Resource Manager Posted October 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 26 October 2012 2 Chronicles 23Daniel 4Acts 2 "GOD HAS MADE HIM BOTH LORD AND CHRIST" Today we read the dramatic account of the events that followed after the disciples were empowered by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Led by Peter, they preached in such a way about Jesus, who he was and what he had done, and the terrible events to come that the hearers “were cut to the heart” [Acts 2:37]. The words which had pierced their conscience were, “Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” [Acts 2:36]. What can you know for certain today? More and more have convinced themselves that there is no God and they can live their lives just as they feel because they have no belief or faith. We have been reading of a similar state of affairs in Chronicles where Kings in Jerusalem followed Baal worship with all its immoral behaviour – and chaos followed. Peter in his address to the people at Pentecost quoted extensively from Joel in a passage which has an application to both the end of the Jewish age in AD70 and our Gentile age, events which are today soon to happen as God makes his power known in an awesome way. How literal are we to understand the words Peter quotes? We must not explain them away. “I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And … everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” [Acts 2:19-21] Our final and most telling thought is the words used to describe the response to Peter’s challenge, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation” [Acts 2:40] We partly quoted them in our heading – “so those who received his word were baptised.” Note the word “received”! It is one thing to read, to hear and to listen, but the only thing that really matters is when the words are “received” Have you “received” them?-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted October 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 27 October 2012 2 Chronicles 24Daniel 5Acts 3; 4 "JOASH DID WHAT WAS RIGHT" Our readings today caused us to reflect on things and friends which influence our actions. How important is it for us to have the right kind of friends – and what other things influence us? Our readings in Chronicles yesterday revealed the chaos in Jerusalem when a most evil Queen Mother, the daughter of Ahab, seized power after her husband was killed, she ruled for 6 years after killing all but one rival. The youngest of the royal children, Joash, was hidden by his aunt for 6 years and then proclaimed king at the age of 7 and the wicked Queen Mother killed! This was at the initiative of Jehoiada the Priest. Today in 2 Chronicles 24 we read that “Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” [2 Chronicles 24:2]. Urgent repairs were made to the Temple. “But Jehoiada grew old and full of days and died.” [2 Chronicles 24:15] But then we read, “Now after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. And they abandoned the house of the LORD.” [2 Chronicles 24:17,18] As a result of this bad influence the rest of Joash’s reign was a disaster, he even ended up killing the son of Jehoiada the priest who had rebuked him. When we come to 2 Chronicles 34 next week we will read of a really good king, who, when they found the Book of the Law when they were cleaning out the Temple after another disastrous reign, initiated great reforms after being influenced by what he read. In Daniel today we read of Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, king Belshazzar (called ‘son’ in the text, but there is no word for grandson). He also behaved foolishly, although, as the aging Daniel told him, “Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this” [Daniel 5:22]. He knew how his grandfather had, in the end, served the true God. So Belshazzar failed to rule wisely, in the fear of the true God, although he knew of him. So what are we allowing to influence us today? Belief in evolution is the dominating influence all around us and it is growing – so that there is no fear of God in people’s minds. What influences us to do the wrong thing? What will cause us to think and do the right thing?-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted October 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 28 October 2012 2 Chronicles 25Daniel 6Acts 5; 6 "PRAYER AND THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD" In Daniel 6 today we have clear evidence that this wonderful man, now in his old age, was a man who had a regular prayer life. We read of those who are jealous of the opinion the king holds of him and look for ways to discredit his loyalty to the king. They confer together and decide; “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.” [Daniel 6:5] They persuade the King to issue an ordinance banning the making of petitions (i.e. prayers) “to any God or man for 30 days except to you O King” [Daniel 6:7]. Now “when Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he had done previously.” [Daniel 6:10] Those jealous of his standing reported this to the King which, because such laws are regarded as immutable, led to Daniel being put into the Lion’s Den; his miraculous preservation followed. The most significant part of this story for us is that Daniel was a man of constant prayer, daily in communion with the only true God. In chapter 10 we will read of his distress at the awesome visions given to him: a heavenly being then comes and says, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you: be strong and of good courage.” [Daniel 10:19] In our Acts reading, we note the reasons why the disciples decide to appoint deacons. The number of believers being baptised and joining the church had become so many that the need for more and more organisation was becoming necessary. With their appointment the disciples now said, “we will devote ourselves to prayer and the ministry of the word” [Acts 6:4] This is an example to all who seek to effectively follow Christ and reminds us how those baptised on the day of Pentecost “devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers.” [Acts 2:42] How well do we follow these examples?-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted October 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2012 29 October 2012 2 Chronicles 26; 27Daniel 7Acts 7 "THOSE WHO ENDURE TO THE END WILL BE SAVED" Stephen is hauled before the Jewish Council and accused of speaking blasphemous words against the Law and saying the Temple would be destroyed. His speech (in Acts 7) before the Council is a history lesson! Why? What was his purpose? He reviews all that had happened since the time of Abraham. Didn’t the members of the Council know their history? As we read the chapter we see Stephen is tracing the things God had instigated since he called Abraham from his homeland in Ur. The lesson is for humans to be awake and aware of God in action, actions which are a response to faith or lack of it. After Abraham he looks at the work and faith of Joseph. Then God raised up Moses and when he became really faithful, miracles occurred both in leaving Egypt and in the wilderness when the commandments and the Law was given, also the follies caused by failures of faith and the result. Then comes the establishment in the land under Joshua; the days of David and the great Temple built by Solomon. God’s presence was with them, yet God is far greater than just dwelling in the Temple they had built, God said “Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool” [Acts 7:49]. Yet their religious life in Stephen’s time was still built around it! Did they have a relationship with the One God for whom it was built? No! Stephen portrayed the real lessons for them, the mistakes that their history should teach them – how often their ancestors had not been awake to see God in action but had pursued their own ends. Stephen suddenly challenges them, “You stiff necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit (God in action) as your father’s did …” [Acts 7:51] He accuses them - you betrayed and murdered the righteous one, Jesus, … you did just the same as your ancestors did – a folly which they complete my murdering Stephen. It is evident that Stephen had included in his preaching a warning that the Temple was to be destroyed. And it was, about 35 years later – and their nation as well. Now our 21st Century will surely see the climax of human history. God will act again but the whole world is blind and unprepared just as the Jews were! An awesome time is coming to destroy the “temples” of the gods of today. Do we preach this as Stephen did? Are you prepared? Is your faith strong enough to endure? Remember what Jesus said, “Because lawlessness will abound the love of many will grow cold, but those who endure to the end will be saved.” [Matthew 24:12,13]. We need the fellowship of fellow believers to help us to endure.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted October 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2012 30 October 2012 2 Chronicles 28Daniel 8Acts 8 "THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD" We recall how, in the Gospels, Jesus often went through Samaria in travelling from Jerusalem to Galilee and back. On several occasions he had encounters with the Samaritans. On occasions Jesus spent time with the Samaritans. We read earlier this month of an occasion when he heeded their request to stay and teach them and, as a result, some said, “we know that this is indeed the saviour of the world.” [John 4:42] So we can see that the Samarians were ready for the Gospel harvest. Jesus commissioned his disciples as he was about to ascend to heaven that they were be to “be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [Acts 1:8] Only today, is the message really reaching “the end of the earth” They were at first slow to carry out his commission. Preaching was concentrated on Jerusalem until Stephen was killed, but, as we read today in Acts 8, after “his execution … they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” [Acts 8:1] Philip made a particular effort to preach in Samaria [Acts 8:5] “and the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said … and saw the signs that he did … so there was much joy … ” [Acts 8:6,8] “When they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God, they were baptised … now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent to them Peter and John” [Acts 8:12,14]. This is a key word – receive, received, that we will encounter in the book of Acts and apostolic writings. Acts 11 starts, “Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.” [Acts 11:1]. The point is; it is one thing to read and to hear about the message of the Kingdom and of Christ’s is return to establish it – but the vital thing is whether that message is received into the heart and mind. Look up the words in Acts 17:11 as a special example. If you “receive” a message it becomes part of your thinking and motivates the person into action. Have you “received” the word of God – or only just know about it? To find it interesting is only a stepping stone – the journey to conviction has to be completed.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted October 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2012 31 October 2012 2 Chronicles 29Daniel 9Acts 9 "THE PRINCE OF PRINCES" Daniel was one of God’s most remarkable prophets. He was an emotional man; few have had experiences to parallel his. Imagine yourself carried away captive as a teenager. We know nothing of his upbringing, but those taken away to Babylon at that time were from the royal or noble families so we can assume that Daniel and his 3 friends came from an educated background. It was such a training that made him refuse the king’s “delicacies” [Daniel 1:8] so he would not defile himself; they probably contained blood or something forbidden under the Mosaic Law. Today’s reading in Daniel 9 is when the Medes and Persians are in power and Darius the Mede is in control – note that he is described as “the son of Ahasuerus.” It may be that this is the same man as married Esther, but there is no certain proof of this but it would fit in well in giving a reason for the influence of Jews on Persian policy leading to the edict to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. [Ezra 6] that we will be reading in a couple of weeks. Daniel’s visions, as we read yesterday, are about “many days from now” [Daniel 8:26] and describe how “the Prince of princes” destroys the aggressor “but by no human hand”. His emotion following the experience of this vision resulted in him being “overcome and sick for some days … I was appalled at the vision and did not understand it. [Daniel 8:27] In today’s chapter there are visions which include the 70 times 7 period: these “times” were understood as years and add up to 490 [Daniel 9:24]. This is calculated as leading to AD26 which was the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. The people of the time were aware of this prediction and were in “expectation” [Luke 3:15]. That time, we read in Daniel, is “to finish transgression and bring an end to sin” – and in a spiritual sense Jesus did this when he made one sacrifice for all time and brought an end to the Law. Daniel continued to experience distress and sought God in desperate prayer [Daniel 9:3] and saw the need, he told God, of “gaining insight into your truth” [Daniel 9:13]. That attitude is just as much needed today. We particularly notice that it was not just to understand the prophecy, but just as much, if not more, Daniel was “confessing my sin and the sin or my people Israel and presenting my plea before the LORD my God” [Daniel 9:20] This attitude must be the foundation of our attempts to understand what the visions God gave to Daniel are to mean to us.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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