Latest / Scripture Central / Scripture Central Come Follow Me Insights (Jul 10 - Jul 16) Acts 6-9

Transcript

Scripture Central Come Follow Me Insights (Jul 10 - Jul 16) Acts 6-9 · Scripture Central

0:00
Hello everyone. Thanks for listening to come.
0:02
Follow me, insights with Taylor and Tyler, presented by
0:04
scripture Central. We use a lot of visuals in our
0:07
videos. So if you want to see the
0:08
visuals, we invite you to find us on YouTube.
0:11
Thanks for listening and enjoy. I'm Taylor and I'm Tyler.
0:16
This is scripture Central's. Come follow me insights this
0:19
week x 6 through 9 as we jump into these chapters this week.
0:25
Perhaps a question forced to consider is how do we know when
0:31
we're on the Lord's? Errand and seeking and
0:34
recognizing an acting on his will?
0:38
If you've if you've struggled with that or questioned your own
0:43
ability to receive Steve Revelation and follow it.
0:46
This is an amazing set of chapters where we see example.
0:50
After example, of people doing just that having to move forward
0:54
in faith trusting in the Lord. So we begin in chapter 6 with a
1:00
little bit of a problem because the church has grown the and
1:05
it's not an official Church. It seems at this point, it's a
1:08
gathering of disciples they called themselves the way, or
1:13
the So this group of Believers is growing so quickly that we
1:19
find some problems arising here. In verse 10 says in those days
1:22
when the number of the disciples was multiplied there arose a
1:25
murmuring of the grecians against the Hebrews because
1:29
their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
1:33
So the grecians would probably be these Jews that have now
1:38
joined the church or this this group of Believers from the
1:41
diaspora from out in the Greco Roman Empire.
1:46
They've now been baptized and they're complaining against the
1:50
Hebrews, which would be the Jewish Christians who are living
1:54
in Palestine in Israel and the 12 apostles, our sin.
2:01
What do we do about this? And what they say is, we need to
2:05
find a way to organize that we can support the people in The
2:10
Church Without disrupting the work of ministry.
2:14
In and preaching the word of God.
2:16
Now the 12 can't do everything they realize this and so they
2:20
come up with a solution where they find honest and holy men
2:25
and they put them in charge of managing the growing Affairs of
2:30
the church so that the apostles can continue to be in prayer and
2:35
in preaching and teaching. So you have this growth and we
2:40
see this in organizations everywhere as things grow and
2:43
change. JH.
2:44
You need to get more organization and you need to
2:47
delegate differ responsibilities to different people.
2:50
That's right. Because the apostles, their,
2:52
their main mission is to be sent us.
2:55
What? There were means to be sent out
2:58
rather than staying in Jerusalem to take care of these.
3:02
These daily ministrations, it's beautiful that they pick these
3:06
seven men as listed in verse 5. Now the to in that list that
3:11
Luke is going to give us some Some significant are time with
3:17
are Stephen and Philip and the other five.
3:21
We don't get a lot of their storyline.
3:24
So let's begin with Stephen verse 8 tells us that Stephen
3:27
was full of faith and a great power.
3:30
He did great wonders and miracles among the people.
3:34
So he's got some gifts of the Spirit, he's performing some of
3:37
these wonders and then verse 9 says There Rose certain of the
3:40
synagogue That came Undisputed with Stephen.
3:47
So these would be leaders of the Jewish synagogue there at that
3:52
place and they're disputing with Steven.
3:54
But verse 10 says, they were not able to resist the wisdom and
3:58
the Spirit by which he spake, which now sets the stage for
4:03
this, incredible trial that they're going to put Steven on,
4:08
they're going to call witnesses verse 12.
4:11
They Stir up the people, they caught him, they brought him to
4:14
the council verse 13, they set up false Witnesses and then
4:20
verse 15 says all that sat in Council looked steadfastly on
4:23
him. Saw his face is at had been the
4:26
face of an Angel. If I find that interesting
4:30
Taylor that here you have this man who has all of this this
4:34
capacity and power and authority from God.
4:37
He's doing his work and the enemies.
4:42
Of the work have been stirred up and they're calling false
4:45
Witnesses. They're speaking Blasphemous
4:48
things against him and he's standing there and the people
4:53
who are just watching say, wow, his face is as of an angel.
5:00
Now, this should have been unmistakable to these
5:02
individuals, that Moses also his face Shone like the face of an
5:07
Angel when he encountered God at Mount Sinai.
5:11
If we went back in time Talk to these Jews who were upset at
5:13
Stephen they'd say, oh yeah, Moses is our key profit.
5:17
He's the prophet that we want to listen to so they should have
5:20
recognized, oh, we now have a servant of the Lord who is like
5:25
a Moses who also has encountered God and his face shines like
5:30
Moses did. Is this interesting how we have
5:32
a similar story in the Book of Mormon, I've been a die who also
5:37
comes to the people. You have a bunch of priests who
5:41
think that have been identified. Is teaching falsehood and they
5:43
want to kill him and what happens at Ben.
5:45
And I also very serenely stands in front of this hostile crowd
5:51
and he looks like an angel. His face shines with Worcester
5:56
just like Moses did. And what is the minute?
5:58
I teach. He teaches about Moses and what
6:02
God, taught the people about how to be coveted, loyal to him at
6:06
Mount Sinai, which is what we're going to see.
6:07
Stephen does. That's right.
6:09
The fascinating thing to me is that even Seeing this outward
6:13
sign. It doesn't.
6:15
It doesn't change Hearts. It doesn't convince a didn't
6:17
convince Kino and his priests and it doesn't convince these
6:20
people here but hopefully it helps strengthen our testimony
6:25
when we can recognize God, working through the lives and
6:28
ministries of other people through the power of the Holy
6:31
Ghost. So now, what happens speaking of
6:34
Moses speaking, speaking of these these examples from the
6:37
past we watch as Then now opens up this beautiful history lesson
6:48
for people who are of the synagogue that they know their
6:51
Old Testament. Well and he's saying, let me,
6:54
let me re teach you your history and so he's going to put in here
6:59
some of these characters that they know and love very well.
7:03
So he begins with Abraham then he goes to Joseph in Egypt, then
7:09
he goes to their Beloved, lawgiver himself, Moses that
7:14
we've already addressed. And in each of these, he's
7:17
telling a story for the purpose of teaching, the doctrine of
7:23
Christ. So he's not just reviewing a
7:25
history lesson. He's showing them how if you
7:28
look at these, these men's stories in the Old Testament,
7:33
through the lens of the Savior, Jesus Christ, all of a sudden,
7:36
their story becomes really powerful with this Covenant 'l.
7:42
Action with heaven with God. So Abraham.
7:46
He tells his story and all of the struggles that he went
7:49
through and the trials of his life and how God reached out and
7:55
gave this incredible Covenant to him.
7:58
And all of these amazing promises all the way down
8:01
through verse 8, then you get into Joseph, the patriarch and
8:05
how verse 10 God delivered him out of all of his afflictions.
8:10
So we saw Abraham. Alms afflictions and how God
8:12
delivered him. Now let's watch his great
8:16
grandson, Joseph, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph.
8:21
So we're down a great-grandson level from Abraham.
8:24
I'm gonna tie this into the Book of Mormon Nephi in the very
8:28
first chapter first. Defy 1:20 says, I will show into
8:32
that The Tender Mercies of the Lord Are Over, All Those whom he
8:36
has chosen because of their faith to make them Mighty even
8:41
unto the Of Deliverance. One of the key messages here is
8:45
that the God we worship is a god of Deliverance.
8:49
He is a covenant of God. He has covenanted to provide
8:54
salvation for us, it's freely offered.
8:57
We saw this last year through the abrahamic Covenant, and it
9:01
is our choice to receive the free gift.
9:05
And that's essentially what Steven is trying to convince
9:08
them of God has offered this gift again and again and again.
9:11
It culminated will see later in the chapter with Jesus.
9:14
And what did you guys do to the gift?
9:16
You got rid of it. So, the invitation, for all of
9:20
us is, we need to be freely. Receiving the gift that's freely
9:25
offered. Now watch.
9:27
Now, watch some of the beautiful symbolism that takes place here
9:30
in this context. Using Joseph's.
9:33
As an example, verse 11. Now there came a dearth over all
9:37
the land of Egypt and Canaan and great Affliction and our
9:41
fathers. And no sustenance the idea that
9:45
you can look to the world for the ultimate solution and you're
9:50
not going to find it, it won't sustain you, it won't support
9:54
you. So when they heard that there
9:56
was corn in Egypt or grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers
10:01
first. So the brothers go to Egypt is
10:06
saves the family and then they didn't recognize him, they
10:10
didn't know who. Ooh, he was there their Savior
10:14
and Redeemer was just some random Egyptian in charge and
10:19
notice what happens in verse 13 and at the second time, Joseph
10:25
was made known to his Brethren. Here's Stephen, who is looking
10:31
at these juice saying, You didn't recognize your savior
10:38
when he was with you the first time.
10:41
But at his second coming, nobody will be able to not recognize
10:46
him everyone. Every knee is going to bow in
10:50
essence and confess who he is. And I love this fact that it was
10:56
the second coming into Egypt when they recognize, who, this
11:00
is Joseph. Our brother and building on
11:02
this. We know that Jesus is the Right
11:05
of life. So this word corn really is
11:06
about grain and bread is a grain based product.
11:11
And so Joseph is the one who provides salvation through grain
11:15
or bread, and Jesus is the bread of life.
11:17
So, we hope you can see that. Stephen is very clearly teaching
11:22
his fellow Jews. Jesus is the one that you see
11:26
symbolized by our ancient, forefathers who comes to give us
11:30
the bread of life and to save us, then we get Moses.
11:34
He's also as a type of Christ with his life being laid out
11:39
here, you'll notice 40 years, 40 years, 40 years keeps showing up
11:44
and Moses a story represents this long period of time.
11:47
So you see, Moses is life in these segments.
11:53
Starting in verse 20 in which time Moses was born and was
11:57
exceedingly, Fair. Uh, nourished up in his father's
11:59
house, three months and when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter
12:04
took him But nursed him for her own son, which is kind of a fun
12:08
little part of the Bible tells us what an amazing money
12:12
manager. Pharaoh's daughter.
12:14
Was because she went down to the bank of the Nile and Drew out a
12:17
profit. It's really amazing how she did
12:20
that. I actually love this phrase.
12:23
Exceeding Fair. It turns out.
12:26
If you look carefully in the scriptures, sometimes that
12:28
phrase is used to put a spotlight on on a spiritual
12:33
hero, that's going to provide I'd an example for us, that
12:36
points to Jesus King David when he was a young Shepherd was
12:41
described as exceeding fair, and how I think is interesting to
12:45
the Book of Mormon is Nephi's name in Egyptian means to be
12:49
fair, and so Nephi. Also seems to be exemplifying
12:53
that. There's Beauty and goodness in
12:57
being aligned to God. So you can see this pattern
13:01
throughout the scriptures as you look at the lives of God's
13:04
chosen. Some people they're exceedingly
13:06
fair and not just in physical complexion, but it's more about
13:10
that, they have God's goodness with them.
13:14
So now we jump into Moses's, life starting in verse 23, he's
13:19
40 years old when he goes out and he has the experience
13:22
watching the the Hebrew slaves. Then he goes out into the desert
13:26
of Midian and verse 30 tells you that he's 40 years there when he
13:31
sees the burning bush has the experience with God calling him
13:34
To go in and bring the children of Israel out.
13:37
Then in verse 36, he brought them out and he was in the
13:42
wilderness with them 40 years. So it's 40, 40 40 and
13:47
unfortunately, it was easier for him.
13:49
It seems to pull the children of Israel out of Egypt than it was
13:52
for him to help them remove Egypt from out of their heart.
13:57
Verse 39 to whom our fathers would not obey but thrust him
14:03
from them and in their Turned back again into Egypt.
14:08
It's a little bit like Lot's wife exactly they turn back
14:12
their hearts. So this now brings us to the
14:16
concluding part of his history lesson.
14:20
We're in 45 through 48. He's going to talk about David,
14:25
their favorite King, we have their favorite lawgiver.
14:29
We have their deliverer and we have their, their patriarch,
14:33
the, the beginning. Father of all the faithful, all
14:36
of the important people are here, and then we get King
14:39
Solomon who built the temple in Jerusalem.
14:45
Now, this is important to think about the temple because the
14:47
temple now is the most significant building in Jewish
14:51
history. And Stephen is preaching not far
14:53
from the temple. It is the religious epicenter
14:56
for the Jewish people and for them, they see it's the
14:58
embodiment of this whole story. So if you want to physically
15:02
embody the story of salvation, Now, Stephen has been document
15:07
through it is the temple. So Stephen wants him to see that
15:11
what he's preaching to them is tied up in this building that
15:15
they spend a lot of time out. And of course, this is where
15:18
eventually to get very upset with him about what he says
15:20
about the temple itself. That's right.
15:23
And in fact, there's a, there's a little verse in here that
15:26
sometimes causes people some. Some concern verse 48, it says
15:32
here, Steven speaking of the house, That Solomon built
15:35
howbeit the most hide dwelleth, not in temples, made with hands
15:41
as saith the prophet. Some say, wait a minute because
15:44
then you'll test me commands them to build the Tabernacle and
15:47
the temple. Wherein he made well and here's
15:50
Stephen saying he doesn't dwell in temples made with hands.
15:53
Keep in mind, we're going to talk about this later on.
15:56
In the year, when we get into the Epistles of Paul, there are
15:59
two Greek words that get both get translated into the English
16:03
word Temple. One is now housed, the other is
16:07
here own here. Own is the huge Temple
16:10
structure, the big buildings and the the Temple of Solomon would
16:15
be the here, own the sanctuary of the temple or a statue, an
16:22
idol, a shrine. Those are called a now house.
16:26
And if you look in the Greek here, he's saying in verse 48,
16:30
the most high dwelleth, not in this house for Form of the word,
16:35
you can't build an idol for him and sacrifice to him and have
16:40
his Spirit come and occupy, the that Idol, as the pagans
16:44
believed, with all of their idol worship.
16:47
He's pushing back against that and he's also saying the most
16:52
high dwells, not in temples made with hands verse 49.
16:56
Heaven is my Throne. The Earth is my footstool.
17:01
What house will you build me? Saith the Lord or what is the
17:04
place? My wrist has not my hand made
17:07
all these things and so then we shift gears into verse 51 and he
17:14
focuses now on the men in that trial yeast.
17:18
If nekkid and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always
17:23
resist the Holy Ghost as your father's did.
17:25
So do ye and then he asked them which of the prophets have not
17:29
your father's persecuted and they have slain them which
17:32
showed before of the coming of Of the just one of whom ye have
17:37
been now the betrayers and murderers.
17:41
Wow, he just he increased the temperature in the room with
17:47
this statement and it says verse 54.
17:51
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and
17:55
they gnashed on him with their teeth.
17:58
They can't take this and then the famous verse 55.
18:02
But Stephen being full of the, Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly
18:07
into heaven, and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the
18:14
right hand of God. What did he see?
18:17
Beyond, just the two figures standing there.
18:21
What did he see? In the face of God, the father
18:25
in The countenance, in the eyes, in the Look of Jesus Christ.
18:31
This next set of verses tells me that he's looking a little
18:35
deeper. Look at verse 56 behold.
18:39
I see the heavens opened and the son of man, standing on the
18:41
right hand of God. Then they cried with a loud
18:43
voice stopped. Their ears ran upon him with one
18:46
Accord, they cast him out of the city and stoned him and
18:50
Witnesses, laid down their clothes.
18:52
At a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
18:55
There's your first introduction to one of our Our most famous
18:59
characters in all of the Bible Saul who later becomes Paul and
19:03
they stoned Stephen calling upon God and saying, Lord Jesus
19:10
receive my spirit. So here's Stephen, while they're
19:14
stoning him, he's calling upon God.
19:18
Again, I think he's seeing more than just two people standing
19:21
there. I think he's looking and seeing
19:23
things reflected in their countenance in the glory
19:27
emanating from them. And it says he kneels down and
19:31
he cried with a loud voice Lord. Lay not this sin to their
19:35
charge. And when he had said this, he
19:38
fell asleep. I think she's seeing some
19:43
something from the savior's piercing glance from his look
19:49
that reflects love Mercy, Grace power.
19:54
To the point where he's he's ready to die, he's being killed
19:58
and he now finishes his life, very similar to the way Jesus
20:04
concluded, his own forgiveness with forgiveness and mercy and
20:09
Grace. Against people, who quite
20:11
frankly. We'd like to see more Justice on
20:14
their head, but I think he's drawing upon his, his connection
20:21
with the Lord, to be able to pull this this final statement,
20:27
out of the depths of his soul, we're in that moment.
20:32
He has become this beautiful symbol of Christ for us.
20:36
Which means it's a great story for Steven.
20:40
It's a, it's a difficult ending this martyrdom, the stoning of
20:44
Stephen, but he turned it into something beautiful, which makes
20:49
me wonder, huh? Could I learn something about
20:53
Injustice, and how to endure, major trial and suffering and
20:59
opposition from Stephen as he is a reflection of Christ.
21:04
So ultimately, can I can I learn how to Better go through life's
21:09
trials and suffering by my study of these stories and I think the
21:14
answer is a resounding. Yes.
21:18
In the ancient Jewish World. When somebody stood it meant it
21:22
was time for judgment. And what does Stephen say?
21:25
I see God and his son standing. So remember, there's a council
21:32
of judgment about Stephen, but Stephen actually has his own
21:36
group who he standing with them with God and Jesus, who are now
21:41
in judgment against these Jews who have rejected the freely
21:46
offered gift of salvation. Ation and so it is really
21:49
compelling in that. And, and the Jews knew this,
21:51
they recognized that they were under judgment.
21:53
And they still enacted this heinous deed and then it
21:57
concludes with this, incredible Mercy that Steven realizes
22:01
they're being judged and yet, he wants mercy.
22:04
So chapter 8, opens with Saul saying that he was consenting
22:09
unto Stephens death and at that time there was a great
22:12
persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem and they
22:16
were all scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Judea
22:18
and Samaria except the apostles. So, you saw in the beginning
22:24
chapters, the first seven chapters of the book of Acts,
22:27
this growing beautifully, developing success of their
22:33
missionary efforts. And now the opposition just
22:36
mounts up and starts to try to push it down and to suppress
22:42
them. So there's the scattering that's
22:43
going on. So Saul in verse 3 is making
22:49
Havoc of the church entering into every house and healing men
22:53
and women committing them to prison.
22:57
So they're scattered abroad. Now, we shift gears to Philip
23:01
one of the other seven that was called to assist the 12, and he
23:06
went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them.
23:10
This is interesting because most of the preachings been in
23:13
Jerusalem and now we're moving to this new area.
23:16
It's almost like we're The partial Jews partial Gentiles
23:20
in. That's what that's right.
23:21
You remember what we called the thesis statement of the book of
23:24
Acts back in four Acts 1:8 that he told them they're going to
23:29
receive power, you're going to be Witnesses of me in Jerusalem
23:33
and in all Judea and we've been doing that now in Samaria and
23:38
then in Halls and beginning with Peter and then into Paul's
23:41
missionary Journeys unto the uttermost parts of the earth.
23:45
So, here we go, into Mariah, you'll notice that when Philip
23:52
starts preaching, the people in verse 6 came with one Accord
23:55
giving heed unto those things which Philip spake hearing and
23:59
seeing the Miracles he did and so you're experiencing this
24:05
wonderful success. Well, once again in your life
24:09
when you're moving forward, trying to receive recognize and
24:13
act on that Revelation, it doesn't mean that all of a
24:16
sudden, everything ZZ, there is an opposition in all things
24:21
second. If I 211 makes that very clear
24:23
from father Lehi and you get the opposition rising up here.
24:28
Initially in verse 9, a certain man called Simon.
24:32
He which Before Time in the same city used sorcery.
24:36
Magic, he's a magician. It was you just say briefly in
24:39
the Ancient World Magic was categorized as people who are
24:42
trying to use power for their own individual purposes for
24:46
their own Fitz. And so this is how we're setting
24:50
him up. The Simon seems to try to be
24:52
benefiting him, his own self originally.
24:55
Absolutely. So the problem is is now
24:58
Phillips there and people who used to be, trusting the voice
25:02
of Simon. The Sorcerer are now not
25:06
attending his sessions anymore. Not giving him glory and money,
25:11
they're paying attention to Philip.
25:14
So, verse 12 says, when they believed Philip preaching, the
25:16
things concerning the kingdom, God, In The Name of Jesus
25:18
Christ. They were baptized both men and
25:20
women then Simon himself believed also.
25:24
So it's great. He's like hey I'm going to I'm
25:26
going to look into this. So now he is baptized but he
25:29
needs an education about how the gospel works.
25:32
I think he spent so much time using power for his own purposes
25:36
and benefit that he didn't realize how God's power is meant
25:40
to be used. So the fascinating element in
25:45
this story is the apostles in Jerusalem.
25:47
L'm heard about all the success in Samaria.
25:50
So Peter and John leave Jerusalem, go up to Samaria and
25:56
they lay hands on these people, in verse 17 and they received
26:01
the Holy Ghost, which tells us that the seven apparently don't
26:05
have the Melchizedek priesthood or the higher priesthood, but
26:09
the aaronic priesthood. So Philip was able to baptize a
26:12
whole bunch of people but he couldn't give them the gift of
26:14
the Holy Ghost. So after Peter and John are To
26:18
bestow this gift of the Holy Ghost.
26:20
Simon saw this happening and he's thinking to himself, wow.
26:25
The money in the gain, I could get from this.
26:27
So he offers to buy the power that Peter and John have so that
26:33
he can do this. He's thinking, wow, I can do
26:36
amazing wonders in the ancient world magicians sometimes with
26:41
sell their secrets or powers to other magicians.
26:44
Like, okay, well you want you saw that.
26:46
I was successful, I will Sell my secrets to you.
26:49
So again, Simon seems to not be fully aware, he seems to
26:52
believe, but still be so stuck in his old way of understanding
26:56
the world, through the magician's.
26:58
I is that I have to buy Power in order to use it.
27:01
He needs this pretty Stern rebuke and instruction from
27:05
Peter about how God's power is acquired and then deployed in
27:10
the service of others. Don't you love this?
27:13
That the Peter's response to him verse 22 says.
27:17
Repent, therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God.
27:22
If perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee, for,
27:27
I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the
27:30
bond of iniquity. This to me, is a fascinating
27:36
reality. Check that.
27:38
If I'm ever trying to get anything to gratify my own
27:43
Pride, my own desires, my own Glory.
27:47
So then I'm not focused where I need to be, which is on God, and
27:54
on loving people. It's on what can I get from them
27:58
to benefit me rather than dear father in Heaven?
28:04
What can I get from thee to be able to benefit them?
28:09
How can I bless them? And that is what the power of
28:11
the priesthood is is it's the power of God that he bestows
28:16
upon us. Our callings, in our families in
28:20
different capacities of life. Not to give ourselves blessings,
28:24
not to gratify our own Pride or own desires, or to hoard.
28:30
The blessings God has given us. And it's like, whoa, that just
28:32
proves I'm righteous. I'm going to hold onto.
28:34
That is the blessings are meant to be shared.
28:37
Amen. And I love how the story ends
28:39
that here's Simon, we don't know how long he had practice magic.
28:42
He seems to believe he seems to be stuck in this old magician's
28:46
mindset. And after this Stern apostolate
28:50
rebuke, what does he do? In verse 24, he says and I think
28:54
in humility, he says to Peter, pray you to the Lord for me,
28:58
that none of these things which you have spoken come upon me.
29:01
So I like to think that Simon learned like we all do Grace, by
29:06
grace and overtime shed his old habits, and old thinking,
29:10
repented changed his mind and came to understand what God's
29:15
power is really about. I love that.
29:18
Now, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem.
29:21
And keep in mind, we haven't had major success among the
29:25
superior. Samaritans, the last time that
29:27
we had any even mention of teaching, or working ministering
29:34
among the Samaritans, was clear back in John chapter 4, Jesus
29:37
with the Samaritan woman at the well.
29:39
And then he spent some days in the city with them, preaching
29:43
and had great success. But then, We lose that story
29:47
that there's no carrying on of that work with those people.
29:51
So, finally, we get a person, a represent of the church going
29:56
into Samaria among those people and having amazing success.
30:00
And I don't know about you, but Taylor, if you were his mission
30:03
president and you've got a missionary whose finally having
30:07
Untold success in this area that previously has been kind of a
30:11
dead area. My hunch is you wouldn't say ooh
30:15
let's move him. But that's exactly what happens
30:19
here. Have you ever struggled to make
30:23
sense of Revelation that comes at times in a way that might
30:28
call you to go somewhere or to do something different than what
30:32
you're already doing, where maybe you have experienced
30:35
success. Maybe you've invested a lot of
30:37
time energy and effort into a relationship or into a career
30:40
into an educational Pursuit and then the inspiration comes to go
30:45
a different direction. And quite frankly, it makes no
30:48
sense because look, I'm finally getting success here.
30:52
Look at verse 26, the angel Lord, spake unto, Philip saying,
30:57
arise and go toward the South unto the way that goeth down
31:03
from Jerusalem unto gase, which is Desert.
31:07
So if you look at the simple map of the region you get Jerusalem
31:15
here. Nazareth up here.
31:18
Samaria, is this middle region here?
31:22
This is where he's having all the success that we haven't
31:25
experienced up to this point and then the Lord sends him down to
31:29
this desert Place Gaza. Desert implies deserted
31:37
deserted. Not a lot of people I can
31:40
picture. I can picture the natural man
31:44
Tendencies Within Myself. I can't speak for Philip but I
31:48
can picture that natural man tendency saying wait what you
31:52
want? You want me to leave.
31:53
We finally have some success here and I know it can grow and
31:57
you want me to leave this and go down to Gaza.
32:01
I love Phillip because he is so Covenant, Ali loyal to God that
32:10
when the command comes, he's in this kind of relationship.
32:14
I will be your God. You will be my people and he's
32:19
not trying to reverse that to say, Lord not thy will, but mine
32:24
be done. He's very beautifully following
32:27
the savior's example of saying, Lord, not my I will, but thine
32:32
be done. And I trust thee, even though, I
32:35
don't know, all the reasons, I can't see, I can't see the
32:38
rationale or the logic behind this.
32:41
I trust that, you know, exactly what I need to do.
32:45
And he goes, I love this verse, 27 says, and he arose and went,
32:51
it doesn't seem to argue or complain about this command.
32:55
He just went and now we get introduced to this man of
32:59
Ethiopia a eunuch. Each of great Authority Under
33:03
Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians who had the charge of
33:07
all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem for to
33:10
worship. So, think about this for a
33:13
minute. You've got a man who is on his
33:16
way down, to Ethiopia, down into Africa.
33:19
We've had no mention of the Gospel going down there, the
33:23
farthest into Africa, we get is Egypt, and then you get some
33:27
stories of Cyrene which is modern day Libya.
33:30
And we know that during these Festival times of year people
33:34
from all over the region are flocking to Jerusalem to keep
33:40
these practices. And this eunuch is one of those
33:42
whether he was born as a Jew or became a proselyte which is to
33:47
adopt Judaism or whether he's a god fear, we don't know.
33:51
We just know he came to Jerusalem and now he's on his
33:54
way back home and it's significant he's reading for the
33:59
book of Isaiah Shh, you got to realize the ancient lie, books
34:02
were extremely expensive. It'll be hand-copied.
34:06
So he as we know, is the guardian of the treasure
34:09
treasury. So he apparently has some access
34:11
to wealth that he can deploy to access scriptures.
34:15
But the fact that he is a eunuch May mean that he is not allowed
34:20
into certain forms of worship in Jerusalem.
34:23
So it's significant that God would choose him.
34:26
This educated, wealthy man who seems to be very humble.
34:30
And focused on trying to understand the will of God and
34:33
over again. We don't know how the story,
34:35
what happens, the eunuch after the fact.
34:37
But I like to see him as this Vanguard who takes the gospel
34:42
back down into Ethiopia and helps those African nations,
34:48
find an experienced Jesus. Piercing to consider here is in,
34:52
in Antiquity, the art of Silent reading was not common.
34:59
It was not known to them if they're reading, they read aloud
35:03
because partly, they actually believed that the words spoken
35:07
had power. How often do we think about
35:10
invoking? The name of Jesus Christ has
35:13
power. The belief was similar for the
35:15
words in scripture, so he was reading out loud.
35:17
He's reading out loud and you see that verse 39 tells us the
35:21
spirit said, unto Philip, go near and join thyself to this
35:27
chariot. Once again, here it is this man.
35:31
He's not saying well, that would be weird.
35:34
Who am I this this humble missionary, why would I go and
35:37
stand next to this really important Chariot carrying a
35:41
really important person. He doesn't argue the Lord guides
35:45
him and he goes, he doesn't need a cattle prod, shocking him or
35:53
poking him to go forward the spirit Whispers And he goes, I
35:58
want Be more like Philip because he's reflecting an attribute of
36:03
Christ of this willing submission.
36:07
Humble Meek willing to submit to all things which the father
36:10
seeketh fit to inflict upon him. So to speak, I love this, this
36:15
story. So he goes and he stands and he
36:19
recognizes that he's reading this, this eunuch is reading
36:23
from the prophet of Isaiah essayist, in the Greek, Isaiah
36:27
in the Hebrew, And so he asked him the question, understand us
36:31
what thou readest? And he said, how can I except
36:34
some man should guide me and he desired Philip that he would
36:38
come up and sit with him, ironically, Which chapter does
36:42
he happen to be reading in Isaiah, 53 of all the chapters,
36:48
thus, the song of the suffering servant, this man who is
36:53
despised and rejected of men, a Man of Sorrows and acquainted
36:56
with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him. but, By his
37:01
stripes, we are healed. He the iniquity of us is laid
37:06
upon him by the Lord and through him, we find life and this
37:12
eunuch is so confused from his worldview in his context.
37:16
Scripturally speaking, he's like, what is this talking
37:19
about? And I love how Phillip explains
37:24
to him verse 34. The eunuch answered Philip and
37:29
said I pray thee of whom speak us.
37:31
The profit of this of himself or some other man and then Philip
37:36
opened began at the same scripture and preached unto him
37:40
Jesus and then you get this fascinating conclusion to the
37:47
story with the unit. For 36 says, as they went on
37:50
their way, they came unto a certain water and the eunuch
37:54
said, see here is water. What does Hinder me to be
37:58
baptized, by the way, throughout the desert.
38:01
So it's not like water is just everywhere.
38:04
This is this is a fort could we call this coincidence or the
38:10
hand of God. Yeah.
38:13
Now verse 37 is interesting, if you look up, Bible Hub, dog Cam.
38:17
And you come to Acts chapter 8 and look at verse 36, 37 38 in
38:22
Bible Hub, you'll see various 30 or so English translations.
38:27
Notice that. In many of them, it tells you
38:31
verse 37 is missing. Most of our original, not our
38:36
original cause we don't have any of The Originals most of our
38:38
earliest copies and manuscripts of the New Testament.
38:43
So, all of our oldest books like the the Codex, vaticanus, I
38:47
Nauticus and alexandrinus, none of them have verse 37.
38:51
It's missing. It doesn't start showing up
38:54
until centuries later 5th or 6th century.
38:58
When all of a sudden it shows up.
39:00
It seems that later. Copyist, Doesn't like how
39:05
quickly this Ethiopian eunuch, gets baptized because all he
39:08
says, is what does hinder me to be baptized.
39:11
There's water right there and inverse, then it jumps straight
39:13
to 38 and he commanded the Chariot to stand still.
39:16
And they went down both into the water, both Philip and the
39:18
eunuch, and he baptized him. So apparently, some copyist
39:22
later on, felt like that was a little too easy.
39:25
We need to have some expression of Faith here.
39:27
So then somebody must have added verse 37.
39:30
And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart,
39:33
thou mayest, And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus
39:36
Christ is the Son of God. Again, I guess it's possible.
39:40
It was in the original taken out and then, reappeared, centuries,
39:44
later or the idea is that he's already demonstrated his faith
39:50
in the Lord Jesus Christ. And now he's going to go and get
39:53
baptized and you're going to see as we get further into our new
39:56
testament, Story how quickly people do indeed, get baptized
40:01
when they when they first believed.
40:04
Eve which to me is a beautiful sign of the power of that
40:10
beginning, that link that Covenant connection with Christ
40:15
to say you don't have to be perfect, you do have to have
40:18
faith, repent of your sins. Now, get on the path and then
40:22
trust, that he'll work with you in the process of time with the
40:26
benefit of being able to partake of the sacrament, every week and
40:30
not just renewals baptismal covenants that you made at the
40:33
beginning. Meaning but also make a New
40:36
Covenant every week that you want him to be your God.
40:41
You want to be as people in, you're willing to do all things
40:43
that he asks you to do and to mourn with those that mourn
40:46
comfort. Those men stand in need of
40:47
comfort and standard win as a witness of God at all times, in
40:51
all things, in all places, it makes me think about the tree of
40:54
life story in the Book of Mormon where people immediately grasp
40:58
hold of the rod. So symbolically, let's call that
41:02
getting baptized. I'm not saying that.
41:03
What it is but it's not like there's like you just been 20
41:07
years and go through all these hoops before you ever get to
41:09
hold onto the rod. It's like immediately you can
41:12
get on the path and the path itself has a series of sequences
41:17
of rituals and events that lead you closer to God.
41:20
But I see what you're talking about here.
41:22
There's no reason to put up obstacles and people's path when
41:26
they're willing to demonstrate that they want to follow Jesus.
41:29
What a powerful powerful manifestation of God's.
41:34
See that he allows us to be baptized some people say, why do
41:38
I have to be baptized? It's like, that is the wrong
41:40
question. It's, what can I possibly do to
41:44
think the Lord for this Incredible Gift of offering me
41:48
this baptism or this Sacrament rather than I have to go to
41:53
church this Sunday? No, you don't.
41:55
Your God is not up in heaven. Saying, I'm going to be hurt.
42:00
If you don't go to church, he gave us the The opportunity to
42:05
go to church because we've been hurt and because we've heard
42:09
others it's this. It's this beautiful Connecting
42:13
Point rather than a than a painful Commandment that we have
42:17
to keep begrudgingly. That's that's the wrong
42:19
approach. So now think about this, think
42:23
about this your Philip you've had incredible success in
42:26
Samaria. Now you've been introduced to
42:30
this guy who has amazing influence down in Ethiopia.
42:34
And possibly spreading out into other parts of Africa.
42:38
And in my mind, if I'm Philip, I'm thinking, wow, now I know
42:41
why God wanted me to come down here and I'm going to go and I'm
42:44
going to meet Candace, the queen of Ethiopia and I'm going to be
42:48
able to start the work there as well.
42:50
So we've just come out of the baptism experience with this.
42:54
Perhaps expectation of, let's go south and verse 39 happens and
43:00
when they were come up out of the water, the spirit of the
43:03
Lord Lord, caught away Philip that the eunuch saw him no more
43:08
and he went on his way rejoicing so we don't know.
43:12
The rest of the story is Taylor said earlier about what happens
43:14
with unit, but a seed was planted, a baptism was performed
43:18
this man's going to go home and who knows what happens?
43:23
But Phillip is caught Away by the spirit and he's going to
43:26
work his way. Now North to an area called Ash
43:31
ashdod. A little bit south of where Tel
43:33
Aviv is too. By the way, the, the ethiopic
43:37
Christian church is, one of the earliest Christian churches on
43:41
the planet. And they have very powerful and
43:44
interesting Traditions about where they came from, where they
43:47
emerge from, and often also have very ancient manuscripts of the
43:50
New Testament that have been helpful to understand the New
43:52
Testament Traditions, it's beautiful.
43:54
So, he's stopping at ashdod and then he ends up as caesarea.
44:00
The capital of Israel from the time of Herod up to lat. 600
44:04
a.d. and then he won't come back into the story.
44:08
Philip until much later, during Paul's return from his third
44:14
missionary journey will be reintroduced to him.
44:16
But I just have to say Philip is one of one of the unsung heroes
44:21
for me. From scripture, most people
44:23
don't talk much about Philip, he gets one chapter one story but
44:28
quite frankly I want to be more like Philip because he models
44:32
this Christ. Like meekness and submissiveness
44:37
that I want a lot more in my own life.
44:41
So now let's jump over to chapter 9 and we pick up Souls
44:46
story. Again keep in mind, he's been
44:49
breathing out these threatenings in Jerusalem and in Judea but
44:52
now because there's been a scattering of the Believers of
44:57
that early church, he now gets letters, these could be
45:03
considered Nerd arrest warrants from the, the high priest in
45:07
Jerusalem to go up to Damascus, which is up north in Syria.
45:12
So the distance from Jerusalem up to Damascus, is going to be
45:16
depending on the weather, depending on the speed of your
45:20
traveling Companions. And if you have animals to help
45:23
you along the way a week week and a half, maybe two weeks,
45:28
Point being Saul has some time on the road to perhaps, Ponder
45:34
and contemplate. What's happened?
45:38
And remember the last major experience from Saul story was
45:42
having people lay cloaks at Sol's feet, as he authorizes,
45:47
and approves of the stoning of Stephen, and he saw Stephens
45:51
face. He saw Stephens response to the
45:53
stoning, and he heard His Last Words.
45:56
Lay, not this sin to their charge, and it makes you wonder
46:00
if as Souls walking that long road.
46:05
If the spirit is helping him remember and replaying that
46:10
experience again. And again, we don't know.
46:12
But here's here's where we pick up the story.
46:14
Verse 3, as he Journey didn't came near Damascus.
46:18
So we've gone almost all the way to where I want to get within my
46:24
Satchel. I have these letters these these
46:28
names of people that I'm going to go and arrest and bring back
46:32
bound to Jerusalem. It says suddenly they're shined
46:36
round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the Earth
46:40
and heard a voice saying unto him Saul Saul.
46:45
Why persecutest thou me? And he said who art thou?
46:49
Lord and the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
46:55
It is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks.
47:00
The the can't run the, these sharpened sticks are the Next,
47:04
an ox goad. It's hard for thee to kick
47:07
against the Pricks. Now, is it safe to say that?
47:11
If we were to give Saul this student of Gamaliel?
47:15
This, this Pharisee at the head of his class who's on this
47:21
journey. If we were to give him an exam
47:25
on knowing about the Lord, from the Old Testament, pretty safe
47:30
to say, he passed that exam with flying colors.
47:33
Yeah. He knows a lot about God.
47:39
But he doesn't know the Lord. The Lord speaking to him
47:42
appearing to him and talking to him.
47:46
Speak calling him by name. Saul Saul, why persecutest thou
47:50
me? He could answer all these
47:52
questions about God, all the facts and the figures in the
47:54
dates and the places but he doesn't know him.
47:58
And that's an invitation for us. We were invited to immerse
48:03
ourselves in the word of God, because it helps us to know
48:06
about him so that we can Tell him, we want to be able to see
48:12
God in our lives. Not simply read about how God
48:15
was in other people's lives. That's powerful and empowering
48:19
to see that in the past. People had God in their lives.
48:23
They knew God, it's to remind us and encourage us that we too.
48:28
So we should always not let scripture study.
48:31
Be the endpoint of our worship, but a starting point of having
48:36
direct personal encounters. With our heavenly father.
48:40
So Taylor that that concept is perfectly tied into verse six,
48:47
which in my opinion Is such an amazing way to begin and end a
48:55
scripture study or a church experience, or a temple worship
49:00
experience or a family home evening.
49:03
Look at the words here in verse 6, he trembling and astonished
49:06
said Lord, What wilt thou have me to do.
49:12
You'll notice he shifts it away from just the cognitive, the,
49:16
the intellectual, the thinking learning exercise to putting his
49:23
Agency on the altar of the Lord saying, what do you want me to
49:27
do? It's this faith that leads to
49:32
action and the Lord said unto him arise and go into the City
49:38
and it shall be told thee. What thou must do.
49:41
Just because he asked the question, doesn't mean that
49:43
boom. Here's your instant answer.
49:46
The lord gave him the next step. Go into the City and then I'll
49:49
tell you, we'll keep in mind, it's going to be three days
49:53
until there's any further Direction.
49:56
So he's going to be sitting in the city in blindness in
50:00
darkness for three days. Hmm.
50:02
Now that sounds oddly familiar to King Lamoni Lemonis father.
50:11
The people in 3rd Nephi, 8, 9 and 10, this idea of, when
50:16
you're shifting from a life that is contrary to, the Lord's will
50:22
to this path of discipleship. There seems to be this three
50:27
days of darkness, three days of deep intense suffering, Alma the
50:32
younger when he had his vision. Three days of this, where it's
50:38
almost as if the Lord is giving, Giving these people time to
50:43
reflect on what this life is really all about and what they
50:49
truly want in their connection with God.
50:53
And for their life, moving forward is says verse 7.
50:58
The men, which journeyed with him, stood speechless hearing a
51:01
voice but seeing no man in 22:9 when he's retelling.
51:06
The story later on, he says that the people who are with me, they
51:09
saw light But they didn't hear a voice and you'll notice here, it
51:13
says that they heard a voice asano man.
51:17
One of those has to be off and Joseph Smith in his translation
51:24
changed. This one here to say and they
51:27
who were Journey with him. Saw indeed the light and were
51:30
afraid, but they heard not the voice of him who speak to him,
51:32
which to me, implies this message was not for them.
51:37
The the voice was for Saul and Saul alone and he's the only one
51:43
who got that message. So then verse nine tells you he
51:45
was three days without sight and did neither eat nor drink.
51:49
Now watch the contrast we go to verse 10.
51:53
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named ananias, which
51:57
by the way, we don't know this for sure but it's at least a
52:01
possibility that one of the letters in pulse Satchel has the
52:05
named ananias referring to him on a this disciple in Damascus.
52:12
So consider the irony here of the Lord.
52:16
Now coming to ananias in, verse 10, saying ananias And he said,
52:23
behold, I am here, Lord to see the beauty of how scriptures can
52:30
set up these contrasts and comparisons.
52:32
When Luke is writing this part of the story, you saw Paul or
52:37
Saul this Pharisee, who knows so much about the Lord, who sees
52:42
him who out who art thou Lord and then you get this other man
52:46
named ananias and we know nothing about his background,
52:49
his learning his training if he's literate or Or not, we
52:53
don't know, but the Lord gives one word ananias and the
52:59
response wasn't. Who is that?
53:02
Who's talking to me? The response is oh I recognize
53:06
that voice. Here, am I Lord which is this
53:11
beautiful reflection of the christ-like attribute of God
53:16
saying, whom shall I? Send him saying here?
53:19
Am I send me? It's it's that perspective that
53:24
I also want to apply in my life from ananias example, and the
53:30
Lord said to him, arise and go. Did you notice that?
53:36
Paul got the same two verbs in verse 6 from the Lord arise and
53:40
go, but it's for a different purpose.
53:44
You need to go and sit for three days and darkness and an eyes.
53:47
I need you to arise and go into the street called straight and
53:50
inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus
53:54
for behold. He prayeth on at this point and
53:56
an Isis saying Saul of Tarsus. Seriously, I know that name he
54:02
has wreaked havoc among Um among the the members of the church
54:07
and if he's blind, Hallelujah, let's let him stay blind because
54:12
then he can't hurt us anymore. And he's giving all of that
54:17
rationale in verse 13 and 14. And then notice verse 15, I love
54:24
verse 15 because the Lord never seems to want to hold you and me
54:32
Norse all Hostage to our past. He wants us to be able to
54:37
continue to progress and develop, look at verse 15.
54:40
But the Lord said unto him, go thy way.
54:44
Ananias for he, Paul is a chosen vessel unto me to Bear my name
54:51
before the Gentiles and Kings and the children of Israel.
54:55
You have this very unique individual.
54:58
He was born a Roman citizen, in Tarsus up in southern turkey of
55:04
cilicia. He's he's he knows the
55:06
Greco-Roman culture and Society. He is a devout Jew, a Pharisee,
55:14
who has learned the Old Testament, to a very deep level
55:19
and he knows the Hebrew. He knows the Aramaic, he knows
55:24
the Greek and he's energetic and fearless and he's willing to do
55:29
things that others may not want to do.
55:31
He's a very unique Hazel perfectly position to be a
55:35
chosen vessel to be a minister and a witness For my name's sake
55:43
verse 16. Look how he worded that I will
55:45
show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
55:50
So ananias went his way and he entered into the house, put his
55:55
hands on him and said, brother Saul, did you catch that
55:59
brother? Saul not enemy Saul but brother
56:06
Saul, the Lord even Jesus. That appeared unto the in the
56:09
way as thou camest hath sent me. That thou mightest receive thy
56:14
sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
56:16
And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales.
56:20
And he received sight forthwith and arose and was baptized I
56:26
love that word forth with that means immediately and then
56:30
another immediate word, he received meat then go down to
56:34
verse 20 and straightway he preached Christ in the
56:38
synagogue's that he is the Son of God in the synagogue's among
56:42
the Jewish people. And now, can you see the
56:44
struggle that Saul's facing? Have you ever had a time when
56:49
you felt love from God, when you felt forgiven, From heaven.
56:57
But there were natural consequences that lingered is it
57:01
possible to actually be clean as far as the Lord is concerned?
57:05
And yet still have a price to pay with people and with
57:11
relationships, that's where solve finds himself right now,
57:14
he's in what you might call No Man's Land.
57:17
Because now the Jude, the leaders of the Jews.
57:21
See him as a traitor, a turncoat.
57:25
It's like, we're going to he's now Public Enemy.
57:28
Number One, and the Christians aren't exactly going to welcome
57:33
him in because they would see him as potentially.
57:35
A spy like yeah, sure, you're a Believer.
57:38
You just want to get in with us so you can find out who
57:41
everybody is and what our roles are.
57:43
So you can then condemn us. This poor guy is, is in this
57:48
very difficult position. So, when Saul was come to
57:51
Jerusalem and verse 26, he is saved to join himself to the
57:54
disciples but Were all afraid of him and he believe and believe
57:57
not that he was a disciple, but Barnabas he took him and he
58:02
brought him to the apostles and he declared unto the him unto
58:05
them, how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had
58:08
spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus.
58:11
In the name of Jesus. Barnabas is a witness to say,
58:15
yeah, it's genuine the Lord appeared to him.
58:18
He's he's not a spy he's not trying to trick us but there's
58:22
this struggle that takes place with People's trust.
58:26
They just they couldn't get over this.
58:29
And so it looks like it's at this point where Paul takes a
58:33
three-year Hiatus and he tells us about that in Galatians 1:18
58:40
where he spends three years away and then comes back to be with
58:45
the Apostle Peter. And that's where we get in verse
58:47
31, then had the church's rest throughout all of Judea, and
58:51
Galilee and Samaria, and were edified and walking in fear of
58:54
the Lord. And in the comfort of the Holy
58:56
Ghost were multiplied. So no longer do they have this
58:59
threat from Paul? Yeah, our soul and now you get a
59:05
couple of Miracles, significant Miracles, performed by Peter to
59:09
close out chapter 9. The first one is where he heals
59:12
a man who is sick of the palsy. He's paralyzed, his name is
59:17
Aeneas and notice the wording in verse 34, Peter said unto him
59:22
æneas Jesus Christ. Kathy, whole arise and make thy
59:28
bed and he arose immediately. And then in verse 36, you get
59:32
the story of Tabitha also, called Dorcas woman.
59:36
Full of good works and Olmstead. She dies and Peter in verse 40,
59:41
kneeled down and prayed and turned him to the body and said
59:44
Tabitha arise and she opened her eyes.
59:48
And then she sat up and verse 42 says it was known throughout all
59:52
Java which is modern-day tell. Eve in that area and many
59:58
believed in the Lord. And now Peter is staying at the
1:00:02
house of Simon the Tanner there in Java, which prepares us for
1:00:08
next week's lesson. The begins with an amazing
1:00:11
Vision appears going to have at the house of Simon the Tanner.
1:00:14
So as we come to the close of this lesson, this week, there
1:00:18
have been fun stories that took place two thousand years ago
1:00:21
with with people like Stephen and Philip and And Saul and
1:00:27
ananias and Peter and Aeneas, and Tabitha.
1:00:35
But the fact is, those are stories that took place two
1:00:39
thousand years ago, far away, from where most of us live
1:00:42
today. If we take our scripture study
1:00:46
to the next level, the next depth of trying to connect with
1:00:50
the Lord. Perhaps we like Saul might give
1:00:56
a heartfelt request. What would thou have me to do?
1:01:03
How can I actually become more connected with the Lord?
1:01:08
How can I trust him more? How can I put aside?
1:01:11
My will and embrace his More because I want him to be my God
1:01:17
and I want to be his son or his daughter whatever applies.
1:01:23
And as we move forward, just know that the Lord will reveal
1:01:28
his will to us. And the more we act on that the
1:01:31
more natural, it will become to hear the whisperings of the
1:01:36
spirit and be on the Lord's errand rather than our own know
1:01:42
that he lives. And we leave that with you in
1:01:44
the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
1:01:48
Know that you're loved and spread light and goodness.