. Psalm 105:8 says this, "He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations."  In other words, it's hyperbole. There's no end to God's truth. There's no end to his word to us.  God's Word Is Eternal I go back to Psalm 119, this great psalm of the scriptures. I told you it's full of the word of God. Listen to Psalm 119:152, "Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou has founded them," and here's the word that just keeps popping up over and over again, "forever." We believe that our God is the eternal God, and because of that, we believe that His word is the eternal word. Nothing and no one will ever change that. I remember reading the story years ago of a man who hated the word of God, and he made it his mission to stamp out as many copies of the scripture in his lifetime in his country as he possibly could. And so he spent great sums of money gathering copies of the word of God and burning them and destroying them. When he died, one of the Bible societies purchased his home and made it a center for Bible distribution in that part of the world. Don't tell me that God doesn't have a sense of humor. Men are gonna pass away. The ideas of men are going to pass away. The word the Lord stands forever. How about Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withereth. The flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand." You know the word forever. He is a forever God. Let's let the Lord Jesus speak to this. Go to the New Testament, Matthew 24:35. Listen to the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." If you come to the end of the New Testament and let Peter, one of the first disciples testify. He says in 1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever." All through scripture, you see the word of God being preserved. Examples of Preservation in Scripture For example, in Deuteronomy, the scroll of Moses was placed inside the Ark of the Covenant under the cherub's wings. What a beautiful picture In Joshua 24:26 Joshua's written additions to what God gave him to write down were placed in a safeguarded place. First Samuel 10:25, the words of Samuel were placed in the Holy of Holies. The Lord made sure that Moses had a handwritten copy of the scriptures given a second time. You remember that the priest were given the responsibility in Deuteronomy 17:18 to make copies of the scriptures, and later scribes were appointed for that job. That's what Ezra was with a scribe. Why would God take such care of preserving his word? Because he wanted us to have it Preservation. Is God extending his truth perfectly to every generation? We believe that those scribes took care of the Old Testament Scriptures. The apostles took care of the New Testament scriptures, but God took care of it all. And here's the amazing thing, did you know the Bible speaks more of preservation than it does inspiration? It's not a lesser doctrine. So if you're gonna believe that God gave his word, you have to also believe that God has preserved his word to every generation. Would you stop today and just thank God that you have the preserved word of the living God, perfectly given to us in our generation, just as God gave it and rejoice today that you're serving the God of eternal truth? Outro and Resources Repeating what other people have said about the Bible is not enough. We must know the biblical reason behind what we believe. We hope you will visit us at etj.bible to access our Library of Bible teaching resources, including book-by-book studies of Scripture. You'll also find studies to watch, listen to, or read. We are so grateful for those who pray for us, who share the biblical content, and for those who invest to help us advance this ministry worldwide. Again, thank you for listening and we hope you'll join us next time on Enjoying the Journey. 

Daily Dose of Hope March 26, 2025 Day 4 of Week 25   Scripture:  Job 37-39; Psalm 103: Revelation 21   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  Tonight is Recharge night so please come and join us at 6:30pm in the Garage for community, worship, fellowship, and study.37-39.    The Old Testament Scripture is Job 37-39.  The first chapter is the continuation of Elihu's response.  Then, we hear from the Lord.  He speaks directly to Job.  God basically asserts his authority.  He speaks of how he is creator and knows everything about the world.  He asks Job if he was there when the ocean was created, when the morning was spoken into being...  Basically, he is asking Job, who are you to question me???  God is sovereign, he is in control, and Job is not.  These are questions not meant for Job to actually answer, but to humble him.  I'm not sure what I think about this yet.  More tomorrow.   The New Testament passage is Revelation 21.  John's final vision is that the redemption of creation is now complete. The old earth and creation, that which was broken and sinful, has passed away and a new earth has come. Finally. this is what we have been waiting for. God's people reside in this new earth.   There is no more populace simply mechanically following the ways of the world. There is passion. God's people dwell with the Almighty himself, his glory fully revealed. And now, there will be no more tears, suffering, or loss. All is new, all is healed, and all is redeemed.   Then, there is a description of God's Holy City. Please be sure to read through this beautiful vision. This city is a place of perfect worship, where humanity is not seeking achievement but rather exists to worship God in the presence of God. God's Kingdom is fully revealed and it is incredible.   I have a seminary professor who used to tell us that our lives, as believers, are intended to be a preview to the world of the perfect world to come. So very convicting! If someone were to look at your life, what might they deduce about God's perfect world to come?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

"All Saved the Same Way" • Acts 15:1-19 - Brother Jonah Lowrance. Brother Jonah explains the dispute within the early churches regarding what place the Old Testament Law has in the salvation, how the dispute was properly handled, and that the Apostles and elders concluded that God's people are not saved by the Law. Based on the blessing of the Holy Ghost, the words of Jesus, and the Old Testament Scriptures, they come to the conclusion that all are saved in the same way by "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ."

The greatest turning point in human history occurs in Romans 3:21 with two simple words: "But now." After three chapters of bad news about our sinful condition, Paul reveals God's solution through justification by faith in Christ.• All people, both Jews and Gentiles, stand condemned under sin• Paul quotes extensively from Old Testament Scripture to prove universal sinfulness• The law cannot save us; it only reveals our inability to meet God's standard• Justification comes through faith in Christ, not through our own efforts• Justification is a point-in-time event, not a process we grow into• We are completely justified the moment we trust Christ• Christians stand fully righteous before God, clothed in Christ's righteousness• Our response to justification should include rejoicing, daily remembrance, and sharing with othersIf you don't know Christ Jesus, you too can stand before the Father justified by coming to Him today. Let that justification intersect with your life today!

The author of Hebrews continues to reference Old Testament Scripture to make a defense for the superiority of Christ over all things. The earthly tabernacle is but a shadow of the heavens, where Christ serves as great high priest. He has made a superior sacrifice, shedding His own blood rather than that of goats, bulls, or rams. He oversees a new covenant, where the law is written on the hearts and minds of those who trust in Him. Men and women of faith who came before Him were waiting for the promise of His coming. In Him, we haven't come to Mt Sinai, but Mount Zion, where Christ intercedes on our behalf. Hebrews 10 - 1:15 . Hebrews 11 - 8:02 . Hebrews 12 - 16:13 . Hebrews 13 - 21:58 . Psalm 28 - 26:18 . Psalm 29 - 27:51 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Now that we've completed the book of Leviticus, we're jumping into the book of Hebrews, a book that emphasizes Jesus' role as a better great high priest and a better Sabbath. While the writer of the book of Hebrews remains unknown, we do know that this writer can quote the Old Testament Scriptures at length and is very polished in his ability to write and to reason. This letter is unique, as it has no greeting and seems to be directed specifically toward Jewish believers. In today's passage, the writer argues that Jesus is greater than angels, greater than Moses, a better rest than the Sabbath day, and a better high priest.Hebrews 1 - 1:13 . Hebrews 2 - 3:54 . Hebrews 3 - 8:05 . Hebrews 4 - 11:03 . Hebrews 5 - 14:25 . Psalm 24 - 17:00 . Psalm 25 - 18:32 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Hebrews: True and Better - Hebrews 1.1-14Jobey McGintyThe author of Hebrews begins with big claims about Christ, and he moves quickly into referring to various Old Testament Scriptures to show how Christ is the fulfillment of those Scriptures. His goal is to help these Jewish believers rightly interpret the Old Testament in light of the events of Christ. What the author is doing here is effectively saying, “don't take my word for it.” He wants his readers to base their beliefs not on what he claims, or on their feelings or thoughts, but he wants them to go into God's Word. And when we do go to God's Word, we see that it is about Jesus from start to finish!

Daily Dose of Hope March 3, 2025 Day 2 of Week 49     Scripture:  Ezra 7-10; Psalm 97; Revelation 4   Welcome back, friends, to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.   For our Old Testament Scripture, we head back to the book of Ezra.  In chapters 7 and 8, we read about Ezra returning to Jerusalem.  The king of Persia has given him and any Jews who want to return permission to do so.  But it's quite a journey.  Ezra records all that come with him.    One interesting thing about Ezra is that he was a leader who invested in his people. He didn't just tell the people what to do, he actually taught the people Scripture and how to interpret it. Thus, as we move into chapters 9 and 10, the people are now recognizing that what is going on among them is wrong. They see how the Jewish people are out of alignment with God's law and they decide to bring their concerns to Ezra.   What's the issue? Well, the people of God have been intermarrying with all the pagan nations and cultures around them. They have given their daughters in marriage to Canaanites and Hittites. They have accepted Moabite and Amorite men as husbands for their daughters. God asked them to be a holy, set-apart people and they have done anything but. There are certainly instances in the Old Testament when Jewish people have married foreigners(think Ruth the Moabite) and things have turned out well. But in those cases, the foreign spouse became dedicated to the one true God. In other instances, when things didn't turn out so well (think Solomon and all his wives), it was because the spouses remained pagan and brought their pagan gods into the home. It is hard to be holy and set apart when Pagan influences are at your kitchen table and in your bedroom.   As believers in Jesus, we are also to be set apart people. That doesn't mean we isolate ourselves from the world, but rather we live differently. Our values are different than the world's values. Our lifestyle should be different from the world's lifestyle. When it comes to marriage, the New Testament also implores believers to marry other believers. It isn't a command but it makes sense. When a person of one worldview covenants with the person of a totally different worldview, it can be really, really hard. When one spouse is committed to Jesus and the other isn't, there will be value clashes.   Think about your own relationships, maybe your marriage. How might your pray for those closest to you in regard to faith? We know that God isn't done with anyone yet. What relationship is heavy on your heart right now? Take a moment and pray.   Back to the Scripture - the people truly loved and respected Ezra and when they see how distraught he is, they also become distraught. Ezra really doesn't have to force the people to acknowledge their wrongdoing. They know their guilt before God is significant. They have intermarried with people who worship other gods. They have broken God's law and they know it. Now what is to be done?   Ezra as the leader guides the people but doesn't force them into any specific solution. It is the people themselves who decide that the foreign wives and their children should be banned from their fellowship. This is a hard one for me. Presumably, some of these are innocents. It wasn't their fault that their father decided to marry a foreign woman. And yet, they would be sent away. Sin always has consequences.   I think that is a hard lesson for us. Sin always has consequences. Sometimes, the consequences are more severe than others. In our case, we can receive forgiveness through Jesus Christ and be reconciled to God but that doesn't remove the consequences for ourselves and others. Sin always has consequences.   Now we head to our New Testament reading in Revelation. We've moved from the concerns of the churches to the heavenly realm in chapter 4. John describes heaven's throne room with God on the throne. Human words fail John at this moment and he can only describe God as having the appearance of jasper and ruby. I've tried to envision this. Jasper is a beautiful stone that can be either a deep red or dark green. Ruby is obviously a brilliant red. So God, in John's vision, includes the flashing radiance of reds and greens. Take a moment, close your eyes, and try to imagine what John is seeing.   The main throne is surrounded by twenty-four other thrones occupied by twenty-four elders. Scholars have debated for years as to who these elders might be but it probably isn't all that relevant. What is relevant is the majesty of it all. From that central throne, there are flashes of lightning and the sounds of thunder. There are seven blazing lamps around the throne, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. What is most interesting to me are the four creatures who surround the throne. They seem to serve as guardians of some kind. They are covered with eyes and they each have six wings. They are similar to the fantastic beings described in Ezekiel (chapters 1 and 10). And these beings never stop praising God. All the time, never-ending praise: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come.”   When the four creatures give praise, the twenty-four elders do as well, falling down and worshiping God. Think of it–praise to God all the time; continuous, nonstop worship and praise. In heaven, God is being worshiped constantly without breaks or pauses. Why? Because he is God. Because he is creator, because he is sustainer, because he is Savior and Lord of all. Ceaseless praise.   How much time do we spend praising God in our lives on earth? Be honest. What's your praise level? How might we begin to worship and praise God on a continuous (or at least daily) basis? How might this change how we view God? How might this change how we view the world?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?’ Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:25–27 NLT) Did Jesus exist before the nativity in Bethlehem? Was there a Christ before Christmas? The answer is yes. Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem is when the incarnation took place. The incarnation is when God became a man. But that’s not when Jesus came into being. Jesus, being God, has always been and He always will be. He is eternal because He is God. Understanding that opens up Scripture to us in a whole new way. The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament covers events that occurred before Jesus’ birth. The New Testament covers events surrounding His birth and after. It’s similar to the way we divide history. The Old Testament is BC (before Christ); the New Testament is AD (anno Domini), which is Latin for “in the year of the Lord.” Casual readers of the Bible may assume that Jesus is a New Testament figure, an AD man. But that’s not the case. Remember, He’s eternal, so there’s no such period as BC because nothing existed before Christ. John 1:1–2 says, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God” (NLT). And in Colossians 1:17, the apostle Paul writes of Christ, “He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together” (NLT). Not only has Christ existed forever, He is also the central figure of Scripture. Not just the New Testament, but the Old Testament as well. That’s the theme for our devotions this month: Jesus in the Old Testament. You can’t fully appreciate God’s amazing plan of salvation until you connect the dots between the Old Testament passages that anticipate Christ’s coming and the New Testament passages that detail His saving work. Luke 24 tells the story of two followers of Christ who were walking to the village of Emmaus three days after Jesus’ crucifixion, just as news of His resurrection was starting to spread. They were sad and confused. Jesus appeared to them, but God kept them from recognizing Him at first. Jesus’ words to them—“You foolish people!”—may seem harsh. But Jesus wanted them to understand that it wasn’t the time for mourning or confusion. The Messiah was alive! God’s plan of salvation had been accomplished! Death had been conquered! Centuries of prophecy and promises had been fulfilled! Verse 27 says, “Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (NLT). These men likely were no strangers to Old Testament Scripture. But they had failed to make some very important connections. Not only were Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection all part of God’s prophetic plan, but so was just about everything else He did. The evidence was there, in the words of Scripture, for anyone who searched for it. Jesus helped His followers recognize the clues they had missed. We are never alone in life. That’s the message we see from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus has always been there. He appeared to Abraham and Jacob, among others. He was never far from the minds of the Old Testament prophets. And to those who are His disciples, He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NLT). Reflection question: What does the Old Testament reveal about God and His plan of salvation? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this 'EPISODE 400 EZEKIEL 38 & 39 ARE WE THERE YET? ARE THERE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW TODAY? WHICH ONES DID JESUS USE AND SHOULD WE LISTEN TO THEM?' author and your host Elbert Hardy reads from Ezekiel 38 & 39, proving the validity of the Old Testament writers and what they have written that many scholars and Prophecy  Teachers may have overstated. Should we use these scriptures or abandon these as relics? Which ones did Jesus himself use and quote?Go to itellwhy.com to read Elbert's books free of charge, no Ads and no requests for money or Email addresses. You can watch faith building YouTube Links to Videos and the listen to Elbert's Life of Christ Audio Book in 30 minute Episodes arranged and read by the author straight from the Bible, but rearranged in logical harmony of the Gospels, Revelation and other scriptures. All FREE of charge in the public interest.

Title: A Time to Reason and A Time to Leave Text: Acts 19:8-10 FCF: We all struggle doing what God has commanded to grow His church. Prop: Because God will gather and grow His church, we must make disciples of those who are willing to hear. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 19. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting in verse 8. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last week Paul arrived in Ephesus to find Jews whose profession was somewhat questionable. Paul searched for evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence, and discovered that the 12 men before him were not yet believers in Jesus as their Messiah. After sharing the gospel with these men, they believed and submitted to baptism in His name. The Spirit descended upon them afterward confirming that even Baptistic Jews could become part of the assembly of Christ. Today we will have the first two years of the third missionary journey summarized for us in only a couple scenes. Luke is not recording the book of Acts as an exact history but rather evidence that the faith Theophilus received was genuine and trustworthy. Luke then is describing more how the gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire rather than giving all the details of its expansion. So please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Sovereign Lord, we approach You today to meet You again in Your word. We ask that You will be with us, and that You will send Your Spirit among us to grow our faith through the means of grace found in Your word preached. We ask that You will show us Your providential control of Your church and our place in its gathering and growth. Help us Lord to play our parts well, not for our glory and not even for the sake of those to whom we minister, but for Your glory and Yours alone. We ask this in the name of Your dear Son… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] In the game of pool, you use a cue ball to strike other billiard balls into pockets along the table. If after you pocketed a ball, I asked you what knocked the ball in, you could reply in a number of different ways. To some degree you could say that the cue ball knocked in the ball. This is somewhat true, but in reality, we all know that cue balls don't spontaneously begin moving. As Newton observed, objects at rest tend to stay at rest unless an outside force acts upon them. So, you wouldn't be wrong that the cue ball pocketed the other ball – but you wouldn't really be right either. It would be the same if you said the cue stick pocketed the ball. Surely the cue stick and the cue ball played their part, but ultimately, we'd all have to agree at some point that the player… you… knocked it in. We have observed many times in the book of Acts that the Lord is at work to expand and guide His church. We've seen this over and over again, and news flash, we'll see it again today. But alongside that truth we have also seen that God often uses human agents to accomplish His purposes. God is gathering and growing His children and preparing them for the kingdom that is coming. He does this often by using His own people. It may be the player that knocks in the ball, but the cue ball doesn't let that get in the way of doing its job to the best of its ability. Ok, bad example, the cue ball doesn't make choices on its own. But if you understand the analogy – why would we want to be anything else other than God's cue ball… Let's look at verse 8. I.) God is still gathering and growing His church, so we must share the gospel cogently and compellingly. (8) a. [Slide 3] 8 - And after he entered the synagogue, he continued speaking out boldly for three months, i. Luke continues to record the key events that took place as the third missionary journey began. ii. Paul arrives in Ephesus and after seeing 12 men come to Christ from Baptistic Judaism, he immediately goes to the Jew first with the gospel of their own Messiah. iii. He enters the synagogue and continues to speak boldly for three months. iv. There are a number of details we should notice here. 1. First, Ephesus is the capital city of the Roman province of Asia. It is the center for trade in the eastern part of the empire. It boasted around 250,000 citizens, which does not include slaves. Not to mention the number of people who used this city for travel throughout the empire. This was a massive city. At any given time, it would not be a stretch to think there could have been a million people roaming the streets. 2. Paul is said to go to a synagogue, singular. But with a city this large, and if Josephus is to be believed, with such a large Jewish population, it is more than likely that there were several synagogues in the city. 3. Why then would Paul only go to one of them? 4. It is possible that Luke uses the word synagogue to speak of the system itself and not one particular building. 5. It is also possible that Paul only went to the synagogue closest to him. Synagogues tended to divide along certain perspectives on the Jewish faith. It may be that this particular synagogue would have been the one closest to the teachings of Christ and most likely to receive Him in true faith. 6. In any case, Paul goes to this synagogue in the city of Ephesus and speaks for 3 months. 7. This detail in and of itself is an anomaly to all the book of Acts. 8. Paul has never been able to continue long in preaching in the synagogues before he was run out and rejected. 9. 3 months is easily the longest he's been able to continue to speak. 10. And Luke points out to us that it isn't because he was being slow to reveal the truth or softspoken about it either. Instead, he spoke boldly about the truth of the gospel… b. [Slide 4] reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. i. Paul boldly engaged them with the gospel from a logical and persuasive level. ii. Paul, although the first to admit that it is the Spirit's power that regenerates and enables men to receive faith in Christ, does not take that to mean that he can be flippant or unpolished in his presentation of the gospel message. iii. Paul uses logic to assert that the gospel is a valid and reasonable conclusion based on the Old Testament Scriptures. iv. Paul uses sound arguments to prove that this Jesus is the Messiah prophesied of old. v. From an epistemological standpoint, Paul attacks the strongholds of false belief and false thinking while defending the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. vi. Paul is an example to all of us, that though the triune God leads to the conversion of a man's soul – the human agent must be faithful to present a cogent and compelling argument for the gospel. c. [Slide 5] Summary of the Point: If anyone ever had a reason to utterly give up on a people group, it would have been Paul. How many times has he been run out of synagogues? How many times have his own people rejected the gospel? How many times have the Jews chased Paul out of town? Yet here he is, once again, sharing the gospel with the Jews. But the Lord blessed him in Ephesus. Many were persuaded. Many believed what Paul taught about the kingdom of God. Paul didn't give up. Why? Because he knew that God is still gathering and growing His church from all the nations of the earth. To the Jew first and also to the Greek. Because he knew this, Paul did all he could to reason and persuade his countrymen of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He gave a message that was cogent and compelling. Not because that is what wins people to faith in Christ… but because that is what pleases our Lord Jesus. To speak well of the hope we have in us. And guess what CBC? God is still gathering and growing His church today. In Columbus, in Michigan, in the USA, and in all the world, the Lord is still gathering and growing His church. We are part of that grand plan. What is our part to play? Well certainly some of our part is to share the gospel cogently and compellingly. We must present a well-reasoned, logical, powerful, and persuasive gospel of Jesus… because that is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is. The gospel itself is well reasoned, logical, powerful, and persuasive. Transition: [Slide 6 (blank)] But this is not the whole responsibility placed on us as God continues His plan to gather and grow His church. We have more to do than simply to present the gospel in a logical and persuasive manner. Let's look at what happens when Paul encounters resistance. II.) God is still gathering and growing His church, we must use our time and energy efficiently for the growth of Kingdom citizens. (9-10) a. [Slide 7] 9 - But when some were becoming hardened and were not believing, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude, i. After three months of reasoning and persuading many about the kingdom of God with Jesus as the head of this Kingdom, eventually Paul met familiar resistance. ii. Something is happening here in the text that we need to see in order to really understand what these Jews are doing. iii. In quick succession Luke uses an imperfect passive verb, followed by an imperfect active verb, followed by a present active participle. iv. Perhaps you think I just spoke in tongues

Daily Dose of Hope January 15, 2025 Day 4 of Week 42   Scripture:  Jeremiah 47, 48, 49; Psalm 80; 2 Peter 2   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  It's Wednesday and that mean Recharge day!  Yeah!!!  I hope to see you tonight in the Garage for a time of fellowship, worship, prayer, and small community.   We head back to Jeremiah for our Old Testament Scripture for today.  God's judgment is coming to the pagan nations – to the Philistines, to Moab, and to the Ammonites.  Just as God used Babylon to punish Judah, he would do the same for these nations.  They are being punished for their idolatry, for their sinfulness, for their support to other sinful cities, for arrogance, and for stealing land from Israel.    Our New Testament Scripture for today is 2 Peter 2.  In this chapter, we see Peter elaborating on the concept of false prophets and false teachers. In verse one, Peter is referring to the false prophets found in the Old Testament. These would have been individuals who claimed to speak for Yahweh but really were not sent by Yahweh at all. Think of the four hundred prophets (I Kings 22) who were summoned by King Ahab to speak on behalf of the Lord. But they were on the king's payroll and clearly didn't speak on behalf of the one true God.   Peter is saying that just as there were false prophets, there will also be false teachers among you. These are people who are already part of the Christian community but have left the true faith. Peter warns that these false teachers will bring in teachings from the outside world, teachings that will create conflict and division among the body of believers. These are teachings that lead people astray and away from the true faith founded in Jesus Christ. By moving away from the faith, these people are actually bringing destruction and grief on themselves, as well as the church. The thing about false teachings is that they are fairly similar to the true faith. The false teacher uses elements of Christian faith to make their doctrine seem solid and sound.   Think of the Mormon faith. They believe in Jesus. They read the Bible. Thus, someone unsuspecting or not firm in their Christian walk might be easily swayed. But they also believe things that are clearly opposed to orthodox Christian teachings. How have false teachings infiltrated the church in our day? Be on guard, my friends, and well-rooted in God's Word so that you will be grounded in Jesus and not be swayed.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope January 9, 2025 Day 5 of Week 41   Scripture: 2 Kings 25-26; 2 Chronicles 36; Psalm 126; 1 Peter 3   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.    Today, we get a little break from Jeremiah and we are heading back to 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles for our Old Testament Scripture reading.  For hundreds and hundreds of years, God warned his people: Obey the covenant, do not worship other gods, do not neglect the poor. And with just a few exceptions, the people disobeyed. There were judges and prophets sent to warn the people. In fact, there was no shortage of warnings. Yet, the people continued to turn away from God, to be influenced by the culture around them, and to follow the ways of the pagans. In today's Scripture, we see God lifting his hand of protection. His people have not held up their end of the covenant and he is finally allowing them to experience the consequences of their actions. It's hard to read and yet, we know it had to happen for the next stage of the journey to occur.   In both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, we read about the siege on Jerusalem from two different perspectives.  This was a long siege – well over a year.  This led to famine and a lot of death.  The king has his eyes gouged out and is imprisoned.  His sons are killed in front of him.  It isn't a pretty scene.  The consequences to sin are severe.    Let's move over to 1 Peter 3.  There are two major ideas in this chapter.  The first is this idea of wives submitting to husbands in such a way that unbelieving husbands will come to know Jesus.  So, I've thought about this.  We see this through the lens of inequality and power differentials.  We see this through an earthly lens because that's what we know.  We know of power being abused and humans mistreating other humans.  But what happens when we read through this a Kingdom lens?    Could it be that wives can treat their husbands in such a way that these men can see Jesus in them?  And then, the reverse is also true.  Husbands can treat wives in a way that the women can see Jesus in them.  I don't think we should get hung up on the language that some people love and others despise.  We know this was written in a different time and cultural context.  We know that Jesus and even Paul elevated the status of women.  So I really don't want this to be about the status of women.  I want this to be about how to treat others, especially our spouses, in a way that they want to know more about Jesus.  Does that make sense?   The other idea presented in this text is being humble and treating others in a way that honors Christ.  It isn't that different from the first idea.  It's about living and behaving in such a way that God is honored and that others want to know more about Jesus.  Verse 18, But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...  How many believers do you know that are arrogant and even look down on other who think differently than them?  The key word here is humility.  Humility, humility, humility.  As you might recall, humility was one of Jesus' attributes.  I think I will leave it here for now.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Jesus was born as the Savior King in fulfillment of numerous prophecies and promises found in the Old Testament Scriptures. His birth was marked by several significant aspects that revealed his identity as the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of the world: This King was affirmed by divine announcements, visits from dignitaries, declarations by angels, and the purpose of his birth to save humanity from sin. His birth in Bethlehem marked the beginning of God's redemptive plan, offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe in him.

Jesus was born as the Savior King in fulfillment of numerous prophecies and promises found in the Old Testament Scriptures. His birth was marked by several significant aspects that revealed his identity as the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of the world: This King was affirmed by divine announcements, visits from dignitaries, declarations by angels, and the purpose of his birth to save humanity from sin. His birth in Bethlehem marked the beginning of God's redemptive plan, offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe in him.

Daily Dose of Hope December 24, 2024 Day 3 of Week 39   Scripture:  Jeremiah 1-4; Psalm 130; 2 Corinthians 9   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  It's Christmas Eve!  I'm hoping to see at least most of you tonight at one of our New Hope Christmas Eve services.  The family-oriented service is at 5pm and the traditional service with full choir is at 7pm.    For our Old Testament Scripture today, we begin the book of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was a major prophet that began his time of ministry in Judah under King Josiah.  If you recall, Josiah was a good king, determined to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  In many ways, this was a good time for Jeremiah to start his time of prophecy.  He was protected in so many ways.  That didn't stop him from being a reluctant prophet.  Look at how many times he uses his youth as a reason for not responding to God's call.    We are all called by God to do something.  Maybe we haven't been called to prophecy (or maybe we have), but I guarantee God has something in mind for you.  It may even be something hard.  What excuses have you used?  I'm too young, I'm too old, I'm too tired, I'm too busy, I'm too unprepared.  There are so many.  But if God calls, he will equip.  Eventually Jeremiah relents and begins his 40-year ministry as a prophet of God.   Let's move into chapters 2 and 3.  Keep in mind that God often refers to Judah and Jerusalem as Israel in the book of Jeremiah, though the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians roughly 100 years before Jeremiah's work as a prophet. God refers to Judah and Jerusalem as representing all of Israel because by this time, it did.  Through Jeremiah, God recalls the past relationship he had with Israel, which is now dissolving.  He is horribly upset by Israel's sin and idolatry.  In chapter 3, you will see how Israel is compared to a prostitute, as she gives herself to many gods.    In chapter 4, we read about a call to repentance.  Will God's people change their ways?  The rest of the chapter details the destruction that will occur if they do not.  More on that tomorrow.   Psalm 130 is another psalm of ascent, which the Jewish pilgrims sang as they made their way into Jerusalem for the various required festivals.  It's a beautiful psalm, promising the hope and redemption that comes with walking closely to the Lord.   Our New Testament passage is 2 Corinthians 9. In this chapter, Paul is continuing his discussion on giving. Paul is trying to rouse some enthusiasm amongst the Corinthian believers on the topic of giving, specifically giving to the destitute believers in Jerusalem. They were initially very interested and enthusiastic but apparently, they haven't followed through on their commitments.   Today's chapter leads to some interesting thoughts. You reap what you sow, not just with material resources but also in other ways. This idea is found throughout Scripture but most notably in Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:38, Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.   But it also suggests that giving is an individual decision of the heart. We don't give for public recognition but to please God and demonstrate his love to others. God doesn't want us to give out of a sense of obligation but truly out of a kind and generous heart. All we have comes from God, we are simply giving a portion back to God's work in this world. Finally, Paul is suggesting that when we give to God's work, we will be blessed. God will ensure that our needs are met. Notice Paul doesn't say that our wants will be fulfilled but rather our needs. We will have what we need to be content. What does it take for you to be content? Do you give with a cheerful heart?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki     Daily Dose of Hope

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/19/24), Hank starts a special series leading up to Christmas Day featuring his CHRISTMAS acronym, starting with the first two letters of the acronym: "C" and "H". Christ—the "C" in CHRISTMAS—is a title that comes from the Greek “Christos”, which is a rendering of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning “anointed one.” As such, the Christ of Christmas is the long-awaited Messiah who fulfills all the types and shadows of the Old Testament Scriptures. So, to fully grasp the significance of the Anointed One's Messianic role, you have to drink deeply from the wellspring of Old Testament prophecy. Moving on to history—the “H” in CHRISTMAS—Hank explains that Jesus Christ stands at the very apex of human history. Therefore, he can say with certainty that Christmas is not about reveling in mythology, it is about celebrating events that are rooted in historical fact.

Paul is about to set the Corinthians straight on the resurrection of Jesus: There were over 500 witnesses of Jesus being risen from the dead The Old Testament Scriptures prophesied about Jesus rising from the dead Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead? The core basic of Christianity is that Jesus had to rise from the dead Why cultural Christianity is not a lifestyle worth living   Click all these links from P40: YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnh-aqfg8rw Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries  Website - https://www.p40ministries.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/p40ministries  Contact - jenn@p40ministries.com  Rumble - https://rumble.com/c/c-6493869  Books - https://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Kokal/e/B095JCRNHY/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk  Merch - https://www.p40ministries.com/shop  YouVersion - https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/38267-out-of-the-mire-trusting-god-in-the-middle    Support babies and get quality coffee with Seven Weeks Coffee  https://sevenweekscoffee.com/?ref=P40   This ministry is only made possible due to your generous support https://ko-fi.com/p40ministries

What is the Bible? In all of its diversity and distance from our place in history and geography, why do we give it the focus and consideration that we do? Ahead of our Advent sermon series, “Foretold: The Prophecies of Advent,” why do we read the Old Testament Scriptures and have a worthwhile connection? Listen to Pastor David's sermon on 1 Peter 1:10-12 for more.

Much emphasis today has been placed on discovering your cultural heritage. Today, using your DNA with precise geographic detail and historical insights, you can connect yourself with the people and places in your genealogical past. In Romans 4, Paul traces our spiritual lineage. You might say that Romans 4 is Paul’s version of ancestry.com. Paul will demonstrate how Jews and Gentiles who place their faith in Christ come from a long line of believers including Abraham and David. Salvation by faith is not a novelty. It is not departing from Old Testament Scriptures; it is following in the path of the great Old Testament saints. I pray you will join us this weekend. Corporate worship is so critical to our walk with Christ. We all need Christ, and we all need each other. Make plans now to attend one of our many services. We will also have some surprise guests and make a special presentation as part of our missions moment. This is a Sunday you will not want to miss! — Pastor Chad

Much emphasis today has been placed on discovering your cultural heritage. Today, using your DNA with precise geographic detail and historical insights, you can connect yourself with the people and places in your genealogical past. In Romans 4, Paul traces our spiritual lineage. You might say that Romans 4 is Paul’s version of ancestry.com. Paul will demonstrate how Jews and Gentiles who place their faith in Christ come from a long line of believers including Abraham and David. Salvation by faith is not a novelty. It is not departing from Old Testament Scriptures; it is following in the path of the great Old Testament saints. I pray you will join us this weekend. Corporate worship is so critical to our walk with Christ. We all need Christ, and we all need each other. Make plans now to attend one of our many services. We will also have some surprise guests and make a special presentation as part of our missions moment. This is a Sunday you will not want to miss! — Pastor Chad

Dr. Mitchell looks into 1Pet.1:10-12 which reveals the Old Testament prophets searching who the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating. It was revealed to them that they were serving future generations who would be reading the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus said to His disciples in John 16:13 "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things to come." Now, in the New Testament, they have written down the words of Christ and the truth of His person and work. They are here to be read and believed. Now you and I can know something of the grace of God, unlike the angels which know nothing of this grace. Here is Dr. Mitchell, 1Pet.1:12.

Today we begin the book of Hebrews, a book that emphasizes the superiority of Christ to all that has come before him. While the writer of the book of Hebrews remains unknown, we do know that this writer can quote the Old Testament Scriptures at length and is very polished in his ability to write and to reason. This letter is unique, as it has no greeting and seems to be directed specifically toward Jewish believers. In today's passage, the writer argues that Jesus is greater than the prophets who came before, as God has spoken to us directly by the Son and appointed him heir of all things. He is greater than angels, for everything has been made subject to him. Moreover, as one who has flesh and blood, he has reached out to help men, but has not done so for angels. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

One of my favorite parts of being a father is bedtime. It also can be one of the hardest. But often it's one of the sweetest. We read. Sometimes we sing. At the end, we pray, or a give a blessing.The most frequent blessing I repeat is that famous priestly blessing we saw last week at the end of Numbers 6:“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”But as good as that is, the best part may actually be the afterward. Don't miss that final verse, 27, which says,“So shall they [the priests] put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”God is binding himself, he says, binding his own glory to the blessing, the good, the joy of this people. He is making them his special people. As God, he made all; he is over all; he can have whomever he wants. But he has chosen Israel as his covenant people; he will be their covenant God, and they will be his covenant people. He smiles on them. He delights in them. And so their life as a nation will reflect on him. His name is on them. His glory is bound to them. How it goes with them will show him to the world.God Wants You to Use NumbersWe have almost four chapters to cover this morning, from 7:1 to 10:10. That's a sizable section. In fact, the sermon this morning is shorter than our passage. So, how might we go about approaching four chapters in one sermon?Let me start with three verses in the New Testament that might help our approach to Numbers. Paul said to his disciple in 2 Timothy 3:15–17,“…from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings [that's the Old Testament Scriptures, including Numbers], which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture [including Numbers] is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”I see three truths here about the Old Testament in general and, for us, Numbers in particular:First, Numbers is breathed out by God. This book is from God. It is his word to us. His word, from inside him, so to speak, breathed out in his voice, through his prophet. How amazing to have the word of God, as we do in Numbers. Second, Numbers is able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus. This book is eternally valuable and priceless, that is, able to help us receive God's rescue from our sins, and from the hell we deserve — and that rescue is not apart from Jesus but “through faith in Christ Jesus.”And, third, Numbers is profitable (Greek ōphelimos) — that is, helpful, valuable, beneficial, useful for the Christian life. It is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in right living. God means for us to use Scripture — did you know that? Not use as in abuse, but use as in do something with it. Take it off the shelf, read it, meditate on it, know it, cherish it, imbibe it, feed on it, have it change you from the inside, and extend out into your outer and external life, in obedience and holiness. Use it. Do you?So, brothers and sisters, this is God's word, breathed out from him for us; it saves eternally through Jesus; and its useful even now in our lives. Now, let's lay these three truths onto our approach to Numbers 7-10 this morning. We'll ask three questions:(1) What did God breathe out here for us to know? What do these chapters tell us? Here I'll summarize the chapters. (2) What might be useful here for us in our Christian lives? How might these chapters teach us, reprove us, correct us, train us in how to live?Then (3) most importantly, how do these chapters make us wise for salvation through Jesus? Where do we see Jesus here, and what might we freshly appreciate and love about Jesus in these chapters?So, (1) what to know, (2) how to live, and (3) who to love…1. What Do We Need to Know? I'll start with a disclaimer about knowing. Knowing with the mind or head knowledge is increasingly devalued in our day. We live in the Information Age. Mere knowledge can be so easy to come by. That's true. And, mark this, when we come to the Bible, to God's breathed-out Book, to what he wants us to hear and know, we need to make some careful distinctions.For one, while we may live in the Information Age, we also live in times of great biblical illiteracy. Christians don't read and know the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, like we once did. Many of us don't know Numbers! And this is a problem for us. How will God's breathed-out words work on us to draw us to Jesus, and how will we put his word to work in our lives, if we don't know his word? We have to start somewhere. We start with knowing. And we confess: Bible knowledge is not the goal of the Christian life. But it is vital and precious, for starters, that we know God's breathed-out words.Jesus thought so. Again and again in the Gospels, he says, Have you not read? And Paul thought so. Again and again in his letters, Paul says, Do you not know? Yes, Christianity is far more than just knowing God's breathed-out words, but it is not less.So, let's ask, What do we need to know here in Numbers 7-10? Let's take a quick flyover of these four chapters, before we land to linger in a couple places.These first ten chapters of Numbers are where the promise of God dwelling among his people actually begins to happen. God had said in Exodus 25:8, “let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” And Exodus 29:45, “I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.” The book of Exodus ended with his glory coming to the tabernacle, but at that point his Dwelling is outside the camp of the people. Promise not fulfilled yet.Then Leviticus focuses on the priests. And now, in Numbers, God situates his people around him, tribe by tribe. He dwells in their midst, at the center. This is the joy and wonder and glory of these opening chapters of Numbers: God, in all his holiness, is dwelling among his people, despite all their sin. God's sinful, rebellious people cannot approach his holiness on their own merit or on their own terms. If there will be any nearness, any dwelling together, God must take the initiative. Which he does. In fact, he delights to do so. He smiles —his face shines — on his people. Nobody's twisting God's arm here. He delights to dwell with his people.In these opening chapters, then, he sets up the camp that will journey through the wilderness from Sinai to the Promised Land. And what must you do before heading out? You need to stock the house.Chapter 7Chapter 7 gets the nation ready to hit the road. All twelve tribes provide the Levites with six wagons to transport the Dwelling. And all together the tribes stock the tabernacle with the animals and furnishings the priests will need for the sacrifices — and the main point is that all the tribes are all in. This is the fellowship of Israel. I can't help but think of the meeting in Rivendale. Twelve companions. Each tribe is all in. Now, the tribes are not all the same. They each have unique identities and histories. And there is an order; Judah goes first, not by accident. Still, each tribe contributes equally to the stock needed for sacrifices.The tension builds as you read chapter 7. First, Judah contributes on day one: one silver plate, one silver basin, both full of fine flour mixed with oil; one golden dish, full of incense; one bull from the herd, one ram, one male lamb a year old; one male goat; two oxen, five rams, five more male goats, and five more male lambs a year old.Then comes Issachar on day two. You read on. Same gifts. Day three: Zebulun. Confirmed, exact same gifts. Day four: Reuben. Ditto. With each day, each tribe, we find out if the next will be the same as previous. Will some tribe drop the ball, or try to show out? Finally, day twelve, Naphtali, and it's confirmed: all twelve are all in, an equal fellowship of the tribes. All have an equal share as the covenant people of God.And yet, within the covenant, there is still order among the twelve. The camp is divided into four sections, each with one tribe in the lead. But the striking impression given in chapter 7 is not the tribal chiefs or the section leaders but the fellowship. All twelve tribes share in God. They are equal partners in the covenant with Yahweh. He is their God; they are his people. The distinctions among them, and their various orderings within the camp, do not make any of the tribes any more, or less, the covenant people of God.Chapter 8Then comes chapter 8: lamps and Levites. Verses 1-4 bring back the lampstand already mentioned in Exodus 25 and 37, but it's worth mentioning here, at the end of chapter 7, because of what it means: God shines his light on the twelve tribes (like the shining of Aaron's blessing). The lampstand is arranged across from the bread of the presence, 12 flat loaves representing the 12 tribes. The light is the smile of God shining on his people.Which then raises the question about the one tribe that was set apart: Levi. By serving in their role they make it possible for the people to approach God, on his terms, rather than incurring his wrath. So, the rest of the chapter 8, verses 5-26, brings us to the appointment and installation of the Levites. Remember the Levites are different than the priests. The Levites are a whole tribe. The priests are just Moses's brother, Aaron, and his offspring. The priests perform the sacrifices; the Levites guard and move the mobile Dwelling. And the Levites are not appointed because they are best fit to curate a museum, but best fit to take a fight. They are warriors, the warlike tribe. They will guard the holiness of God's Dwelling in the center. Later in Israel's history, when the Dwelling becomes fixed and doesn't need to move (the temple), the Levites will lead in singing, clean the Dwelling, and kill the sacrificial animals for the priests to then offer up. But for now, they're the guards, assigned to protect the premises of the Dwelling, and move the tent from place to place.Chapter 9In chapter 9, now, the camp is about ready to head out, at last. The people celebrate the first Passover since being freed from Egypt. One year has passed since they went out from Egypt. Verses 1-14 review the Passover details and make provision for those who miss it, because of uncleanness or travel, to celebrate it one month later.The rest of the passage tells us how God will lead the people on the journey. The visible cloud and fire, confirming God's invisible presence in the Dwelling, will tell the camp when to remain and when to set out (9:15-23). And we'll say more about this in a minute.Chapter 10Finally, two silver trumpets in chapter 10, verses 1-10, will signal for the people to gather together or to break camp. If the priests blow both, the congregation gathers. Blow only one, and just the chiefs gather. Sound an alarm (with short blows) and the tribes on the east side, led by Judah, break camp. Another alarm and the south tribes set out, then west, then north. Next weekend we'll turn to 10:11 (through chapter 12) where we'll see the cloud first lift and the people head out.2. How Might We Use This Text?Now I want to come back to 9:17-23, which we read before the sermon. Its repetitions give it a kind of poetic quality that sets it off from the rest of the sections. These are the directions for the journey and how God will lead the camp. He will decide when they stay put, and for how long, and when they go, and how far they go. When the cloud moves, follow the cloud. When the cloud stops, set up camp.God himself, through his cloud and fire — his Spirit — will set the rhythms and cadences of the journey. And he doesn't tell them the plan ahead of time. Following him will require daily observation and readiness. The camp will move through the wilderness at God's pace and in God's timing, going God's direction. His people's journey will not be according to their own preferences and choices but his.Can you imagine your life being like this? Daily, hourly watching and wondering when the cloud will move. Or while on the journey, getting tired, and waiting for the cloud to stop? How much might this unnerve some of us? And how much might this be a balm to others? I'm sure this would frustrate some of us deeply, and thrill others of us.Which raises the question for us of what it's like for us today, in the new covenant? God still leads and guides his people's daily movement or abiding, their going or staying, and God still does so in his own unpredictable, often inconvenient timing. Back then he prompted them with a visible external spirit/fire (the cloud) but now he prompts us through his invisible indwelling spirit/fire, the Holy Spirit. God gives us his word. He shapes our souls with his speech. And the risen Christ has poured out his Spirit that we might receive him, and he might dwell in us, in a way he did not for the people of the Old Testament. It is awesome to have the Spirit of God in us! And to have God's word in Scripture, and have fellows in the faith to counsel us.Consider two dangers, among others, for us today: (1) the first is quintessentially American: we ignore the indwelling Spirit and don't pray for and seek to be sensitive to his promptings. We just go about our lives and make our own decisions, like the secular world, in practical atheism. Or (2) the super-spiritual alternative: we seek to be led by God, through his Spirit, but don't exercise caution (about own indwelling sin), but are overly simple or self-serving, about his possible promptings. We presume God's speaking with a clarity that he is not. His promptings in us are not the same as God's speaking to Moses. So, instead of saying, “God told me . . .” we say, “God may be prompting me ...” We first seek to become a kind of person who can discern God's will (Romans 12:2). And we pray for the Spirit's prompting, and seek to be sensitive to his leading, and humbly seek confirmation from his people, our fellows. And then we speak and live without presumption — without presuming to be our own master, and without presuming, “Thus sayeth the Lord . . . .”3. Who Do We Love? Or we might say, where do we see our Lord in this text? Where do we see Jesus, through whom all Scripture, including Numbers, makes us wise for salvation?We could talk about the altar, where the priests were to make daily sacrifices, and for which the tribes provided all the stock of chapter 7. In Christ, our altar, once and for all, is Calvary, the cross of Christ, where the precious Son of God, our great high priest and the final sacrifice gave himself once and for all that we might draw near to God.And we could talk about the trumpets. As Jesus himself said, one day he will return “with power and great glory” and “will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds” (Matt 24:31). Or as Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise.” (see also 1 Cor 15:51-52)Or we could talk about the great substitution of chapter 8, verses 16-19. The Levites are substitutes for all the firstborn of the tribes of Israel. Instead of taking them for service of the tabernacle, God substitutes the martial tribe of Levi (Moses' and Aaron's own tribe) and gives them to the priests to guard and transport the Dwelling (8:16-19).But let me finish with just two: first, this marvel of Moses speaking with God “face to face.” These chapters turn on God speaking to Moses: 6:22: the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…8:1, 5, 23: the Lord spoke to Moses, saying…9:1: And the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness…9:9; 10:1: the Lord spoke to Moses, saying… And 9:23 connects God's speaking to Moses to the 12 mentions of God's commands in these chapters.These chapters turn on God speaking. And how?The key verse is 7:89. Listen for the emphasis on Moses hearing and God speaking:“…when Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony, from between the two cherubim; and it spoke to him.”At the center of the people is the Dwelling. And at the center of the Dwelling is God. And what does he do? He speaks, and speaks, and speaks.Now, a question that comes to mind is, Did Moses see God? We're going to hear next week, in chapter 12, verse 8, God say, “With [Moses] I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord.” And you might remember from Exodus 33 that “the Lord would speak . . . to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (verses 9-11). Face to face?What does that mean? How did Moses speak with the Lord? It means something. It's an expression of how clearly Moses heard from God and how closely he could speak with him.However, it's qualified, and “face to face” is explained with “as a man speaks to his friend.” “Face to face” is an idiom, an expression. The point is closeness and clarity. Literal beholding is unthinkable — until Jesus.In Christ, a day is coming when we ourselves will see God face to face in the face of Jesus Christ. We will see him as even Moses could not see God. And till then, God's audible word remains at the center, as so precious to us, for knowing who God is, and who his Son is, and his Spirit. At the center of the camp was God's word through Moses. And at the center of the church is God's Word in and through Jesus. And one day we will see him face to face. Our Lamb, God's SmileFinally, the Passover lamb, which brings us to the Table. I'm sure there was so little that wilderness generation understood. They did not know the fullness of what God was up to. They didn't know that God himself would come as the Lion of Judah and as the final Passover Lamb. They didn't know that there would be a once-and-for-all altar at Calvary, and that one day God's trumpet would sound for Christ's second coming. They didn't know the fullness of substitution, and that Moses speaking so closely with God would one day be surpassed by all God's new-covenant people seeing Jesus face to face.But you know what they did know, or should have? Oh they should have known grace. As they made arrangements to celebrate that first ritual Passover at Sinai, one year after the original Passover in Egypt, consider all that had transpired in that last year. They had grumbled and grumbled. They had doubted God could save them at the Red Sea. They had grown impatient waiting for Moses and forged a golden calf to worship. Oh what it must have been like to celebrate that first Passover — not as spotless, self-confidence people but as humbled, self-consciously sinful, desperately needy, undeserving people, recipients of grace, not achievers of merit. And yet God smiled.Which is how we come to the Table, this fulfillment of the Passover. “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). And the word of God, including Numbers, is able to make us wise for salvation through him. To secure for us the grace of God's smile on us and delight to welcome us to his Table.

In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a topic that was highly requested by our faithful podcast listeners - why are there so many translations of the Bible out there? Some common follow-up questions are: Do all of these translations mean that we've deviated from the original texts? Is there one translation that is better than all the others? Episode Links The truth is that unless you are reading the Old Testament Scriptures in Hebrew, and the New Testament Scriptures in Koine Greek, any Bible that you read is a translation of the original text. And this is true not only for the Bible, but also for countless historical writings that have been translated into modern languages. Dr. White mentioned two books during today's conversation that would be extremely helpful to deepen your understanding of the various translations of the Bible. The first is The Bible: A Global History written by Bruce Gordon, which you can find HERE. The second is How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth written by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, which you can find HERE. Both include very helpful information on the various translations of the Bible. Not all translations are created equal, however. There are some that exist without a reputable team of scholars behind them, and others that are produced to undermine other translations - usually created by cult forms of religion. A good example of this is the “New World Translation” produced by Jehovah's Witnesses. For more on this, we'd encourage you to listen to the Church & Culture Podcast episode CCP18: On Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Finally, we'd encourage you to explore a series given by Dr. White at Mecklenburg Community Church titled “How to Bible.” The installments of this series walk you through: How to Get Oriented, How to Read and Interpret It, How to Apply It and How to Believe It. You can find it on Church & Culture HERE. For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.

Daily Dose of Hope October 10, 2024 Day 5 of Week 28   Scripture:  1 Kings 17-18; Psalm 119; Jude   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Daily Bible reading plan.  When you listen to this, I'm not really sure what will have happened with the hurricane.  What will our community experience?  We rest in the truth that God is in control and God is good.  If you are able, let me know how you are doing and if you need anything.  Please know that you are loved a lot!   Our first Old Testament Scripture passage for today is 1 Kings 17-18.  The evil of King Ahab and the idolatry and disobedience among God's people has gotten really, really bad.  Thus, God sends prophets to point out the error of their ways and essentially be their theological conscience.  In chapter 17, we meet the prophet Elijah.  His name literally means “My God is Yahweh” and that is basically the theme of his entire career.     The chapter begins with Elijah proclaiming to King Ahab that there would be no rain for the next few years until the one true God declared it so.  This is particularly important because the main Canaanite god, Baal, was worshiped as the god of rain.  By Yahweh stopping all rain and dew, he is declaring that HE alone is God and that Baal is a fake god with no power.  The Scripture doesn't explicitly state the response of King Ahab but we can guess it wasn't good, for God tells Elijah to leave the area and go hide by Kerith Brook.    As you read through the chapter, Elijah's obedience and trust in God are quite remarkable. He trusts God to provide provisions for food and water through animals and people!  My favorite aspect of this chapter is how God uses an impoverished outsider, the widow of Sidon (a city in what is now Lebanon), to provide care and nourishment to one of the most faithful of all of God's prophets.  Keep in mind that a widow would have been one of the poorest and most vulnerable people in that world.  And yet, God chooses her and she (possibly out of desperation) agrees to be part of God's plan. As a result, she and her son are saved from the drought, the ensuing famine, and even illness.  At the end of the chapter, her faithfulness to Elijah is rewarded with God bringing her son back to life.  By being faithful and open to God at work, this widow puts to shame many others who rejected the one true God.   How often God uses the weak and lowly to shame the powerful.  I think this is something we all need to reflect on today. When have you personally seen this at work?   In chapter 18, God has called Elijah to come face to face with King Ahab once again.  Times are tense–the drought is severe; animals and people are dying.  Ahab blames Elijah for Israel's trouble.  Afterall, in Ahab's mind, Elijah has offended Baal (the Canaanite god of rain) and that is why the rain has stopped.  Elijah, amazingly brave and solid, denies Ahab's claim and turns it around–it's actually Ahab's fault because he has been so disobedient to the Lord, Yahweh, and it is he who is in charge of the rain.   What's interesting to me is that Ahab and the people of Israel were still worshiping Yahweh, but they also were worshiping the Canaanite gods of Baal and Asherah.  Elijah is tasked with challenging Ahab on this issue.  The king can't have it both ways; it's time to choose.  Will he choose the one true God OR the Canaanite gods?  Verse 21 is quite powerful, Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!”  But the people were completely silent.    Elijah then proposes a contest to demonstrate who is really God–is it Baal or Yahweh?  The prophets of Baal spent hours calling on Baal to light the altar, complete with dead bull and wood, on fire. They dance around it, then begin to cut themselves and allow their own blood to be shed, begging Baal to respond. Not surprisingly, Baal is silent.  But when Elijah calls on Yahweh, the one true God, to light the altar (bull, wood, twelve stones to represent the tribes of Israel, and lots of water), God demonstrates his power in an awesome way.  Everything is consumed in flames and the water is quickly soaked up.  It's only then that the people acknowledge that the Lord is God.   We may think that we've far removed from Ahab and the people of Israel during Elijah's day.  Granted, we probably aren't bowing down to Baal and worshiping Asherah.  But the reality is that we try to serve Yahweh along with other gods as well.  What other gods vie for attention in your life?  Money, power, jobs, family, boats, campers, travel, food, exercise, retirement plans, golf, you get the idea.  There are so many things that we put before God or at least on the same level.  We may think this is harmless but it is insidiously dangerous.  What have you allowed to creep into your life and take on the same level of importance as worship, as ministry, as mission, as Scripture, as tithe, as God?   Be sure to read through the Psalm, although I'm not going to address it in the devotional today.  I really want to head over to the New Testament and talk a little about Jude.  While its not the shortest book in the New Testament, Jude is probably one of the more obscure.  Scholars don't know a lot about it.  We do believe that Jude was a brother of Jesus, although he probably didn't become a believer until after Jesus' death and resurrection.  We don't have a good date for this letter either, although we can guess that Jude himself died around AD 90, so certainly the letter was written before that time.   What is the point of the letter?  There isn't a big theological statement here.  It seems that Jude is trying to direct a group of believers to stay away from false teaching.  We don't really know which believers he is referring to OR which false teachers have reared their ugly head.  But Jude wants them to stay strong, engage in moral behavior, and not be distracted from the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I think that's a good reminder for all of us.   Stay safe, my dear brothers and sisters. Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope October 2, 2024 Day 4 of Week 27   Scripture:  Ecclesiastes 7-9; Psalm 46; 2 Timothy 3   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope!  Before we get started with our Scripture for this morning, I did want to mention that this Sunday, October 6, at New Hope Church, we will take a special offering to be sent to Faith Responders.  This is a wonderful disaster recovery organization with whom we work closely.  They are already on the ground but they need lots of support.  Pray about how much you can give and bring it with you on Sunday. To learn more about Faith Responders, check out their website at thefaithresponders.org.   With that, let's get to our Scripture.  Our first Old Testament Scripture is Ecclesiastes 7-9.  Chapter 7 is definitely intended to remind us of our human frailty.  Life is short.  Thus, seek wisdom over the things of this world.  Chapter 8 starts with the need to follow the King.  For us, we might simply want to say respect authority within reason.  There is also this emphasis on the limitations of human understanding; only God has all the answers.  Chapter 9 also focuses on the temporal nature of life so be sure it's enjoyed.  At the same time, don't folly overtake you, as wisdom is always preferred.  And yet, there are no guarantees for anyone.    Psalm 46 is a famous psalm, probably many of you have read it before.  It demonstrates two truths about God: His strength and his Presence.  God is our strength and our refuge.  The closing of the psalm is particularly powerful – be still and know that I am God.  How do you be still and know God?  In the hurried, short-attention span kind of lifestyles that we lead, what kinds of things do you need to put in place in your life to make space to do this?    Our New Testament passage is 2 Timothy 3.  In this third chapter, we find Paul giving Timothy advice about staying strong in the faith.  The world will always be a source of temptation and evil, there will be false teachers, and there will be many challenges.  He tells Timothy to stay grounded in what Paul taught him and in Scripture.   In order to not be swayed by the winds of the world (no matter what century one lives in), we have to be grounded in God's Word.  God's Word is authoritative and offers us a basic instruction manual of sorts.  While we don't understand every story and verse, there is a purpose for every single word.   Our vision at New Hope is to rooted in God's Word, renewed by the Holy Spirit, and reaching the world for Jesus.  Some of my favorite Scripture from Paul is Colossians 2:6-7, So then, just as you received Jesus Christ as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  Just as in Paul's time, the world will bear down on us, providing all kinds of temptations and distractions.  We have to commit to grow our roots down deep into Scripture so that we won't be uprooted and swayed when hardship, challenges, and temptation enter our world.  Obviously, we need to do this as individuals but we also have to commit to do this as a body of believers.  We meet Jesus on the pages of Scripture AND God's Word provides a metric by which we can measure everything in our lives.  It's essential.  Together, rooted in Scripture, we will be immovable.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

What difference does faith make when we're suffering? Job lost everything but was able to hold onto his faith in God. His confident assertion that his life would continue beyond his death creates an important marker in the Old Testament Scriptures about belief in resurrection. We are able to look back on Jesus' resurrection as strong confirmation of our own future life after death. Let's consider how faith and hope in the future change life and suffering in our present.Support the show

Remember we are told in Luke 3:23 that Jesus begin His ministry when He was about thirty years of age. This means that John the Baptist, who was born six months before the birth of Jesus, would have also been about thirty years old. Matthew's Gospel tells us in Matthew 3; “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea!” And what a preacher he was! He didn't come explaining, he came preaching! He didn't come tickling people's ears trying to make them feel better about themselves.   When you think about the background of John the Baptist, you will remember that he was the son of a priest, which means he would have grown up around Jerusalem and the temple. He saw and observed all the ceremonies, rituals and sacrifices being performed by the priest and the religious establishment. And what he saw was a dead religion full of corruption as the priests took advantage of the people buying sacrificial animals and other worship items when they arrived at the temple, by getting kickbacks from the sellers they allow to sell their ware there. He saw the hypocrisy of the priest and the religious leaders, and he was turned off to it. And as soon as he was old enough, he fled to the wilderness.   We are told that John most likely joined the Essenes who were down by the Dead Sea living in a small, very exclusive commune of hermit like men dedicated to making copies of the Old Testament Scriptures. You can imagine how John would have poured over the prophesies of Isaiah as the Spirit of God began to reveal to him that he was that voice that was “to cry in the wilderness and prepare the way of the Lord”. No doubt, as a boy he had been told by his father Zacharias and his mother Elizabeth about the miraculous birth of his cousin Jesus six months after he was born. And now he puts it all together and hears the call of God to go down by the Jordan River and preach!   Please get this picture as John begins to preach and the word begins to spread across the land and up to Jerusalem about this prophet wearing animal skins, eating locus and wild honey, preaching and baptizing lots of people. He was a sight to see and had a message that was changing lives. Even when people came out of curiosity, they came under conviction of their sins and entered the river to be baptized! And as more and more people came “the multitudes” began to show up, and with them came the religious leaders of Jerusalem trying to figure him out.   When the religious leaders show up, John first addresses them in his message and calls them “a brood of vipers”. Now for sure this group did not come to hear about their sins and their hypocrisy. They didn't think they had anything to repent of. They thought their religion was enough to save them. Even Jesus would later say, “I didn't come to call the righteous, but the sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).   John was not afraid to call these religious leaders out first and expose them for their hypocrisy! I am convinced even today that the problem is not in the pew of our churches but in the pulpit. A pulpit full of preachers who are tickling people's ears, scratching people's backs, trying to explain the Bible so the people can feel like because they know the Bible they will also be in good standing with God.   But my friend, you can know the Bible from cover to cover and yet not be right with God. You can say that you have faith in all the right things found in the Bible, but James makes it clear in James 2:17-20; “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. .... This is John's message! True faith will “bear fruits worthy of repentance”. John tells these religious people that just because they are Jews and have been born into the right family will not matter in the day of judgment. One day, “they will be cut down like a tree and be cast into the fire”.   Today are you sure you are saved? Are the fruits of righteousness evident in your life?   God bless!

The more I study and meditate on this particular passage of Scripture in Luke's account of the “Christmas Story”, the more I am intrigued about the work of the Holy Spirit as Simeon meets the baby Jesus in the temple some forty days after his birth in the stable. Three times in this passage we read of the Holy Spirit and His ministry to Simeon. In verse 25, “And the Holy Spirit was upon him”. In verse 26, “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit…”.  And in verse 27, “So he came by the Spirit into the temple”.   This morning, I couldn't get out of my mind the thought of the divine appointments of God and the fact that with God there are no accidents! Simeon had a “divine appointment”, he had a “God wink”, if you want to put it that way! It was no accident that for years Simeon had been diligently studying the Old Testament Scriptures and the prophecies concerning the Messiah. It was no accident at this exact time in history he lived close by and near the temple in Jerusalem. It was no accident that he was in the courtyard of the temple the very morning that Joseph and Mary walked in with the baby Jesus!   The passage before us today leaves us with no doubt that it was the Holy Spirit who directed all these events. The Holy Spirit directs Simeon's eyes to see them, and the Holy Spirit reveals that the Baby is the Messiah! This is even more amazing when you remember that most of the Jews were looking for a Messiah who would come like a powerful King who would set them free from the Roman oppression.   We are initially introduced to the Holy Spirit in Genesis 1:1-2, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  When God was ready to speak the earth and human creation into existence, the Holy Spirit shows up over the darkness! Amazing! When God was ready to reveal His Son into a world after four-hundred years of darkness, the Holy Spirit shows up! Wow!   Peter tells us that the Old Testament prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit to proclaim and write about the coming Christ. “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:19-21).   Simeon first worshiped and blessed God when he saw Jesus. But now in verses 34-35, he becomes a prophet. And interesting he really doesn't give any new prophecies but simply proclaims what he had read in the Old Testament prophets! He must have recalled Isaiah 8:13-15, “The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken." (We will talk more about this tomorrow.)   In closing today, let me make an application. If we want to live a life having the exciting and wonderful experience of divine appointments, like Simeon, we need to be daily in the Word of God. We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit by living a life of faith and obedience. We need to be sensitive to and looking for the Holy Spirit leading us every step of the day. And we are promised in Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”   My friend, there are no accidents with God! Today in this world of darkness, His Spirit is ready to reveal to us where God is working, and we should be prepared to join Him! Are you ready?   God bless!

This passage from Revelation 13:1-4 paints a picture of a terrifying vision: a beast rising out of the sea with seven heads, ten horns, and ten crowns, with blasphemous names written on its heads. It resembles a leopard but with the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. The dragon (symbolizing Satan) gives the beast its power, throne, and great authority. One of the beast's heads seems to have suffered a fatal wound, yet it miraculously heals, leaving the entire world in awe and leading them to follow the beast. This healing is so profound that it leads people to worship the dragon, who empowered the beast, and the beast itself, praising its unmatched strength and invincibility. Has this beast already been described and defined in the Old Testament Scriptures? Let's find out. *****Support This Channel*****Paypal: https://paypal.me/jimivision?locale.x=en_USMonthly Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JimivisionCash App: https://cash.app/$JimivisionVenmo: https://venmo.com/Jimmy-Cooper-17 Contact KenEmail: askbible4family@gmail.com Phone: 401-47-BIBLE https://www.bible4.family Mail To:Jimmy CooperJimivision MediaP.O. Box 654Hixson, TN 37343

There's a common myth that Martin Luther cut out seven books of the Old Testament as a way to remove biblical support for Roman Catholic doctrines. In reality the early church disputed whether to include the “deuterocanon” or “apocrypha” from the Old Testament Scriptures and this debate carried on until the Council of Trent in 1545. So why did the Reformers reject books like 1-2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, and Wisdom of Solomon, not to mention additional chapters of both Esther and Daniel? And how does recent scholarship on this issue get to the bottom of this dispute? John Meade From Phoenix Seminary joins us to shed light on this controversy by looking at early church canon lists and little known facts about the Reformers, Trent, Augustine, Jerome, and the significance of the collection of OT Greek translations called the “Septuagint”. Show Notes John's Books: Scribes and Scripture: https://a.co/d/eW0vPYT The Biblical Canon Lists From Early Christianity: https://a.co/d/ettaa2R Support us on Patreon Website: thatllpreach.io IG: thatllpreachpodcast YouTube Channel

Daily Dose of Hope August 22, 2024 Day 5 of Week 21   Scripture:  2 Samuel 24; I Chronicles 21; Romans 4   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church Bible reading plan.  Hope you are having a great day!  Please know I pray for all of you.  If you need anything, please don't hesitate to reach out.   We are starting today with 2 Samuel 24.  This is the final chapter of this book.  But don't worry, the story is far from over and we will pick it up soon in I Kings.  Today, we read that the Lord is angry with Israel so he incites David against them.  We don't know why God is angry, but it is most likely due to a violation of the Torah.  Thus, David becomes angry with his people and demands that a census be taken of the fighting men.   Joab, his commander, protests.  Why was a census a big deal?  Afterall, we do a census in the U.S. every ten years.  At that time, numbering the people would have been some kind of metric of the Lord's favor.  It had the potential to lead to pride and self-aggrandizement.  But there was more.  In the Old Testament Scriptures, you generally only counted what belonged to you.  By David counting the people, it would have been a statement of sorts that the people belonged to David rather than God.   David overrules Joab and the men of fighting age are counted.  There were 800,000 in Israel and 500,000 in Judah, quite impressive numbers.  But the census greatly displeased God.  Maybe God saw it as David overstepping his authority or David became too prideful.  We really don't know.  What we do know is that God is angered and wanting to punish the nation of Israel.  David is repentant and builds an altar to the Lord.  However, that doesn't mean that the consequences would be reversed.   This made me reflect on our own sin.  How often have we been repentant for things we've done and cried out to God?  We know that God forgives us but that does not reverse the consequences of our sin.  Sin always has consequences.  Over and over and over again humanity has to learn this lesson.   I Chronicles 21 provides us with more lists!  Have you missed them?  Here, we read about the divisions and descendants of the priests and the Levites.  Remember, the intention was to create a monument to these men and their families who served the nation of Israel before the exile.      Our New Testament passage is Romans 4.  This is an interesting chapter.  Paul clearly wants his Jewish listeners to know that justification by faith is not a new concept, but there is actually a precedent in the Old Testament.  He wants his Gentile listeners to know that they have a rich spiritual heritage when they believe in Jesus, as the Old Testament attests to this salvation.  Paul highlights Abraham and David, two great men of faith, to demonstrate that even under the old covenant, people were saved by faith rather than by works.   Paul discusses Abraham's faith. Abraham believed, against all hope and even though it was a crazy thought, that he would become a father in his old age and even become the father of many nations.  Sarah was something like 100 years old.  This was not a reasonable thing to believe!  Despite some mishaps along the way (think Hagar and Ishmael), Abraham had faith that God would do what God said he would do.  It was Abraham's faith, rather than his adherence to the law (works), that God credited him as righteous.     It is also our faith, specifically our faith in Jesus Christ and belief that he died for our sins and was resurrected, that God credits us as righteous.  To be righteous means to be in right standing with God.  Let's be clear.  We are not righteous at all on our own merit.  Rather, because of Jesus, we are credited as righteous.  We essentially get to hang on Jesus' righteousness coattails and I am so very glad for it!   Enjoy your two days off or use them to catch up.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Friday, 16 August 2024   and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” Matthew 2:15   “And he was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled, having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt, I called my Son'” (CG).   The previous verse noted that Joseph arose from his sleep and took the Child and His mother and withdrew to Egypt. The narrative now continues with, “And he was there until the death of Herod.”   In these words, is a word found only here in Scripture, teleuté, translated as “death.” It signifies a finishing or an end. In this case. It is the termination of Herod's life. As for the event itself, there is a problem with the dating that is explained by Albert Barnes –   “Herod died in the thirty-seventh year of his reign. It is not certainly known in what year he began his reign, and hence it is impossible to determine the time that Joseph remained in Egypt. The best chronologers have supposed that he died somewhere between two and four years after the birth of Christ, but at what particular time cannot now be determined. Nor can it be ascertained at what age Jesus was taken into Egypt. It seems probable that he was supposed to be a year old (see Matthew 2:16), and of course the time that he remained in Egypt was not long. Herod died of a most painful and loathsome disease in Jericho.”   Because of the unsurety of the matter, a general timeframe of a few months to a couple of years is the general consensus. As for the time in Egypt and their return to Israel, Matthew next says, “that it might be fulfilled, having been spoken by the Lord through the prophet.”   Matthew is stating that God foresaw the events and spoke of them in advance, using the prophetic word to provide His people with assurance that what came to pass was a part of His unfolding plan.   In other words, the dream that Joseph had, the flight to Egypt, and then the return from Egypt wasn't something that occurred on the spur of the moment. Rather, it was intended to occur so that God could fulfill His own word concerning certain matters. As for what was spoken through the prophet, He was “saying, ‘Out of Egypt, I called my Son.'”   The words are a general citing of Hosea 11:1 from the Hebrew text –   “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”   Matthew saw in the verse from Hosea a parallel to what happened to Jesus. None of the surrounding text follows this thought, and yet, it is repeated by Matthew because of the understanding that what happened to Israel as a type is fulfilled in Jesus, who is the Antitype.   Israel went down to Egypt (Genesis 46:3). Israel was called out of Egypt by the Lord (Exodus 3:8). Israel is the Lord's firstborn son (Exodus 4:22).   Likewise, Jesus went down to Egypt. He was called out of Egypt by the Lord. Jesus is God's only begotten Son.   The parallels between Israel and Egypt are seemingly innumerable. As one travels through the Old Testament, Israel is given as a type of the coming of Christ Jesus again and again. They are equated to a vine, while Jesus says He is the true vine. They were to be a sort of light to the nations, while Jesus says that He is the Light of the world. The temple was the place where God would dwell among His people. Jesus is the true Temple and dwelling place of God. On and on throughout Scripture, such patterns are seen.   But not all of them are explicitly highlighted in the New Testament. Rather, in citing the words of Hosea as Matthew did in this verse, it is a call for those who read Scripture to look for other such connections as well. Christ Jesus is thus the fulfillment of what Israel anticipated. In understanding this, and in looking for types and pictures from the Old Testament Scriptures, we can gain a fuller understanding of the Person and work of Jesus as detailed in the New.   Life application: One of the things about properly elicited typology from the Old Testament is that it helps settle what is to be considered sound theology in the New. In other words, it is argued in the church whether there is still a role in the world for Israel the nation or has the church replaced them, thus becoming “spiritual Israel.”   In properly understanding types and pictures from the Old Testament (such as Genesis, Joshua, Judges, Esther, etc.) it becomes perfectly clear that Israel the nation has a future role in redemptive history. Are dispensations a valid interpretation to be derived from Scripture or are they later-derived false machinations of incompetent scholars? The answer can be found in the types and pictures of the Old Testament.   Again and again, types are given to help us to understand what is considered proper concerning New Testament theology. The obvious question may be, “Why don't we just get that from the New Testament?” But the answer is obvious. How many denominations are in agreement on almost any major doctrine? Very few.   This is because of biases, a lack of discernment, a lack of applying proper context, and so forth. Unfortunately, these differences exist, not because God's word is confused but because we are. In every aspect of theology, there is one correct avenue. Old Testament typology, when rightly considered, will help clarify which avenue is proper.   Lesson: Read your Bible – both testaments. Read it often, meditate on it always, and consider what you are reading. It is a unified whole that has been given to us to know our Creator and what is pleasing to Him. Read your Bible.   Lord God, give us the wisdom and the desire to want to know You more. We have a short span in this life to pursue You and to refine our thinking concerning You. Forever is a really long time, and that is how long we will have to be in Your presence. And so, help us to strive for the eternal now, even while we are living out this temporary, trying existence. Amen.  

Yesterday we mentioned how that God speaks to His people and calls them while they are busy doing their daily task. Zacharias was busy at his appointed duty as a priest. In the previous verses we also read that he and his wife Elizabeth both were “righteous before God”. They were blessed with this testimony by being faithful to fulfill “commandments and ordinances of the Lord” in every aspect of their daily lives and in their worship of Jehovah. They were also “blameless” (v. 6). Not only did they have a testimony before the Lord, but they also had a testimony before the world around them.   What is amazing about this is as you study the Gospel accounts of the times in which Zacharias and Elizabeth lived, there was rampant corruption everywhere and especially in the religious world. Most of the leaders of the priesthood and religious teachers of Jesus day were very corrupt and misusing their position for both political and financial gain. Jesus accused them of turning the House of God into a den of thieves. I believe that Zacharias and his wife prayed daily for the Messiah to come in fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. Their faith in His coming led them to live holy and “blameless” lives despite the corruption around them.   And God richly rewarded their faith and godly lives! May the Lord help us to do the same in these days of darkness! I love how verse 8 begins the next section of Scriptures, “So it was, that while….”! This when God does a supernatural miracle! “An angel of the Lord appeared to him…” (v. 11). Luke mentions angels twenty-three times in his Gospel. In Revelation 5:11 we read that there are innumerable angels, but only three of which are actually named in Scripture: Michael (Dan. 10:13, 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7), Gabriel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26), and Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12). In Scripture, Michael appears to be a “warrior angel”. Gabriel appears to be a messenger angel. And Lucifer is a fallen angel who becomes know as the devil or Satan.   When Gabriel appeared by the altar, Zacharias was frightened, for the angel's appearance could have meant divine judgment. Gabriel assures Zacharias that he doesn't need to be afraid because he is a bearer of good news. "Fear not" or “Do not be afraid”, is a repeated statement in the Gospel of Luke (1:13, 30; 2:10; 5:10; 8:50; 12:7, 32). Imagine how excited Zacharias must have been when he heard that he and Elizabeth were to have a son! “Many will rejoice at his birth” (v. 14). "Rejoicing" is another key theme in Luke, mentioned at least nineteen times. Good news brings joy!   Gabriel instructed him to name his son John ("Jehovah is gracious") and to dedicate the boy to God to be a Nazarite all of his life (Num. 6:1-21). He would be filled with the Spirit before birth (Luke 1:41) and would be God's prophet to present His Son to the people of Israel (see John 1:15-34). God would use John's ministry to turn many people back to the Lord, just as Isaiah had promised (Isa. 40:1-5).   Today, these verses should encourage and remind us that our prayers may be answered very unexpectedly (v. 13). When the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, for thy prayer is heard," it was to him staggering news, although he had been praying many long years that a son might be given them. They were both now "well advanced in years" (v. 7), suggesting that he had continued this prayer long after the expectation had died away. If the Lord lays it on the heart to continue in prayer for any definite thing, is this not in itself an evidence that He desires so to bless us?   This also reminds us that the Lord is able to do far above what we ask. Zacharias not only would have a son born to him, but that son "would be great in the sight of the Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 15). God is not unfaithful. Wait on the Lord. Though the vision tarry, wait. (Habakkuk 2:3).   Today we should pray, “Even so come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).   God bless!

Is prophecy meant to be taken literally, or is it all symbolic? And if it's both, then how can you know the difference? That's the question we're going to answer today. Because we Christians find a lot to argue about on the subject of prophecy. How can we know if the Israel of today is the fulfillment of prophecies in Old Testament Scripture? How can we know if the Millennium is something future or something happening now? How can we know if it is 1000 actual years?It's the “how-can-we-know” questions that I want to settle for you today. And the best way to understand how future prophecy should be interpreted is to examine how past prophecy was fulfilled. And you'll learn about that today on the Cross References podcast.0:00 - The Taylor Test4:45 - v1-7, Thus Says the Lord9:15 - v8, Timing of the Return20:05 - v9-15, Restoration of the Land26:30 - Closing ThoughtsIf you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com

Saturday, 20 July 2024   Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. Matthew 1:13   “And Zerubbabel begot Abiud, and Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor” (CG).   The previous verse ended with, “and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel.” Matthew's genealogy leading to Israel's Messiah now continues with, “And Zerubbabel begot Abiud.”   This listing does not match that of 2 Chronicles 3, which says –   “The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, 20 and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed—five in all.” 2 Chronicles 3:19. 20   From this list, it is believed by some that Abiud is the same as Hananiah in that genealogy. John Gill thinks he is the same as Mushullam. Either way, the reason for the variance in names is that someone “...might have two names; nor is this unlikely, since it was usual, especially about the time of the Babylonish captivity, for men to have more names than one, as may be observed in Daniel and others, Daniel 1:7 where they went by one, and in Judea by another” Gill.   The list continues with “and Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.”   Neither name is listed in 2 Chronicles. None of the names from this point on are recorded in Old Testament Scripture because of the dating of 2 Chronicles which ends prior to the intertestamental period.   Of this record, Bengel says –   “Hiller explains in his Syntagmata, pp. 361, sqq., where he shows, that the Jews acknowledged the genealogy in the said passage of Chronicles to be that of the Messiah: nor, indeed, was it necessary that any other genealogy should have been carried further down there than that of the Messiah. There can, therefore, be no doubt but that the passage in question was particularly well known to the Jews; and there was, consequently, the less need that St Matthew should repeat it in extenso. In this generation, then, concludes the scripture of the Old Testament. The remainder of the genealogy was supplied by St Matthew from trustworthy documents of a later date, and, no doubt, of a public character.”   Life application: The genealogical records in the Old Testament were meticulously maintained, but they didn't account for differences in names at the time when two names were used. They simply listed a name and continued on. As such a lot of research is often needed to know who is being referred to. At times, speculation must be made.   An example of one person with two names is found in the sons of Saul –   Ner begot Kish, Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Esh-Baal.” 1 Chronicles 9:39   The son named Esh-Baal is the same as Ishbosheth recorded in 2 Samuel 2:8. Likewise, the son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth of 2 Samuel 4:4 is called Merib-baal in 1 Chronicles 8:34. These things can be deduced from the surrounding text within the narratives at times, but the point is that people being given two names is not unusual, nor is it something that is always noted.   As noted above, Daniel and the three men noted with him in Daniel 1:7 were given new names when they were exiled to Babylon. If their names were recorded, normally only one would be maintained in a particular genealogy. This makes things both difficult and, at times, completely unsure. However, in the Bible, there is enough information for us to be certain that Jesus is the Messiah. Even with a difficult genealogy to consider, innumerable other clues point both to the timing of His coming and the role He would fulfill.   Let us be confident that we have a sound and reliable record of what God intends for us, even if we do not have all the answers to various genealogical difficulties at this time.   Heavenly Father, thank You for Your word which gives us great insights into what You have done and continue to do in the stream of history to bring us back to Yourself. Above all, thank You for Jesus who is so prominently on display in the pages of the Bible. We have every assurance that we are following You properly when we choose to follow Jesus. Amen.

In Episode 150 of Theology In Particular  Dr. Richard Barcellos joins me one more time to talk about the scope of Scripture. This is now the fourth conversation we have devoted to this topic. In the first, Dr. Barcellos introduced the principle that Scripture has a scope, focus, or bullseye. In the second, Dr. Barcellos walked us through some passages in the New Testament to demonstrate that Christ and his Apostles interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures – the law, prophets, and Psalms – as having ultimate reference to Christ. In the third conversation, we look at 1 Peter 1:10-12 to further prove the point. In this fourth and final episode on the topic, we will consider Colossians 1:12-14.  Contact:For information about International Reformed Baptist Seminary, go to irbsseminary.org. For feedback, questions, or suggestions, email Joe Anady at tip@irbsseminary.org. 

In Episode 149 of Theology In Particular  Dr. Richard Barcellos returns to talk about the scope of Scripture. This is now the third conversation we have devoted to this topic. In the first, Dr. Barcellos introduced the principle that Scripture has a scope, focus, or bullseye. In the second, Dr. Barcellos walked us through some passages in the New Testament to demonstrate that Christ and his Apostles interpreted the Old Testament Scriptures – the law, prophets, and Psalms – as having ultimate reference to Christ. Here in this third conversation, we look at 1 Peter 1:10-12 to further prove the point. Contact:For information about International Reformed Baptist Seminary, go to irbsseminary.org. For feedback, questions, or suggestions, email Joe Anady at tip@irbsseminary.org. 

Most of us recognize Israel's importance in the Old Testament Scriptures, but we often fail to recognize Israel's importance in God's plans for today. In today's episode, discover how God intends to use His covenant people in the here and now.   Visit our website at DiscoveringTheJewishJesus.com

Hebrews 10 - 1:15 . Hebrews 11 - 8:02 . Hebrews 12 - 16:13 . Hebrews 13 - 21:58 . Psalm 28 - 26:18 . Psalm 29 - 27:51 . The author of Hebrews continues to reference Old Testament Scripture to make a defense for the superiority of Christ over all things. The earthly tabernacle is but a shadow of the heavens, where Christ serves as great high priest. He has made a superior sacrifice, shedding His own blood rather than that of goats, bulls, or rams. He oversees a new covenant, where the law is written on the hearts and minds of those who trust in Him. Men and women of faith who came before Him were waiting for the promise of His coming. In Him, we haven't come to Mt Sinai, but Mount Zion, where Christ intercedes on our behalf.  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Hebrews 1 - 1:13 . Hebrews 2 - 3:54 . Hebrews 3 - 8:05 . Hebrews 4 - 11:03 . Hebrews 5 - 14:25 . Psalm 24 - 17:00 . Psalm 25 - 18:32 . Now that we've completed the book of Leviticus, we're jumping into the book of Hebrews, a book that emphasizes Jesus' role as a better great high priest and a better Sabbath. While the writer of the book of Hebrews remains unknown, we do know that this writer can quote the Old Testament Scriptures at length and is very polished in his ability to write and to reason. This letter is unique, as it has no greeting and seems to be directed specifically toward Jewish believers. In today's passage, the writer argues that Jesus is greater than angels, greater than Moses, a better rest than the Sabbath day, and a better high priest. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org