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
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 28 STUDY GUIDE & BREAKDOWN
WINTER AT MALTA
ACTS 28:1-10
28:1: MALTA ISLAND: small island south of Sicily...
28:2: NATIVES: is literally "barbarians", which simply means they were not cultured and did not speak Greek...
28:3: THE APOSTLE PAUL: does not cease to be a servant of others...
28:4-6: THOUGH THEIR UNDERSTANDING: of God is flawed, these NATIVES are deeply spiritual and on some level recognize God as being present everywhere, directing the course of human events...
28:8-10: THE NATURAL KINDNESS: of residents of Malta (v. 12) increased all the more as they saw the works of God being done among them...
FROM MALTA TO ROME
ACTS 28:11-15
28:11: THE TWIN BROTHERS: of Greek mythology were sons of Zeus and were considered protectors of sailors...
28:12: SYRACUSE: was a major seaport in Sicily...
28:13-14: BRETHREN: are Christians: By AD 60, numerous churches scattered throughout the empire, including one in PUTEOLI: from this point, Paul's company traveled on foot...
PAUL'S MINISTRY IN ROME
ACTS 28:16-31
28:16-17: THE JEWS: had a strong and well-organized community in ROME: As was his custom in every city, Paul spoke first to the Jewish LEADERS concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ- (see Acts 13:45):
28:20: THE HOPE OF ISRAEL: means the resurrection, which Paul has made central in his preaching-(see Acts 23:6): THIS CHAIN: refers to his imprisonment under house arrest...
28:22: THAT CHRISTIANITY WAS SPOKEN AGAINST EVERYWHERE: shows the tremendous influence it had already in Rome...The Jews in Rome were more open to the gospel than the Jews in Judea...
28:23: SEE NOTES AT ACTS 8:35; AND ACTS 13:17-41...
28:31: PAUL'S PREACHING: finishes here where it began: proclaiming (1): THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND (2): THINGS CONCERNING THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: These two subjects are still content of the PREACHING AND TEACHING OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH: NO ONE FORBIDDING HIM: imprisonment did not stop Paul from bearing witness to Jesus Christ, for the gospel cannot be hidden- (Matthew 5:14): The story of the Acts of the Apostles continues through their successors in the Church to this day...
PSALM 5 STUDY GUIDE
PSALM 5
PSALM-5 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my [b]meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil [c]dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward [d]Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face.
9 For there is no [e]faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part is destruction; Their throat is an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You.
11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You [f]defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.
PSALM 5: PSALM 5 IS SIMILAR TO PSALM 4: again emphasizing THE END (v. 1): Christ is the End CONCERNING THE INHERITANCE (v. 1): which is the Church and the word to come- (CREED): For Christ and His inheritance are the end to which God's eternal purpose is moving- (EPHESIANS 3:11): And in His prayer to the Father, whom He called THE LORD AND KING AND GOD- (vv.2,3,5,7,9,11,13), He is teaching the Church how to pray and worship in her morning prayers- (v. 4) as she travels through this present lawless world- (vv. 5-13): - The Church uses PSALM 5 as one of her fixed psalms in the First hour, and the clergy often pray vv. 8, 9 upon entering the church just prior to the services...
BEWARE OF THE WOLVES IN SHEEPS CLOTHING THEY ARE EVERYWHERE LIKE LEGION!!!WE ARE KNOWN BY THE FRUITS WE BEAR, WE EITHER BEAR GOOD FRUIT OR ROTTEN FRUIT!!!
END WITH THE LORD'S PRAYER-WE DEPART IN PEACE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!!!
JPCE SPIRITUAL TALK
NEVER HOLD BACK
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
JEHOVAH SHALOM!!!
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