The Gospel is Plain and Simple

 The Gospel Plain and Simple

Book of Acts Chapter 15

What does God say about the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"? God says to keep it simple.

What upsets God the most? Changing the meaning of His words!

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 

This passage is ignored more than any other passage in all the Bible by those who want to argue over the Word of God.

People are always saying; God did not mean what He said, but God always means what He says, and God also says what He means!

While most of the Apostles were still living and even some of the family of Jesus were still living, there was a council called in Jerusalem by the first church that was established in Jerusalem.

What was the end result of this great council?

That mankind is saved by the "Grace" of God through "Faith" alone, period!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

There is to be nothing added to the Grace of God or it would not be "Grace"!

These certain men, Pharisees, were not opposing the Apostle Paul, though it was Paul they pointed their fingers, they were opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were opposed to Christianity!

If you are opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ, then you cannot be saved!

Is a ritual or ceremony necessary to be saved? No! Salvation is by "Grace".

Does each individual have to accept the whole Law of Moses before they can be saved? No! Salvation is by "Grace".

No matter how solid the Church congregation is, Satan will do his best to cause confusion in the Church.

If even one false preacher is allowed to preach in a Christian Church and he preaches a false doctrine, there will be someone in that group of Christians who then have doubt in some doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ and they will cause confusion in the Church.

1) All preachers must be screened before they are allowed to preach because some are false prophets.

2) All God's people must be settled on the Word of God and the Doctrine of Grace!

What is the "Doctrine of Grace"?

Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God toward all mankind and is displayed in His care for us.

In reality by the operations of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) exercises moral influence on man through His special revelation, that sin is restrained, order is maintained in life, and righteousness is of God.

It is by God's "Grace" those general blessings, such as rain and sunshine, food and drink, clothing, and shelter, which God imparts "indiscriminately" in what manner seems good to Him.

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 

Psa 145:9  "The LORD is good to all": and his tender mercies are over all his works. 

This same Grace and goodness of God extends to all mankind.

God does not play the "bias" or the "race" game!

Those that believe that God has a part in all the bad things that go on in this world should know that God is good to all people!

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

 It is the "Goodness" of God that allows the "Grace" of God, so there can be only one Savior.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

It is the same Holy Spirit who holds back the unrelenting sin in the world until all mankind gets an opportunity to be saved!

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

When the Holy Spirit is removed at the Rapture of the Church, then the "Grace of God" will cease for seven years and those who rejected the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ will begin to understand just what "Grace" meant.

The "Grace of God" is an opportunity for us to claim God's "Goodness"! We may not have this opportunity for very much longer!

"Grace" involves the truth of the Word of God!

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

In our Chapter today we get to see the first battle of Satan trying to make a mockery of God's Grace.

We get to see how "legalism" first stuck its ugly head up trying to enter the Church and it did.

*****Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 

If legalism had infiltrated the early Church the whole character of Christianity would have been changed and the Church would certainly have failed!

Legalism destroys the love of God!

Gal 5:2  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 

Gal 5:3  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 

Gal 5:4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 

Gal 5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

Gal 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

1) There had already been problems with the unbelieving Jews and we will see this continue.

2) There had already been problems with unbelieving Gentiles and this will continue and we see that it has.

3) Now we get to see problems within the Church by members who get confused by false preachers.

Confusion destroys churches!

The Church began to have problems between the Jews and the Gentiles.

These Jews, these Pharisees, had accepted the true Messiah, the Savior of the world but under the one condition that the Gentile nations would become Jews.

Judaism is full of "ritual" and "ceremony". In Christianity, salvation is by "the "Grace" of God with no ritual and no ceremony.

Even today this false doctrine still creates havoc in many churches!

These men from Judea came to the Church in Antioch Syria and mixed with true believers and taught their own ideas because these ideas are not in the Word of God.

There are far too many false preachers today who preach their own ideas of salvation and who reject salvation is an act of God's Grace.

We are wrong to teach any doctrine not in the Word of God! 

We are wrong to listen to the doctrines of some man!

God has made sure that a Bible is available to every Christian so we can know the Word of God ourselves!

These false preachers and false teachers were Pharisees so, they were well versed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, but the New Testament was just being written as the Church grew.

The Apostle Paul wrote about half of the New Testament, with the Apostle John and Luke both writing a good bit of the New Testament and a few other writers including Peter, Jude, and James both the stepbrothers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If what these men said was considered to be important, it would certainly cause confusion in this young Church and they would certainly be upset.

It is these things that cause churches to split and many have over these very things.

Legalism can destroy the Church!

When we feel like our eternal fate is at stake, we can get confused if we ignore "salvation by Grace".

Notice, these men did not say the all Christians should undergo these rituals to be obedient to Scripture, or to please God, or to the please the Church, or to show your love for God, or some other things.

These men said we must all go through these rituals and be circumcised "to be saved"!

They said it was these rituals that brought salvation and not the "Blood of Jesus Christ".

God's "Grace" plus any ritual is false teaching.

God's "Grace" plus man's own hand is false teaching.

God's "Grace" plus man's own work is false teaching.

God's "Grace" plus anything is false teaching!

Grace saves us, because of God's love!

God's love brings God's "Grace".

Circumcision was only a "physical sign" that a Jewish man was a follower of the One True God.

It was a "sign" that Jewish man believed the promises God made to Abraham and to Israel.

Circumcision is just "a sign" and has no salvation value!

Faith had to come before circumcision!

Rom 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 

Rom 4:12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

Even Abraham had faith before he was circumcised!

The Jews made much more out of circumcision than God intended, and this is what ritual and ceremony can cause.

Circumcision was never a sign of righteousness!

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Col 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 

Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 

Any man, woman, or child, who is "Born Again" by the Spirit of God, then become God's New Creatures!

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

God saves only those whose, body, mind, and soul, are focused upon His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Baptism is just being obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ and has nothing to do with salvation!

We are all baptized by the Holy Spirit to be "Born Again"!

Every Christian must stand up against any teaching that goes against salvation by the "Grace" of God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Many of the Jewish converts were still zealous for the Law.

In reality, the Laws given to the Jews are good to live by.

The Ten Commandments are still considered the moral law and we should observe them.

The Jews were given 613 laws that pertained to every facet of their lives and those laws have not been rescinded.

These laws were given to the Jews and God has never said they would lead to salvation!

It is true that if someone could keep all 613 of these laws, they would be considered righteous, and righteousness is part of salvation.

The fact is, that there has never been a single human being that has kept all 613 of those laws and to break even one brings the sentence of death.

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only person who kept all 613 of those laws, proving His own righteousness.

Because most of the Apostles were still alive at this time and still in Jerusalem, then Jerusalem was the place where these things would be settled.

We should understand that this issue was critical to Paul because he was the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul's commitment to the Lord would not allow him to waste time in useless argument and neither are Christians to argue the Word of God with non-believers!

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 

There must never be useless arguments over what God has said!

2Pe_1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

All arguments over what God has given to us in His Word are useless!

The Church at Antioch was not seeking for the Church at Jerusalem to enlighten them on the Doctrine of Salvation, they already knew where they stood and this church would have separated itself from the church at Jerusalem rather than give in to false doctrine!

The Church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas:

1) Because all the Apostles needed to be on the same page.

2) If the Apostles agreed it would carry a great weight in spreading the Gospel.

3) A declaration by the Church at Jerusalem would provide a great weapon in evangelism.

Many rituals were observed at the Church at Jerusalem because it was a church full of converted Jews, but if the Church would reject ritual salvation with a strong verdict, then salvation by "Grace" alone would be greatly strengthened.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 

Titus, a Gentile did travel with Paul and Barnabas and Titus completely understood the outcome of this council was particularly important.

The Church won this first battle because the Church adhered to the truth of God!

The Church can win every battle if we all just cling to the truth of the Word of God!

As Paul traveled to Jerusalem he preached in as many churches as he could.

*****Act 15:3  And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 

It is important for us to consider that when the new Churches had witnessed the preaching of the Apostle Paul they knew they needed to use great effort to keep him preaching in as many places as possible.

It is the same for any church that has a great preacher, that church needs to help in getting his sermons to as many other places as possible.

We do this well here at Gethsemane but we can still do better.

Obviously we need to help all our missionaries as best we can!

Persecution had driven many believers to Phenicia.

Act 11:19  Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 

There may have been a church there, but they were not involved in missions.

The Church at Samaria had been established by Philip and Peter, and John.

Act 8:5  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 

Act 8:24  Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. 

Act 8:25  And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. 

Still these churches were not involved with missions and were excited to hear what the Lord had done on Paul's first journey.

There was excitement even in Jerusalem.

*****Act 15:4  And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 

Act 15:5  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 

Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly enough to cause excitement in any church, it is certainly "Good News".

This excitement is what the "Good News" of the Gospel can cause.

There are always questions about the simplicity of salvation and there will always be those who reject this simplicity.

Rom_12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

2Co_1:12  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

2Co_11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It is by a lack of "faith" in the truth of God that people want to add to the Word of God!

These Pharisees who had accepted the Lord Jesus as the true Messiah was a natural result after the Scriptures were explained to them!

Once their eyes were opened to the truth of Christ they were bound to see the evidence in the Old Testament Scriptures.

If they were honest and open in their hearts, then the Holy Spirit would certainly have convicted them, and they could have been converted from Judaism to Christianity.

Christianity is not a growth from Judaism! Christianity stands alone as the only means of salvation!

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus as a fulfillment of Judaism and not a replacement.

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus as an addition to the Law and not replacing the Law.

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus as an addition to their rituals not replacing them.

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus adding baptism to the ordinances and not replacing those ordinances.

The Pharisees who had a lifetime commitment to the Law would be very slow to give up the Law!

They would be slow to accept the "righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ"!

In Antioch, the question had been "does a man have to be circumcised to be saved"?

All of a sudden in Jerusalem, the question became "does a man have to keep the whole Law to be saved"?

This is the story of legalism! 

These people are never content until they keep adding to the Word of God and the simplicity of God's Grace making a mockery of the truth of God and His Son and even the Holy Spirit who declared the Word of God to be only from God and not from man.

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

**We should ask ourselves, what can we do to gain favor with God, when we know that God is no respecter of persons. We must accept His Son.

Act_10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

When we insist in a works doctrine, we call God a liar!

**We could ask ourselves what kind of work will make us righteous when God says that none of us are righteous nor can we be, again making God a liar.

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Do we come to the Lord with or own package of works, or do we come seeking the "mercy" of God?

Do we come to the Lord to be praised for our works, or do we come to praise the Lord for what He has done for us?

Do we receive the glory of God because of our own goodness, or is God's glory given to us because of the glory He has given to His Son?

When the Apostle Paul stood before these elders and the church, he declared what the Lord had done and not what he (Paul) had done.

God will only save mankind by "Grace through Faith" because God is the only One who can accept us into His family!

What were these Pharisees doing? They were tempting God! 

"They had the gaul to ask God to declare Himself” when God has already given us His Word!

It was now time for the Church to act on these things.

The answer to these things would either stop the Church or the Church would grow in Spiritual Knowledge.

We already know that it is impossible for this world to stop the Lord's Church!

*****Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 

Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 

Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 

Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 

The Church at Jerusalem met together. The Apostles, the Elders, and the congregation, because the importance of this decision is far too important to ignore.

Notice the Apostles were not being Lords over the Church.

The Elders were not being Lords over the Church.

We see there was much disputing, so all sides were represented. No one was ignored or silenced!

The biggest problem with the Pharisees is that they had for many years been legalistic in their approach to God and they had caused much harm to Judaism.

The Apostle Peter hit the nail on the head when he said, "Why Tempt Ye God".

It is God the Holy Spirit who moves into each child of God and brings salvation to each individual.

These Jews nor these Pharisees had ever been able to keep all those 613 laws, so why would they ever demand the Gentiles to be obedient to those same laws to gain salvation.

Those old laws were never about "Righteousness".

Those laws were just a measuring stick to teach us all the path to righteousness.

Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Then the Apostle Peter speaks, and all the religious world need to listen to what he said.

*****Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

It was not the Law that saved all those in the church at Jerusalem, it was God's "GRACE" and it is God's "GRACE" that opens the door to salvation.

Peter said in so many words: "If our beliefs and hopes are the same as theirs, why should the Gentiles be urged to adopt observances which form to us no ground for our own hope of salvation".

You see it was God alone who saved the Gentiles!

It was God alone who saved the Jews!

It is God alone who can forgive sin!

Salvation can come from no other source and this "Grace" comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Cornelius and his house had believed the Word of God while Peter was still preaching and by "Faith" the Holy Spirit had moved into each believer.

No law was involved but the Law of Grace!

Only God knows our hearts.

Only God can bear witness to our faith.

Only God can send the Holy Spirit.

Only God could send the Holy Spirit to the Jews and to the Gentiles.

His name is Jehovah.

It is by "faith" that moves the hand of God! Not any ritual and not any ceremony and not anything called religion!

Peter knew that no Jew had been able to keep all those Laws and one failure brought the Judgment of God.

These Pharisees also knew this was true!

Peter knew one more thing, "Why do we question the Word of God", it is extremely dangerous to question the actions of God!

All mankind is saved in the exact same way, and this is not ever going to change!

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

There is only one salvation source for the world God created and it is by the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 

It was God alone who verified the message of salvation by "Grace" with miracles and wonders, not points and arguments!

Those miracles show clearly that God approved the message of the Apostle Paul and Barnabas.

God keeps the message of salvation simple because He does not want anyone to stand up in the Judgment saying, "God, you made salvation too difficult for me".

It is the truth that makes us free!

Paul preached to these same people on a later date.

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 

Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 

Legalism runs rampant in many a church today because “false prophets” push it.

It is only the Church who can put a stop to this foolishness by trusting the Word of God!

Amen

God's People Have Responsibilities

 Responsibilities of Missionaries

Book of Acts Chapter 14

The goal of every church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

The goal of every disciple should be to lead someone to the Lord Jesus Christ.

The goal of every missionary must be to start a new church.

The truth in every step is to make sure we keep the Lord Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, the Head of each disciple, and the Head of every mission work.

No one can care for the Church like the Lord Jesus Christ can!

At every step in mission work, we must give God the glory!

It must be the responsibility of every missionary to keep in touch with the sending church and those that support them.

There is no other work more fulfilling than the Lord's work!

There are certain responsibilities that go along with every mission work!

There are certain responsibilities that come from being a Christian!

We should understand this passage from Chapter 13 through Chapter 14 as the first great missionary journey of the Apostle Paul.

Remember Paul was not alone as Barnabas was with him and he may have picked up some disciples along the way, but I do not believe Luke was with him yet.

John Mark had departed from them and had returned to Jerusalem.

I believe we can understand that time spent around Elymas the sorcerer had scared Mark as he was still a young man and did not know what to expect from the spreading of the Gospel.

Mark became a victim of feelings and emotions.

John Mark got to see just how wicked and powerful the Devil truly is.

We know that Mark learned from these things and later became a valuable missionary in the cause for Christ.

Missionary work is not easy!

One man wrote that there are three stages of God's work.

1) It is impossible.

2) it is difficult.

3) It is done.

In this passage we see another city named Antioch, but this city is in Pisidia and not Syria. 

These are two different cities in two different countries.

This Antioch was the most important city in Galatia which is located in what is now modern day Turkey.

This same Antioch was a military center for Rome to control this area where there was much rebellion against Rome.

The major commercial route between the west and Ephesus and the Cilician cities ran right through Antioch of Pisidia.

There was now a church whose head was Jesus Christ that was started in this same city even through great difficulty.

There were enough believers in this city that it divided this city helped along by the vicious Jews that hated the Apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul was even stoned.

Act 14:19  And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. 

Act 14:20  Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 

Churches were established!

Evangelism will always have the goal that we must go to where the lost are located.

This is what the Lord Jesus did for us!

Jesus came looking for me and for you and for all that are now saved.

We will also see that once the Apostle Paul took the lead in Paphos, he continued to lead throughout this first journey.

Barnabas continued to support Paul throughout this journey.

Paul would soon be known to us as the Apostle to the Gentiles.

We can believe that the Holy Spirit was engaged in this also.

Paul made a habit of first going into the Jewish synagogues when coming to a new location before going to the Gentiles if one was there and he had his reasons and his reason was biblical.

Act 3:23  And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 

Act 3:24  Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 

Act 3:25  Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 

Act 3:26  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. 

The Apostle Paul became a preaching machine.

1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

Paul instructed Timothy how to be a Preacher in today's world:

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

We must understand that preachers are instruments in the hands of the Lord.

We must understand that true preachers are so surrendered to the cause of Jesus Christ that the Lord Jesus is able to use them to the fullest to bear witness to the "Grace of God" and His desire to save all.

In fact we are all that love Christ to be so surrendered that we want to be His servants through which He can live today inside us.

After Paul and Barnabas had completed this first missionary journey he made a U-turn and went back to each new church that was formed.

Every new church will still need some guidance.

*****Act 14:21  And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, 

Act 14:22  Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. 

The first great task of the Church was to preach the Gospel, the Good News, and make disciples.

The instruction centers upon the truth of the Word of God.

Once the missionary leaves following the Holy Spirit then that new church, that new group of disciples must depend on the Bible to instruct them.

This is why the devil spends so much time trying to discredit the Word of God.

This is also why there are now so many different versions of the Bible with most of them being perversions of the Scriptures.

Act 13:38  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 

Act 13:39  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 

Did Paul mean the laws of Moses were wrong? No!

Paul preached that salvation can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ. The laws of Moses were still good laws to live by for the Jews who they were given to.

The goal of the preacher is to make disciples and all the Word of God is important.

We must first accept that our creation was an act of God so we can acknowledge the power of God.

If God cannot create from nothing as He says, then He would hardly have the power to save.

The purpose of the Church will always be to make disciples that are usable to the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The city of Derbe was the furthermost frontier city of the Roman Empire in Galatia.

Derbe was located about 30 miles from Lystra on a road built by the Romans.

These roads built by the Romans did make it easier to spread the Gospel.

A church was established in Derbe by the Apostle Paul.

Paul revisited this church on his second missionary journey.

We should all understand that it takes a commitment to serve the Lord.

Rewards come by faithfulness!

There will be much persecution from many sources come to the Church all of which will be inspired by Satan.

We must believe that persecution will increase in these last days for it will. For some it will be much more severe than others.

Mat_5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Joh_15:20  Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

We should also understand it takes time to strengthen and make true disciples and the work of the Church is not done until this takes place.

It is a lifelong thing!

This is why the growth of the Church is not in numbers. The growth of the Church is the Spiritual strength of its disciples!

Paul clearly understood these things.

For the preacher, the evangelist, the missionary, making disciples is not as exciting as leading the lost to the Lord, but it is just as important. It requires a commitment from both parties!

1) A group of good Christians can reach far more of the lost than one good missionary.

2) It takes a good group of Christians to support that good missionary.

The Word of God is not so hard to the faithful!

Continuing in the faith means much more than just believing in Jesus!

We must believe upon Jesus! 

Every doctrine spoken to us by our Lord must be followed as He commands.

We must adhere to the written "Will of God"!

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to debate the Word of God.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to give us the truth of God and His will for us.

His first will was for us all to be saved!

1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

Some people always ask, why has the Lord not returned because this world is so evil and wicked, we see this is the only reason that we should understand and continue in the work the Lord has given to us.

It is not God's will that anyone perish in the depths of Hell. 

We do this when we reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

We must understand and teach the basic beliefs and the doctrines of God's Word!

What is the preacher to do?

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

When we know the truth, we will not so easily fall by the wayside but remain true to the "Gospel"

Every believer must know that when our job is done here upon this earth the Lord will make sure to take us to our Heavenly home and nothing upon this earth can stop this.

Joh 10:27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 

Joh 10:28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 

Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 

Joh 10:30  I and my Father are one. 

Every Church needs to be organized.

*****Act 14:23  And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Act 14:24  And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 

Act 14:25  And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia:

We must know that the Church is not a building, but it is that group who meet together in that building is the Church. In Derbe at this time they probably met in someone's home, but they still needed to be organized.

With Paul’s help they ordained elders.

Ordination means to appoint, to elect, to choose normally by a show of hands.

This is God and men choosing.

1) Peter wrote:

Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

2) Paul wrote:

2Co 8:18  And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; 

2Co 8:19  And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:

This of course was Luke who was trusted by all the different churches.

Remember those first seven deacons were elected by the Church body and appointed by the Apostles.

This is how the Church works and they are to be independent bodies of Christ, linked together only by the truth of the Gospel and the love of Jesus Christ.

The main thing to remember in this is that it is the Holy Ghost that first chooses the preacher.

Act 13:2  As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 

Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 

Every separate body of believers all belong to the Lord who purchased us all with His own blood!

Elders must be appointed according to these examples.

1) The Holy Spirit

2) The Church

3) Other preachers

Remember that we are all just instruments in the hand of God and He is still no respecter of persons and each of us are rewarded for the work that we have done ourselves.

Not only was the door of faith opened to the Gentiles but the entire world was open to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

With the organization of the church at Derbe complete for now, Paul and Barnabas moved on to the other churches that had been established to do the same thing, the choosing of elders for that particular church.

Only then could Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch Syria to tell the Church what the Lord had accomplished.

*****Act 14:26  And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. 

Act 14:27  And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 

During this first missionary trip we see some of the things that the Apostle Paul suffered.

Paul was stoned and left for dead because of certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium.

Some believe that Paul may have actually been dead and that this is the time that the Lord allowed him to view Heaven.

Notice these wicked men fell upon Paul and not Barnabas for they said Paul was the chief speaker and Paul vexed them much more than Barnabas.

These certain Jews were seditious and dangerous people.

These Jews could not bear that the "Gospel of Jesus Christ" should get started anywhere in the known world.

They simply did not understand the truth of the God that they to worshipped.

Paul was stoned by a mob without any judicial proceedings. Paul had committed no crime.

They had predetermined that Paul was not good enough to live in any city, anywhere.

Today we call this "bias" and it is "bias" that is causing most all the problems in our own nation and this "bias" is instilled by our own government!

When these things are not restrained it is very easy for them to instill evil on the other side and it is intentional.

There are now ears on both sides ready to hear and to react to anything said whether it is the truth or not.

Those that do this simply will not accept the truth of God because they do not want to hear the truth of themselves!

Paul was delivered by the power of God so he could continue the ministry of Jesus Christ.

As Paul revived, he returned to those same cities and preached the same salvation message and made many disciples.

All the stones that were thrown at the Apostle Paul could not stop him from preaching the 'Gospel".

It is more than possible that Timothy joined up with Paul as he returned to those cities after being stoned.

2Ti 3:10  But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 

2Ti 3:11  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 

God's plan is always working whether we understand all these things or not.

God's "grace" is sufficient for us all!

As we worry, even though the Lord says not to, we do not have to worry about losing our salvation.

Whatever trials we face, Christ Jesus will give us the strength to go through them and still be victorious!

All we need do is to continue in the faith!

As they returned to Antioch Syria, they had much to tell the Church and they needed a long rest.

*****Act 14:28  And there they abode long time with the disciples. 

It is always good to be back with your church family after an extended absence.

The door of the Gentiles was permanently opened but the call of the missionary is a continuous calling.

There is no entering into the Kingdom of God without faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This message will never change because it is the truth of Abba our Heavenly Father!

It is Christ our Lord who opened the door of faith and it is Christ our Lord who will keep that door open until He returns.

This is why it is called GRACE.

God's Riches At Christ Expense.

Rom 16:24  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 

Rom 16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 

Rom 16:27  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever.

Amen

Spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Missionaries Sent To Start New Churches

Book of Acts Chapter 13

The persecution of Christians had finally led the Church to obeying the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus had said:

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

The Christian Church at Antioch had launched forth a deliberate effort to carry the Gospel to the entire world.

This Church commissioned its first two missionaries to tell the world of the desperate need for the Lord Jesus Christ.

This world does have a desperate need for the Lord Jesus Christ!

His message has not changed, and His message is the same today as it was when He first walked upon this earth!

There is no salvation without the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed One of God!

Not the Church at Jerusalem but the Church at Antioch had accepted the challenge of the Lord Jesus Christ and were determined to spread the "Gospel".

As Christians this is our main job given to us by the Lord.

We all have a part to play in spreading the "Gospel of Jesus Christ".

Of the many who had escaped the persecution in Jerusalem some had stopped in Antioch of Syria and formed a new church.

It appears that instead of having one man designated as the Pastor this church had five prophets and teachers.

*****Act 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

This church at Antioch was determined to do the commandments of Jesus Christ.

This church reached out to the world of the lost to teach them about the truth of the "Gospel", the "Good News" to all the world and for all mankind.

In reality, there are thousands of Christians doing the work of Christ and the Bible cannot mention them all, but here in this passage the Bible mentions several men who were working hard in this church in Antioch Syria.

**Barnabas:

Barnabas was also called Joses.

Act 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus

We see he was also a Levite and Luke described him as a good man.

He was born of Jewish parents but he was a native of Cyprus where he owned some land which he had sold to help with the Church at Jerusalem.

It is possible that Barnabas attended the same school of Gamaliel at the time of Paul.

It was Barnabas who was selected to lead the missions at this church in Antioch.

By following the lead of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas sought out Saul (Paul) to assist him.

We also first see John Mark who was still a young man, not yet thirty years old.

**Simeon:

Simeon was no doubt a black man. Some say this was Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross for Jesus Christ.

**Lucius:

Lucius was from Cyrene.

Cyrene which is located in Northern Africa and maybe the same location as modern-day Tripoli. He was probably a poor man but very rich in Jesus Christ as are all true Christians.

There were many Jews located at this place and many who had escaped the persecution going on in Jerusalem against the Church.

**Manaen

It is said that this man who was a teacher or prophet at Antioch was brought up with Herod Antipas and was possibly his "foster-brother".

This type thing happened often in the Roman society where another child was selected to grow up a lone child of a high-ranking politician.

He was possibly educated in Rome.

**Then there was Saul.

Saul may have been mentioned last but only God knew what He was calling on Paul to do.

Act 9:15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Act 9:16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.

They all ministered for the Lord.

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

We, as a part of the Church need to clearly understand this truth!

We can see that the Church at Antioch thrived because the Church leadership was diverse and from all social classes, but they all loved the Lord Jesus Christ.

Teaching is a high calling and is one of the great callings of the Holy Spirit.

Teaching is ranked second only to the Spiritual gift of prophet or pastor.

In the New Testament most preachers were also called prophets.

A prophet is a man who has the message given to them by God the Holy Spirit.

Every prophet or pastor should also be a teacher, but not every teacher will become a pastor or prophet.

There is no doubt every teacher will give a strict account to God for his faithfulness to the Word of God.

The sole goal of the teacher is to share the glorious truths of God with God's people!

*****Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Ministering to the Lord means they spent much time in prayer and fasting to give themselves more undistracted time to spiritual things such as teaching the truth of God.

They often gathered together seeking the commands of the Lord.

When we do this we will find that the Holy Spirit will find us something to do in the power of the Church and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit had a specific work for Saul and Barnabas.

We should be able to see that if we are not faithful to the ministry we are already in, then the Holy Spirit will not give us some other work of God to do.

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Col 3:25 But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

It is faithfulness that gains the trust of the Lord to do greater things for Him!

God will only call those who are already faithful to minister the Word of God.

Those who are not faithful to the Word of God but still say they are called are not God called, but they have called themselves and are the children of the Devil.

God will only use those who sense the desperate need of the world to find the Lord Jesus Christ when He is not hard to find because He is the One who is doing the seeking!

As I write all these things down, I can see clearly how I fail the Lord!

We should understand that Paul and Barnabas were not only called to a life of witnessing for the Lord. We are all called to do this!

The Holy Spirit was calling them to a lifetime in ministry of the Lord, the special calling of the Missionary.

God does not have a retirement plan other than our home in Heaven when our time is complete upon this earth.

The Holy Spirit will only speak to us when our heart and mind are clear in the work of the Lord!

To belong to the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, is to belong to the Holy Spirit and surrendered to the Holy Spirit's use and His will.

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Prayer and fasting truly become even more important to the ministry and the call of Christ.

*****Act 13:3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

It is of an immense importance to bathe "all" the missions of the Church with prayer and fasting.

It is foolish to launch a new mission without prayer and fasting!

We must always seek the face of God before we ever seek the arm of God!

Every mission must be commissioned by the Church body!

We must understand, it was the Holy Spirit who called Barnabas and Paul and set them apart for the mission field.

They did not call themselves!

The Body of Christ must acknowledge the call of the Holy Spirit.

The Body of Christ must commit its support and prayers to those called of God to do such things.

The Body of Christ must be obedient to the Holy Spirit's leadership by allowing these men to be separated from the church at Antioch.

This laying on of the hands was not like an ordination, but was an act showing the Church was in fellowship in the ministry of spreading the Gospel.

Any so-called church that does not support missions are not in obedience to the will of God for the Church!

These two men would be an arm of the church at Antioch reaching out into the world. This is what all missionaries are.

They must go out into the world with the Blessing of God, and with the blessing of this Church, but there must always be some means of accountability.

It is God the Holy Spirit who will decide where a mission is to begin!

*****Act 13:4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

Act 13:5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

We will notice that the Holy Spirit paints a graphic picture of the problems that arise in missions and evangelism.

Seleucia was the closest port to Antioch and from this port they would sail to Cyprus.

The Bible teaches us that this was Paul's first missionary journey not Barnabas.

It is extremely important for us to know that the call to foreign missions is a work of the Holy Spirit!

The Church is to manage the local missions and also assist the foreign missions and evangelism!

Those missions that strike out without the Holy Spirit will fail!

We should not just strike out on our own in mission work. Not even local visitation should be taken on without prayer and the blessings of the Church!

This does not mean we are not to be witnesses for Jesus Christ at every opportunity as we should.

This work is already sanction by Jesus Christ Himself but all the work of the Church must be centered upon prayer and the Holy Spirit!

Paul and Barnabas were sent by the Holy Spirit and the Church was to assist in the many ways that a Church can.

We must clearly understand the leadership of the Holy Spirit is critical to every servant of God!

Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we will never succeed in any work for the Lord!

Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

The Holy Spirit will even be giving us the words to say.

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Cyprus lay in the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea. It was a place that commercial ships would stop on their journeys to other places.

Cyprus was famous for their copper mines and shipbuilding industries, but it was as a resort area that brought the most revenue to this place.

The population was of Greeks and Phoenician, but there were also many Jews.

The false goddess Venus was worshipped as the goddess of love and lusts, and immorality.

Wickedness had taken over the island and they were in dire need of the Gospel.

The Romans had now ruled this island for about one hundred years and immorality followed the Romans everywhere they went and the Greeks were not much better in this day.

Keep in mind this was the home of Barnabas.

Salamis was the largest city on the island but was not the capitol city.

*****Act 13:6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

Paphos was the capitol city of Cypress.

We should understand that from the day these missionaries landed on the Island of Cypress until they had come to Paphos, they had preached in every city and town along that route.

Paphos was a thriving city and a seat of the Roman government on this island.

Paphos was also a pagan stronghold for the worship of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. A false deity.

Cypress was great tourist attraction because of its beaches and warm climate and its cities were usually very busy with people from all walks of life.

These are places that Satan loves to get involved in.

There was a false prophet by the name of Barjesus in this city.

We should understand that if there were no false prophets, then there would be no false teaching!

Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

We can also be sure that when our missionaries preach the truth, Satan's false prophets will go against them.

It can be much easier to preach against some idea than to preach against a false prophet, especially one who is deep seated in the government.

We have this in our own government today!

Most all false prophets will reach out to the governments long before they ever reach out to the people!

Christianity reaches out to people as instructed by the Lord Jesus.

It is those Christians that should seek to be a part of the government.

Our world is full of false prophets and false ideas about God!

The is the reason a Bible translated from the original text are so important!

Notice this false prophet was also a sorcerer.

We should not doubt the Satan will be behind any power that these children of the Devil may have, and they may be able to show certain powers.

*****Act 13:7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

That term "deputy" has the meaning of Roman proconsul who the Bible says he was a prudent man.

A prudent man can be a "man of understanding" who is cautious before he acts upon things.

He possessed some knowledge of many things but at this time did not possess the knowledge of the One True God.

He was controlled more by his mind than by his feelings and emotions.

As Christians this is a good trait for us all to have.

We cannot allow our feelings and emotions to be our guide, we need the truth of God!

The Word of God is about the truth, and not about feelings and emotions.

Up until this time of Barnabas and Paul, he had been seeking the truth in philosophy, science, and religion.

None of these things will lead you to salvation!

Most all those in government will have someone like this sorcerer around them and they will trust them for answers when they are confused and this is where Satan will dominate them.

This man had a desire to hear the Word of God.

No doubt this proconsul had heard of what was going on his island and he wanted to hear it for himself.

One other important thing to mention is the fact that without believers witnessing for the Lord, no one will hear the Word of God.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

This man "Barjesus" had a truthful name.

*****Act 13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

The name Elymas has the meaning of magician and corrupter. The term Elymas was the official title of this sorcerer.

We can be sure he was more a corrupter than a magician!

Elymas was doing his absolute best to keep this proconsul from hearing the Word of God.

The name Barjesus means the son of Jesus or sone of Joshua.

The name Jesus was a name that was popular in this age.

When this man stood toe to toe against God’s missionaries, then God brought judgment against him.

It is dangerous to go against the One True God.

Mar 9:40 For he that is not against us is on our part.

Mar 9:41 For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

Mar 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

It is not Paul who put a stop to this corrupter, it was the Holy Spirit!

*****Act 13:9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

Act 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

Act 13:11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

I am sure there are things like this that go on today but the difference here is, the Church was just getting started and God was not going to allow the Devil to stop it.

Mat_16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

God will only tolerate so much sin from any individual!

When the Holy Spirit is working on an individual, He will not allow Satan to interfere with His work and Satan certainly does not have the power to stand up to God and he will always have to flee the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those under Holy Ghost conviction will get their opportunity to decide for themselves if they accept the Word of God or not!

God will not do His work of salvation any other way!

It was Sergius Paulus that had decided to hear the Word of God and God was certainly going to allow this to happen, even if He already knew the results.

The Apostle Paul knew this man Barjesus was a fraud!

This child of the Devil was an enemy of all righteousness!

1Jn 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

What do false prophets do? They pervert the right ways of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We should also note that this is the first place that Saul is called Paul.

There are many things we can determine about this "judgment" of Elymas.

1) The blindness will only be for a season, so he is given room to repent.

God is also God of the second chance and most of us know that we did not come to Christ the first time that the Holy Spirit called.

2) This was a just judgment.

This was blindness for blindness and darkness for darkness.

When we blind ourselves to the truth of God, then God may pass judgement in that act of blindness.

3) This judgment was immediate.

By rejecting the truth of God we have given ourselves over to sin!

We cannot take the right ways of God and make them crooked; God will not allow this to happen for very long.

We see much of this going on today.

Isa_5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

There are a certain group of politicians who claim to be Christian, but they still approve of the sins of our world today.

This is taking the right ways of God and making them crooked.

Their salvation is a false salvation and they need to repent.

Just as this false prophet was perverting the cause of Christ these politicians are doing the same thing.

This man Barjesus was an agent for Hell and so are all those who pervert the Word of God!

Notice false prophets are full of craftiness and malice.

One man became a believer once he knew the truth.

*****Act 13:12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

This deputy had spent a lot of time with this Elymas and thought him to have certain powers which he probably did have of Satan's power.

When he saw the power that the Holy Spirit had shared with Paul, he was amazed and astonished.

We do not know of this man's salvation other than what the Bible says, "he believed".

Tradition says this man not only helped with the spreading of the "Gospel" on the island of Cyprus but that he became bishop of Narbonne in France and was left there by the Apostle Paul as he traveled to Spain.

Mission work is doing the work that God has given us to do.

Mission work is being obedient to the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Not everyone can be a missionary, but we all can share in the responsibility of mission work in our church.

If we can do nothing else, we can pray!

It is the Holy Spirit who calls missionaries, some to foreign lands, some to our homeland, and even some to be locals but we of the church are still to do our own mission work bathed in prayer and fasting.

Today our church reaches around the world with our broadcast, our supported missions, and our church people.

This is what the Lord expects us all to do and we must continue until the Lord returns.

Amen

The Power of A Praying Church

 A Praying Church and God's Power

Book of Acts Chapter 12

Our lesson today is about prayer.

If we are truly the children of God, then we know that our prayers to our Holy God are necessary.

In its simplest form prayer is having a conversation with our Heavenly Father.

We cannot talk to our Heavenly Father unless we have God the Holy Spirit living within us for, He will not hear us.

The one exception being the sinner's prayer.

The ears of God are always open to the cries of the oppressed, especially those oppressed of the Devil. 

We will not get an answer to any prayer that is not prayed in the name of God the Son, Jesus Christ!

Joh 16:23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 

Joh 16:24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. 

Why is prayer so necessary?

Jas 4:1  From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 

Jas 4:2  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 

Prayer is the source for receiving all things from God but especially help in our time of need!

Having a good prayer life is how we draw near to God because it is by prayer, we show our faith!

Heb 10:21  And having an high priest over the house of God; 

Heb 10:22  Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 

Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 

If our faith is wavering, we will not get an answer to our prayers.

Most of the attacks we have seen so far against the Church has been from the chief priests and elders of Judaism, but today we see where the politicians have decided to join in ridding the world of the Church.

We see some of our own politicians trying to do the same thing in our nation today and all around the world.

The Kings of the Jews were appointed by Rome during this time and most all of them were wicked rulers.

This grandson of Herod the Great, who was as wicked as his father and his grandfather found that he could gain favor with these wicked Jews if he persecuted the Church, especially the Apostles.

Now when I say the Jews, I am not talking about the people but only those that hated the Church and hated the truth of Jesus Christ.

So he rounded up James the brother of John and murdered him, for James had done nothing wrong except to preach Jesus Christ.

This pleased those wicked Jews so much that Herod decided to murder Peter and he had Peter arrested.

We should be able to see that the Apostles of the Lord Jesus had been free to go where they pleased.

The politicians had to be very careful with these type things because much of the people were on the side of the Apostles of Christ.

Herod had to pick the right time to kill Peter.

Peter was guarded by sixteen soldiers to make sure he did not escape.

These four-man units extended from battle formations.

Peter may have been in prison, but the Church had determined that the best thing to do for him was to pray.

Prayer should not be the last thing we think to do but the first thing we think to do.

Prayer is our greatest weapon against this evil, wicked, world.

We must keep in mind that there was great persecution taking place against the Church and believers were afraid for their lives in Jerusalem.

The Church at Jerusalem had become an underground church meeting behind closed doors and in hidden places.

The Apostles would still go in and out of the Temple but even this was about to end.

The whole Church was praying for the release of Peter.

*****Act 12:5  Peter therefore was kept in prison: but "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him".

Prayer for Peter was earnest and it was continuous, and probably in many private houses.

Peter was guarded by sixteen soldiers, probably four at a time and around the clock. The politicians were still embarrassed about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. They had never found the body of Jesus Christ.

They either had to accept the truth or make up some lie about our risen Savior.

We might ask ourselves why the Church met in earnest for Peter, yet we do not read of the same thing for James.

The only conclusion we can come to is that it was time for James to home to be with the Lord, but it was not time for Peter, the work of James being complete.

Now we must not get confused with this James the brother of John, and another James who is step-brother to the Lord Jesus Christ who will become the Pastor of the Jerusalem Church.

Maybe the Church had not gathered for James as they had for Peter, but we know that the Lord is no respecter of persons and James would be far better off than Peter and Peter's work was not yet done.

Both of the wrists of Peter were chained to one of the wrist of two different soldiers at all times.

*****Act 12:6  And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 

We will see that Peter knew what had happened to James but even being chained to two different soldiers and more soldiers standing guard, Peter was so content that he could sleep and sleep peaceably.

The whole Church was praying.

The Church was doing all it could, praying specifically for Peter's deliverance.

The Church was praying fervently, earnestly, and continuously! 

Crying out to God for sovereign deliverance of Peter.

This is the type of praying that we do not do enough of. I know I do not and not many of us practice fasting.

Peter's only hope was truly for God to intervene!

Here on the night before he was to be executed Peter was so at peace that he could sleep even in his situation.

We see that the Lord Jesus Christ was meeting the needs of his servant Peter!

You see it is God's "Grace" that gives us the strength and the peace to endure the persecutions of this world!

We cannot face the trials of this life without the peace that comes from our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!

This is because we have confidence in the truth of God.

Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. 

Isa 26:4  Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: 

And behold the Angel of the Lord.

*****Act 12:7  And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 

Next, we see a pattern of God's miraculous work along with Peter's obedience.

Peter could not have been delivered without his own obedience to the Lord and the Lord's ministering angel!

We will notice as we read through this passage that this angel did not do for Peter what Peter could do for himself.

God will never do for us what we can do ourselves!

Peter had to obey the commands of this angel.

Anytime we find ourselves in communication with the Lord, the Holy Spirit, our Heavenly Father, or one of His angels, we need to obey any commands we receive.

We will also notice that once Peter was delivered and out of danger, he was left on his own to work out his own deliverance.

Php_2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Peter would return to the Church before seeking a better place to serve the Lord and escape the politics of Jerusalem.

Peter should seek the Lord in making any other decisions.

God's deliverance involved only what Peter could not do for himself!

We should understand that Peter was full of confidence that he would live to be an old man but Peter still had to do his part.

Joh 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but "when thou shalt be old", thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 

Joh 21:19  This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. 

We can see that Peter did not think he was old at this time.

Peter was so sound in his sleep that this angel had to awaken him.

The angels are not only ministering spirits, but they are for the deliverance of God's people.

Psa 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. 

A bright light shone in this prison though it was a dark and dreary place.

These guards who kept Peter must have been struck into a deep sleep by the Lord.

This angel awakened Peter by giving a blow to his side.

This angel helped Peter to rise up because Peter was between two guards and said "Arise up quickly" and then those chains that bound Peter just fell away silently.

Then the angel said for Peter to dress himself.

*****Act 12:8  And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 

Act 12:9  And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 

Notice Peter was told to dress himself for Peter did not know what to do except to obey this angel.

We should understand that when we are helpless then God will help us, but God will not do what we can do for ourselves.

Peter had not awoken to the reality of what was going on around him and he still felt he was just seeing a vision or as if he was dreaming.

Peter continued to follow this angel.

As we follow this story in the Bible, we must cling to the fact that all these things were happening because of prayer by this Church.

To think otherwise would be to think wrong.

When we pray and we see the results of our prayer we must praise the Lord for what He has done.

We may not see immediate results to all our prayers, and we must remember, going home to Heaven is still far better than remaining in this world.

As long as we have a work to complete, we will remain upon this earth.

*****Act 12:10  When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 

Act 12:11  And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 

We can just imagine Peter following this angel quickly through this prison and when those iron gates open under their own power, Peter began to realize the truth that he was being freed from prison.

It was only after they passed that first street in the city that Peter came to himself and this angel departed from him to go wherever the Lord would send him next.

Peter realized that none of this was a dream and that he was actually free.

Peter than fled the city because it would not be long before Herod would be seeking him again.

There is a lot of typology in this passage.

God's deliverance of His people from the chains of sin.

The slumber of the Jews to the Word of God just two examples.

Peter was now fully awakened realizing what had taken place and Peter knew where the Church might be gathered.

*****Act 12:12  And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

What do we know about this Mary?

This Mary was a sister to Barnabas.

Col 4:10  Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;) 

This Mary was also the mother of John who we know as Mark who became very profitable to the Apostle Paul after a rough start.

2Ti 4:11  Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. 

We know that it was Peter who led Mark to the Lord.

1Pe 5:13  The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 

This is the only clear mention of this Mary in the Bible, but we can see that she was a dear sister to the Church.

She must have been a widow for her husband is never mentioned,

She evidently was the owner of much property and a huge house large enough for the Church to gather safely in her home.

This maybe the place that is called the "upper room".

The best thing that can be said about this mother was the fact that she was a godly mother who helped her own her son to become a missionary.

Her home had a gate like many of the places we see classified as places of the rich.

Luk 16:19  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 

Luk 16:20  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 

*****Act 12:13  And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 

Act 12:14  And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 

Act 12:15  And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 

Peter knocked at the door of the gate and a young lady named Rhoda came to the door.

We do not know if Rhoda saw Peter at this time but we do know she recognized his voice. 

Out of her excitement she forgot to open the door of the gate and ran as fast as she could to tell the Church that Peter was free.

Peter also realized he was in great danger exposed to the people in the streets if someone saw him.

When Rhoda said that Peter was at the door, those within thought Rhoda was crazy and told her so.

It is a fact that we as the Church do not realize that God answers every prayer that reaches Him in Heaven.

Most of us do not give God the credit for answered prayers so, when we pray we probably do not pray with enough faith that our prayers will be answered.

This is what was happening at Mary's house.

Maybe they prayed for James as they were praying Peter.

The one thing that makes a prayer happen is "faith"!

Mat 17:20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 

Mat 17:21  Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. 

Someone finally goes to check to see if it really was Peter at the door and it was.

*****Act 12:16  But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 

Act 12:17  But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. 

Peter was left standing at the door, still knocking, still worrying that someone would come by and see him.

Peter was now a wanted fugitive.

As soon as the door was opened Peter stepped in. He was comforted and all their doubts disappeared, and everyone was full of joy.

Peter quickly gave an account of his miraculous deliverance.

James the stepbrother of Jesus was now the Pastor at the Church in Jerusalem and James needed to know the Peter had been freed because of prayer.

James’ father was Joseph while the Holy Spirit cause the birth of our Savior.

Mary was the mother of them both.

We all need to believe this truth!

Peter then departed and the Bible does not tell us where Peter had to go for his safety.

We should clearly understand that the Lord God of Heaven does certainly answer every prayer that gets to Him.

Our job is to live our lives so that our prayers are always answered.

God will still answer in a way that suits Him according to His plan, but He will answer.

God is not ever going to say yes to every prayer we pray.

We are not always going to get an answer that we want.

God will answer every prayer of faith at His own terms.

No matter how God answers our prayers, we are to offer our thanks.

In fact, we just as well thank Him before time, because if we are living righteously then we know our prayer will be answered.

Not many remember to give God thanks for what He has done as He answers our prayers.

Whatever God does in response to our prayers will always be the right thing to do!

God must always get the glory for everything that He does!

Peter's church friends and family were excited that Peter was free but Peter's enemies were just the more confused.

We live in a confused world today because the Word of God is rejected.

Amen

The Gospel To the World

 Gentiles Receive the Gospel

Book of Acts Chapters 10 and 11

We know that it was the Apostle Paul who was the Apostle to the Gentile world but before Paul, it was the Apostle Peter who first took the "Gospel" to the Gentiles.

God knew that Peter would have to be convinced that the Gospel was also written to the Gentiles, which means to all the world and not just to the Jews.

The Jews would have kept the Word of God to themselves if they could have.                               

This is known as discrimination. Everywhere we go we find that people are different.

People differ in beliefs, religion, speech, looks, color, behavior, status, and many other ways.

This has been true since the time of Cain and Abel.

In our nation today all these things are brought together in one word, racism.

There is only "one race", and it is the "human race" and we are all full of flaws.

In our lesson today we find that God treats everyone the same and He encourages the Church to treat everyone the same.

We all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross!

The Jews had their own laws and customs and they looked upon Gentiles with suspicion.

We should keep in mind that the Jewish people have always been mistreated, enslaved, and persecuted more than any other people upon this earth.

They had been conquered by army, after army, after army and by the millions they had been removed from their nation and scattered all over the world.

Their religion is what has kept them together all these years and their belief in the One true God.

They opposed anyone who threatened or attempted to break their laws of religion or the laws of their nation.

Instead of proclaiming God to the world, the Jews claimed God was the God of the Jews and to no one else.

All gentiles were called dogs.

A gentile could have no dealings with the Jews until they were ritually cleansed.

They would never help a Gentile to give birth for the fear that another Gentile would be born into this world.

The Jews were too stubborn to change their ways, but God was not going to allow Christianity to follow that same path.

If God could convince Peter, then all the Apostles could be convinced of this truth.

God will not allow prejudice any room in Christianity!

God had convinced Peter of all these things the day before Peter had gone to visit Cornelius, a Roman Centurion.

*****Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.  

It was the Apostle Peter who first preached to the Gentiles the means of salvation to all people.

God does not show partiality or favoritism to any person because of looks, position, or circumstances.

God has no favorites in the Church! We may think so, but the fact is God looks upon all His saved children exactly the same!

God will never discriminate between His children!

Appearance, or position, abilities, works, health, or stature do not make any person acceptable to God!

God has always said these things even throughout the Old Testament but hardly anyone paid attention to Him.

Deu 10:17  For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward: 

Deu 10:18  He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.

2Ch 19:7  Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts. 

And God does not ever change in the New Testament:

Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God. 

God simply does not play favorites!

God's love is in equal portions to all!

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

There are two things that grab God's attention:

1) Fearing God.

This fearing of God is a reverent fear of God along with an absolute fear of God.

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire. 

2) Working righteousness according to the Word of God. (To be right and to do right).

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 

We cannot just stress righteousness but we must also do righteousness.

We cannot just believe but we must be a doer of the Word.

We must walk the talk as some would say.

There are so many who claim to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior and acceptable to God, but they neglect obeying God and serving Him.

Loose living allows one to go out and do pretty much as he desires. He may feel secure and comfortable in his faith. He knows that what he does may affect his fellowship with God, but he also does not think it affects his salvation.

In reality this is false righteousness! It is self-righteousness or legalism.

There is no such thing as righteousness without living righteously!

We must obey the law of love and acceptance! God loves us and accepts us not because we do good but because we love and trusts the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

We have no righteousness in ourselves.

There are no laws that can keep us righteous and we certainly cannot judge the actions of others to try to be as righteous as they are.

Our goal is to be like the Lord Jesus Christ!

We cannot be acceptable to God without being made righteous in the Lord Jesus Christ!

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

*****Act 10:36  The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) 

Act 10:37  That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 

It is true that God sent His Word through Israel.

The Word of God is very clear that a Savor, the Messiah would arise out of the Jewish nation and from that point the knowledge of Christ the Savior should spread to all nations under Heaven.

Joh 4:21  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. 

Israel was the first nation to receive the Word of God:

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 

Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 

Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 

None of these things can be denied.

God sent the New Testament by the Lord Jesus Christ, God's very own Son.

These things being true, the Word of God was not meant for Israel alone.

The Lord Jesus Christ did not come just for Israel's salvation!

God is no respecter of persons.

God accepts people from every nation.

The Lord Jesus Christ is Lord of all!

1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

There is almost no one today who can truthfully say they have never heard some part of the Word of God!

The world still pays no attention to what God says.

Today people will tell you that the Word of God is not relevant to the world of today.

In America many say the same thing about our Constitution and the Word of God is much more important than our Constitution.

The "Gospel" of Jesus Christ has been published around the world today, it is just ignored by most of the world.

Jesus began preaching the Word of God in Galilee just after John was imprisoned.

Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 

Jesus then preached the Word of God in every city and village.

Luk 8:1  And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, 

There are no excuses for rejecting the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

There is no excuse for ending up in Hell at your death.

The ignorance of the Lord Jesus Christ will put you in Hell!

*****Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 

Act 10:39  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

Jesus Christ is the Anointed One of God, the Messiah, God's Anointed Savior!

The word Christ in Greek and the Hebrew Messiah denote the Lord Jesus as the "Anointed One" of God.

Jesus was anointed with God the Holy Spirit but he was anointed in a way that no other person has ever been anointed.

The Holy Spirit was given without measure to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joh 3:33  He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 

Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 

Joh 3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 

What did Jesus say?

Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 

Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 

Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit so that He could go about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Devil.

What are some the things the Devil will oppress us with?

Evil spirits and demons, lying and deception, bitterness and hatred, killings and wars, selfishness and greed, immorality and lust, power over death and many other things.

When we receive the Holy Spirit, the devil will have lost any and all power over us!

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

This part of the "Good News" we can witness to others about.

There is proof that the Lord Jesus did all these things.

The disciples were with the Lord for about three years and were eyewitnesses of all these things.

The Lord Jesus did not come to debate the Word of God!

The Word of God stands as the absolute truth for this world!

The Lord Jesus may no longer be upon this earth in body, but He is still working in lives today. Still delivering from the oppression of the Devil.

The Scripture speaks of at least four anointings:

1) The anointing of respect or of hospitality.

Mar 16:1  And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. 

2) The anointing for service:

Exo 28:41  And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

3) The anointing for medical purposes.

Luk 10:34  And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

4) The anointing of God's Son. (Our Scripture)

Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. 

Many of the disciples of Jesus Christ were also witnesses to His death!

Act 2:23  Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 

Act 2:24  Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Act 3:13  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. 

Act 3:14  But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; 

Act 3:15  And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. 

But God raised Him up from the dead.

*****Act 10:40  Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; 

Act 10:41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

There was no doubt that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was done in such a way that showed He had victory over Death, over Hell, and over the Grave.

The Lord Jesus appeared to a selected group of witnesses.

1) God showed Jesus openly. He was visibly, openly, and publicly seen as the Risen Lord.

2) The Lord Jesus appeared to chosen witnesses who were chosen for a reason.

3) Certain witnesses did eat and drink with Him after He arose from the dead.

Peter tried to stress that the person we know as Jesus, did die, and did raise from the dead and did have fellowship with His disciples.

Peter tried to emphasize that he and the other disciples, men and women were as closely associated with Jesus as people can be. These were all true, verifiable witnesses.

Peter emphasized that the Lord Jesus Christ actually died and actually rose from the dead and he was certain of it!

The person that rose from the dead was the same person that died. He was the same Jesus that they knew before He died!

His body was a real body, not as a ghost, but a body that could only be described as "glorified".

He was real. He could eat, drink, speak, and do all things that people do, but He could do all sort of Heavenly things also.

The same body that was buried was the same body that was resurrected!

This same Lord Jesus who they had traveled with also repeated some the same commands He had already given to them.

*****Act 10:42  And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 

Peter said we had all get it very clear, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Judge of the living and the dead of all nations and all peoples.

He will judge the Jew and the Greek and all other nationalities and He is no respecter of persons!

He is ordained of the same God that the Jews had worshiped all these years beginning with Abraham.

Jesus Christ is the One and Only Judge of all people no matter who they are or where they are, alive or dead.

He and He alone will judge all their works from the day they were born to the day they die within His creation.

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 

All the prophets of the Old Testament when they spoke of the Messiah, they were speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 10:43  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 

The Bible from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Revelation tells the story of God's Messiah, our Savior.

Peter had been convincing of this truth.

Mat 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 

Mat 16:16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

It is the believing in all these truths that He allows the forgiveness of sins.

There is no other way to be forgiven by our Heavenly Father!

So, what are the results when people hear and understand the truth of God?

*****Act 10:44  While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 

Act 10:45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Without the Holy Ghost we cannot be "Born Again".

Without the Holy Spirit we will have no power against the Devil.

Without the truth of the Word of God we will remain lost in a dying world.

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 

While Peter was still preaching, faith entered into these Gentiles and they were gloriously saved.

Hearing the Word of God is a requirement before the Holy Spirit will enter into the soul of any human.

Our "Faith" must be based upon the truth. Not just any truth but the truth of God!

Jehovah God caused the Holy Spirit to fall upon these Gentiles because they had become believers.

No man not even Peter had anything to do with God pouring out His Spirit upon these believers.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is an act of God!

They received the Holy Spirit because they received the truth of Jesus Christ and believed.

The Jewish believers who were present with Peter were astonished. They had been taught since childhood that the Holy Spirit was available to only the Jews.

They in their teachings had developed a hatred for the Gentiles.

The signs they saw were identical to what the Jews had seen on that day of Pentecost and could not be denied.

We know that speaking tongues was them speaking in a language they could not have known, probably the Jewish language as these were Greek speaking Gentiles with some knowing Latin.

This called the "baptizing of the Holy Spirit. 

Note: Even today the Jews are always seeking some sign that what God does is true. Their faith has always been lacking.

*****Act 10:46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 

Tongues is simply another word for languages.

The words of Jesus:

Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 

Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 

Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

*****Act 10:47  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 

Act 10:48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. 

Peter then challenged those Jewish believers to see if they would deny water baptism.

There could be no question that these Gentiles were just as saved as those Jewish believers.

God will never teach a lie! 

The door to the Gentile world was now opened.

It seems it was the Jewish believers who baptized these Gentile believers.

They all believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and they all became part of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

They were all baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father God said:

Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 

God the Son said:

Mat 22:9  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 

The Holy Spirit directed all these things to be written down so we would all have the truth!

Amen