If You Would Suffer with Patience

"If you would suffer with patience the adversities and miseries of this life, be a man of prayer. If you would obtain courage and strength to conquer the temptations of the enemy, be a man of prayer. If you would mortify your own will with all its inclinations and appetites, be a man of prayer. If you would know the wiles of Satan and unmask his deceits, be a man of prayer. If you would live in joy and walk pleasantly in the ways of penance, be a man of prayer. If you would banish from your soul the troublesome flies of vain thoughts and cares, be a man of prayer. If you would nourish your soul with the very sap of devotion, and keep it always full of good thoughts and good desires, be a man of prayer. If you would strengthen and keep up your courage in the ways of God, be a man of prayer. In fine, if you would uproot all vices from your soul and plant all virtues in their place, be a man of prayer. It is in prayer that we receive the unction and grace of the Holy Ghost, who teaches all things." —St. Bonaventure.

Oxymoron Jesus

"Let anger be guarded against. But if it cannot be averted, let it be kept within bounds. For indignation is a terrible incentive to sin. It disorders the mind to such an extent as to leave no room for reason. The first thing, therefore, to aim at, if possible, is to make tranquility of character our natural disposition by constant practice, by desire for better things, by fixed determination."—St. Ambrose.

Stephen is Killed for His Faith (Acts 7)

• Share your thoughts and reflections on Ethnic Cultural Racial Differences between the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews (Acts 6).

1. Who are the people Stephen referenced in their historical order? What were the important events in each of their lives? [Persons Stephen spoke about in Acts 7]
1. The Patriarchal Period (7:1-16):
1. Ac 7:2 (Genesis 12-25).
2. Ac 7:8a (Genesis 21-28).
3. Ac 7:8b (Genesis 25-50).
4. Ac 7:9 (Genesis 37-50).
2. Moses and the wilderness wanderings (7:17-43):
1. Ac 7:20 (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy).
2. Ac 7:40 (", ", ", ").
3. The Tabernacle and the Temple; the establishment of the monarchy (7:44-50):
1. Ac 7:45a (Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua).
2. Ac 7:45b (1,2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Psalms)
3. Ac 7:47 (2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1,2 Chronicles, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song).
2. What was his attitude toward his accusers (Ac 7:2a)? What frames Stephen;'s sermon (Ac 7:2, 55)?
3. Why is it important for Stephen to review this history in such detail in his "sermon"?  [Can Christians do so today?] Was he primarily defending himself? Was he anti-Law? What was his primary point (Ac 7:4, 37-40, 48-49, 51-53)?
4. Why was Stephen killed (Ac 7:51-53)? Did he have to indict/enrage them by being blunt, direct and provocative? Why were they so angry (Ac 7:54, 57-58; Jn 3:19; 14:15; 16:2)?
5. What and who did Stephen see (Ac 7:55-56)? What were Stephen's last words (Ac 7:59-60; Lk 23:34, 46)? What happened after Stephen's martyrdom (Ac 8:1-3)? Who agreed, approved and consented to killing Stephen (Ac 8:1; 6:10)? How did this affect him (Ac 8:3; 22:20)?

Jealousy, Life, Obedience & Joy (Acts 5).

Ethnic Cultural Differences (Acts 6:1-15)

1. Who are the Hellenists and the Hebrews (Ac 6:1a)? Why were the widows among the Hellenists "neglected in the daily distribution" (Acts 6:1b)? Does sin rear its ugly head even in the healthiest church? How? Who might we be inclined to favor or side with?
2. Why shouldn't the twelve Apostles neglect the word of God and serve tables (Acts 6:2; Jn 6:63; 17:17; 2 Tim 3:16; Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:12-26)? Should teachers only teach (Ac 6:4; Ac 18:1-3; Jn 13:13-15)?
3. Who chose the seven men (Ac 6:3a)? What were the 2 criteria for these 7 deacons (Ac 6:3b)? Why "seven"? What is peculiar about the names of the seven (Ac 6:5-6)? What 3 things happened (Ac 6:7)? What is meant by "a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7b)? Would this trigger greater persecution?
4. What set Stephen apart (Ac 6:8)? Who was "the Synagogue of the Freedmen" (Acts 6:9a)? Was Stephen's only gift church management (Ac 6:9-10)? What accusations did they bring against him (Ac 6:11-14)?Why (Jn 15:20; Mt 10:16-20)?
5. Did Jesus say He will destroy the temple (Mk 13:1-2)? To what extent was Jesus' prophecy fulfilled? Did Jesus say that He will "change the customs which Moses handed down to us [the Jews]" (Ac 6:14; Mt 5:17-18)? Was Stephen's sermon the longest in the Bible preached by a disciple of Jesus (Acts 7)?

Jealousy, Life, Obedience and Joy (Acts 5:17-42)

• What are your takeaways from Dr. Kevin Cassel's sermon "Jesus demands everything, but nothing more" (Mk 8:34-38)?

Tell of This New Life (Acts 5:17-42).

1. JEALOUSY. Why were the Sadducees filled with jealousy (Ac 5:17, 14-16; Jas 5:14-16)? What did they do (Ac 5:18)? Why did they have Jesus killed (Mt 27:18; Mk 15:10)? How does envy affect people (Prov 14:30; 1 Sam 18:7-9)? How do you overcome it?

2. LIFE. What did an angel of the Lord do (Ac 5:19-21a)? What is "this new life" (Ac 5:20)? How does this life come about (Jn 6:63; 8:31-32)? What did the religious leaders find out and do (Ac 5:21-28)?

3. OBEDIENCE. What did Peter and the apostles do (Ac 5:29-32)? How did Gamaliel persuade the Sanhedrin not to kill the apostles (Ac 5:33-40)?

4. JOY. How did the apostles respond to being flogged and warned (Ac 5:41-42)?

JEALOUSY is a fruit of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21), an antonym of love (1 Cor 13:4), a symptom of pride (1 Tim 6:4), a catalyst for conflict (James 3:16), and a mark of unbelievers (Rom 1:29).

• "You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?" (1 Cor 3:3)
• "The acts of the flesh are obvious...discord, jealousy...dissensions, factions and envy... I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:19-21).
• "...love does not envy..." (1 Cor 13:4).
• "...they are conceited...understand nothing...unhealthy... result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions" (1 Tim 6:4).
• " if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts... For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice" (James 3:14, 16).
  
• "They are full of envy...gossips" (Rom 1:19).
• "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones" (Prov 14:30).
• "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy? (Prov 27:4)
  
• "And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Eccl 4:4).
  
• "Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it" (James 4:11).
  
• "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves" (Phil 2:3).
  
• "As they danced, they sang: "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands." Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. "They have credited David with tens of thousands," he thought, "but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?" And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David" (1 Sam 18:7-9).

LIFE

• "Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Gen 2:7).
  
• "In him was life and that life was the life of man" (Jn 1:4). John 14:6; 3:16.
• "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life" (Jn 5:24).
  
• John 6:63; 8:31-32; 3:3; 6:35; 11:25; 17:17. " Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (Jn 17:3).
• 2 Corinthians 5:17.
• "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor" (Prov 21:21).

OBEDIENCE [Obedience to God's commands is the true sign of your love for God, and the only way you can know if you are obeying God is by knowing his Word. The joy of obedience: As we obey God's commandments, we experience the joy of the Holy Spirit. We experience God's pleasure rising in us. If you find yourself stuck in despair, try obeying the Bible's instruction to love God and others. When we obey His commandment to love one another, we are striving to live according to His Word. And what a wonderful experience it is as He fulfills his promise to give us joy through obedience.]

• John 14:15, 21, 23. Romans 1:5. Exodus 19:5. Romans 2:6-8).
• "You are my friends if you do what I command" (Jn 15:14).
• "...take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).
• "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands" (2 Jn 1:6).

JOY

• 1 Thessalonians 5:16. Philippians 4:4. Galatians 5:22. Hebrews 12:2.
• "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (John 4:32).
• "And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Lk 1:47).
• "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Ps 16:11).
  
• "...the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10).
• "When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul" (Ps 94:19).
• "Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit" (Ps 51:10).
• "I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices" (Ps 16:8-9).
• "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart" (Jer 15:16). Psalm 1:2; 119:97.
• "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17).
• "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master" (Mt 25:21).
• "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 Jn 1:4).

Voluntary Poverty

"Voluntary poverty restores to man the nobility of his condition, liberating him from vile servitude and reinstating him his noble freedom and mastery of all things. The soul is never more a mistress than when she despises them, and only then has she the more firm possession and makes the more excellent use of riches, when she gives them away or leaves them of her own free will; only then her appetite for them is best satiated, when she does not care to possess them. Then above all is the heart set free and made capable of the treasures of the Divinity, for which it is furnished by the Creator with almost infinite capacity." Ven. Mary of Agreda, Mystical City of God.

Lying (Acts 5)

1. What's wrong with Ananias keeping part of the proceeds from the sale (Ac 5:1-4)? Why did he do that (Ac 4:36-37)? What percent of your total assets belong to Jesus?

2. How serious of a sin is lying (Ac 5:5-6; Exo 20:16; Rev 21:8)? How serious are all other sins (1 Cor 15:3; Rom 6:23a)?
   

3. Why did Peter ask Sapphira and learn from her answer (Ac 5:8-9)? Did Peter kill her (Ac 5:10)? Were Ananias and Sapphira Christians? How did this affect the church (Ac 5:11)? Who are "Christians" who disobey God (Jn 14:21; Mt 7:21-23)?

4. Why did they keep gathering at Solomon's Colonnade/Porch (Ac 5:12; 2:46; 3:11)? Why did and did not dare to "join" the Christians (Ac 5:13-14)?

5. How busy were they during this time of rapid church growth (Ac 5:15)? Who were healed (Ac 5:16) Does God still grant miraculous healing today?

6. What could happen when God blesses Christians (Ac 5:17-18)? What did an angel of the Lord do (Ac 5:19-21a)? What did the religious leaders find out and do (Ac 5:21-28)?

7. What did Peter and the apostles do (Ac 5:29-32)? How did Gamaliel persuade the Sanhedrin not to kill the apostles (Ac 5:33-40)?

8. How did the apostles respond to being flogged and warned (Ac 5:41-42)?

Boldness and Courage (Acts 4)

1. Who were the 3 Jewish authorities who approached Peter and John while they were speaking (Ac 4:1)? Who were the Sadducees and what did they believe (Mk 12:18; Lk 20:27; Mt 22:23)? What upset them about Peter's preaching (Ac 4:2-3)? Why do those in positions of power feel threatened by those with a Spirit of power (Mk 10:42-44; Ac 1:8; 2 Tim 1:7)?
2. What did those who heard the message believe (Ac 4:4; 3:13-16, 17-26)? Why is "salvation ... found in no one else" (Ac 4:12; Jn 14:6)? Why is this exclusive claim controversial and hard to embrace [for unbelievers and skeptics]? How crucial is this claim for the church to hold on to?
3. Why were the religious leaders astonished [alarmed, angry, agitated, annoyed] by the courage of Peter and John (Ac 4:13)? What gave them their remarkable courage? How can you have such boldness and courage today (Ac 1:8; 2 Tim 1:7)?
4. Why could they not suppress their message (Ac 4:14-16, 21-22)? Why could Peter and John not obey their command to stop speaking and teaching in Jesus' name (Ac 4:17-20)?
5. What did the Apostles do on being released (Ac 4:23-24)? Why should we spend as much time praying 'after an incident' as before it? What Psalm did they quote and what were the main points in their prayer (Ac 4:25-26, 27-30; Ps 2:1-2)? How do you use the Bible in your prayer life? To aid your prayer life? What was the immediate result of their prayers (Ac 4:31)?
6. What were the after effects of their prayers (Ac 4:32-36)? What have you learnt that could help your prayer life?

https://www.bibleversestudy.com/acts/acts4-bible-study-questions.htm

https://wordlibrary.co.uk/article.php?id=327

The Breaking of Bread (Acts 2:42)

• Have we replaced the Lord's Supper with "one guy and his pulpit"?
• Have we memorialised and marginalized the Lord's Supper to elevate the role of preaching?
• Do you believe in Jesus's presence at the Supper? Should we have a high view of the Supper?

There is a particular chapel that had a communion table with a stained-glass window above it depicting the scene from the Gospels where the women visited the empty tomb. The words of the angel to the women, "He is not here!" were inscribed underneath the window. So, ironically, whenever you looked at the communion table, you could see the words "He is not here!" Does this sum up how many people feel about the Lord's Supper (or Communion or Eucharist)? Jesus is remembered, but he is not present! But that is a deficient view of the Supper; Jesus' presence is the whole point!

Paul says, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes" (1 Cor 11:26). So the meal looks forward to the Lord's bodily return and thus presupposes his bodily absence in the interim. So whatever presence we have in the Eucharist, it is not Jesus's physical body that is present since his glorified body is exclusively located in heaven.

There is no denial by anyone, including Catholic and Orthodox, that the Eucharist is a memorial meal of sorts since the Eucharist commemorates and celebrates the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. However, there is clearly more to the Eucharist than the memory of Jesus's death and reminding us that Christ is with us.

Consider the two travelers to Emmaus. They told the disciples how they met Jesus on their journey and how he was made known "to them in the breaking of the bread" (Luke 24:35). The eucharistic echoes are transparent here. Luke is evidently pointing ahead to Acts 2, where the disciples were dedicated to "breaking bread" together in their fellowship (Acts 2:42, 46). When the disciples met together to break bread, they also met with Jesus in the bread.

In addition, Paul teaches about a real encounter with Christ through the elements. Through the wine, there is a real "participation" in the blood of Christ, and through the bread, there is a real "participation" in the body of Christ (1 Cor 10:16). The Greek word for "participation" is koinōnia, meaning "fellowship" or "sharing." Plain as day, through bread and wine, we actually commune with Christ, and this communion requires an exclusive allegiance that forbids us from partaking of pagan sacrifices. The bread and wine of the Eucharist actually fosters a vertical communion with the exalted Christ and facilitates a closer horizontal relationship with fellow believers.

The other thing is that the early church quickly developed the notion of a real presence of Jesus at the Eucharist. Justin Martyr said, "For we do not receive these things as common bread or as common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's word who took on flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus" (1 Apol. 67). And Irenaeus declared, "For as the bread, which is produced from the earth, when it receives the invocation of God, is no longer common bread, but the Eucharist, consisting of two realities, earthly and heavenly; so also our bodies, when they receive the Eucharist, are no longer corruptible, having the hope of the resurrection to eternity" (Adv. Haer. IV.18.5.) Ambrose of Milan argued for divine power to change the elements: "But if the word of Elijah had such power as to bring down fire from heaven, shall not the word of Christ have power to change the nature of the elements?" (De Mysteriis, 52). The early church probably arrived at this conclusion of a real presence by reading Jesus's words of institution (Matt 26:26–29) in light of the Johannine eucharistic discourse (John 6:26–65). The question is: What kind of presence is found in the Eucharist, and by what instrument is that presence communicated to us?

In the end, some think the Reformed position is the one that has the most explanatory power for understanding Jesus's presence in the Eucharist. The Reformed view is that the presence of Christ is not mediated through the church's mutation of the elements into Christ's body and blood (i.e., transubstantiation or consubstantiation). The presence of Christ is not restricted to the believer's faith, reducing the bread and wine to a memorial. The Holy Spirit energizes the elements to convey the presence of Christ and the grace that accompanies his work (see Michael Horton, People and Place, 124-53).

Also, Calvin's words from his Shorter Treatise on the Lord's Supper are robust on this matter:

We begin now to enter on the question so much debated, both anciently and at the present time—how we are to understand the words in which the bread is called the body of Christ, and the wine his blood. This may be disposed of without much difficulty, if we carefully observe the principle which I lately laid down, viz., that all the benefit which we should seek in the Supper is annihilated if Jesus Christ be not there given to us as the substance and foundation of all. That being fixed, we will confess, without doubt, that to deny that a true communication of Jesus Christ is presented to us in the Supper, is to render this holy sacrament frivolous and useless—an execrable blasphemy unfit to be listened to. 

You read him right! No presence means there is no point and no purpose to this meal. If there is no communication of Christ in and through the bread and wine, then this meal is an exercise in futility. But if Christ is present in the bread and the wine through the Spirit, we have here a means of grace, a harvest of blessings, and a real communion with Christ.

Healing and Refreshment (Acts 3)

Acts 3-7 describes the life and increase of the early church in Jerusalem (Ac 1:8a), and the simultaneous opposition to it from the Jewish religious leaders. Acts 3-4 is a drama in 3 parts:

1. The mighty work (3:1-10). Healing of a man lame from birth.
2. The mighty word (3:11-26). Peter preaches to the crowd his temple sermon, his 2nd sermon.
3. The mighty ones (4:1-21). The bold, brave courageous and ordinary apostles on trial.

1. What do we learn about prayer from Peter and John (Ac 3:1; 2:42; 4:24)? [The temple hours of prayer were set at the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours.]
2. What was the strategy of the lame man and/or those who "carried" and "put" him daily  at the temple (Ac 3:2-3)?  Putting yourself in the place of the beggar, how would you have felt about your life?
3. Why did Peter say, "Look at us!" (Ac 3:4)? Do you feel comfortable looking at and asking beggars to look at you? What was the beggar expecting (Ac 3:5)?
4. Did Peter have "silver and gold" (Ac 3:6; 2:45)? What is the value of "the name of Jesus" (Ac 3:6, 16; 4:10)? How do you respond when others ask for help? What do you have to give them? What has Peter and John experienced over the past 60 days that has changed them?
5. How quickly was the lame man healed (Ac 3:7)? What did he do (Ac 3:8)? How did the people respond (Ac 3:9-11; 2:22, 43)? To whom did the crowd attribute the miracle (Ac 3:12)? Could God use you to be part of a miracle? Why or why not?
6. Why did Peter connect Jesus with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Ac 3:13a)? What did Peter accuse the Jews of doing (Ac 3:13-15; 2:23, 36; 4:10)? What did God do? Is this a justification for anti-semitism?
7. Were the Jews and their leaders ignorant in killing Jesus (Ac 3:17; Lk 23:34)? Who had foretold that the "Messiah would suffer" (Ac 3:18)?
8. What 3 successive blessings follow when you repent (Ac 3:19-21)? Explain these words along with refreshment that follow repentance: rest, respite, relief, restoration, regeneration, renewal.

9. What did Peter conclude with prophecies from Moses, Samuel and Abraham (Ac 3:22-25; Dt 18:15-16, 19; 2 Sam 7:12; Gen 12:3; 18:18; 17:4; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14)?

https://www.bibleversestudy.com/acts/acts3-bible-study-questions.htm

http://www.growingdisciples.org/Studies/Acts3Q.htm

The Power of Praying People (Acts 2:42-47)

The Power of Praying People (Acts 2:42-47)

• What has Jesus begun in you (Ac 1:1)? What is Jesus continuing to do in your life?

• What power [dynamis] do you experience from the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:8; 2 Tim 1:7)?

• What vision do you have for your life (Ac 2:17)?

1. What are you devoted to (Ac 2:42)? What does it practically mean to be:

• "devoted ... to the apostles' teaching" (Ac 2:42)? Are you empowered by "words" (Jn 6:63; Mt 24:35; Lk 11:28)? By truth (Jn 8:31-32)? By preaching (Ac 2:14, 22)? What is your delight (Ps 1:2; 119:97)? How does the Bible correct and train you (2 Tim 3:16)?
• Without attention and devotion to the "teaching" of Scripture, what happens to Christians (1 Tim 4:1-2, 6-8, 11-13)?
• Is there a tendency toward emotional experiences rather than teaching based on the truth?
• How would you submit to "the apostles' teaching" today?

• "devoted ... to fellowship [koinonia]" (Ac 2:42)? What do we "share in" together (1 Jn 1:3; 2 Cor 13:14)? What do we "share out" with others (Ac 2:44-46a)? What does sharing help us to "know" (Lk 12:15)?
• Without attention and devotion to the Christian community and family, what will happen (Eph 4:3)?
  

• "devoted ... to the breaking of bread" (Ac 2:42, 46b)?
• Without attention and devotion to communion and the Eucharist, what can happen (1 Cor 11:26)?
  

• "devoted ... to prayer" (Ac 2:42; Lk 18:1)? What is continuous prayer associated with (1 Th 5:16-18)? How did Jesus exemplify prayer (Lk 3:21; 6:12-13; 9:18, 28; 22:41-42; 23:34, 43, 46)? How did this influence his disciples (Ac 1:14, 24-25; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 8:15; 9:11; 13:3; 14:23; 16:25)?
• Without attention and devotion to communal prayer, what happens?
  

• "filled with awe" (Ac 2:43)?

• "praising God" (Ac 2:47a)? "enjoying the favor of all people" (Ac 2:47b).

• Ac 1:1, 8; 2:17 - "I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach..."  "...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses..."  "...your young men will see visions..."

• 2 Tim 1:7 - "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline [self-control, sound mind, sound judgment, instruction, sobriety]."

• Jn 6:63 - "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. [Human effort accomplishes nothing. Human strength can do nothing. Human power is of no use at all. Human nature is of no help. The flesh doesn't help at all. The body does not benefit anything.] The words I have spoken to you--they are full of Spirit and life."

• Mt 24:35 - "Heaven and earth will pass away [won't last forever, disappear], but my words will never pass away."

• Lk 11:28 - He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it [put it into practice]."

• Ps 1:2; 119:97 - "But his [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord [LORD JEHOVAH] [finds pleasure in obeying the Lord's commands], and on his law he meditates day and night."  "Oh, how I love your law [instructions]! I meditate on it all day long." [Law are words.]

• 2 Tim 3:16 - "All Scripture is God-breathed [inspired by God, breathed out by God] and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." {All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God's will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage." Amplified Bible.}

• 1 Tim 4:1-2, 6-8, 11-13 - "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."

• Lk 18:1 -  "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

• 1 Th 5:16-18 - "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

The Gospel in 5 (Double) Truths (Luke 24:44-49)

In Luke's version of the Great Commission, the risen Lord summarizes the gospel in 5 truths:

1. The double event: the death and resurrection of the Messiah (Lk 24:46).
2. The double proclamation: forgiveness [the gospel offer] and repentance [the gospel demand] (Lk 24:47a).
3. The double scope: "to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" (Lk 24:47b).
4. The double attestation/accreditation: the OT witness (Lk 24:44, 46) the NT witness (Lk 24:48).
5. The double mission. The Great Commission involved a double sending: the sending to them of the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:48) and the sending of them into the world (Lk 24:47, 49). The 2 missions go together, for the Holy Spirit is a missionary Spirit.

Jesus has given us a beautifully balanced and comprehensive account of the gospel. We are commissioned to

• proclaim repentance and forgiveness (Lk 24:47) on the basis of him who died and was raised (Lk 24:46),
• to all humankind [Gentiles and Jews] (Lk 24:47b),
• according to the Scriptures [OT, NT] (Lk 24:44, 46, 48),
• in the power of the Spirit given to us (Lk 24:49).

Reference: John Stott, Through the Bible Through the Year. Daily Reflections from Genesis to Revelation. 2006.

What the Holy Spirit Does (Acts 2)

What the Holy Spirit Does for You (Acts 2).

• In the past week how much time have you spent reflecting on Christ and Scripture? Based on Acts 1,
• what has Jesus begun in you (Ac 1:1), and
• what are ways that you can be a "witness" (Ac 1:8)?

1. What is "the day of Pentecost" [50th] (Ac 2:1; Exo 23:16; 34:22; Num 28:26; Dt 16:16)? Who were "they" (Ac 1:15)? Why were they "all together" (Ac 1:4, 12-14)?  "...in one place" (Ac 1:13; 2:46)? What is the timeline of the Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost (Ac 1:3, 9)?
2. What was the sound (Ac 2:2; Exo 14:21) [audible], sight (Ac 2:3; Ex 3:2, 4-5; 13:21-22; 19:18) [visual] and speech (Ac 2:4, 6, 8, 11) [oral] that they saw and heard? Why did this happen (Ac 1:4; 2:16-20, 33; Jn 14:16-17; Num 11:29; Isa 32:14; 44:3; Eze 36:27; Joel 2:28-32)? How is this the continuing work of Christ in the world (Ac 1:1)?
3. Why were the Jews from every nation gathered in Jerusalem (Ac 2:5, 9-11a)? What did they hear (Ac 2:6-8, 11b)? Why is this international gathering significant? How is this a reversal of Babel (Gen 11:7-9)?
4. What did Peter do (Ac 2:14)? Why was it absurd to suggest that drunkenness was the cause (Ac 2:13, 15)? How did Peter explain what happened (Ac 2:16-21; Joel 2:28-32)?
5. What does Peter's imperative, "listen to this" (Ac 2:22) suggest? What is his subject (Ac 3:13-26; 4:10-12; 5:30-32; 10:36-43; 13:23-41)? Describe the story of Jesus in 6 stages:
1. Ac 2:22--Jesus' _____ and __________.
2. Ac 2:23--Jesus' ________.
• How do you explain the paradox of divine predestination and human freewill (Ac 2:23; 4:28)?
3. Ac 2:24-32--Jesus' _______________.
• How does Peter use David's prophetic words to explain the resurrection (Ac 2:25-32)?
4. Ac 2:33-36--Jesus' ____________.
5. Ac 2:37-39--Jesus' ____________.
6. Ac 2:40-41; 42-47--Jesus' _____________.
• What are the 4 elements that characterize a Christian gathering (Ac 2:42, 43-47)?

Empowered to Witness (Acts 1)

1. Who is the author of Acts? What is "my former book" (Ac 1:1)? Why and how did he write both books (Lk 1:1-4)? What is his main theme ["Song of Simeon"] (Lk 2:30-32, 10; Ac 4:12; 5:31; Isa 40:5)? What does "all that Jesus began to do and to teach" suggest (Ac 1:1; Lk 24:19)? What happens after you are "saved by grace" (Eph 2:8-10)?
2. What is "the day he was taken up to heaven" (Ac 1:2, 9)? What were the 2 main topics of the Risen Christ "over a period of 40 days" (Ac 1:2-3)? What was his command (Ac 1:4-5)? How long did they have to wait (Ac 1:3; 2:1)?
3. What were Jesus' followers expecting (Ac 1:6)? How did Jesus correct them (Ac 1:7-8; Dt 29:29)? What is the clear evidence that you have the Holy Spirit (Ac 1:8; 2 Tim 1:7)? How does Acts 1:8 give an outline of Acts (1-7; 8-12; 13-28)?
4. How is the ascension a watershed moment (Lk 24:51; Ac 1:9)? What's wrong with Jesus' followers "looking intently up into the sky as he was going" (Ac 1:9)? What should they know about "this same Jesus" (Ac 1:11; Lk 9:26; 17:24; 21:27)? In the meantime, what should they be doing instead (Ac 1:8)?
5. How far away were the apostles from Jerusalem (Ac 1:12)? Where did they gather and who were they (Ac 1:13)? What did they do (Ac 1:14)? How important is this (Lk 18:1; 1 Th 5:17; Jas 1:5)?
6. What was the immediate problem that needed to be addressed (Ac 1:15-17)? What is the tragedy regarding Judas (Ac 1:18-19)? How did Peter resolve the problem (Ac 1:20; Ps 69:25; 109:8)? What does this teach us about Scripture (2 Tim 3:16; Jos 1:7; Ps 1:2)? What was the criteria for replacing Judas (Ac 1:21-22)? How was Matthias chosen (Ac 1:23-26)?

Who did Christ die for?

• He died for ALL (1 Tim 2:6).
• He died for ALL MEN (Rom 5:18; 1 Tim 4:10).
• He died for US ALL, for ALL OF US (Isa 53:6).
• He died for the UNGODLY (Rom 5:6).
• He died for CHRIST-DENIERS (2 Pet 2:1).
• He died for SINNERS (Rom 5:8).
• He died for EVERY MAN (Heb 2:9).
• He died for MANY (Mt 20:28).
• He died for the WORLD (Jn 6:33,51; 1:29; 3:16).
• He died for the WHOLE WORLD (1 Jn 2:2).
• He died for the WHOLE NATION of Israel (Jn 11:50-51).
• He died for the CHURCH (Eph 5:25).
• He died for His SHEEP (Jn 10:11).
• He died for ME (Gal 2:20).

Unhealthy Leadership: Alone on an Island of Recognition with Flatterers and no Frank Friends

From Katelyn  Beaty's book: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits are Hurting the Church. Celebrity--defined as social power without proximity--has led to abuses of power, the cultivation of persona, and a fixation on profits and numbers.

A top leader creates a spirit of fear around them. They demand and require – sign an NDA up front [explicitly or implicitly] – not to talk in public about what happens inside. The dynamics of the demand reveal a contrast between what's seen on the outside--during Sunday worship services and major conference retreats--and the reality behind closed doors. This elevates the persona of the leader in the church's culture. Worse yet, it stunts the leader's growth.

Such leaders attract others who gain identity by proximity to the persona/person, and who gain glory by that association. So they love taking pictures with the leader, for that elevates the person. Which means the persona intoxicates others into the inner circle – it becomes a culture of propping up the persona.

Such leadership turns a person into a persona without close relationships. Plutarch wrote an important essay on this that contrasted flatterers with frankness, the latter being what those top leaders need the most – BUT those leaders have personalities that push away frankness. Personas like this "feel love" in the adoration of the crowds, but adoration is not love. What they need are frank friends. Most of these persona types push frank friends off the stage, they discredit them, they gossip about them to others, they manipulate others to discredit them and before long the person they needed — a frank friend — is gone.

Such leaders are alone on an "island of recognition." experience the paradox of loneliness. That is, surrounded by people but no one to love or who loves them because they have become isolated from others. They "The more that people know of you, the less that people can know you."

"Character splitting" means one person in church and another in real life. In some ways this is inevitable; in another sense it becomes dangerous to personal formation. The deeper the persona becomes the more exhausting it becomes to live up to those expectations. And right here is where burnout happens. It is emotionally and psychologically exhausting to maintain one's persona when it is at a distance from one's true self.

Becoming dangerously narcissistic. "Dangerous" because narcissism and gospel Christoformity are polar opposites. Good brief sketches of narcissism are grandiosity, lack of empathy, yearning for adoration, and broken relationships. "The narcissist doesn't know who they are apart from what others reflect back to them" [which is why they are unable to take any frank criticism] and they are "terrified to step away."

Ecclesiastical loners. Local church autonomy is the magnet that attracts them because they can be "their own man" and "do their own thing" and "do what they want." They cannot be challenged or questioned. It becomes "their way or the highway." So, "if you don't like it, you can leave."

James, Annabelle’s baptism, Sep 5, 2022: Intergenerational blessing/Blessing the next generation

Before becoming a Christian, I had no idea what to do with my empty, boring and meaningless life, even though I became a doctor and came to the U.S. A quote by Henry David Thoreau intrigued me: "The masses of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I thought I was the only miserable person in the world, but this quote assured me that everyone else in the world was just as  inwardly desperate and miserable as I! But by God's mercy and grace I became a Christian at 25 in 1980 when I studied Genesis with Dr. John Lee, a pediatric resident at CCH. I discovered who I was and still am–a sinner condemned unclean, yet so loved by God that He gave His Only Son to die for me! I found my purpose of life: To live for Christ and His kingdom by studying the Bible and raising disciples–the bedrock of UBF ministry; this became what God has enabled me to do for the last 4 decades of my life to this day. During a recent 2 week road trip to 7 east coast UBF churches, an older missionary asked me, "What are you doing now?" I answered, "I'm doing exactly what I've been doing for the last 40 years." Despite the many good and bad, and the many ups and downs, my trajectory of life in Christ has not changed one iota in 4 decades.

 

God has blessed my wife Christy and I with 4 kids in 6 years (1983-1989), and with 7 grandkids with James 13 and Annabelle 11 as the 2 oldest. A few months ago James told his dad that he wanted grandpa to baptize him before going to Whitney Young. I was so happily surprised. Then Annabelle also asked to be baptized, which made me doubly happy. In processing my joy, I thank God that Christy and I are blessed to pass on God's blessing to our oldest son Sam and to our oldest grandson James and to our oldest grand-daughter Annabelle.

 

This is nothing but the mercy and grace of God. I thought of God's desire to bless not only Abraham but also all of his descendants for countless generations. Gen 17:9 says, "Then God said to Abraham, 'As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.'" God called Abraham to bless not only him but also to bless "all peoples on earth" through his seed (Gen 12:2-3). The greatest blessing is not what we get, but what we give to others. What a great joy and privilege it is that despite our sins God has given us the blessing to be a blessing to others–including our grandchildren.

 

It was a joy to study the Bible with James the last few months. He loves sports, just like his dad and grandpa. He studies well and plays basketball. He is sincere, thoughtful and intelligent. And he wants to commit his life to Christ by being baptized as he goes to Whitney Young with the verse "The Lord is my shepherd" (Ps 23:1). I told James that if Christy and I live another 20 years, we pray to see him and Annabelle pass their faith in Christ to their son or daughter. May God bless James and Annabelle's baptism as their decision to follow Jesus as Lord all the days of their life and pass it on to subsequent generations. Amen.

"Hate" Those Closest to You (Luke 14:25-35)

Bishop Barron calls the large crowds following Jesus as "The Fair-Weather Fans of Jesus (Lk 14:25-26)."

1. Why might large crowds be travelling with Jesus (Lk 14:25)?
2. What might the crowd have thought about what Jesus said to them (Lk 14:26)? How is this a "slap in the face" challenge? Why did he use such strong language (Lk 13:24-27; 14:16-20; Mt 10:37-39; 22:36-40)? 
3. What does it mean to those following Jesus to "carry their cross" (Lk 15:27)?
4. What do the 2 parabolic stories (Lk 14:28-32) tell us about what we should do if we are serious about following Jesus (Lk 14:33)?
5. What does it mean for salt to lose its saltiness (Lk 14:34-35a)? What should we hear from Jesus (Lk 14:35b)?

PRIDE

C.S. Lewis on PRIDE (How would you know if you are proud or humble?):

• "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."
• " . . . pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense."
• To test how proud you are, "ask yourself, 'How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronize me, or show off.'"
• "If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed."
• "Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call 'humble'... Probably all you will think about him is that he seems a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all."

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3 Excellent Quotes about Love

Murdoch's view of love is knowledge of the other person, or seeing them as they really are –- it involves understanding them as a person, both their positive and negative qualities. Iris Murdoch was known for her writing on morality, good and evil and human relationships. "Love is the imaginative recognition of … otherness"; and "Love is the extremely difficult realization that something other than oneself is real. Love … is the discovery of reality."

What you Do when you Pray

Pray patiently, persistently and progressively.

Judging Others is Blinding (Bonhoeffer)

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/inspiring-quotes/20-influential-quotes-by-dietrich-bonhoeffer.html

The Church in relation to the State (Bonhoeffer)

"There are thus three possibilities for action that the church can take vis-à-vis the state:

1. 1st (as we have said), questioning the state as to the legitimate state character of its actions, that is, making the state responsible for what it does.
2. 2nd is service to the victims of the state's actions. The church has an unconditional obligation toward the victims of any societal order, even if they do not belong to the Christian community. "Let us work for the good of all". These are both ways in which the church, in its freedom, conducts itself in the interest of a free state. In times when the laws are changing, the church may under no circumstances neglect either of these duties.
3. The 3rd possibility is not just to bind up the wounds of the victims beneath the wheel but to seize the wheel itself."

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Church and the Jewish Question.

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Freedom is Only Half of the Truth. Victor Frankel

Yielding or Consenting to Wicked Thoughts

"God-fearing souls who are inclined to scruples think that every wicked thought that enters their mind is a sin. But it is not the wicked thoughts in themselves that are sins, but the yielding or consenting to them. Wickedness consists in the perverse will that deliberately yields to sin with a complete knowledge of its wickedness with full consent. St. Augustine teaches that when the consent of the will is absent, there is no sin. However much we may be tormented by temptations, the rebellion of the senses, or the inordinate motions of the interior part of the soul, as long as there is no consent, there is no sin. If a person who fears God and hates sin doubts whether or not he has consented to an evil thought or not, he is not bound to confess it, because it is morally certain that he has not given consent. But some may think that evil thoughts and desires, though consented to, are not sins provided they are not followed by sinful actions. This is worse. What we will not do, we will not desire. Therefore an evil thought or desire to which we consent comprises in itself all the wickedness of an evil deed."—St. Alphonsus Liguori.

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