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Tag: Jesus

Prophesying the unseen future
Prophets predicted the Messiah of God, Christ Jesus

Acts of the Apostles 21:
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Dr. Luke continues his account of their return to Jerusalem and Paul's stay with Philip the Evangelist in Caesarea.
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Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

And as we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says:

Now some of you are NOT going to believe this

STOP
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BEFORE we hear 'what the Holy Spirit says' to the Apostle Paul through Agabus, LET'S take a quick look ahead at PROPHESY, Prophets and Prophetesses and SEE if YOU even believe in such predictions. 
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προφητεύω – Strong’s G4395 – Prophesy

to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict

Luke has already used this same word describing a scene back in Ephesus.

And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.

Now there were in all about twelve men.
Acts of the Apostles 19:5-7 LSB

Here Luke reveals that Philip, one of the seven deacons who had received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and was later sent out with the Apostles’ teaching, had four daughters known as prophetesses.

In fact, prophesy is not so much given as positive prediction but more frequently as WARNING of some unseen future event.

And when He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?”

And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Gospel of Matthew 21:10-11 LSB

The Greek New Testament word used here for prophet is prophētēs.
- in Greek writings, an interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things
- one who, moved by the Spirit of God and hence his organ or spokesman, solemnly declares to men what he has received by inspiration, especially concerning future events, and in particular such as relate to the cause and kingdom of God and to human salvation
προφήτης – Strong’s G4396 – prophētēs

JESUS had been received as a PROPHET and King by the Jews. It was Christ as Priest and SACRIFICE for our sins they rejected.
Roger@Talkofjesus.com

ARE PROPHETS TRUE? CAN THEIR PROPHESY PREDICT?

Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking Him while they beat Him, and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying,

“Prophesy, who is the one who hit You?”

And they were saying many other things against Him, blaspheming.
Gospel of Luke 22:63-65 LSB – Prophesy g4395 prophēteuō

“Prophesy G4395 to us, O Christ; who is the one who hit You?”
Gospel of Matthew 26:68

And some began to spit at Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, “Prophesy G4395!” And the officers received Him with slaps in the face.
Gospel of Mark 14:65 LSB
- Jesus the King is opposed by the Herod’s.
- Jesus the Prophet is opposed by those adorned in false robes of righteousness.
- And Jesus the Priest is opposed by the false intercessors claiming coins of indulgence before altars of idolatry.
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy G4395 of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,

BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
Gospel of Mark 7:6 LSB

THE APOSTLE PAUL PREACHES CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RISEN!

‘..Bind the man who owns this belt..’

Once again, true prophesy through the Holy Spirit provides a vision of further suffering awaiting the Apostle who had been blind even as Philip had received the Holy Spirit years before.

a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea

“The Holy Spirit says,
‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
Act of the Apostles 21:11b – NIV
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Luke, who of course is traveling with Paul by now records an account of his own reaction:
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When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart!

I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 21:12-13 NLT

hyper ho onoma ho kyrios iēsous
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The King James Version is even a bit more pointed in its rendering from the Greek:
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for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 21:13b King James Version

YES, these early apostles and many disciples of Christ Jesus proclaimed their faith in ‘the Name of the Lord Jesus – kyrios iēsous.

This beloved apostle to the Gentiles, as one drawn later to his faith had asked the risen Christ on a road to Damascus,

“Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: [Acts 9:5 excerpt KJV}

As all disciples traveling with Paul knew, he had once sought the deaths of many brothers and had been present at the execution of Philip’s fellow deacon and friend, Stephen.

And they stoned Stephen,

calling upon God, and saying,

Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Acts 7:59 KJV

NOW their beloved apostle to the gentiles pleads with them that he too may accept Stephen’s fate ‘in the name of the Lord Jesus.’

14 When he would not be dissuaded,

we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem.

Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
Acts of the Apostles 21:17 KJV

A.D. 52-57

Acts of the Apostles – To Be Continued… – in Jerusalem
April 22, 2024
King of the Jews Savior of Sinners
Behold, Elijah is here.

“How long will you be limping between two opinions?

If Yahweh is God, follow Him..”

But the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:21 excerpt – Legacy Standard Bible

‘What does this QUESTION of Elijah have to do with HOLY WEEK?’ you ask.

READ our QUESTION from yesterday.

King for a Common Era Holy Week 5

Are YOU of the multitudes? OR one of His disciples?

Good Friday has a context we rarely consider: the Passover and Paschal Sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

QUESTIONS are important to the celebration of the Passover.
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Later we will return to Elijah's QUESTION in this context.
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The Passover Lamb – (Exodus) 12: שְׁמֹות

“And it will be when your children say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this new slavery to you?’ [Lit What is this service to you?]{some translations use ‘rite‘ or ‘ceremony’} that you shall say,

‘It is a Passover sacrifice to Yahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but delivered our homes.’”

And the people bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 12:26-27 LSB
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NOW consider this as one of the MULTITUDES and hypocrites living the life in this world or in the time of Jesus' sacrificial days in Jerusalem. 

Do you WORSHIP the Pascal Lamb? 
(Can you make up your mind about JESUS?)
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Borrowing briefly from a PRIVATE moment of Christ Jesus with the Twelve - a sorrowful scene before the night unfolded toward the Cross.
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“With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
Gospel of Luke 22:15b – New King James Version

And this day will be a memorial for you..

12:14 וְהָיָה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן וְחַגֹּתֶם אֹתוֹ חַג לַיהוָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם חֻקַּת עוֹלָם תְּחָגֻּהוּ׃

On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you..
Exodus 12:16a – NKJV regarding the required Passover Feast
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מִקְרָא from H7121; something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal:—assembly, calling, convocation, reading. 
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Exodus 12:21 – slaughter the Passover lamb.

וְשַׁחֲטוּ הַפָּסַח׃

Every rendering of the LORD’s command sheds additional pathos of God’s only Son sacrificed on the CROSS and commemoration of HOLY COMMUNION for Christ followers.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com
- slaughter the Passover animal.
- kill the Passover lamb.
- kill the passover. [KJV]
- slay the Passover lamb.
- slay the passover.
- kill it for Passover.
- kill the Passover animal.
- celebrate Passover.
- slaughter the Passover-sacrifice
Indeed, that is exactly what they did to JESUS by hanging a savior from SIN on the cross-beams of a tree!
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(and 'lambs,' by the way, in Hebrew is pronounced, "ṣō'n."
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pesaḥ :פֶּסַח
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Lexicon :: Strong's H6453 - pesaḥ
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- sacrifice of passover
- animal victim of the passover
- festival of the passover
a sparing immunity from penalty.. From פָּסַח (H6452)
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Lexicon :: Strong's H6452 - pāsaḥ 
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פָּסַח pâçach, paw-sakh’; a primitive root; to hop, i.e. (figuratively) skip over (or spare); by implication, to hesitate; also (literally) to limp, to dance:—halt, become lame, leap, pass over.

Communion – a ‘difficult’ memorial

“For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed..

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
Gospel of John 6:55,60 NKJV

Limping toward the CROSS! – a ‘difficult’ Judgment
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Returning to ELIJAH'S QUESTION to worshipers of a FALSE god of FALSE prophets:
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“How long will you be limping between two opinions?

.. “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they limped about the altar which they had made.
1 Kings 18:21b,26b LSB
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'by implication, to hesitate; also (literally) to limp..
- - - - - - - - - -
HOW CAN GOD PASSOVER OUR SIN?

HOW CAN THE FLESH AND BLOOD OF THE SON OF GOD BECOME OUR PASSOVER OFFERING?
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Progress toward confession of Christ
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An excerpt from THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS 
by John Bunyan ~A.D. 1675
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I am in myself undone by reason of a Burden that lieth hard upon me: moreover, I am certain informed that this our City will be burned with fire from Heaven..  

He was reading in his Book.. he burst out, as he had done before, crying, "What shall I do to be saved?"

I looked then and saw a man named Evangelist coming to him, asked him, Wherefore dost thou cry?"

[The 'man,' later named 'Christian' answers as anyone confronted by the CROSS and JUDGMENT. - RH]

"Sir, I perceived by the Book in my hand [a BIBLE] that 
I AM CONDEMNED TO DIE 
AND AFTER THAT TO COME TO THE JUDGMENT.."

[And here is where WE limp between the CROSS and our own worldly City of Destruction - RH]

".. AND I FIND THAT I AM NOT WILLING TO DO THE FIRST,
NOR ABLE TO DO THE SECOND."
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Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews,

“Behold, your King!”

– Gospel of John 19:14 LSB

“How long will you be limping between two opinions?

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV

Amen
March 29, 2024
King for a Common Era Holy Week 5
KING jesus! KING jesus! The Prophet who drove the money changers out of God’s Temple HAS RETURNED!

Holy Week in the year of our Lord 30
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Without noting several significant private events and conversations of this holy week, including Jesus' celebration of the Passover meal with the Twelve;
 
let's look once more at the witness of PUBLIC encounters of the Lord Jesus in the Temple through actual and FICTIONAL witnesses.
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And he [Jesus] taught daily in the temple.
Gospel of Luke19:47a Καὶ ἦν διδάσκων τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ

Gospel of Matthew 21: New King James Version

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said,

“By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

“I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
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No Elder could answer Him.
The Prophet from Nazareth then taught us with parables.
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Parables in the Temple

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons.. ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. .. the second .. said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”

33 “Hear another parable:

There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country...

.. Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
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Every listening soul knew that Jesus was speaking of the Shepherds of Israel AND knowing that this teacher from Nazareth called Himself a 'Son.' 
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But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves,

‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’

So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Gospel of Matthew 21:28-29 – New King James Version
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So is this JESUS the coming KING about to conquer Jerusalem from the Herod's (as when HE rode into the city like DAVID)? 

Will this Teacher also turn the tables on OUR corrupt religious leaders, we wondered?
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OTHERS in the TEMPLE also heard Jesus challenge EVERY false philosophy, teachings obligating US to pay indulgences to support their own well-healed corruptness among regular worshipers.

“He will destroy those wicked..

“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
the Good News of Matthew 21:42 – New King James Version – The Lord JESUS in the Temple, quoting MANY Scriptures to Jewish leaders
- Psa 118:22
- Isa 28:16
  - .. a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
- Zec 3:8-10
In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.
Zechariah 3 :: King James Version (KJV)
3:10 בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת תִּקְרְאוּ אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ אֶל־תַּחַת גֶּפֶן וְאֶל־תַּחַת תְּאֵנָה׃
- Hab 1:5
  - Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
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JESUS IS PREACHING GOOD NEWS TO EVERYONE IN THE TEMPLE -- JEWS AND GENTILES -- BUT NOT SO GOOD for the entrenched rulers of Jerusalem.
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Good News of Matthew 22:

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:

“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son..

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Gospel of Matthew 22:14 NKJV – Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast
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Of the Pharisees (who teach of the resurrection, although some it seems would have us pay them to have Yahweh overlook our sins to earn our way to it) Jesus challenged: 
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“Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? .. “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The Pharisees also tried to test HIM on the LAW.

³⁶“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
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Now I was immediately thinking 'FIRST COMMENDMENT' 
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5:7 לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיַ׃

‘You shall have no other gods before Me.
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The Teacher of the teachers however went straight to the Shammah: 
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שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד׃

Hear, Yisra’el: the LORD is our God; the LORD is one..

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like it:

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

And just like us, He didn’t think much of the Sadducees either.

“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

Some who witnessed Jesus’ miracles thought that He might be John the Baptizer risen from death. And other who know Lazarus seemed certain that HE held the power over death because HE IS the Promised One of Israel.

Jesus had asked the Pharisees (who believe the Scriptures about the resurrection):

“What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
Matthew 22:42 NKJV

The Pharisees’ very Judaic response about “The Son of David” Jesus proved as quite insufficient. The Pharisees did NOT know who the Christ would be.

Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees and …

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples
Matthew 23:1 King James Version

SO YOU WANT A ‘KING’ JESUS, ALL OF YOU WHO LOVE TO SHOUT OUT ‘HOSANNA‘ WHEN HE ENTERS THE TEMPLE TOWARDS YOU?
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* Some quotes below updated for awoke Common Era [christian] hearing.
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“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

Woe to you, ..[who] for a pretense make long prayers.. travel land and sea to win one [*new visitor to your church and life], and when [*they are] won, you make [*them] twice as much [*sons and daughters] son of hell as yourselves.

“Woe to you, blind guides..

For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith..

“Woe to you [*church leaders & priests]! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind [*Popes and Pastors], first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

“Woe to you.. hypocrites like whitewashed tombs.. beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.. outwardly appear righteous.., but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“Woe to you, Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say,

‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’

Are YOU of the multitudes? OR one of His disciples?
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JESUS had hundreds of disciples [followers] and thousands from the crowds in the Temple, multitudes who heard Him preach in this holiest of weeks.
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ARE YOU ONE OF THESE? WOULD YOU have been one of the MULTITUDES who shouted, ‘HOSANNA, KING JESUS!’ who tomorrow might side with ‘leaders‘ denying Him, saying with all the world, CRUCIFY HIM! ‘WE have NO KING but Caesar‘?

OR are you NOW a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ – Jesus the Pascal Lamb of God slaughtered for sinners — a follower who will believe and take up His Cross?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!

How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
Matthew 23:37-39 NKJV

Communion with His Apostles

Jesus is about to have some private moments with His closest friends and Apostles — a last meal — Communion… followed by betrayal, prayer, arrest… then a trial of injustice under the veil of darkness.

WHAT WILL YOU SAY IF A FRIEND FROM YOUR LIFE IN THE WORLD ASKS YOU ABOUT JESUS?

IS HE THE CHRIST SENT TO SAVE US?

SAVE ME FROM WHAT?

Talk of JESUS . com

Comment on Scripture – Share the Gospel
March 28, 2024