Hello everyone,
Well another glorious week has past and God willing, a new one was on the way. However, it is now the middle of the week and this is just going out. As you can see, I continue to struggle with timeliness in preparing and sharing the Word of the Lord. I allow distractions to interupt my responsibility. Please forgive me.
This week I would like to give out a few thankyou's to a few brothers who checked up on me and my family to see how we are doing. Patrick Davis, Antoine Drake, Carlton Jones and Eugene Choi. With it only being just over a month ago for the passing of my mother, I appreciate these brothers looking out for us. I humbly admit that although God continues to strengthen us and provides the Holy Spirit for comfort, the human (flesh) side of me is week and I miss her and my brother deeply.
With that said, I wanted to take some time today and provide you with the Word of God and ensure His wisdom, clarity, and purpose for you is available for you to obtain. As always, His will be done, whether through me or anyone whom He chooses to provide you with exegetical and doctrinal teaching of the scriptures, in order that you can apply His words to your life.
This past week I was studying both the books of Psalms and Acts. In Psalms, chapters 26 - 48 and in Acts, chapters 22 - 28.
- Let's consider the book of Psalms, according to "www.biblestudy.org", its purpose is:
Overview
Understanding the overall characteristics of this section of the Bible can help us fully appreciate what they say and teach.
1. The purpose of many of the songs is public worship in Israel's temple, although some are more suited for private devotion. They all, however, ultimately lead people to worship the true God.
2. They were a part of Israel's daily life. The Bible records a number of times when the people spontaneously responded to God with a Psalm of praise.
3. They passionately record a person's response to God given their situation and circumstances at the time. Some songs cry out to God during a trial and others seek his intervention in their (and others) affairs. Some focus on God's blessings or curses, while others sing his praises and thank him for what he has done.
Prophecy division
A prophetic theme exists within the five-folder original structure of the Psalms.
1. Section 1 (1 to 41) refers to the Passover, the beginning of Israel as a nation, and the start of the New Testament plan of salvation centering around Jesus
2. Section 2 (42 to 72) shows Israel as a single body in the land of Israel and pictures the creation of the New Testament Church
Additionally, if you are interested, www.biblestudy.org, also identified "Categories of Songs", describing numerous ways in which to divide the book of Psalms other than by section. Please visit the website for further review.
Let's consider the book of Acts:
A. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS The importance of this second of Luke's two-volume work can hardly be over-estimated, for without it we would have no record of the beginnings and development of the early church. Therefore, as Acts furnishes for us aselective record of events that took place during the formative years of the church, it provides us with the historical antecedents of our faith and how that faith came to be embraced from Jerusalem to Rome. It also provides helpful information of the facts surrounding many of the letters of the apostles, which in turn helps us to better understand when they said what they said and why they said it. It was probably written in the early 60's, perhaps from Antioch, Rome or Ephesus.
B. THE PURPOSE OF ACTS As was stated, Acts is the second part of what was originally a two-part, single volume (i.e. Luke-Acts; cf. Acts 1:1). Therefore, it is reasonable to include Luke's purpose for Acts as falling under his purpose for the book of Luke. In Luke 1:4 the author says that he is writing to "most excellent Theophilus" . . . "in order that he might know the certainty of the things he had been taught." Apparently, as Longenecker1 observes, Theophilus "seems to have been a man, who though receptive to the gospel and perhaps even convinced by its claims, had many questions about Christianity as he knew it." Luke wrote to strengthen him in his belief. Given the contents of the book of Acts, Theophilus appears to have had questions about the coming and activity of the Holy Spirit, the ministry of the apostles, Paul and his dealings with the Jerusalem apostles and the advance of Christianity to the Imperial capital.
In a sentence, given the emphasis on the unity of the church (2, 4, 15, 20) and its expansion from Jerusalem to Rome we may say that the Luke's purpose was to demonstrate to Theophilus the sovereign, unified and unmitigated advance of the gospel into all the world, i.e. from Jerusalem to Rome. There are seven "progress reports" on the unity and advance of the church that further confirm this (cf. 2:47; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:30, 31). With this knowledge, Theophilus, who was probably a Roman official,2could understand how Christianity reached his city.
The chapter breakdown is below:
E. PAUL IN JERUSALEM (21:15-23:22)
1. Welcomed by Brethren (21:15-26)
2. Arrested by the Jews (21:27-40)
3. Paul's Defense (22:1-21)
4. The Response of the People (22:22-29)
5. Paul Before the Sanhedrin (23:1-10)
6. The Plot Against Paul (23:11-22)
F. PAUL IN CAESAREA (23:23-26:32)
1. Paul Escorted to Caesarea (23:23-35)
2. Paul Before Felix (24:1-21)
3. Paul Imprisoned (24:22-27)
4. Paul Before Festus (25)
5. Paul Before Agrippa (26)
G. PAUL IN ROME (27, 28)
1. The Shipwreck (27)
2. Paul in Malta (28:1-15)
3. Paul in Rome (28:16-31)
I am sure that while reading this information you are wondering how does this apply to your life. Recognizing that we discussed two books covering the Old and New Testament. Also, if you noticed, in Psalms gave bits of wisdom and preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. While the book of Acts tells of the expansion of the Church and the challenges faced with the work of spreading God’s word.
An example from Psalms 31: Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit; To the choirmaster.
In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily!
Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me!
For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me;
you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction;
you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place. Consider your life.
Matthew Henry Commentary: Psalms 31:1
Vs. 1-8. Faith and prayer must go together, for the prayer of faith is the prevailing prayer. David gave up his soul in a special manner to God. And with the words, ver. 5, our Lord Jesus yielded up his last breath on the cross, and made his soul a free-will offering for sin, laying down his life as a ransom. But David is here as a man in distress and trouble. And his great care is about his soul, his spirit, his better part. Many think that while perplexed about their worldly affairs, and their cares multiply, they may be excused if they neglect their souls; but we are the more concerned to look to our souls, that, though the outward man perish, the inward man may suffer no damage. The redemption of the soul is so precious, that it must have ceased for ever, if Christ had not undertaken it. Having relied on God's mercy, he will be glad and rejoice in it. God looks upon our souls, when
we are in trouble, to see whether they are humbled for sin, and made better by the affliction. Every believer will meet with such dangers and deliverances, until he is delivered from death, his last enemy.
In the book of Acts we see Paul going through the process of preparing lay down his life for his faith in Christ. Through the multiple appearances before various kings and governors, he remained steadfast. He was given his task on the "Road to Damascus" he went out to both the Jews an Gentiles and did his best to spread the word everywhere. My question to you is have you been, in a position like David? Have you made the effort to work with the Lord and cleanse your soul? Have you considered searching for mercy and redemption?
I pray that you take time create a relationship with Christ. I pray that you chose Christ today.
References:
1. The book of Psalms: http://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/who-wrote-the-psalms.html
2. The book of acts: https://bible.org/article/study-outline-acts
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