God’s second month, Lyyar 5, 5,780 until sunset.  April 29, 2,020 (To: “In residence Churches of God.”)
Unbelievers questioned Jesus’ deity.
(John 10:34-39; Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said you are gods’? If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken) do you say about the One whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform the deeds of My Father, do not believe Me. But if I do them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” Then they attempted again to seize Him, but He escaped their clutches.”_)
In an effort to make Jesus fit their idea of Him, man’s religions attempt to separate Him from the Lord God who communed with Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus’ apostles. Review last study.
(I said, you are gods?” Is a quote from Psalms 82:6. Some debate Jesus’ meaning, but note that Jesus is speaking of those “to whom the word of God came.” Let’s allow scripture interpret scripture. The whole line reads “I say, you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.” Jesus picks up on the term “sons of the Most High” in 10:36, where He refers to Himself as the Son of God. If it was an Old Testament practice to refer to men like the judges as gods, and it not blasphemy, “so why did the Jewish authorities object when this term was applied to Jesus?” This wouldn’t fit the context, however since if that were the case Jesus wouldn’t be making any claim for “divinity” for Himself over and above other humans. Therefore He wouldn’t be subject to the charge of blasphemy. Part of the argument; “Old Testament judges could be called gods “is because they were vehicles of the word of God.” Granting that premise, Jesus deserves much more than they to be called God. He is “the Word Incarnate” whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to save the world. (John 10:36) In light of the prologue to the Gospel of John, it seems this interpretation would have been most natural for the author. If it is permissible to call men “gods” because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word “God” of Him who is the Word of God?) (See John 1:1-5)
People gifted with God’s spirit are “born from above” “Son’s of God now”
He knew each before the foundation of the world. He makes
perpetual promises and carries them out on His time.
(Ephesians 1:3-10; “Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. He called us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in His sight in love. (5) He did this by predestining us to adoption as His Sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of His will – to the praise of the glory of His grace that He has freely bestowed on us in His dearly loved Son. (7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. (9) He did this when He revealed to us the secret of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ, toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ – the things in heaven and the things on earth.” Review last study regarding Jesus’ deity.
(Eph 1:11-14; “In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of His glory. (13) And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” (How could people have faith in One that doesn’t have these attributes?)
How disseminated to and being built?
(Eph  2:17-22; “And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so that through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of God’s household, (20) because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the Cornerstone. In Him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”
His promises never fail.
(Jeremiah 33:23-26; The Lord spoke still further to Jeremiah. “You have surely noticed what these people are saying, haven’t you? They are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two families of Israel and Judah that He chose.’ So they have little regard that My people will ever again be a nation. But I, the Lord, make the following promise: I have made a covenant governing the coming of day and night. I have established the fixed laws governing heaven and earth. Just as surely as I have done this, so surely will I never reject the descendants of Jacob. Nor will I ever refuse to choose one of My servant David’s descendants to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, I will restore them and show mercy to them.”)
God the Father is the reason we have a relationship with Jesus:
“By revelations, not by human choice so no one can boast.”
(1Cor 1:26-31; “Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position. But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, what is regarded as nothing, to set aside what is regarded as something, so that no one can boast in His presence. He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”)
To Israel God says. (Isaiah 50:1-3; “This is what the Lord says: “Where is your mother’s divorce certificate by which I divorced her? Or to which of My creditors did I sell you? Look, you were sold because of your sins; because of your rebellious acts I divorced your mother. Why does no one challenge Me when I come? Why does no one respond when I call? Is My hand too weak to deliver you? Do I lack the power to rescue you? Look, with a mere shout I can dry up the sea; I can turn streams into a desert, so the fish rot away and die from lack of water. (3) I can clothe the sky in darkness; I can cover it with sackcloth.”)
The Spokesman, Jesus speaks through Isaiah.
(Isa 50:4-11; The sovereign Lord has given Me the capacity to be His Spokesman, so that I know how to help the weary. He wakes me up every morning; He makes Me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly; I have not rebelled, I have not turned back. I offered My back to those who attacked, My jaws to those who tore out My beard; I did not hide My face from insults and spitting. But the sovereign Lord helps Me, so I am not humiliated. For that reason I am steadfastly resolved; I know I will not be put to shame. The One who vindicates Me is close by. Who dares to argue with Me? Let us confront each other! Who is My accuser? Let him challenge Me! (9) Look, the Sovereign Lord helps Me. Who dares to condemn Me? Look, all of them will wear out like clothes; a moth will eat away at them. Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys His servant? Whoever walks in deep darkness, without light, should trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Look, all of you who start a fire and who equip yourselves with flaming arrows, walk in the light of the fire you started and among the flaming arrows you ignited! This is what you will receive from Me: you will lie down in a place of pain.”)
How can we not love this Jesus who first loved us?
God’s church is His chosen spiritual Israelites: “Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s heirs.” (For all of you are One in Christ Jesus. “Galatians 3:29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”)
God’s spiritual church’s beginning was His calling and making promises to Abraham. Perhaps not “the beginning” but surely “a beginning.” Jesus’ second coming and His millennial rule on earth will usher in another, “a beginning.” Jesus had Joel prophecy and Peter allude to that prophecy in Acts 2: regarding the final fulfillment of what Pentecost represents. Pentecost represents God’s calling and gifting His chosen with His Holy Spirit.
(Joel 3:32; “It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered - saved. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the Lord has promised; the remnant will be those whom the Lord will call.”) (In that soon coming day, the world and particularly descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will be convinced of God’s sovereignty.) As always study the whole.
(Joel 2:27; “You will be convinced that I am in the midst of Israel. I am the Lord your God; there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.
Outpouring of God’s spirit on all kinds of people.
(Joel 2:28-32; (3:1-5) After all of this I will pour out My Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants. I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (30) I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth – blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the Lord comes – that great and terrible day! (32; It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the Lord has promised; the remnant will be those whom the Lord will call.”)
That Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension was “a beginning” and “the beginning of His New Covenant church.” A spiritual deliverance from our inherited from Adam sin nature and a deliverance to the likeness of “Jesus.” It’s the mystery Paul shared to the called in his letter to the Colossians at chapter 1:26; “the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His Saints.” When Jesus returns it’ll be another, “a beginning” Satan will be bound and knowledge of God will cover the earth as water the sea.

God’s second month, Lyyar 4, 5,780 until sunset.  April 28, 2,020.
To: “In residence Churches of God.”
Share Jesus’ deity often, Recommend Heb 1: John 1:1-5 and Colossians 1:15-20. Truth jells in minds we don’t expect. Jesus’ apostle Paul was a gung-ho liberal, persecuting truth until personally called to preach the same truth He’d condemned and condoned the murder of Stephen for teaching. Many don’t know about Paul’s conversion and his teaching ministry to gentile congregations as Jesus directed. Paul taught followers of Jesus to learn from Israel’s failures.
(1Corinthaians 10:1-4; “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.”) (Many don’t seem to know Moses followed the same Jesus as did the apostles.)
(5-13; But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness. (6) These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did. So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twenty-three thousand died in a single day. (9) And let us not put Christ to the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by snakes. And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. (11) These things happened to them as examples and were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So let the one who thinks he is standing be careful that he does not fall. No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others. And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.”)
Paul’s verbiage reminds us of the
“Passover - Unleavened Bread season.”
(1Cor 10:14-22; So, my dear friends, flee idolatry, I am speaking to thoughtful people. Consider what I say. Is not the cup of blessing that we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread that we break a sharing in the body of Christ? (17) Because there is one bread, we ‘followers of Jesus’ who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread. Look at the people of Israel. Are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? Am I saying that idols or food sacrificed to them amount to anything? No, I mean that what the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than He is?)
At Deuteronomy 4: Jesus had Moses point out to the people that at Mt. Horeb when the commandments were given; that the reason they were not allowed to see God’s form nor face was reason enough not to make images to look at for reminders of Him. To do so was an abominable offence. But today’s professing Christians aren’t taught Jesus’ true deity as Paul did the Corinthians.
Jesus said it; “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.” “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.” Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life because of Me will find it. Matt 10:34-39)
Called out followers of Jesus are “recipients of His Holy Spirit”
and will be resurrected and given a body likened to His.
Let’s review: (Romans 6:8-11;” Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, He is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. For the death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
(12-14; “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness. For sin will have no mastery over you, because you ‘follower of Jesus’ are not under law but under grace.”)
It’s because of grace God that gives, His Spirit to live in His chosen,
“to change the nature and make minds compatible with His nature.
Followers of Jesus are spiritually led to stop practicing sin. God doesn’t consider Jesus’ followers sinners because His spirit is preparing them for service. In the millennium and beyond “followers of Jesus” will rule with Him.
(1Cor 6:3-11; “Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians? Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. (11) Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”)
Unbelievers have always disputed about the resurrections; their preference s Satan’s lie regarding immortality. Paul reveals Jesus’ truth to Believers, as always study the whole.
(1Corinthains 15:20-23; “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; then when Christ comes, those who belong to Him.“)
After verse 23 Paul skips to New Jerusalem’s coming down.
(24-28; Then comes the end, when He ‘Jesus’ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when He has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power. For He ‘Jesus’ must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be eliminated is death. (27) For he ‘God the Father’ has put everything in subjection under His ’Jesus’ feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the One ’God the Father’ who put everything in subjection to Him. And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will be subjected to the One who subjected everything to Him, so that God may be all in all.”
(29-34; “Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them? Why too are we in danger every hour? Every day I am in danger of death! This is as sure as my boasting in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord. If from a human point of view I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what did it benefit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. (33) Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” Sober up as you should, and stop sinning! For some have no knowledge of God – I say this to your shame!
The Resurrected Body
(1Cor 15:35-41;” But someone will say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” Fool! What you sow will not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare seed – perhaps of wheat or something else. But God gives it a body just as He planned, and to each of the seeds a body of its own. All flesh is not the same: People have one flesh, animals have another, birds and fish another. And there are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies. The glory of the heavenly body is one sort and the earthly another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars, for star differ from star in glory.”
(42-44; “It is the same with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.”
(45-49; “So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; the last Adam ‘Jesus’ became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man ‘Adam’ is from the earth, made of dust; the second man ‘Jesus’ is from heaven. Like the one made of dust, so too are those made of dust, and like the One from heaven, so too those who are heavenly.(49) And just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven.”
We aren’t born immortal, the annual Sabbath “Trumpets”
Looks forward to the first resurrection.
(50-55; “Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We ‘followers of Jesus’ will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (53) For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death is your victory?” “Where, O death is your sting?”
(56-58; “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”)
Jesus calls recipients of His nature “friends.”
(John 15:15-17; “I no longer call you slaves, because the slave does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything I heard from My Father. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. This I command you – to love one another.”
We can’t ask in Jesus’ name or by His authority; unless we are gifted with His Spirit.

God’s second month, Lyyar 3, 5,780 until sunset.  April 27, 2,020.  25,402
To: “In residence Churches of God.”
The idea of having a clergy or some denomination mediating on their behalf appeals to many. The same nature causing Israel to want a king back in Samuel’s day prevails today. The many don’t want to understand Jesus’ deity and that He died for the sins of the world and is the Mediator of all who’re called to trust Him. Having another source as mediator isn’t trusting Jesus.
(John 3:16-19; For this is the way God ‘the Father’ loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. The one who believes IN Him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. Now this is the basis for judging: that the Light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.”)
To God’s church, “all who are called to trust only Jesus as their Mediator” Jesus had His apostle Paul write. (Romans 12:1; “Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice — alive, holy, and pleasing to God — which is your reasonable service.”)
He also had Paul write; (1Cor 3:16; Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? And 2Cor 6:14-18; ”Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? (16) And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we’re the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,” says the All-Powerful Lord.”)
Like the Israelites of old people today like to conform with majorities.
(Rom 12:2-8; Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God — what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith. (4) For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith. If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.”)
(Rom 12:9-19; Love must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the Saints, pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people.(18) If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” (Quote from Deut 32:35)
(Rom 12:20-21; Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”)
Satan the deceiver and his followers want chaos.
(Rom 16:17-18; Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create dissensions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them! For these are the kind who do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of the naïve.)
Jesus is about peace through grace for the called.
(Galatians 1:1-5; From Paul, an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead.)  and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia. Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.
(Gal 1:6-10; I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel — not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell! As we have said before, and now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ!
Truth discerned through revelations, not from human rational.
(Gal 1:11-18; Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ. You’ve heard of my former way of life in Judaism, how I was savagely persecuting the church of God and trying to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. (15) But when the One who set me apart from birth and called me by His grace was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I could preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, and then returned to Damascus. (18)Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and get information from him, and I stayed with him fifteen days.”) (Reading through Acts of the Apostles we don’t grasp the amount of time between Acts 2: Paul with Barnabas reporting their successes among the gentiles.)
(Gal 1:19-24; But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.  I assure you that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! Afterward I went to the regions of Syria and Cilicia. But I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. (23)They were only hearing, “The one who once persecuted us is now proclaiming the good news of the faith he once tried to destroy.” So they glorified God because of me.”)
(Gal 2:6-10; But from those who were influential (whatever they were makes no difference to me; God shows no favoritism between people) — those influential leaders added nothing to my message. On the contrary, when they saw that I was entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised just as Peter was to the circumcised (for He who empowered Peter for his apostleship to the circumcised also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) (9) and when James, Cephas, and John, who had a reputation as pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we would go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They requested only that we remember the poor, the very thing I also was eager to do.”)
One God, one faith, one message.
(Rom 3:27-30; Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded! By what principle? Of works? No, but by the principle of faith! For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of the Jews only? Is he not the God of the Gentiles too? Yes, of the Gentiles too! Since God is One, He will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.)
(Heb 11:6; Now without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who approaches God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.) (One must believe God is as He reveals Himself to be from Genesis through Revelations and that it’s He who gives the desire and effort.)
(Phil 2:12-13; So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the One bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort — for the sake of his good pleasure — is God.)
The God of Moses and Paul is One.
Moses’ parents were slaves to the Egyptians when he was born. We should know the facts about Moses being adopted and his sister suggesting his mother be his nurse. The Lord God Jesus called Moses, caused him to consider the Israelites’ condition. When he got involved one Israelite said to him, “are you going to kill me as you did that other fellow?” (Stephen understood these things and preached the following.)
(Acts 7: 29-46; When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, ‘I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly seen the suffering of My people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. Now come, I will send you to Egypt.’ This same Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ God sent as both ruler and deliverer through the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. (36) This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
(37-40; This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ This is the man ‘Moses’ who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you. (39) Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him, but pushed him aside and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt – we do not know what has happened to him!’
(41-44; At that time they made an idol in the form of a calf, brought a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing in the works of their hands. But God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to Me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, house of Israel? But you took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rephan, the images you made to worship, but I will deport you beyond Babylon.’ (44) Our ancestors had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as God who spoke to Moses ordered him to make it according to the design he had seen.
(45-46; Our ancestors received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, until the time of David. (46) He found favor with God and asked that he could find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob.
This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ Jesus is that prophet, Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, Mediator and coming King of Kings. On that Pentecost after His ascension, God the Father sent His energizing Holy Spirit to live in His chosen people, “the same spirit that energized Jesus in Mary’s womb, causing Elizabeth and baby John in her womb to jump with joy. Even in the flesh God’s energizing Holy Spirit make Jesus at one with His Father and by whom He was resurrected after three days.

Preplanned grace, eternal life through Jesus defines the New Covenant. Chapter 1
God’s second month,  Lyyar 1, 5,780 until sunset. April 25, 2,020.  25,218
To: “In residence Churches of God.”
God’s church is founded on Prophets, apostles and Jesus the Chief Corner Stone. That being true according to Ephesians 2:20-22, we need to consider things God says will, “continue throughout your generations and Perpetual.” (Perpetual statutes such as, “peace offerings” and “offering up smoke to the Lord,” the Priest after Aaron were instructed to continue “Jesus, as our High Priest has fulfilled and thus they’re perpetual through Him.”) Weekly and annual Sabbaths are perpetually holy to God and His people, will be kept during His millennial reign. (See Leviticus 23:) Even seeing a rainbow and understanding that it represents “no more worldwide flooding” is a God promised perpetual covenant. (See Genesis 9:16) (2Kings 8:19 and 2Chronicles 21:7; tells the world that God is unwilling to destroy Judah for the sake of His servant David and David’s dynasty is perpetual. Prophecies about Israel’s future deliverance and King David leading are perpetual. The promised New Covenant and it’s foundation was shared with Moses and other prophets.
Paul shared New Covenant principles with Titus.
(Titus 1:4; To Titus, my genuine son in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior!)
(Titus 1:1-3; From Paul, a slave of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began. But now in His own time He has made His message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.) After sharing attributes and Elder responsibilities Paul continued.
(Titus 1:9-11; He must hold firmly to the faithful message as it has been taught, so that he will be able to give exhortation in such healthy teaching and correct those who speak against it. For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, who must be silenced because they mislead whole families by teaching for dishonest gain what ought not to be taught.) (Paul explains that people “who aren’t pure deny Jesus by their deeds, have corrupt consciences, they’re detestable, disobedient and unfit for any good deed. (Titus 1:15-16)
Many Israelites that didn’t understand God’s grace slanderously accused Paul of teaching, “grace did away with God’s law.”
(Rom 3:1-8; Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision? Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?  (4) Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: “so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged.” (Quote from Psalms 51:4) But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) (6) Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world? For if by my lie the truth of God enhances His glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner? And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? — as some who slander us allege that we say. (Their condemnation is deserved!)
Sin is spelled out in the New Covenant.
Jesus’ apostle John defined sin in God’s view for us. (1John 3:9-10; Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed. Everyone who does not practice righteousness — the one who does not love his fellow Christian — is not of God.)
(Romans 6:1-9; What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life. (5) For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of His resurrection. We know that our old man ‘old self’ was crucified with Him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (7) (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.) Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that since Christ has been raised from the dead, He is never going to die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.)
(Rom 6:10-14;  For the death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness. For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.)
Now slaves to righteousness, not one practicing lawlessness in His view.
(Rom 6:15-18; What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Absolutely not! Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting in righteousness? (17) But thanks be to God that though you were slaves to sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were entrusted to, and having been freed from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.)
(Rom 6:19-22; (I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness. So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. (22)  But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life.)
(Rom 6:23; For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul gives the example of marriage. One is bound as long as the spouse is alive but after death they are free from that covenant. In the flesh we were under the law. (Rom 7:5-6; For when we were in the flesh, the sinful desires, aroused by the law, were active in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now ‘in Christ’ we have been released from the law, because we have died to what controlled us, so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.)
What about Israel and the law?
(Romans 11:1-4; So I ask, God has not rejected His people, has He? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!” (4) But what was the divine response to him? “I have kept for Myself seven thousand people who have not bent the knee to Baal.”
(Rom 11:5-8; So in the same way at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was diligently seeking, but the Elect obtained it. The rest were hardened, as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, to this very day.” (Quote from Deut 29:4 & Isa 29:10)
(Rom 11:9-10; “And David says, “Let their table become a snare and trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they may not see, and make their backs bend continually.” (Quote Psalms 69:22-23)
Israel’s hardness of heart was foreknown and Gentile grafted
in was planned to make Israel jealous, but God’s promises are perpetual.
(Rom 11:11-15; I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they? Absolutely not! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous. Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration bring? (13) Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?)
Israel holy to God by perpetual promise.
(Rom 11:16-20; If the first portion of the dough offered is holy, then the whole batch is holy, and if the root is holy, so too are the branches. Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among them and participated in the richness of the olive root, do not boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. (19) Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but fear!)
(Rom 11:21-24; For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps He will not spare you. Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God — harshness toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness toward you, provided you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And even they ‘Israel’ if they do not continue in their unbelief — will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.  For if you ‘gentiles’ were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?)
(God cultivated Israel by promise to Abraham.)

Nisan 30, 5,780 until sunset. April 24, 2,020.
To: “In residence Churches of God.”
Grace defines God’s New Covenant with His Chosen.
Our English dictionary defines Grace as “infinite love, mercy, favor, and goodwill.” (Before Jesus’ Old Covenant with Israel, God the Father and God the Son were planning the New Covenant through the Son “Jesus.”)
After Paul’s salutation to God’s church at Ephesus he writes; (Ephesians 1:3-8; Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. For He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in His sight in love. (5) He ‘God the Father’ did this by predestining us to adoption as His Sons through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure of His will — to the praise of the glory of His grace that He has freely bestowed on us in His dearly loved Son. In Him ‘Jesus’ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight.”)
God the Father preplanned saving a select people before the foundation of the world through His Son “Creator Jesus.” He’d choose a people for Himself to be holy, unblemished and loved in His sight, that through Jesus His chosen would have redemption through Jesus’ blood, the forgiveness of our lawlessness according to the riches of His grace in all wisdom and insight. (Spiritual insight comes through gifted revelation.)
(Eph 1:9-10; He ‘God the Father’ did this when He revealed to us the secret of His will, according to His good pleasure that He set forth in Christ, toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ — the things in heaven and the things on earth.
At this point let’s review, (Colossians 1:15-20; He ‘Jesus’ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by Him — all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers; all things were created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things and all things are held together in Him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in the Son and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross — through Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.)
(Eph 1:11-12;  In Christ we too have been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, would be to the praise of His glory. And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) — when you believed in Christ — you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.)
Eph 1:13-14; And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) — when you believed in Christ — you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.)
Since the eyes of your heart, “your mind” was enlightened
God the Father’s power is exercised in Christ Jesus.
Eph 1:15-23; For this reason, because I ‘Paul’  have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the Saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of Him — since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened — so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the Saints,  and what is the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of His immense strength. (20) This power He exercised in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms far above every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And God put all things under Christ’s feet, and He gave Him to the church as head over all things. Now the church is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.)
By Grace through BELIVING IN Jesus’ Faith.
Eph 2:1-3; And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…)
(We all inherited Adam’s nature, but by grace, mercy and love which God loved us with, He made us alive in Christ Jesus by giving us His spirit.)
(Eph 2:4-10; But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you are saved! —and He raised us up with Him ‘Jesus’ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (WHY) to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we’re His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.)
(What are those good works prepared beforehand? That we love God and one another as Jesus loved us.) (When gentiles in the flesh believe the good news message they too became spiritual Israelites.)
(Eph 2:11-16; Therefore remember that formerly you, Gentiles in the flesh — who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands — that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (14)  For He ‘Jesus’ is our peace, the One who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when He nullified in His flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.) (No hostility, no jealousness, all one in love.)
(Eph 2:17-22;  And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so that through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you ‘gentiles’ are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of God’s household, because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.)
(Eph 3:1-7; For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that by revelation the divine secret was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly. (4) When reading this, you will be able to understand my insight into this secret of Christ. Now this secret was not disclosed to people in former generations as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, namely, that through the gospel the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of His power.)
Eph 3:8-13; To me — less than the least of all the Saints — this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan — a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. (10) The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. This was according to the eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access to God because of Christ’s faithfulness. For this reason I ask you not to lose heart because of what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.) (Read Paul’s end of chapter prayer for himself and the church.)
How to live, what to practice?
(Eph 4:1-16; I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (4) There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high He captured captives; He gave gifts to men.” Now what is the meaning of “He ascended,” except that He also descended to the lower regions, namely, the earth? He, the very One who descended, is also the one who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. It was He who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, to equip the Saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God — a mature person, attaining to the measure of Christ’s full stature. (14) So we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. (15) But practicing the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ, who is the head. From Him the whole body grows, fitted and held together through every supporting ligament. As each one does its part, the body grows in love.)
(Practicing Jesus’ attributes through believing faith, grace, mercy and Godly love is our calling.)

Nisan 27, 5,780 until sunset. April 21, 2,020.
To: “In residence Churches of God.”
The New Covenant is the message about God’s grace, mercy and His calling out a people for His own. The message of truth isn’t understood through human intellect, schools of theology nor conjured up faith in a god of one’s imagination. God’s truth is only understood through His supernaturally and spiritually imputing His spirit to the mind. Jesus explained to Nicodemus. (John 3:8; “The wind blows wherever it will, you hear the sound it makes, but don’t know where it comes from and where it’s going. So it is with everyone who’s born of the Spirit.) Verse eight was Jesus’ conclusion to Nicodemus’ concern about “being born from above.”
(John 3:5-8; Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. “So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”)
(Everyone believing in Jesus may have eternal life.)
(John 3:9-15; Nicodemus replied, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? I tell you the solemn truth, We speak about what We know and testify about what We have seen, but you people do not accept Our testimony. If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? (13) No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven — the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”)
Moses’ lifting up the serpent in the wilderness looked to Jesus’ ascension, as did the many temple activities commanded Aaron and the Levite priesthood.
God’s New Covenant like the Old is with a selected predestined people called by promise to be heirs with Abraham.
Speaking of the called gentiles, Peter explained to the Jerusalem church of God. (Acts 15:8-9; And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us, and He made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith.)
(Remember God knows each of us better than we can know ourselves.)
Remember James’ words from last study. (Acts 15:14-18; Simeon has explained how God first concerned Himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for His name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be My own,’ says the Lord, (Quote from Amos 9:11-12) who makes these things known from long ago.)
A native from Alexandria named Apollos was called to serve.
(Acts 18:24-28; He was an eloquent speaker, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak out fearlessly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately. When Apollos wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, for he refuted the Jews vigorously in public debate, demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.)
(We don’t have Apollos’s exact wording but it’s spiritually reasonable that he was able to convince people of Jesus’ deity and His choosing by grace to be a people of His own.)
It’s by God’s grace when one is called and “as the wind blows” His Spirit enlightens the mind. Jesus’ apostle Paul’s message was consistent about the good news of God’s grace building up and sanctifying; (Acts 20:32; And now I entrust you to God and to the message of His grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.)
(Among those who have been set apart for God’s purpose.)
Paul’s Romans salutation and letter is to the set apart for the
Gospel of God as promised beforehand by His prophets, concerning
Jesus His Son, a descendant of David with reference to the flesh.
(Romans 1:1-6; Jesus was appointed the Son-of-God-in-power according to the Holy Spirit by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles on behalf of His name. (6) You ‘followers of Jesus’ also are among them, called to belong to Jesus Christ.)
(Rom 1:7; To all those loved by God in Rome, called to be Saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!)
As an apostle Paul had the right and obligation to write to God’s church at Rome addressing the Saints loved by God saying “grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” His letter was to be read in the congregation of believers, not to be published in the Roman Herald.
Paul’s letter recognizes “the called are descendents of Abraham.”
(Rom 3:1-8; Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision? Actually, there are many advantages. First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? Absolutely not! Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar, just as it is written: “so that you will be justified in your words and will prevail when you are judged.” (Quote from Psalms 51:4) (5) But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.) Absolutely not! For otherwise how could God judge the world? For if by my lie the truth of God enhances His glory, why am I still actually being judged as a sinner? And why not say, “Let us do evil so that good may come of it”? — as some who slander us allege that we say. (Their condemnation is deserved!) (As always study the whole, we’re attempting to point out that salvation isn’t by works or some methodology but by promised grace.)
Rom 4:6-10; “For even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin.” (Quote from Psalms 32:1-2) Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!”) (In other words God called Abraham before commanding circumcision, “likewise followers of Jesus are called before commitments.”)
(Rom 4:16-17; For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants — not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations.” (Quote from Gen 17:5) He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed — the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.”)
(How could folks believe in a god who couldn’t announce history beforehand?)
(Rom 5:1-6; “Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”)
(When helpless Jesus revealed Himself to ungodly people for His purpose.)
(Rom 5:12-21; So then, just as sin entered the world through one man ‘Adam’ and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned — for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming One) transgressed. (15) But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many!? And the gift is not like the one who sinned. For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification. (17) For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!? Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act ‘of Jesus’’ came righteousness leading to life for all people. (See Revelations 21:7-8, regarding second deaths for ungodly people.)
(Rom 5:19-21; For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be made righteous. Now the law came in so that the transgression may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”) Paul said it as follows.
(Ephesians 3:7-10; “I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of His power. To me — less than the least of all the saints — this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan — a secret that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things. The purpose of this enlightenment is that through the church the multifaceted wisdom of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms.”)

To: In residence Churches of God. Nisan 25, 5,780 until sunset.  April 19, 2,020

    It was always in God’s plan to call out and make some gentiles His own by “grafting them in with Israel” they’d both be founded on the prophets, apostles with Jesus the chief Corner Stone. It’s always been that Satan would lead many to have hostile minds to God’s truth. Such it was with the murder of Deacon Stephen. Let’s review Stephen’s understanding of Jesus’ good news as an overview. 

   Acts 6:8-15; gives us the overview of hostile people from the providence of Asia accusing him of teaching against the customs Moses handed down and saying Jesus would destroy this place. Jesus did speak of the Jerusalem temple’s destruction but these accusers were twisting truth.

   All in the council looked intently at Stephen and saw his face was like the face of an angel. God’s energizing Holy Spirit gave brightness to Stephen’s face and inserted in his mind with the truth we need to be teaching our children. No better sermon has ever been preached! (Keep Paul’s Galatians 3:28-29; text in mind as we examine Stephens words, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.)

     (Acts 7:1-5; The High Priest said to Stephen, “Are these things true?” So he replied, “Brothers and Fathers listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this country where you now live. (5) He did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, not even a foot of ground, yet God promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though Abraham as yet had no child. But God spoke as follows: ‘Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. (See Gen 15:13 and Exodus 12:40; which specifies their sojourn as 430 years to the exact day.) But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there and worship Me in this place.’)

      Jesus’ delivering Israel from the bondage of Egypt through Moses is a parallel to the spiritual deliverance Believers have from the bondage of this world’s system of things and our inherited nature.

Millennial deliverance prophesied.

   After God promised revenge on hostile people including Israelites through Amos He promised deliverance and blessings to scattered Israelites. (Amos 9:11-15; “In that day I will rebuild the collapsing hut of David. I will seal its gaps, repair its ruins, and restore it to what it was like in days gone by. As a result they will conquer those left in Edom and all the nations subject to My rule.” The LORD, who is about to do this, is speaking! “Be sure of this, the time is coming,” says the LORD, “when the plowman will catch up to the reaper and the one who stomps the grapes will overtake the planter. Juice will run down the slopes, it will flow down all the hillsides. (14) I will bring back My people, Israel; they will rebuild the cities lying in rubble and settle down. They will plant vineyards and drink the wine they produce; they will grow orchards and eat the fruit they produce. I will plant them on their land and they will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.”) On this subject of deliverance see also: (Isaiah 22:, 35:, 51:, 65: and Jeremiah 31:)

New Covenant Spiritual Deliverance, no more division.

    (Zachariah 12:10-11; “I will pour out on the kingship of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to Me, the One they have pierced. They will lament for Him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for Him like the bitter cry for a firstborn. On that day the lamentation in Jerusalem will be as great as the lamentation at Hadad-Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.”)

   No more idolatry. (Zach 13:1-6; “In that day there will be a fountain opened up for the dynasty of David and the people of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and impurity. And also on that day,” says the LORD who rules over all, “I will remove the names of the idols from the land and they will never again be remembered. Moreover, I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. Then, if anyone prophesies in spite of this, his father and mother to whom he was born will say to him, ‘You cannot live, for you lie in the name of the LORD.’ Then his father and mother to whom he was born will run him through with a sword when he prophesies. “Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment of a prophet to deceive the people. Instead he will say, ‘I am no prophet — indeed, I am a farmer, for a man has made me his indentured servant since my youth.’ Then someone will ask him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ and he will answer, ‘Some that I received in the house of my friends.’”) (Divided denominational preachers will be ashamed.)

     Jesus’ apostle John shared the Baptist’s testimony, giving us to understand and share. (John 1:10-18; He ‘Jesus’ was in the world, and the world was created by Him, but the world did not recognize Him. He came to what was His own, ‘Israelites’ but His own people did not receive Him. (12) But to all who have received Him — those who believe in His name — He has given the right to become God’s children — children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God. Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw His glory — the glory of the One and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.

   (John 1:15-18; John testified about Him and shouted out, “This one was the One about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, because He existed before me.’ For we have all received from His fullness one gracious gift after another. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The only One, Himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known.”)

   (Jesus Himself, Son of God is the only one who’s ever seen God the Father and the world was created by Him. He had to come and die in order to annul the old covenant and establish a new.)

    When Jews – Israel rejected truth Paul and Barnabas turned to the gentiles as prophesied. Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.

   Quoting Jesus’ word through Habakkuk the apostle says; (Acts 13:41; ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! For I am doing a work in your days, a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.‘”)(Quote from Habakkuk 1:5-7)  Look at the nations and pay attention! You will be shocked and amazed! For I will do something in your lifetime that you will not believe even though you are forewarned.  Look, I am about to empower the Babylonians, that ruthless and greedy nation. They sweep across the surface of the earth, seizing dwelling places that do not belong to them. They are frightening and terrifying; they decide for themselves what is right.”) (In these latter days Satan has the whole world as Babylon – confusion.)

   (Acts 13:43; “When the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and God fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.”) (Not some methodology,)

   (Acts 13:47-52; “ For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.‘” When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the Word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed. So the Word of the Lord was spreading through the entire region. But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their region. So after they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, they went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”)

New Covenant message of grace supersedes methodology.

    (Acts 14:3-6; ”So they stayed there for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace, granting miraculous signs and wonders to be performed through their hands. But the population of the city was divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made an attempt to mistreat them and stone them, Paul and Barnabas learned about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region.”)

James’ letter to God called converted gentiles.

    Acts 15:10-12; “So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they ‘the gentiles’ are.” The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.”  

   (Acts 15:13-21; “After they stopped speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.  Simeon has explained how God first concerned Himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for His name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written, ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be My own,’ says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. (Quote from Amos 9:11) “Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”)

    (James had no problem with God’s calling but knew gentile’s previous pagan way of life, so, “in order to assemble with God’s church, they had to abstain from basic things such as defiling themselves with idols, sexual immortality, what had been strangled and blood. Gentiles like Israelites had to be founded on the prophets, apostles with Jesus the chief Corner Stone.)

    James nor Jesus’ apostles ever intended gentiles not have obligation to God’s law, observe His calendar, holy seasons and Sabbaths sanctified for His people’s good.    

To: In residence Churches of God. Nisan 23, 5,780 until sunset.  April 17, 2,020
(Hebrews 13:8; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!) God the Father and God the Son are One in purpose and planning; even Satan knew God’s purpose and plans for making mankind in His image and likeness before He shared with Moses for the Israelites. It’s a reason Satan thought to prolong God’s plan by deceiving Eve, then Adam, to disobey their Creator.
Moses told Israel; (Deut 18:15-19; “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you — from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to Him. This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the LORD your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the LORD our God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.” The LORD then said to me, “What they have said is good. I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put My words in His mouth and He will speak to them whatever I command. I will personally hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet speaks in My name.”) The Hebrews writer rehearsed these Horeb assembly events at Heb 12:22-29; “telling believers what their outlook should be when approaching God’s throne in prayer.
Creator Jesus’ coming in the flesh with knowledge of His Son of God deity, as the prophesied Messiah, Teacher, Savior, Deliverer, to give a new covenant with a selected people, sacrifice His life blood for the remission of their sins, be resurrected and ascend back to His Father, to serve as Mediator before coming back as king of kings. All planned back before He re-created earth and created Adam. These things are revealed to believers so they can understand the Old Covenant parts that are perpetual and the parts that looked forward to Jesus’ fulfillments.
Temporary; were Temple Priest activities, sacrificing animal blood to satisfy payment for sins, washings, ceremonies, bringing gifts - tithes to Priest until the Messiah’s coming that looking forward to their spiritual counterparts.
Perpetual, everlasting and eternal “is Jesus’ new spiritual covenant with a predestined called out people, to supernaturally make each temples of His spirit and spiritually at one with Himself. Perpetual, everlasting and eternal, “ is His calendar for His people, setting aside seasons and Sabbaths for worship and revelation. Perpetual, everlasting and eternal “is Jesus’ sharing His and the Father’s righteous attributes with a selected called out people for their benefit. Perpetual, everlasting and eternal “are all Jesus’ covenant promises through His prophets, to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, the apostles and each called out believer and His promise to again deliver and re-establish Israel to their former borders.
Each called Believer will come to understand that the Son of God, ‘Jesus’ was the spokesman saying, “let us make man in our likeness and image.” Jesus was Abraham’s Lord God, making perpetual promises to him and his descendents.
Understanding Jesus’ deity.
He Called and make Moses His deliverer for Israel. Jesus was the Lord God who gave the ten commandments, statutes and oracles for Israel’s good. Before we continue in Colossians, let’s review, (Galatians 3:28-29; “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female – for all of you are One in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”)
Before being called and selected, gentiles populations generally didn’t know nor have the God of Israel revealed, but it was always planned that Israel’s rejecting their God would allow gentiles to be grafted in.
(Colossians 1:21-23; “And you, ‘gentiles’ were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds, but now He ‘Jesus’ has reconciled you by His physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before Him, if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.”)
Any teaching beyond Jesus and His apostles’
message are assumptions of people with agenda’s.
(Hebrews 13:5-9; “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for He has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Remember your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their lives and imitate their faith. (8) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings.”)
Proof of Jesus’ deity before His coming in flesh were in
portions “a little here and a little there.”
(Hebrews 1:1-4; “After God spoke long ago in various portions and in various ways to our ancestors through the prophets, in these last days He has spoken to us in a Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He created the world. (3) The Son is the radiance of His glory and the representation of His essence, and He sustains all things by His powerful Word, and so when He had accomplished cleansing for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Thus He became so far better than the angels as He has inherited a name superior to theirs.”)
Jesus perceives things we ponder and meditate about.
(John 16:19-28; “Jesus could see that they wanted to ask Him about these things, so He said to them, “Are you asking each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me; again after a little while, you will see Me’? (20) I tell you the solemn truth, you ‘followers of Me’ will weep and wail, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sadness will turn into joy. When a woman gives birth, she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world. (22) So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. At that time you will ask Me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, whatever you ‘followers of Me’ ask the Father in My name, ‘nature’ He will give you. (24) Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive it, so that your joy may be complete.”)
Speaking to His apostles Jesus said; (Matt 16:25-28; “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech, a time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you plainly about the Father. At that time you will ask in My name, ‘nature’ and I do not say that I will ask the Father on your behalf. For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.””)
For a deep understanding of Jesus the Son and God the Father’s deity, study the whole first two chapters of Hebrews.
Truth has always offended the majorities. We need the correct perspectives regarding “the Church of God, new covenant and called out selected people.” We need to understand what the Holy Spirit does for its recipients. What happens in the minds –the outlook of its recipients?
What happened to the five hundred or so people gifted with the Holy Spirit on that Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension? Their outlooks were miraculously changed from fleshly to spiritual desires. The desire to be obedience and spiritually intimate with Jesus came on them. A servant attitude “as each apostle expressed was gifted.” The New Covenant is with a people God miraculously chooses to be at One with Himself. It’s the mystery not understood by the world at large, or the many using Jesus’ name.
Pentecost God’s Church birthday.
That Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension was almost three hundred years before the universal church organized in Rome. About three hundred years before days of the week were named after imaginary pagan gods. Original upheavals in “The Church of God Jerusalem” were the result of Pharisees, Sadducees and Synagogue high priest not wanting to share popularity and power. As the apostles went out establishing churches in gentile communities, obstacles became the likes of the ‘goddess Dianna’ in places like Corinth and many images of imaginary gods. Riots broke out in many places when pagan people heard about Jesus and the resurrections. In Judea, as Synagogue prestige and power faded, people like Stephen and Paul were persecuted. But God was using His energizing Holy Spirit in their minds.
Study all Stephen’s dissertation to the unbelievers before his murder.
Let’s review portions here to get a foundational grasp of Jesus’ good news.
(Acts 6:8-15; “Now Stephen full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. But some men from the Synagogue of the Freedmen, (as it was called) both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. (10) Yet they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They incited the people, the elders, and the experts in the law; then they approached Stephen, seized him, and brought him before the council. They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place and the law. (14) For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” All who were sitting in the council looked intently at Stephen and saw his face was like the face of an angel.”)
God’s energizing Holy Spirit gave brightness to Stephen’s face and inserted his mind with truth we need to be teaching our children. No better sermon than Stephen’s has ever been preached! (Keep Paul’s Galatians 3:28-29 text in mind as we Study Stephens words, “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.)
(Acts 7: Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” So he replied, “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this country where you now live. (5) He did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, not even a foot of ground, yet God promised to give it to him as his possession and to his descendants after him, even though Abraham as yet had no child. But God spoke as follows: ‘Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. (See Gen 15:13 and Exodus 12:40 which specifies their sojourn as 430 years.) But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there and worship Me in this place.’
Jesus’ delivering Israel from the bondage of Egypt through Moses is a parallel to the spiritual deliverance we have from the bondage of this world’s system of things and our inherited nature.

To: In residence Churches of God. Nisan 21, 5780 until sunset.  April 15, 2,020
Today concludes God’s holy, “Passover-Feast of Unleavened Bread” season. Today is the second of seven annual Sabbaths God set aside for His people’ good. The holy day began at the previous sunset and ends at today’s sunset. Keeping God’s set aside times is to respectfully acknowledge Him. Initially the effort required of Israel was to assemble for worship on the 15th, 21st, and weekly Wave Sheaf Sabbath, put leavening out of homes, associating it with that which puffs up “disobedience.” Some likely recognized the puffing up of bread translated to sin, or the nature inherited from Adam which is hostile to God. (On a spiritual level today, the holy season and its Sabbaths are set aside for people who’re called to worship God.)
As we studied last time from the book of Hebrews we must know who Jesus is. The first chapter of Hebrews identifies Jesus, but lets allow Paul’s defining words before proceeding. (Colossians 1:15-20; “He ‘Jesus’ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by Him — all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers — all things were created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things and all things are held together in Him.
He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that He Himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in the Son and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross — through Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.:)
On a spiritual level today we should discern the difference between God’s “perpetual set aside times and parts of the old covenant replaced when Jesus became sin for us” remitting sin for those chosen to believe in His accomplishment in shedding His life blood so, “sin could be remitted through believing in forgiveness through that shed blood.” (Allow more of Paul’s understanding to permeate minds.
(Eph 2:1-10; And although you ‘followers of Jesus’ were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…”
Who makes us alive with Christ and why?
(Eph 2:4-7; “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! And He raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (7) to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
How accomplished?
(Eph 2:8-10; “For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.”)
The full meaning is; “by gifted grace we are saved through gifted faith, not of ourselves but gifted from God who foreknew us from a beginning.
Individually and as members of God’s church;
you gentiles are now equal citizens.
(Eph 2:11-22; “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “un-circumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the body by human hands – that you were at that time without the Messiah, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (13) But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by ‘believe IN’ the blood of Christ. For He is our peace, the One who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when He nullified in His flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of two, thus making peace,
(Eph 2:16-22; and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. And He came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near, so that through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you ‘gentiles’  are no longer foreigners and non-citizens, but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and members of God’s household, (20) because you have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. In Him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”)
Satan and the unbelieving politically correct majorities want the world believing “one belief is as good as the other.” It is popular for the unbelieving majorities to say “all are trying to get to the same place.” But that isn’t what Jesus inspired His apostle Paul to proclaim.
(2Corinthians 6:11-18; “We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart has been opened wide to you. Our affection for you is not restricted, but you are restricted in your affections for us. Now as a fair exchange – I speak as to my children – open wide your hearts to us also.
(2Cor 6:14-18;  Do not become partners with those who do not believe, for what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar -Satan? Or what does a Believer share in common with an unbeliever? And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we ‘followers of Jesus’ are the temple of the living God, just as God said, “I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” Therefore “come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord, “and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters,” says the All-Powerful Lord.”)
God the Father does the calling and gives the desire to know Him as He manifest Himself to be in the holy scriptures. Attempting to follow a Jesus of one’s imagination is idolatry. People can only choose to follow the Jesus manifested in the holy scriptures when God the Father calls and supernaturally reveals Him to the mind.
Each professing Christian group, imagine a Jesus a little different than the other. Its Satan’s doing and his influence on minds of people promoting his divisionary agenda. From Jesus’ perspective, how many truths are there? From within the fleshly mindset; “is it possible to know Jesus’ perspective regarding all things?” No! Why not? Allow Him to tell you.
(Matt 13:10-23; Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He replied, “You ‘followers of Me’ have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. (12) For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”)
Digest that. Only the selected know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Those who are gifted with the understanding will grow in that understanding; those who don’t will simply remain confused.
(Matt 13:13-15; “For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they ‘those not called or gifted’ see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’”) (Quote from Isaiah 6:9-10)
Heart-minds must be changed supernaturally; until it is, “no person can ever comprehend.” But Satan told it differently. He told Eve in effect; “God lied, He knows when you eat, you will be divine.” (Gen 3:4-5; “The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know good and evil.”) People have been thinking they have the capacity to learn for themselves ever since, ’what’s right, wrong, good and evil.’
Jesus continues; (Matt 13:16-17; “But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you, ‘followers of Me’ see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
(Matt 13:18-23; “So listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one ‘Satan’ comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path. (20) The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. (22) The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing. (23) But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands. He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”)
Each prone to be religious person; ‘those trusting their own intellect’ think to themselves; “God gave me the mind to choose.” Therein is the root of division. God doesn’t want us choosing beyond what He reveals is right, wrong, good and evil.
God gifts us with an understanding of His deity.
(John 1:1-5; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.”)
The darkness is that which Satan puts out to cause division. Satan wants people to think of themselves divine; “thus able to discern for themselves.” A repentant person knows by revelation that only God has the prerogative of revealing His truth.

To: In residence Churches of God. Nisan 20, 5780 until sunset.  April 14, 2,020
Jesus is the Lamb of God “the Passover Lamb of God.” Lamb or goat blood over door facings in Egypt looked forward to Jesus’ sacrificial blood saving sinners.
Blood sacrifices commanded through Moses for sin offerings looked forward to Jesus’ “one time” offering His blood for the remission of sins.
Jesus was the Mediator of the old covenant made with Israel by promise to Abraham. In that covenant Israel promised obedience and the Lord God “Jesus” promised blessings for their obedience. Israel’s disobedience broke the contract “the will” causing the Lord God Jesus to scatter them as promised through Moses. However that scattering isn’t permanent, promises to Abraham regarding his descendants were perpetual and Israel will yet be delivered back to the promised lands.
Jesus’ death made a new covenant –will with Abraham’s descendants possible. (Gal 3:28-29; “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female — for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.”)
According to God’s and man’s law, a new covenant could only be made after the One who made the first died. Since Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension He’s the Mediator of a New Promised Covenant with a chosen called out people “spiritual Israelites” with all the promises made to Israel “Jacob.” The Hebrews writer we believe to be Paul explained.
(Heb 9:16-17; “For where there is a will, “contract-covenant” the death of the One who made it must be proven. For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the One who made it is alive.”)
Redemption through Jesus’ shed blood.
(Heb 9:11-18; “But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation and He entered once for all into the most holy place not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, and so He Himself secured eternal redemption.  For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. (15) And so He is the Mediator of a New Covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance He has promised, since He died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant. For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven. For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the One who made it is alive. So even the first covenant was inaugurated with blood.”)
Called believers in Jesus represent the Feast of Firstfruits.
First fruits of spring harvest represent God’s chosen people during this time before Jesus’ second coming and the first resurrection. Israel’s entering the promised lands is representative of Jesus’ millennial kingdom and people of promise being “the first portion of the harvest.” Waving the Sheaf before the Lord, Looking forward to “followers of Jesus being presented to God the Father.” We need to examine what’s perpetual and what’s obsolete regarding the old covenant.
(Lev 23:9-14; The LORD spoke to Moses: “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you enter the land that I am about to give to you and you gather in its harvest, then you must bring the sheaf of the first portion of your harvest to the priest and he must wave the sheaf before the LORD to be accepted for your benefit — on the day after the weekly Sabbath the priest is to wave it. On the day you wave the sheaf you must also offer a flawless yearling lamb for a burnt offering to the LORD, along with its grain offering, two tenths of an ephah of choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, as a gift to the LORD, a soothing aroma, and its drink offering, one fourth of a hin of wine. You must not eat bread, roasted grain, or fresh grain until this very day, until you bring the offering of your God. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all the places where you live.” (Jesus is now our High Priest and  portions of the covenant offered back them are now obsolete because He’s our Mediator of a better covenant.)
From that weekly Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins the count to the third annual Sabbath, Feast of Firstfruits, “Pentecost.” (Again the covenant portions offered for sins are now obsolete because they looked to Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension accomplishments. Principles regarding leaving portions of harvest for the poor and foreigners are God’s desires for all time.)
Feast of Weeks “Pentecost” 50 days from “the Wave Sheaf Sabbath”
Acts 2: gives the account of that first Pentecost after Jesus’ ascension, when the Holy Spirit came visibly like rushing wind and entered it’s recipients.
Lev23:15- ‘You must count for yourselves seven weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day you bring the wave offering sheaf; they must be complete weeks. You must count fifty days — until the day after the seventh Sabbath — and then you must present a new grain offering to the LORD. From the places where you live you must bring two loaves of bread for a wave offering; they must be made from two tenths of an ephah of fine wheat flour, baked with yeast, as first fruits to the LORD. Along with the loaves of bread, you must also present seven flawless yearling lambs, one young bull, and two rams. They are to be a burnt offering to the LORD along with their grain offering and drink offerings, a gift of a soothing aroma to the LORD. You must also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two yearling lambs for a peace offering sacrifice, and the priest is to wave them — the two lambs — along with the bread of the first fruits, as a wave offering before the LORD; they will be holy to the LORD for the priest. (21) ” ‘On this very day you must proclaim an assembly; it is to be a holy assembly for you. You must not do any regular work. This is a perpetual statute in all the places where you live throughout your generations. When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.’ “)
Jesus had His prophet Joel write about the Holy Spirit being given to the many after Israel’s next deliverance and Jesus’ millennial reign.
Always study the whole. (Joel 28-32; After all of this I will pour out My Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will produce portents both in the sky and on the earth — blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sunlight will be turned to darkness and the moon to the color of blood, before the day of the LORD comes — that great and terrible day! (32) It will so happen that everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered. For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be those who survive, just as the LORD has promised; the remnant will be those whom the LORD will call.)
We’ve attempted to zero in on the fact that God does the calling and gives the desire to be a follower of Jesus. Denominationalism in general thinks in terms of methodology and conjured up by human choice, “desires from within the fleshly mind.” In other words, “you choose a fitting doctrine.” Like Paul and we say, “nevertheless Jesus is preached.” Why and how? Perhaps some will be lead to prove all things and hold to what’s good. (See 1Thess 5:21 and  2Cor 11:4.)
World’s situation isn’t much different than when Paul took Jesus’ good news to Athens.
Consider Acts 17:16-34; “While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset because he saw the city was full of idols. So he was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue and in the marketplace every day those who happened to be there. (18) Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, “What does this foolish babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)
(Strangely; proclaiming Jesus’ gospel and the resurrections is still as proclaiming a foreign god to the majorities thinking we have ”immortality at birth and salvation amounting to a heaven or hell doctrine.” See who‘ll die a second death at Revelations 21:7-8)
(Acts 17:19-21; “So they took Paul and brought him to the ‘council of Areopagus’ saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? For you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.)
(Remember last study? “If they don’t believe Moses neither will they believe, even if one is raised from the dead and tells them.)
(Acts 17:22-23; So Paul stood before the Areopagus council and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.”
(Acts 17:24-27; “The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. (26) From one man ‘Adam’ He made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”
(Acts 17:28-29; For in Him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.”
(Acts 17:30-31; “Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, He now commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom He designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”
(Acts 17:32-34; “Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So Paul left the Areopagus. But some people joined him and believed. Among them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”)
(People still think of God’s deity as a “three in one god,” still wear trinkets to demonstrate their belief and set up idols made with human hands to bow before.) We were in a similar mold “in our unbelieving status, until God the Father revealed Himself and His Son, Jesus.” Paul explained to the Ephesians and each called out individual, why there should be no boasting except in the Lord.