OPENING PRAYER
"Man Shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God"- Matthew 4:4- "My mother and brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it" - Mark 8:21
LUKE 10:9-12:
And heal the sick there, and say to them ,‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’10 But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say,11 ‘The very dust of your city which clings to[a]us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’12 [b]But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.
-THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NEAR JUDGEMENT IS COMING FOR ALL-REPENT TURN FROM YOUR WICKED WAYs!!!
Having received this day as a gift, I (We) thank You Holy Trinity, for through Your goodness and patience You were not wrathful with me (Us), and idler (s) and sinner (s), neither have You cast me (Us) down in my (Our)sins...But You have shown Your love towards me (us) and have guided me (us) to keep my (our) daily watch to glorify Your power...Enlighten my (our) mind (minds) to study Your teachings in Scripture...Help me (us) to apply what I (we) learn and to praise You with all my (our) heart and glorify Your Holy Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever...Amen!!!
Shine within my (our) hearts, loving Master, the pure Light of Your Divine Knowledge, and open the eyes of my mind that I may understand Your teachings...Instill in me (us) also reverence for Your Blessed commandments, so having conquered sinful desires I (we) may pursue a spiritual way of life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You...For You, Christ my God, are my light, and to You I (we) give, glory, together with Your Father and Your Holy Spirit, now and forever...Amen!!!
CHANT PSALM 23
INTO YOUR HANDS LORD YESHUA (JESUS CHRIST) WE COMMIT OUR SOULS AND BODIES, BLESS US AND HAVE MERCY ON US AND GRANT US ETERNAL LIFE!!!
ACTS 20 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
RETURN VISIT TO GREECE
ACTS 20:1-5
20:4: PAUL: never took missionary journeys alone, but always a team ACCOMPAINED HIM and together they raised up local leaders!!!
20:5: US: See my notes at (Acts 16:10):
BACK IN ASIA: EUTYCHUS RAISED
ACTS 20:7-12
20:7-12: THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK: was Sunday, the Lord's Day of the Resurrection, the Church's customary day to celebrate the Eucharist: Worship on the Sabbath ceased with the passing of the old covenant: TO BREAK BREAD means to celebrate the eucharistic Liturgy: While teaching and preaching are vital, the weekly Eucharist is always the culmination of the Lord's Day assembly!!! See-how the unified order of liturgical worship here: After gathering on the Lord's Day, the first part of the Liturgy focuses on the proclamation of the word, with Paul giving his lengthy sermon- (v. 7): The second part of the Liturgy consists of breaking of the bread, or Holy Communion- (v. 11), followed by the agape feast, or community meal and fellowship-and this pattern continues to this day in the Orthodox Church!!!
20:9: ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM UPHOLDS EUTYCHUS: as an example for young believers: While some young people stay up into the night for the purposes of entertainment, drunkenness', or immorality, this YOUNG MAN tried to remain awake in order to hear Paul preach the gospel!!!
20:10 SEE AND READ: 4Kg 4:34:
PAUL'S FAREWELL ADDRESS
ACTS 20:13-38
20:16: PAUL DESIRED: to be with the other apostles in JERUSALEM FOR PENTECOST shows that a liturgical calendar based on sacred days was already being kept in the early Church: In that tradition, the Orthodox Church to this day keeps the calendar of special feasts, fasts, and celebrations- (see my Acts 18:21 and notes):
20:17-38: FROM THIS MEETING, WE LEARN: (1): the Church in Ephesus is living and growing; (2): it has already developed a permanent pattern of sacramental leadership in the ELDERS-(Priests-or presbyters; v. 17): and the OVERSEERS-(Bishops, v. 28); and (3): the threat of false teachers and heresies arising both within and without the Church is already present- (vv. 29, 30):
20:19: PAUL REMINDS: his hearers of the TEARS AND TRIALS he faced in Ephesus in order to strengthen them for what is to come...Paul's persecutions in Ephesus-(Asia Minor) were among the worst he faced- (1 Corinthians 15:32; 2 Corinthians 1:8):
20:26: INNOCENT OF THE BLOOD: does not mean that Paul has no responsibility to others: Instead, it means he has fulfilled his responsibility with regard to preaching the gospel, and their rejection on Jesus Christ is their own and by their own choice- (see- Acts 18:6 and my notes-see also notes for v. 28 which is just below-shalom!!!):
20:28: BLOOD: in biblical language signifies life: Christ shed His own Blood on the Cross to redeem His people and establish His Church!!!
20:29-32: TRIALS: come from both outside-(v. 29) and inside-(v. 30) the Church, the only protection is with God Himself- (v. 32): It is in God and not in man that the Church is sustained and thrives!!!
20:33-35: ST. PAUL: Teaches the clergy should be supported materially by the faithful-(1 Corinthians 9:1-23), he has not required this for himself from the communities he established: this allowed Paul to preach all the more freely and took away any opportunity for others to question his motives- (compare with Nehemiah 5:14-19-Acts 13:10-13): The quotation from Christ- (v. 35) is not recorded in the four Gospels- (see- John 21:25- and my notes):
ACTS 21 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
PALESTINE AND JERUSALEM: DON'T GO
ACTS 21:1-16
21:8: WE: SEE my notes-ACTS 16:10: THIS PHILIP THE EVANGELIST: is one of the seven deacons whose selection was recorded in Acts 6:5, not the apostle of the twelve...
21:9: PROPHECY: is the gift of the Holy Spirit to speak the will of God authoritatively: This gift is given to both men and women- (see 1 Corinthians 11:4-5), and many holy women were prophets, including Miriam-(Exodus 15:20-21), Deborah- (Judges 4:4), Huldah- (4Kg 22:14), Isaiah's wife- (Isaiah 8:3), the Virgin Mary- (Luke 1:46-55), and Anna- (Luke 2:36-38):
21:10-11: THIS SAME AGABUS: is mentioned in Acts 11:28: Here he prophesies in the style of the OT prophets, using an ordinary object to illustrate his message-(see-Isaiah 20:2; Jeremiah 13:1):
IN JERUSALEM
ACTS 21:17-25
21:17-25: PAUL MEETS WITH JAMES: the bishop of JERUSALEM, who reports that many Jews have set themselves against Paul: While neither Jews nor Gentiles find salvation through the Law, James encourages Paul to demonstrate his compliance with the Law in order to gain the trust of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem!!!
21:25: SEE: MY ACTS 15:1-29-NOTES!!!
TEMPLE RIOT, PAUL ARRESTED
ACTS 21:26-40
21:28: FOR A GENTILE: to enter a prohibited precincts of the TEMPLE area was a serious offense punishable by death!!!
21:31: SINCE JERUSALEM: is under Roman occupation: disturbances like this were held in check here by the ROMAN COMMANDER!!!
21:36: AWAY WITH HIM: was the same cry shouted against Jesus at His trial- (John 19:15):
21:38: THE EGYPTIAN: according to Josephus the historian, claimed to be a prophet and led a group of 30,000 to the Mount of Olives, telling them the walls of the city would fall at his word: Felix, the Roman governor, attacked the rebels and killed thousandths of them, but the false prophet and some of his followers fled into the wilderness!!!
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM-AND PSALM 1
AUTHOR: Among the authors of the Psalms- are David, the temple musicians, and also Moses!!!
DATE: Generally from 1000 BC, the time of David, to several centuries thereafter!!!
MAJOR THEME: The songs of God's people: each psalm has its own theme, as noted in the Titles!!!
BACKGROUND: (1): types of Psalms: (2): The prayer book of the Church (3): Uses in the Church:
CHANT PSALM 1
PSALM1 - Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the [a]ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he [b]meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the [c]rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
PSALM 1: THE MAN IN PSALM 1: is the Lord Jesus Christ-(JohnChr, AmbM, Eust, CyrAl, Aug, and Cass)- So, the Incarnation sets the tone of Psalms, and in the Psalms the Incarnate Lord teaches His Church how to pray: This is why the Psalms in the prayer book of the Church: PSALM 1: presents how Jesus lived His life in this world by showing the contrast between His godly life and the life of the ungodly: We are including the Church are called to follow His example: His behavior in relation to the ungodly- (v. 1); His Zeal for the truth- (v. 2); and His holy and virtuous life- (v. 3):
END WITH THE LORD'S PRAYER- LET'S DEPART IN PEACE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
NEVER HOLD BACK
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
JEHOVAH SHALOM!!!