Friday, October 26, 2012

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 28, 2012
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THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD
(Scripture leads to faith in JESUS CHRIST)
(Acts 8:26-40)

In the Greek, there is a wonderful sounding word that New Testament writers use for “promise”. It is “epaggelia” (ep-ang-el-EE-ah), and it is “an announcement of divine assurance of good”. In Isaiah 56:3-5, GOD promises, through the Prophet Isaiah, to pour out HIS blessings on the Eunuchs of the world, who serve HIM and keep HIS commandments, and to reward them with a special place in HIS house. It would be a memorial that would be everlasting.
In Acts chapter 8, verses 26-40, we begin to see the first signs of GOD’s fulfillment of that promise. Acts chapter 8 depicts a very significant phase in the history of the development of the early Church, as it begins to show signs of an initial shedding of its “strictly Jewish” membership doctrine and status. We see here, the Church being compelled to scatter and flee Jerusalem, as a result of the Christian persecutions that followed the tragic death of Stephen. The Church was now unconsciously taking one of the most important steps in its history, and, at one and the same time, it was discovering that JESUS’ life was sacrificed for the entire world, not just for the Jews.
When the Church was forced to scatter from Jerusalem, they also couldn’t help but take the Good News of the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST with them wherever they went. Philip, who was one of chosen seven, served in the Church at Jerusalem alongside Stephen and five other men who were full of the HOLY SPIRIT. After Stephen’s death, Philip fled to Samaria, where he preached to a group of people who were a natural bridge between the Jews and the Gentiles, because they themselves were half Jew and half Gentile in their racial descent and makeup.
Suddenly, by divine intervention, Philip was told by an angel of the LORD to go south to Gaza. Just for general knowledge sake, it may better serve development of our understanding to know that there were two Gazas. The original Gaza was destroyed in a war in 93 B.C., and the new Gaza was rebuilt, just south of the old desert Gaza, in 57 B.C. It was this new Gaza, where Philip was told to go.
Along the desert road, Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch, who was employed by the Candace of Ethiopia as the nation’s treasurer. “Candace” is the title given to the queens who ruled over Ethiopia’s governmental affairs. The king, or “Royal Son”, was thought to be above those kinds of duties, and so, the responsibilities of government were laid upon the queen. Eunuchs were used in trusted positions in the royal courts, especially those positions that involved working around the king’s wives and harems, because they were physically incapable of normal sexual functions and influences.
This particular Ethiopian eunuch, Luke tells us, was on his way back from worship services in Jerusalem. He was apparently a student of the Scriptures, and had converted over to Judaism. He was most likely a “GOD-fearer” and not necessarily a “proselyte”. A GOD-fearer was a non-Jewish person who converted to Judaism and did not accept “circumcision”. A proselyte, on the other hand, is a non-Jewish person who has converted to Judaism, and has also accepted circumcision.
However, whatever his circumstances were, he appeared to be a man who was seeking to know GOD better, and GOD promises us that whoever is willing to seek HIM through HIS WORD, shall find HIM. And so we find this royal eunuch riding in his carriage and reading from the writings of the prophet Isaiah. He is reading from the “Septuagint”, which is the first Greek translation of the Old Testament.  He is concerned with the passage we know today as Isaiah 53:7-8, in the Christian Bible.
Philip is told by the HOLY SPIRIT to go over and walk alongside the eunuch’s carriage. He runs over to the carriage, and he hears the man reading from Isaiah. At this point he asks the man if he understands what he is reading. The man answers, in effect, that he doesn’t understand, and invites Philip to join him in his carriage.
Philip, being very knowledgeable in GOD’s word, began to explain this passage and many others concerning CHRIST and the good news of Salvation. As they rode along, Philip was able to lead this man to CHRIST, and when they came to some water, the man requested that Philip would baptize him, and so he did.
The Ethiopian eunuch was able to open up his heart to GOD and allow the HOLY SPIRIT and the salvation through CHRIST JESUS, to enter in. As I often say, it is a life-changing thing when any person gets to know, and, becomes accustomed to practicing the Word of GOD.  Jewish tradition tells us that this incident, which occurred on a road out of Jerusalem that day, may very well have initiated the spread of the Gospel beyond the area of northern African, and into the far regions of that continent.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander



larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com



LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

Friday, October 19, 2012

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 21, 2012
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Over 35,000 readers worldwide
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FAITH IS FREELY OFFERED TO ALL
(The power of GOD cannot be purchased)
(Acts 8:4-25)

Second Kings, chapter 17 chronicles the origins of the Jew’s and Samaritan’s hatred for each other. By the first century A.D., the quarrels between the two groups were centuries old. One would have to go all the way back to the eighth century B.C., when the Assyrians, under the leadership of Shalmaneser, the son of the great Assyrian king, Tiglath-pileser, conquered the northern kingdom of Israel (722 B.C), whose capital, at that time, was Samaria.
As Syrian conquerors often did in those days, Shalmaneser transported the greater portion of the Jewish population to Assyria, and then, resettled Israel with his own people. The small portion of the Jewish people who were left in Israel eventually began to intermarry with the Assyrians who were transplanted there. The progenitors from those marriages became the hated group of Samaritans, who were the “half-breed” Jews of JESUS’ day. On the other hand, the Jews who were transported to Assyria, for the most part, stubbornly refused to lose their identity by intermarrying with the Assyrians and most were able to retain their “pure breed” status.
In the days, long before King David made Jerusalem the center of Jewish worship (2 Samuel 6), all of the Jewish people went to Mount Gerizim to pay homage to the LORD (Joshua 8:33). The Samaritans never stopped worshipping at Mount Gerizim, even after King David’s restructuring of Israel, while the “pure breed” Jews, held fast to the new system of worship.
In John chapter 4, verses 4-41, fourteen generations after King David’s death, we see JESUS finally entering into Samaria to initiate an end to this ancient hostility. The Apostle John gives us a vivid description, through his writings, of JESUS’, now famous encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. There, we see JESUS attempting to teach HIS Disciples, and all who wish to follow HIM, that, the time had indeed come to put an end to petty disputes, that had spilled over, even into the way people were worshiping GOD.
In Acts chapter 8, verses 4-25, after the scattering of the Believers from Jerusalem, by way of the Christian persecutions that followed the death of Stephen, we see Philip, one of the seven chosen servants of the early Church (Acts 6:5), fleeing Jerusalem and later finding himself preaching to the, still hated, Samaritans of that day. It was now the appointed time of the LORD, to show all mankind that the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST would be embraced by Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles alike.
While in Samaria, Philip performed many miracles, and the people of that city listened to him because of those miracles. Many evil spirits were cast out of people, and many who were cripple, were healed. There was a man by the name of Simon Magus, or Simon the magician, who had become known as a great man in Samaria, because of the magic he performed. All the people of Samaria thought him to be the possessor of the great power of GOD.
Philip’s miracles and message of the good news of GOD’s kingdom, and the name of JESUS CHRIST, had won the people over from Simon. In fact, Simon himself was baptized and began following Philip everywhere he went. He was utterly amazed by the miracles and signs that Philip performed.
When the news that the Samaritans had accepted GOD’s message got back to Jerusalem, Peter and John also went to Samaria to pray for the new Christians, that they would receive the HOLY SPIRIT. They then laid their hands on the new believers and they did indeed receive the HOLY SPIRIT.
When Simon saw this, he offered the apostles money to teach him how to do what they were doing through the power of GOD. He actually wanted to be in charge of the HOLY SPIRIT for his own personal gain. Peter, however, explained to the misguided magician that faith cannot be purchased at any price, but rather, must be freely given by GOD.
Even though Simon had accepted JESUS with his lips, and been baptized, his heart had still remained captive to satan, at least up to this point. It takes time for a new believer to get to know JESUS through a deep study of GOD’s Word, before they are really ready to accept CHRIST with their whole heart. Simon’s heart had not yet changed, in fact, Peter even called him wicked, full of bad intentions, and bitter about losing the praises and interest of the people to the works and message of GOD.
After testifying and preaching the Good News about CHRIST to the Samaritans, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. Along the way they stopped at many Samaritan cities and villages to preach the Good News of CHRIST to them also. The miracles that accentuated the ministry of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, we can see, continued on into the infancy stages of the Christian Church. Those miracles were used by GOD, to authenticate those men who were acting as HIS representatives in carrying HIS Gospel message to the people.
The purpose of the HOLY SPIRIT was to make the connection man needed to be able to worship GOD in “spirit”, just as the purpose of JESUS’ first advent was to make that connection man needed in order to worship GOD in “truth”. It has always been the purpose of GOD to call Christians into service at the proper time, and by the work of HIS HOLY SPIRIT, any person’s life can now be hallowed towards GOD. And because of the sprinkling of the blood of JESUS CHRIST, our past sins are forever forgiven, and we can look forward to a future life of continued obedience to GOD.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander



larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com



LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website


Friday, October 12, 2012

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 14, 2012

Over 35,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com


STEPHEN’S SPEECH AND MARTYRDOM
(The risks of living in the “Most High faith”)
(Acts 7)

In Acts chapter 7, verses 2-53, Stephen delivers the longest recorded speech in the Book of Acts. It was an Oration that would lead to his death, and caused him to become the first Martyr, after JESUS, in the Christian Church. His speech enraged the Jewish religious leaders, and caused “hatred’s insanity” to rear its ugly head like no other time since that recent Crucifixion of CHRIST. Once again the religious leaders had lost all sense of proportion, and totally forgot about the mercy that they had, so often, preached about in the Temple.
Stephen’s long and eloquent speech refuted the three most basic pillars that a first century Jew revered most. First of all, he refuted their belief that their land, the “Promised Land”, was the only land good enough to be deemed holy. He reminds them that GOD’s work often took place outside of the “Promised Land” (i.e. Mount Sinai; Exodus 3:5). He also reminded them that, wherever GOD is, it is there, that is considered to be “Holy Ground” (Acts 7:2-36).
Secondly, Stephen refuted their belief in the superior power of Moses, and his hand-delivered laws. He points out to them that even Moses foretold of a coming PROPHET who would be greater than himself, and he told them that, when HE comes, HE should be the one that they listen to (Deuteronomy 18:15). He also reminds them how the Israelites even rejected Moses, and embraced idols, just as they had rejected JESUS, and killed HIM (Acts 7:37-43).
And finally, he refuted their beliefs about the Temple. The Jews saw the Temple as a symbol of GOD’s past workings with Israel, and the only place by which GOD could dwell among them in the present. They could not see GOD dwelling among them in the person of JESUS CHRIST, and neither could they recognize the work and presence of the HOLY SPIRIT among them. As a result, they had no problem, not only killing JESUS, but they had no problem killing any of GOD’s many messengers HE had sent among them over the years, who, were only armed with GOD’s eternal truth.
And so we see that, Stephen had not only knocked down the three greatest pillars of the Jewish Faith, but he had also exalted JESUS by proclaiming HIM to be the MESSIAH. And that is why JESUS, Stephen, all of the Old Testament Prophets, and most of the New Testament writers and thinkers, had to die.
In the biblical Greek, the word used for “witness” is the same word from which the word “martyr” is derived. That word is “martus” (mar-toos) and it means not just to witness with words, but, in the biblical sense, it means to witness with the giving of one’s life for CHRIST, literally.
And so, what I said in last week’s lesson becomes necessary to be repeated here. When we say we are witnesses for CHRIST, we are really saying that we are ready to die for CHRIST on a moment’s notice, without giving it a second thought, just as Stephen and many others have done, since the infancy stages of the Christian Church. If we are not ready to do that, then we are “false witnesses” in the biblical sense. And so, “professed Christians” need to be careful what they say under the witness of GOD.
Stephen was a “true witness” for CHRIST, and that is evidenced in his allowing himself to become the first martyr, after JESUS, for the sake of Christianity. Without a doubt, Stephen was able to see the theological implications of “Justification by Faith”, and, “the fulfillment of the Law in JESUS CHRIST”. He also was able to discern that, if the Gospel was intended for the whole world, Jews and Gentiles, then GOD must have surely intended for “the Law of Moses” to be a temporary arrangement.
It is the opposition of both the willing, and, the unwitting components of satan that true Christians must endure. We know that, for JESUS, the only way back to the glory of Heaven was through the Cross, and so it is with those of us who follow HIM. With open eyes, JESUS accepted the circumstances of the Cross, so that, whosoever believes in HIM will not perish, but rather, will always have and enjoy, “Everlasting Life”.
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. We, as Christians, need to come to rest in this thought involving Physics, because it also applies spiritually, especially when we first begin our Christian walk. The more we act like a Christian in society, the more opposition satan is going to send our way. We have to make ourselves ready and stay strong by studying GOD’s word, by prayer, and, by associating and fellowshipping with other Christians.
We will also receive opposition from our own sin nature, however, by continuing to fill ourselves with the word of GOD, by prayer, and by allowing the HOLY SPIRIT to work within us, soon our Christian walk will move from being a thing of struggle, to being a thing of peace.
Pray constantly and earnestly to GOD for wisdom, strength, and courage in facing the pressures of opposition from the forces of satan, who is very busy trying to steal, kill, and destroy the lives of GOD’s people. Pray also for GOD to grant us the boldness of Stephen in our application of HIS word, in our everyday life.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander



larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com


                                 
                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website

Friday, October 5, 2012

WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday October 7, 2012

Over 35,000 readers worldwide
larrydalexander.blogspot.com


THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS NOT WITHOUT OPPOSITION
 (Faith gives us grace and power to speak out)
(Acts 6)

Racial hostility and ethnic disputes are not problems of opposition that were born during the infancy stages of our nation’s existence, but rather, they are problems that have been around since the infancy of human existence. In Acts chapter 6, verses 1-7, Luke gives us a vivid description of a case of “ethnic opposition” that led to the birth of the “Deacon concept” in the Christian Church.
Here in this particular passage, we see rumblings of discontent involving Greek speaking Jewish believers, who were being discriminated against by Hebrew speaking Jewish believers. The Hebrew speaking Jews were unfairly distributing food, showing favor to their own respective widow population. In order to resolve these disputes, the twelve Disciples of CHRIST called a meeting of all the current believers.
At that meeting, they cited that they, as Apostles, need to spend their time preaching and teaching the Word of GOD, not administering a food program. They called on the believers to choose from among themselves, seven men, who were full of the HOLY SPIRIT, and wisdom, and put those men in charge of the food distribution program.
This pleased the people of both groups, and they chose from among them, Stephen, a man full of faith and the HOLY SPIRIT, Philip, who later went on to preach the Gospel from Samaria to Caesarea, Procorus, Nicanor, Timmon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch, a Gentile convert, first, to the Jewish Faith, and then later, to Christianity. The Apostles then ordained them and prayed for them, while laying hands on them. Afterwards, GOD’s message was preached in ever-widening circles, and the number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and also, many Jewish Priests were converted to Christianity.
With that said, let us now focus on one of those seven men, who was chosen that day to serve in the Church at Jerusalem, the one who is called, Stephen. Stephen, whose name means “wreath”, or “crown”, was a man who was full of GOD’s grace and power. He performed many amazing miracles and signs among the people of Jerusalem. In fact, his ministry, arrest, and trial are very similar to that of our LORD, JESUS CHRIST. And like anyone whose life is patterned after JESUS in this world, opposition arose against Stephen one day in the form of a group of men from the “Synagogue of Freedmen”, a Temple in Jerusalem that was dedicated to the Jews who were former slaves of Roman citizens.
These men were also called “Libertines”, and, they came from Cyrene and Alexandria in northern Africa, the province of Asia, and Cilicia, Paul’s home country, where Tarsus is located. They had all converted to “Judaism”, following their release from slavery.
Now apparently, these men tried to debate against Stephen, and were not able to prevail against him in a public theological debate forum, and so, they began to conjure up lies about him, falsely accusing him of blaspheme against Moses, and, against GOD, both offenses which were punishable with “death by stoning”.
Their accusations aroused the crowds, the elders, and the teachers of religious law against Stephen, and as a result, he was placed under arrest and brought before the high council. These “lying witnesses” spoke of the time when they heard Stephen re-iterate the misunderstood words of JESUS, when HE said HE would destroy the temple, and change the customs of Moses. Of course these words that they spoke of were taken way out of context, and in fact, had been totally perverted.
Whenever we side with CHRIST JESUS, we automatically put ourselves in the position to be opposed by the world. JESUS HIMSELF warned of this in the Gospel of John (John 15:18-25), after HE had taken HIS twelve apostles into private teaching, shortly before HIS crucifixion. He told them that, “When the world hates you, remember it hated ME before it hated you. The world would love you if you belonged to it, but you don’t. I chose you to come out of the world, and so it hates you” (John 15:18-19) - NLT).
JESUS went on to tell them, that, “Since they persecuted ME, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to ME, they would listen to you! The people of the world will hate you because you belong to ME, for they don’t know GOD WHO sent ME. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates ME hates MY FATHER too….This has fulfilled what the Scriptures said: “They hated ME without cause” (John 15:20b-25) (NLT).
In the biblical Greek, the word used for “witness” is the same word from which the word “martyr” is derived. That word is “martus” (mar-toos) and it means not just to witness with words, but, in the biblical sense, it means to witness with the giving of one’s life for CHRIST, literally.
And so, when we say we are witnesses for CHRIST, we are really saying that we are ready to die for CHRIST on a moment’s notice, just as Stephen and many others have since done, since the infancy stages of the Christian Church. If we are not ready to do that, then we are “false witnesses” in the biblical sense. And so, “professed Christians” need to be careful what they say under the witness of GOD.
Stephen was a “true witness” for CHRIST, and that is evidenced in his allowing himself to become the first martyr, after JESUS, for the sake of Christianity. Without a doubt, Stephen was able to see the theological implications of “Justification by Faith”, and, “the fulfillment of the Law in JESUS CHRIST”. He also was able to discern that, if the Gospel was intended for the whole world, Jews and Gentiles, then GOD must have surely intended for “the Law of Moses” to be a temporary arrangement.
In the Greek, the word used for “World” is “Kosmos”, and it is from that word that we derive our English word “Cosmos”. In the spiritual sense, “it is that complex intertwining of sinful desires that shape our world of “lost humanity”. When we choose the “Christian Walk”, we automatically become strangers to “worldly behavior”. We are no longer permanent residents of this earth, but rather, we become citizens of Heaven, and therefore, the Laws of GOD, just as they were to Stephen and many other “true witnesses”, who have lost their lives because of the opposition in this world against JESUS CHRIST, must become paramount to us, also.

A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander



larrydalexanderbiblestudies.blogspot.com


                                 
                                           LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official Website