Tag: lord.

  • Thanks Black Friday Cyber-Santa Specials

    Thanks Black Friday Cyber-Santa Specials

    Black Friday Deals Are Here – Epic Deals. All Week Long

    2024 CE Amazon AD

    Black Friday to Xmas

    I don’t know about you, but once again Thanksgiving seems to be upon us, a prerequisite observance overrun by the rush of DEALS for the Christmas holidays.

    Aren’t you THANKFUL for this holiday season immediately following Halloween?

    Innumerable lights blinding in darkness and gift buying lasting forever and ever…

    Black Friday HOLIDAY Deals Drive-thru


    I have previously mentioned this hustle and bustle of black Friday having overtaken the archaic imagery of worshiping pilgrims. Yet each year’s commercial focus on a relatively minor Jewish holiday and formerly insignificant Christian observance grows more and more into a worship of our prosperity (for which we give thanks).

    A Puritan Thanksgiving in colonial America

    from which our Thanksgiving traditions supposedly celebrate

    Perhaps our 17th century Puritan forefathers who celebrated this uniquely American Thanksgiving holiday weren’t far from the truth of this holiday season.


    Puritans forbade Christmas, considering it too pagan. Governor Bradford actually threatened New Englanders with work, jail or fines if they were caught observing Christmas.

    Christianity.com

    THANKS to BLACK FRIDAY & Cyber Monday this holiday provides little rest and even less thanks.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    Thanks giving?

    Set aside your devices and distractions for a moment as you gather together with family and you will see much bounty, a recurring theme for America.

    Who will you thank?

    • Your host and hostess? Sure.
    • Or maybe family who have made this gathering possible? Perhaps
    • Yet the thanks giving of those faithful to the Lord is always to God.

    No book better expresses our worship, our praises, and singing with joy to the LORD than Psalms, which is the hymnal of Jewish and Christian worship.


    Psalm 136

    Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.

    [136:1 הֹודוּ לַיהוָה כִּי־טֹוב כִּי לְעֹולָם חַסְדֹּֽו׃]

    25 Who giveth food to all flesh:

    for his mercy endureth for ever.

    26 O give thanks unto the God of heaven:

    for his mercy endureth for ever.


    King James Version (KJV)

    This is giving thanks as the Pilgrims of America’s founding would have given to God – not only on this holiday, but also in other worship.

    Thanks is often a theme of worship, therefore thanking God is the first fruits of harvest for believers of all faiths who landed in this new world.

    Yet we have forgotten the lessons of the Lord — He who has preserved us for bounty and blessings of a new land.

    Are we so unlike those who worshiped the Lord before, yet then neglected to thank their Provider?

    God bless America is a frequent prayer of Christians, but the prayer of difficult times must be, "America, Bless God!"
    Let the people of AMERICA, bless GOD

    Psalm 95

    Worship 

    Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord,
    shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!

    Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us shout triumphantly to him in song.

    Psalm 95 CSB

    Hear this caution from the Psalm, that we might not give our thanks lightly, forgetting the worship of Almighty God our Creator.


    6 Come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
    7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    the sheep under his care.

    The Psalmist then reminds worshipers of those who had previously turned from the Lord.

    Warning

    Today, if you hear his voice:
    8 Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
    as on that day at Massah in the wilderness
    9 where your fathers tested me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.

    Psalm 95, referring to exodus 17:17

    Negev in southern Israel, Gaza and some areas near the Dead Sea are very barren places away from the towns and settlements
    Wilderness of the Negev 

    Meribah מְרִיבָה means testing and is the place where the Hebrews escaping Egypt tested the Lord, rather than giving thanks to the Lord.

    And Massah מַסָּה means quarreling, the politics of an ungrateful saved people in the wilderness.

    Sound familiar?

    The Lord saved many who had fled to the New World from persecution and death in the seventeenth century.

    The Pilgrims and others gave God thanks for this.

    Yet the Psalmist reminds worshipers of a blessed people:

    Do not harden your hearts.

    Those escaping to a new land had far to go and much to learn of community, lessons about authority and of thankfulness.

    Because of their testing and quarreling, the promise of the Lord would not be fulfilled in their generation.

    Therefore let us heed these cautions of the Psalmist in our attitude of thanks to the Lord.

    Even today, in these Common Era seasons of Black Fridays,

    If you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.


    10 For forty years I was disgusted with that generation;
    I said,

    “They are a people whose hearts go astray;
    they do not know my ways.”
    So I swore in my anger,
    “They will not enter my rest.”

    Do you thank the Lord this day?

  • An Apostolic Model: Ministering to a Growing Church

    An Apostolic Model: Ministering to a Growing Church

    How did Twelve Apostles minister to multitudes of disciples of a growing Church?

    • Who would lead change after hearing their murmurings,
      • (And THAT, knowing that some came to Christ from one TRADITION,
      • while others came to the Lord from diverse ethnic standards of community, family and worship of God.)
    • How can WE help relieve so many PERSONAL problems for hundreds of families belonging to our growing church?
    • WHEN will we ever have time to minister to our church family?
    • What must we do for each and every saint of our Lord Christ Jesus?

    ACTS of the Apostles and the Jerusalem CHURCH 6:1-7

    Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

    ACTS of the Apostles 6:1 ESV

    Leading through diverse difficulties of a growing Church

    ‘.. but we have always done it THIS way?’

    (This isn't going to be so easy, is it?)
    
    Luke reveals the cultural challenge of the church familiar to him, however most of us (in this 21st century) will not understand the root of the problem: 
    
    Mixing gentiles with Jews. Even bringing the traditional challenge of some Jews joining in fellowship with other Jews divides political alliances in the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem.
    
    Therefore I will begin by including a background for our scene in first century Jerusalem, as well as outcomes of church ministry which have occurred over two millennia. - RH

    First let’s clarify some ‘church‘ terms we derive from the Greek language of the New Testament.

    Who are Apostles? (and who are Disciples?)

    Acts Apostolos - Acts of the Apostles - the chronicles of Christ's Apostles - a history of Christ's Church
    • HOW MANY APOSTLES?
      • TWELVE (our standard answer)
    • WHO ARE THE APOSTLES?
      • No need here to recite them by name, but remembering:
    • ALL Apostles at this point in ACTS are leaders of the Church in Jerusalem.
      • Matthias has now replaced Judas.
    • Saul of Tarsus will soon encounter the risen Christ Jesus and join in ministry as Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

    ἀπόστολος full definition linked here

    Disciples (disciples)

    μαθητής

    Strictly speaking, disciples are the ones taught; that is, anyone who follows the teachings or traditions of any teacher or rabbi.

    The disciple G3101 is not above his master [didaskalos], 

    nor the servant [doulos] above his lord [kyrios].

    Instruction of Jesus Christ – Matthew 10:24

    לִמּוּד

    54:13 וְכָל־בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי יְהוָה וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָֽיִךְ׃

    And all thy children shall be taught H3928 of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

    prophesy of the Messiah by Yeshaiya (Isaiah) 54:13

    μαθητής mathētḗs, math-ay-tes’; from G3129; a learner, i.e. pupil:—disciple.

    • The Twelve were disciples of Jesus who followed their Teacher full-time for three years.
      • You’ve probably noticed that most translations of the Bible capitalize ‘disciple’ to avoid confusion when referring to the Twelve Disciples [Apostles].
    • Many others of the multitudes also became disciples and followed Jesus Christ in the early days before his crucifixion and resurrection.

    Now, in our scene in Jerusalem after the Lord’s resurrection, the Church in Jerusalem has many disciples – disciples of the Holy Spirit (who of course first receive the Holy Spirit, as we have just read from Luke’s account).

    Yet from Jesus’ instruction from the Gospel of the Apostle Matthew, note another distinction of this relationship between rabbi and pupil: that of master (or lord) and servant.

    These also apply in Luke’s account describing the model by which the Apostles lead the early Church.

    Our NEW Pastors 🙂

    (Some call them:ministers)

    • FIRST: Jesus was the Rabbi. And Jesus was the Master.
    • THEN: The APOSTLES became the Rabbis. And the Apostles were then masters of their sheep (students; flocks, servants, community, school, fold, gathering, or whatever you may choose to call this multitude of the Church).

    Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.

    Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones.

    Jeremiah 23:1, 50,17 KJV

    But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; G1249

    Gospel of Matthew 20:26 KJV – Teaching of Jesus to His disciples

    The Twelve, led by two of Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles, Simon Peter and John, now lead the New Testament Church as rabbis to a multitude of disciples.

    Lambs of the Apostles’ fold

    The Apostle John, who Luke records as standing at Peter’s side on the day of Pentecost, opens our eyes to the resurrected Jesus, where the Lord calls on Peter to restore the foundation of his calling:

    “Tend My lambs.” .. “Shepherd My sheep.” .. “Tend My sheep.

    The risen Master’s loving command to Simon Peter to minister to His church – Gospel of John 21:15,16,17

    These new disciples of the Twelve include NOT ONLY men from traditional Judaism, but also men, women and children accepted into fellowship, tender young lambs of Jesus who could NEVER before have been full members of their community of faith in the Lord God.

    “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back.

    Jesus teaching the Jews that He will Shepherd the gentiles, as scripture has said. – Gospel of John 10:16-17 NASB20
    • And what happens when ANY two groups of differing cultural traditions choose to follow one leader?
    • Dissension and murmuring by some unwilling to abide by rules and traditions imposed by others.

    Who is the master ministering to these NEW lambs?

    sheep by a manger

    “They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

    “Go; behold, I am sending you out like lambs in the midst of wolves.

    Instruction of the Master Jesus to seventy-two [72] disciples + Gospel of Luke 10:3 NASB20

    Master – διδάσκαλος – didaskalos

    The KJV translates Strong’s G1320 in the following manner: Master (Jesus) (40x), teacher (10x), master (7x), doctor (1x).

    Doctor:

    a teacher (from didasko, “to teach”), cp. didaskalia, “teaching, doctrine, instruction,” is translated “doctors,” with reference to the teachers of the Jewish religion, Luk 2:46. Cp. paideutes, “a teacher.”
    See MASTER, TEACHER.

    Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words 1 Strong’s Number: g1320 Greek: didaskalos – via BlueLetterBible.org

    The rabbis of Jerusalem quarreled with each other as they had also challenged the legitimacy that Jesus’ MANY disciples should call the Lord, ‘Master.’ Now that Peter, John and the Apostles have remained in Jerusalem as Jesus commanded, MANY disciples remained faithful to the church gathered under the leadership of the Apostles.

    Note from earlier, after Peter preached in the Temple,

    “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. 

    Acts records the reactions of other rabbis

    These Apostolic Masters of the Church community now face division and opposition just as Jesus had encountered in Jerusalem prior to His execution and resurrection from the dead.

    Lord

    We will never understand our role as a servant of the Church until we know the sacrificial love of its servant-Master.

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.com
    "lord" occurs 7,790 times in 6,587 verses in the NASB20. Page 1 / 132

    Here too I urge caution and prayerful understanding of terms frequently used and misused by the church. i.e. Lord, Master, servant, slave (even God and ‘love,’ translated from several different Greek and Hebrew words in Scripture).

    • LORD – Yᵊhōvâ – יְהֹוָה
      • i.e. So Noah acted in accordance with everything that the LORD H3068 had commanded him.
    • From הָיָה (H1961)
      • i.e. Genesis 27:29 הָוָה

    May peoples serve you,
    And nations bow down to you;
    Be master of your brothers,
    And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
    Cursed be those who curse you,
    And blessed be those who bless you.”

    And God said to Moses, “I AM H1961 WHO I AM H1961”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM H1961 has sent me to you.’”

    Exodus 3:14 NASB20

    אָמַרְתְּ לַֽיהוָה אֲדֹנָי אָתָּה טוֹבָתִי בַּל־עָלֶֽיךָ׃

    I said to the LORD [Yᵊhōvâ}, “You are my Lord [;ăḏōnāy];
    I have nothing good besides You.” – Tehillim (Psalms) 16:2
    For this is what the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said:
    “In repentance and rest you will be saved,
    In quietness and trust is your strength.”
    But you were not willing,
    Isaiah 30:15
    

    κυρίῳ kyrios – Lord

    "lord" occurs 106 times in 100 verses in the book of 'Act' in the NASB20.

    And increasingly believers in the Lord G2962, large numbers of men and women, were being added to their number,

    Acts of the Apostles 5:14 NASB20

    ἐκκλησία – ekklēsia – ‘Church

    Luke has only used the term ‘church’ once at this point in Acts of the Apostles to describe these ‘large numbers of men and women.’ He opens his second account describing the miraculous growth of the church:

    Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
    • And now HOW has Luke just introduced the Church by name?
    Acts 5:11 KJV And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
    • The Church (that is, the early church) lives as a community of love in fear of God, yet joyful of Christ’s anointing Spirit given to His disciples of the Church who will ‘follow Jesus, as their Master.’
    • The saints of the Apostolic community serve the Living God and obey the Apostles as their lords and masters.

    The disciple G3101 is not above his master [didaskalos], 

    nor the servant [doulos] above his lord [kyrios].

    Instruction of Jesus Christ – Matthew 10:24

    the servant [doulos]

    Now that we have defined some of these ‘Christian‘ terms so foundational to understanding Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles; NEXT, God-willing, we will examine the role the these servants of the Church.


    ACTS of the Church 6: 
    To be continued...
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