Pastor beings today’s class with a Flashback to twelve years earlier from where we left off last week in order to take a look at the prophet Elisha.

Elisha’s name means “God is my Salvation.” Even in this dark time of history, God uses Elisha to draw people back to Himself.

Elisha’s Ministry
    ⁃    Moab revolts (2 Kings 3) against Israel. 
    ⁃    Widow’s olive oil (2 Kings 4) God shows His love for individuals
    ⁃    Naaman healed (2 Kings 5) “The God of Israel is the God of the world!” 
    ⁃    Blinded Arabians (2 Kings 6) “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet Elisha answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16-17.
    ⁃    Samaria besieged (2 Kings 7) 

Now that we know the activity of Elisha during these 12 years of turmoil leading up to the deaths of both the king of Israel and the king of Judah, we return to where we left off with our story last week.

King Jehu of Israel 
    ⁃    Kills Kings Joram (king of Israel) and Ahaziah (king of Judah) (2 Kings 9)
    ⁃    Has Queen Jezebel killed (2 Kings 9)
    ⁃    Has Ahab’s extended family killed (2 Kings 10)
    ⁃    Has King Ahaziah’s relatives killed (2 Kings 10)
    ⁃    Has Baal worship destroyed (2 Kings 10) “So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.  Yet Jehu was not careful to keep the law of the Lord, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.” 1 Kings 10: 28,31.  Such a powerful reminder to have a heart for the things of God, to not take lightly what God desires and has done. Jehu took political control but her did not take spiritual control.

Meanwhile in Judah…
“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son had been killed by Jehu king of Israel, she took over the throne of Judah and proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 22:10.  “But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal prices who were about to be murdered and put him and his nurse in a bedroom.  Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.” 2 Chronicles 22:11-12

Then when the secreted away son of killed king Ahaziah of Judah was 7 years old, we read.… 
“In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of the a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them deceased king Ahaziah’s son.” 2 Kings 11:4  

God had preserved the line of David!
“Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted “Long live the king!” 2 Kings 11:12.

Join us next week as our story continues!

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Today’s question, “Why read the Old Testament” is often asked by church going people. It is often stated this way:
    ⁃    The Old Testament is so hard to understand.
    ⁃    I like the New Testament better than the Old.
    ⁃    God seems so angry and mean in the Old.
    ⁃    Hasn’t the New Testament replaced the Old?
    ⁃    All those animal sacrifices are a huge turn off.

Why read the Old Testament? Here are four main themes which Pastor will use to answer today’s question:
    ⁃    Revelation
    ⁃    Foundation
    ⁃    Confirmation
    ⁃    Salvation

Revelation: God reveals Himself, the past, the future, His plan, His character:
    ⁃    All Scripture is God-breathed. God breaths life. The Old Testament is God’s Living word, it’s Him speaking, His breath – a God-breathed book.
    ⁃    The Old Testament is for future generations – 1 Corinthians 10:11 tells us, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” The Old Testament is for all generations. It’s not out of date and aids us in understanding the time in which we live.
    ⁃    The Old Testament is for our instruction. Not just the story of people from long ago, it is for our instruction. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
    ⁃    The Old Testament is revealing God’s character. It shows us what God is like. It’s a record of thousands of years and we see His patience with a goal of bringing people back to Himself. Exodus 34:6-7 “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” God’s character is good.

Foundation:
    ⁃    The Old Testament shows God is our Creator. Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 
    ⁃    The Old Testament shows the Sin-Death connection. Death is not natural it is a result of rebellion against God. Genesis 2:16-17 – sin brings death.
    ⁃    The Old Testament shows the need for Sacrifice. Genesis 3:21. An innocent animal had to die to clothe Adam and Eve after they sinned. Salvation requires an innocent victim to die for sin.
    ⁃    The Old Testament shows Grace and Faith. What saves is God’s grace and our response of faith. Genesis 15:6. 

Confirmation: The Old Testament confirms what we read in the New Testament.
    ⁃    The Old Testament points to Christ. It carries a unified theme that points us to the One that was promised, the One who would defeat the devil. John 5:39-40. Luke 24:27 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.”
    ⁃    The Old Testament points to the Son of Man. Jesus’ favorite term for Himself. Daniel 7:13-14. The Old Testament reveals Jesus.
    ⁃    The Old Testament points to the cross. 1 Peter 1:10-11 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the suffering of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.” 
    ⁃    The Old Testament points to the resurrection of Jesus. Luke 24:46-47.

Salvation:
    ⁃    The Old Testament makes us wise for salvation. 2 Timothy 3:15 “…from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 
    ⁃    The Old Testament makes the New Covenant clear. The definition for the word “testament” has changed over the last several hundred years. Testament originally meant “a covenant.”  Jeremiah 31:31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the People of Judah.” 
    ⁃    The Old Testament makes Messiah’s death our’s. Isaiah 53:4-5. 
    ⁃    The Old Testament makes the world’s future clear. Philippians 2:10-11 “…at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Isiah 45:23 the Living God says, “By Myself I have sworn, My mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked; before Me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear.” 

Why should I read the Old Testament? Because God speaks in it! Let Him speak to you through ALL of His Word.

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The Gospel of John Week 20
Scripture: John 14:31 – 16:3.

Our study of the evening of Jesus’ Passover meal with His disciples continues.  In our opening verse of John 14:31 we read, “Come, let us go.” 

Pastor shares an ancient Christian tradition that states Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room in a location in the southwestern corner of the city of Jerusalem on the Western Hill.  Using tradition, archeological discoveries, writings from Jewish historian Josephus, and some holy speculation, Pastor puts together an amazing picture of Jesus and His disciples walk to the Garden:
    ⁃    It was an evening walk.
    ⁃    To get there they would have moved through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives where the Garden of Gethsemane was located.
    ⁃    On the way they would have passed the Temple
    ⁃    According to Josephus the Temple was 150 feet tall and on the face of the temple was a massive golden grapevine with clusters of grapes made out of solid gold. The clusters stood about 6 feet high.
    ⁃    What is known from rabbinical writings is that during the great feasts, (like this one at Passover) massive torches were placed in the courts of the temple. There were 4 of them and they stood 75 feet high with multiple containers of oil for each.
    ⁃    They provided a tremendous amount of light in the temple and could have been seen throughout the city.

So as we read, “Come, let us go,” we move to the first words of chapter 15, “I am the true vine.”
    ⁃    And Jesus and His disciples are actually seeing the massive golden grapevine on the face of the temple as they walk. These are absolutely startling and dramatic words.
    ⁃    These words would have been more significant to them then than they are to us today. What Jesus’ disciples would have thought of was that the people of Israel are compared to a grapevine in the Hebrew Scriptures and they would have thought of Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard. (Isaiah 5) an analogy of what God intended the nation of Israel to be. And now Jesus is saying He is the vine. Jesus is saying He is everything that God intends for His people to be. With this analogy Jesus is saying that He is the One who gives life to the people of God.

It is only by being connected to Jesus that we have life and forgiveness and hope because He is the Messiah. Unless we receive Him as such, judgement will come.

As Pastor takes us through verses 1-2 of chapter 15, he shares what he personally believes and that is that the translators have possibly not translated accurately. He goes on to share that the Greek word translated in English to “cuts off” has two meanings and the correct meaning may not have been used here, that the meaning “to raise to life up” (the second meaning)should have been used.  Pastor brings in the actual care of grapevines by a good gardener and that non-producing vines are lifted up off the ground by the gardener so they can receive more light and are not cut off. Pastor makes a solid argument that the text is better translated as: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He lifts up every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

This is all happening just hours before He will be arrested and He is making sure His disciples understand these truths. He goes on with more truths of praying in His name, loving one another and He repeats Himself. Why? Because not only did they need it repeated, but we need to hear these truths over and again. Jesus wants to make sure and re-share these fundamental truths to anchor His disciples and us in the good times and in the difficult times.

Jesus goes on with more truths:
    ⁃    As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you.
    ⁃    Remain in My love.
    ⁃    Keep His commandments (not to earn His love, but because we have His love)
    ⁃    He calls His disciples His friends
    ⁃    He tells them whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you.
    ⁃    He tells them the world will hate them as it hates Him
    ⁃    He talks of persecution, but that there will also be those who will listen. So He encourages them to speak His words and tell others. We will have difficulties in this world be we know He is with us, and He loves us!
    ⁃    He shares that the Holy Spirit is coming. The Advocate. The Comforter, The Consoler. And that they will need the Holy Spirit.

Then Pastor shares the story of Jacob DeShazer. It’s a powerful testimony of how God changes our hearts with His Word and uses our changed hearts to impact others.

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Check out this episode!

Today we will be taking a look at 25 chapters that are both exciting and complex.

The 25 chapters:
1 Kings 15 – 22
2 Kings 1 – 11
2 Chronicles 17 – 22
A period of approximately 33 years.

As our study begins we see Ahab (874-853 BC) – is the ruler of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Jehoshaphat (870-848 BC) – is ruler of Judah, the Southern Kingdom.

There’s good news and bad news from this period of 33 years… There was an alliance made between Israel and Judah. Bad news: 2 Chronicles 18:1 tells us, “Now Jehoshaphat (Judah) had great wealth and honor, and he allied himself with Ahab  (Israel) by marriage.” As we dig into this we see Ahab (Israel’s worst King) was married to Jezebel, they had a daughter named Athaliah. 

We also see that Jehoshaphat had a son named Jehoram. Athaliah and Jehoram marry. This is the alliance between Israel and Judah, but the marriage brought great tragedy. Ahab invites Jehoshaphat to Samaria in Israel. Ahab tells him he wants land back that had taken from him and he wants Jehoshaphat to help him fight to get it back. Ahab has 400 false prophets that say he should attack Judah because he will be victorious. Jehoshaphat listens but requests a 2nd opinion. That 2nd opinion comes from a prophecy of Micaiah son of Imlah a prophet of the Living God. Micaiah tells them, “I saw all Israel was scattered on the hillside because the shepherd was gone.” And what happens is that he is thrown in jail. Judah and Israel go to battle and attack Remoth Gilead and the bettle ends in great defeat for Israel and Judah. King Ahab is killed and one of his sons takes over his throne.  About 5 years later we read in 2 Chronicles 21:1 that Jehoshaphat dies and his son Jehoram succeeds him as king of Judah. Additionally, in 2 Chronicles 21:4-5 we see Jehoram puts all his brothers to death in order to protect his throne.

And now we see Elijah stepping in with a letter to King Jehoram. 2 Chronicles 21:12-13 we see Elijah tell Jehoram that he has not followed the way of his father and grandfather in following God and instead follows the worship and practices of idolatry of the Northern Kingdom. Jehoram has turned away from the God of David. Vs 13-14 he holds Jehoram accountable for killing his brothers, and tells him that he will become sick and die of disease.  This is a warning to the way Jehoram is headed and it’s God’s call to stop and to come back to Him. But Jehoram continues to do what he had always done. So he dies and his son, Ahaziah, becomes King of Judah.  

Reminder: Athaliah is King Ahab and Jezebel’s daughter. Ahab and his wife led Israel away from God. Their daughter Athaliah is married to Jehoram (King of Judah) and when Jehoram dies their son Ahaziah becomes King of Judah. The spiritual pollution of Israel has not only come down to Judah, it has taken the throne. The line of Ahab is on the throne in both Israel and in Judah. In Israel Ahaziah’s uncle, Joram, is King. 

There is a second Battle of Remoth Gilead at this time. Ahaziah (King of Judah) and his uncle Joram (King of Israel) decide to do the battle again, expecting to win this time.

Joram, King of Israel is severely injured in the battle, Ahaziah, King of Judah, goes to check on his uncle.

2 Kings 9:1-3 Elisha has a man go to Remoth Gilead and anoint Jehu as King over Israel. The result is found in 2 Kings 9:22-23, Jehu confronts the Joram King of Israel and Ahaziah King of Judah at the bedside of Joram, Ahaziah’s uncle, where he and Ahaziah are talking. Jehu says there can be no peace as long as the idolatry and witchcraft of Ahaziah;s mother Jezabel abounds. Joram flees and Jehu pulls out his bow and arrow and hits Joram in the back killing him.  Jehu then chases Ahaziah wounding him. Ahaziah dies, too, and now both the King of Israel and the King of Judah are dead.

I Kings 11:1 tells us that when Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah saw he son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of Judah. She desired to eliminate the whole line of David through which the Messiah was to come. 

2 Kings 11:2 but the Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered.  She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. And as a result a godly king will ultimately come to the throne against the desire of Ahaziah.

Join us next week as our story continues!

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Pastor opens by sharing that he is convinced the New Testament is genuine and true. Having read the Bible over 90 times in the last 15 years and having read original sources and the writings of scholars over the centuries, he is convinced the New Testament is trustworthy.

To answer today’s question, Pastor takes us on a journey through other common questions regarding the New Testament:
    ⁃    Who wrote the New Testament and when? This is a controversial subject. Modern skepticism says it has late dating and anonymous authorship. But this view ignores the latest scholarship which shows in recent research that the New Testament books have early dating before 70A.D. and that it was written by eyewitness authors who knew Jesus and were willing to risk their lives to proclaim Jesus and His resurrection.

    ⁃    How do I know it wasn’t tampered with?  There is manuscript evidence with over 5,800 Greek manuscripts showing the accuracy of the transcripts plus there are over 20,000 Latin, Coptic, Syriac and other translations that are also accurate when compared to each other. The variants are textual having only minor variation in spelling and word order but all with no doctrinal deviations.

    ⁃    Is there any evidence supporting its claims?  Non-Christian sources like references to persons in Acts and the local cultural peculiarities show that the Book of Acts matches up with what is said in the non-christian writings and sources from that time. Acts jives with what is written in the other non-christian sources. Archaeological discovers support the truth of the New Testament and Acts in particular. Excavations match the details found in Acts with some amazing artifacts showing that what we find buried in the ground bears new testimony to the very things we read in Acts. Pastor shares many of the recent artifacts and discoveries. What we see is that the New Testament is not just made up but the words of eyewitness who were there and saw what took place.

    ⁃    Isn’t it just pious “feel good” religious fiction?  Truthfully, the New Testament is not a “feel good” book. The New Testament is and has been culturally and morally unpopular – it says things people do not want to hear., things that make them uncomfortable. At the heart of the New Testament is a scandal – a crucified Messiah, humiliated before the eyes of all. Why write such a not “feel good” story…. Plus the New Testament calls people to radical discipleship with self denial as a lifestyle. It calls people to have love for their enemies. It is not feel good religious fiction – it is a powerful testimony to the very plan and character of God and the actions of God in history.

    ⁃    Is it too old to be relevant for modern times? In answer Pastor shares a personal story exemplifying the relevancy of the New Testament’s effect on his life and he shares how the New Testament continues to impact his life and the lives of others because it is relevant for all. Pastor shares that there is nothing more important than surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ. Just because the New Testament is old doesn’t mean it doesn’t speak to our day. It is still valuable and essential.  Old things are not worthless. 

Pastor continues with a challenge to read the New Testament and to see for ourselves, because to ignore the New Testament is to make the most serious mistake we can make. He passionately encourages us to read the New Testament allowing God to speak into our hearts and to mold and shape our lives, destinies, families, communities and the culture.

Pastor closes with: 
    ⁃    What do you think are the consequences of ignoring reading the New Testament if it is true? 
    ⁃    Will you act on what you sense the Holy Spirit is telling you?

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

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The Gospel of John Week 19
Scripture: John 14:6 – 31.

As we continue with more of the evening of Jesus’ last day with His disciples, we see Him sharing important teachings with them.
    ⁃    that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life
    ⁃    that He is the only way to the Father
    ⁃    the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Advocate
    ⁃    that He’s going way for a wile but will come back
    ⁃    that they are not to be troubled 
    ⁃    that they are not to be afraid
    ⁃    that He is sharing all of this so that when it happens they will believe.

In John 14:26 Jesus tells them, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Pastor shares that the Holy Spirit is a person, not an “it.” The Holy Spirit is a living being – not a force – and that the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of believers.

Jesus then tells them, in verse 27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

Pastor shares a personal testimony about the Holy Spirit teaching him the meaning of, “Do not be afraid.” Do not be afraid, means don’t even imagine the things that cause you fear!

The One saying this is the One who loved us enough to die for us, He’s the One who endured hell on the cross for our sins and He’s the One saying, “don’t sweat this!” Can you imagine how much that meant to the disciples that night, but also in the days, months and years afterwards as they came to understand Jesus was risen, ascended, coming back and had given them a mission to carry out.  

Jesus is still telling us these same words today, we do not have to live in fear – we are to walk in His peace.

In verses 30 – 31 Jesus says, “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” The prince of the world is the devil, but Jesus is telling them that the devil has no hold over Him! 

Soon they will see Jesus arrested, beaten, crucified and put in a grave. They will be devastated, but Jesus is telling them in advance that HE is in control – not the devil – Jesus says the enemy has NO hold on Him.  

He tells them He only does what the Father tells Him (and so He will go to the cross) and Jesus tells them, “My peace I give you, fear not!” for the devil has NO control over me!

1 Corinthians 2:8 says, “None of the rulers of this age understood it (God’s wisdom/God’s plan for salvation), for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 

Even when it looks like the devil has won – God triumphs!

God flips what looks like disaster and turn it into salvation!

Today the battle goes on, BUT THE WAR IS WON!!!

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Check out this episode!

Today we continue our study of Elijah’s ministry.

Elijah’s Ministry

    ⁃    Prediction and Provision – no rain or dew
    ⁃    Contest at Mount Carmel the time of drought ends in a contest
    ⁃    Encounter at Mount Horeb
    ⁃    Word at Naboth’s Vineyard
    ⁃    Elijah taken to heaven

We pick up the story from last week, at the contest at Mount Carmel where we learn that Jezebel has promised to kill Elijah. After the threat, Elijah, fearful for his life, travels forty days to Mt. Horeb (Mt. Sinai). Pastor shares several possibilities for the location of this mount leaning towards today’s Jabal al Maqla. 

Elijah makes it to Mt. Horeb and he is discouraged and fearful and exhausted and we read of his depression in 1 Kings 19:9-10. He ends this verse saying, “I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  God’s response is, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Divine Encounter

    ⁃    Wind comes – but the Lord was not in the wind
    ⁃    Earthquake comes – but the Lord was not in the earthquake
    ⁃    Fire comes – but the Lord was not in the fire
    ⁃    Gentle whisper comes – the Lord speaks of Elijah’s assignment.  Elijah thinks of himself as a failure and wants to give up, but God tells him He has more for him to do, that he is not to give up.

Mission: Anointing

    ⁃    Elijah is told to anoint Hazael as king over Aram
    ⁃    He is told to anoint Jehu over Israel
    ⁃    He is told to anoint Elisha as his successor

Then God assures Elijah that he is not alone and tells him that there are 7,000 in Israel who have not bowed down to Baal.

Elijah obeys God’s commands and leaves Mt. Horeb and he comes to Elisha working in the field and Elijah anoints him. Elijah now has a partner for the rest of his ministry time on earth. This may have been as long as 10 years together.

God gives Elijah a word of judgement to give to King Ahab. Ahab’s response was to tear his clothes, put on sackcloth and fast. And because Ahab humbled himself in repentance, God withheld the judgement saying, “I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son” God relents, because He is gracious and He desires all people come to Him.  God responds when we repent.

At the end of Elijah’s ministry Elijah is one of two people mentioned in the Bible who were taken alive to heaven. We read in 2 Kings 2:11-12 “As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, ‘My father, My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!’ And Elisha saw Elijah no more.”

Elijah’s Legacy

    ⁃    Malachi’s prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) 
    ⁃    Gabriel and Zechariah (Luke 1:17)
    ⁃    Elijah who was to come (Matthew 11;13-14)
    ⁃    Transfiguration of Jess (Matthew 17:2-3)
    ⁃    Prayer life of Elijah (James 5:17-18)

A big takeaway from Elijah’s story is that we are to follow God no matter what comes our way, no matter what may be happening in our lives or in the world around us because God is faithful and He knows how to defend and take care His own.

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

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“If someone dies, will they live again?”

Three Basic Views
    1.    Oblivion – there’s nothing more after this life. But Near Death Experiences (NDE’s) are challenging this view.
    2.    Reincarnation – a view held mainly in the eastern world. 
    3.    Afterlife – there is something beyond the grave, that our lives do not end when our bodies die. This is also at the heart of the biblical message.

Will All People Die? The answer is “No!” The Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 that there will be one generation that does not, the one alive when Jesus returns. The Bible teaches a resurrection.  

What happens when I die? A personal look using the Bible’s Testimony: 
    1.    Life – God is the author of life. Genesis 2:7, Ecclesiastes 3:11
    2.    Death – is a reality because of sin. Genesis 3:19, Romans 5:12
    3.    Paradise – with Christ when we die. Luke 23:43, Philippians 1:23. But this is not our destiny.  
    4.    Raised – The dead will be raised. Our destiny and future is to be bodily raised with new bodies that are glorified.  1 Corinthians 15:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:16
    5.    Judgement – For unbelievers it is a time of judgement, for believers their sins were judged at the Christ so that we do not need to suffer the punishment for our sins.  For believers the judgement is a time of reward. 2 Corinthians 5:10, Hebrew 9:27 A believer’s life is to be lived as a thank you note to God.
    6.    Forever – believers will live forever in a new heaven and a new earth in new bodies with no pain, death or suffering. 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:4.  Our destiny is to live forever! That is why it is so important that we receive what God offers us: salvation, life, forgiveness, and assurance through faith in Jesus who died for us, rose from the grave and will return at the end of time.

For believers, death is not to be feared with dread, it is instead an assurance that there is more and that the best is yet to come. John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I’m the resurrection and the life. The one who believe in me will live, even through they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?'”

Do you believe what Jesus said to Martha?  Will you respond to the gift God desires to bring to everyone, life forever with Him? He desires all to be saved through knowledge in the Lord Jesus Christ.

    1.    Sin – all have sinned and need a Savior and need to repent
    2.    Sorrow – realize we have sinned against a holy God, our Creator, and desire to repent. God is good and gracious and desires all repent and admit we are sinners responding with sorrow and trusting our Savior
    3.    Savior – the only One who can deliver us from death and the grave and a horrible future. He is the only who can give meaning to life today and meaning forever. We have a future beyond the grave.

What happens when I die? Jesus’ response to that question is, “I am the resurrection and the life, do you believe this?” 

Follow up questions to consider:
    ⁃    How would you answer the question; “What happens when I die?”
    ⁃    Do you believe the Bible’s testimony about life beyond the grave? Why or why not
    ⁃    Are you trusting the Lord Jesus for your eternal destiny?

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The Gospel of John Week 18
Scripture: John 13:21-14:6.

We pick up with the rest of the story of the Lord’s Last Supper that Passover evening. Pastor shares what the layout may have looked like at this meal. Where people were at around the table, that they were reclining vs sitting, that they ate with their right hands and laid on their sides resting their heads in the left hands.

As the story continues, Jesus shares that He knows one of His disciples is going to betray Him. John asks who it is that will do that and Jesus says that it is the one I give this bread to. And then Jesus hands the dipped bread to Judas and he takes the bread and leaves.

After Judas leaves Jesus says, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him.  If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.”  What strange words to say after exposing that He will be betrayed…..

Why say them? Jesus is going to be arrested, beaten, scourged and die – how does this bring glory?  It’s because Jesus is looking ahead, He’s looking beyond the immediate to what lies ahead – His glorification. Hebrews 12:2 tells us, “For the joy set before Jesus, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” 

Jesus’ glorification is accomplished in following the Father’s will, the path to Victory and in glorifying the Father by doing so.  When Jesus is on the cross the Father is glorified because everything the Father had intended, everything that He had planned is now coming to fulfillment through His obedient Son, Jesus, the Messiah.

Jesus goes on in John 13:34-35 telling them to love one another as He has loved them. And then He tells Peter that he will deny knowing Him before the rooster crows.

Pastor shares great info on what “rooster crow” is and that it wasn’t a rooster crowing, but that was the way they told time. The Romans divided the evening watch into four watches:
6-9pm = evening
9-12am = midnight
12-3am = rooster crows
3-6am = dawn

We can see Jesus use these four terms here: “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'” (Be Awake!)

Jesus is telling Peter that sometime between midnight and 3am he will deny knowing Him three times.

Then we move into John Chapter 14 where Jesus tells the disciples “Do not keep allowing your hearts to be troubled any longer. You believe in God. Believe in me.”

When we face troubled times, we believe in God – meaning we are to trust Him. And Jesus is saying believe in Him, Messiah, – trust in Him, He’s our Savior..  And then He tells them “I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”  And what the disciples understand from the Jewish scriptures is that Jesus is talking in wedding language. 

Pastor shares Jewish tradition around wedding planning and weddings and what we see in the Bridegroom (Jesus) and His bride (the body of believers.) This wedding/marriage talk is Jesus’ way of expressing Hies deep love for us. Jesus is the groom and He is calling us to realize how much He loves us.

Thomas says, “Where are You going, Lord?” And Jesus says, “I am the way. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” 

Getting to heaven is not about being a good person, because no one is truly good – all have sinned. It’s only through faith in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross and His resurrection that we go to heaven.

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

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Pastor opens today’s class with the words from Psalm 135:15-18 “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”  We will see the truth of these words in today’s study.

Elijah’ Days: Most of this prophet’s ministry was during the height of King Ahab in the north in Israel and King Jehoshaphat in the south in Judah. His name, Elijah, is even prophetic. In Hebrew it literally means, my God is Jehovah.

    ⁃    A time of great apostasy – under Ahab and Jezebel there was an attempt to get rid of any semblance of worship of the Living God and to supplant God with the worship of Baal. 
    ⁃    A prophet of great faith (Elijah)
    ⁃    A man of insignificance (very little is know about him, was he even an Israelite?)
    ⁃    A time of great danger for believers. Ahab and Jezebel sought to destroy God’s prophets.
    ⁃    A ministry of great impact

Elijah’s ministry is recorded in 
1 Kings 17-19, 21
2 Kings 1-2
2 Chronicles 21

Elijah’s Ministry:
    ⁃    Prediction and Provision (1 Kings 17) Elijah speaks that there will not be rain or dew for the next few years. This is a direct attack on King Ahab’s gods. And the drought begins. Elijah goes into hiding. There are some great stories of God’s miraculous provision for Elijah during the famine.
    ⁃    Contest at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18-19) God tells Elijah 3 years after the drought started that he was to go to Ahab and tell him that God would send rain. Elijah confronts Ahab about abandoning God and says for Ahab and his people and 850 prophets of Baal to meet him, a prophet of God, at Mt. Carmel and offers them the choice to follow God or Baal.  Elijah is severely outnumbered against 850 false prophets, but the contest begins.
    ⁃    The Contest – those prophets worshiping Baal were told to pray to Baal for Baal to bring fire onto their altar, but it never comes. Elijah then builds his altar of 12 stones (1 for each tribe of Israel), slaughters the bull and then covers the altar in water and at 3pm he prays to God and the fire of the Lord falls on Elijah’s altar. When the people see this they fall and cry out, “The Lord, He is God, the Lord, He is God!” They destroy the false prophets, and the rains start falling. 
    ⁃    The Aftermath – Elijah runs to Jezreel (the summer palace) where Jezebel threatens him saying she is going to ensure he is killed. Elijah becomes fearful and runs for his life. He hides in the wilderness and becomes very discouraged and depressed.  He tells God that he’s had enough, and to take his life. Then an angel of the Lord comes and tells him to head to Mt. Sinai where the Lord will appear to him.

Join us next week as we continue our study of Elijah!

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