Acts 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Oh Friends, the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. ‘Hallelujah!’ That means spring is on its way. Thank the Lord for that, and also for allowing you to see another day, plus the many blessings to be bestowed, while guiding you through an evil, decadent world. Now they say that there are three sides to every story; your side, my side and the truth somewhere in the middle. That may be so in many instances, but here, concerning the gospel contained in the believer’s handbook, the Bible, there’s only one side; the truth. And all God’s people said, ‘Amen!’ But given our human nature, some of us just have to be contrary. Today’s Bit; ‘And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not,’ refers to a day long session Bruh Paul had with the Jewish leaders in Rome, after he appealed his case in Jerusalem to Caesar, the Roman emperor. Three days after he got to Rome, he called the leaders together and explained his situation to them; how he had been railroaded by the Jerusalem Jews for preaching Christ crucified, no just cause for the death penalty they sought, thus his appeal to Caesar. What a transformation eh people? That was the same man who harassed, tortured and was very involved in the death of many early believers. But that just shows the power of God’s Word and Spirit. The Roman Jews though had received no word from their Jerusalem counterparts, neither had any travellers spoken of his problems. ‘But we desire to hear what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.’ (Acts 28:22) How sad. The Jewish leaders in Rome lacked any real knowledge of the gospel, just knew that it was doubted, disbelieved and defamed by many. It recalls the Jerusalem leaders case against Bruh Paul to governor Felix. ‘For we have found this man a pestilent fellow (plague), and a mover of sedition (creator of dissension) among all Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Who also hath gone about to profane the temple…’ (Acts24:5-6) It’s worthy to note Friends, that the Jewish leaders refused to call believers Christians, the people of Christ (of the Messiah) since that would have given them, and Jesus too, legitimacy in Jewish eyes. Instead they used other names that dispelled the theory that Jesus was the Christ; names like ‘sect of the Nazarenes,’ derived from Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. And we know that Bruh Paul LOVED nothing more than an audience to whom he could dispense the good news of Christ’s gospel. So he arranged a day for the Jewish leaders to come to his home; ‘to whom he expounded (explained) and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.’ (Acts.28:23) Oh Friends, can you imagine Bruh Paul with such an opportunity to preach to the Jewish elite in Rome? He must have been at his educated and oratorical best. (smile) And as expected, some believed and some didn’t. However, the Jewish elite were not impressed when Bruh Paul quoted Isaiah 6:9-10, re preaching the gospel to the people who would hear but not understand, see and not perceive: ‘For the heart of this people is waxed gross (has grown dull), and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.’ (Acts.28:26-27) Being arrogant, hypocritical, know it alls, they could not accept that put down. But the straw that really broke the camel’s back was when Bruh Paul informed them: ‘Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.’ (Acts 28:28) Now that sent them into a tizzy. They obviously had not heard or read of Simeon’s pronouncement. Having pleaded with God to keep him alive until he’d seen Christ, on that fateful day when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, Simeon took Jesus in his hands, raised Him up to heaven and proudly declared: ‘For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A light to lighten (bring revelation to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.’ (Luke 2:30-32) Yes Friends, what kind of God would the Lord be if He never expanded His salvation and healing grace to all He’d created eh? Not very fair or wise. Anyway, once Bruh Paul told the Jewish leaders that salvation through Christ was also being offered to the Gentiles, ‘the Jews departed, and had great reasoning (dispute) among themselves.’ (Acts 28:29) Oh mih people, yuh see what a whole lot of education, law and overly strict regimen can do to us? It makes us rigid, narrow minded and blinkered, we can’t see the forest for the trees. It makes us blind and deaf to the truth, and hardens our hearts to anything not fixed in our tightly closed box of dogma. As Bruh Paul later reasoned in his Roman epistle. ‘I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid (certainly not): but rather through their fall (trespass) salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.’ (Rom.11:11) And who says the Lord isn’t a great thinker, and knows how to play one side against the other? Since the Jews didn’t want or accept Jesus, He gave His salvation to the Gentiles, who were willing to listen. ‘All praise to the Most High God Jehovah for His absolute and amazing wisdom!’ For if he hadn’t offered salvation to the heathen and just left it with the few Jews that believed, then we would probably not have heard the good news. Oh Friends, please, let us not be like those who did not believe. If the Good Book is the Word of God, then it must be true, for why would a great God like ours, tell untruths and lead us astray eh? Oh my people, the gospel is God’s guide for our earthly walk, so let’s believe and obey it with all our hearts, souls and minds. Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD his Word with great enthusiasm. Much LOVE!…Jesus…He is the greatest thing that ever happened to man…believe it…cause it’s true…
Oh Friends, the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. ‘Hallelujah!’ That means spring is on its way. Thank the Lord for that, and also for allowing you to see another day, plus the many blessings to be bestowed, while guiding you through an evil, decadent world. Now they say that there are three sides to every story; your side, my side and the truth somewhere in the middle. That may be so in many instances, but here, concerning the gospel contained in the believer’s handbook, the Bible, there’s only one side; the truth. And all God’s people said, ‘Amen!’ But given our human nature, some of us just have to be contrary. Today’s Bit; ‘And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not,’ refers to a day long session Bruh Paul had with the Jewish leaders in Rome, after he appealed his case in Jerusalem to Caesar, the Roman emperor. Three days after he got to Rome, he called the leaders together and explained his situation to them; how he had been railroaded by the Jerusalem Jews for preaching Christ crucified, no just cause for the death penalty they sought, thus his appeal to Caesar. What a transformation eh people? That was the same man who harassed, tortured and was very involved in the death of many early believers. But that just shows the power of God’s Word and Spirit. The Roman Jews though had received no word from their Jerusalem counterparts, neither had any travellers spoken of his problems. ‘But we desire to hear what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.’ (Acts 28:22) How sad. The Jewish leaders in Rome lacked any real knowledge of the gospel, just knew that it was doubted, disbelieved and defamed by many. It recalls the Jerusalem leaders case against Bruh Paul to governor Felix. ‘For we have found this man a pestilent fellow (plague), and a mover of sedition (creator of dissension) among all Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. Who also hath gone about to profane the temple…’ (Acts24:5-6) It’s worthy to note Friends, that the Jewish leaders refused to call believers Christians, the people of Christ (of the Messiah) since that would have given them, and Jesus too, legitimacy in Jewish eyes. Instead they used other names that dispelled the theory that Jesus was the Christ; names like ‘sect of the Nazarenes,’ derived from Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. And we know that Bruh Paul LOVED nothing more than an audience to whom he could dispense the good news of Christ’s gospel. So he arranged a day for the Jewish leaders to come to his home; ‘to whom he expounded (explained) and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.’ (Acts.28:23) Oh Friends, can you imagine Bruh Paul with such an opportunity to preach to the Jewish elite in Rome? He must have been at his educated and oratorical best. (smile) And as expected, some believed and some didn’t. However, the Jewish elite were not impressed when Bruh Paul quoted Isaiah 6:9-10, re preaching the gospel to the people who would hear but not understand, see and not perceive: ‘For the heart of this people is waxed gross (has grown dull), and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.’ (Acts.28:26-27) Being arrogant, hypocritical, know it alls, they could not accept that put down. But the straw that really broke the camel’s back was when Bruh Paul informed them: ‘Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.’ (Acts 28:28) Now that sent them into a tizzy. They obviously had not heard or read of Simeon’s pronouncement. Having pleaded with God to keep him alive until he’d seen Christ, on that fateful day when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, Simeon took Jesus in his hands, raised Him up to heaven and proudly declared: ‘For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. A light to lighten (bring revelation to) the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.’ (Luke 2:30-32) Yes Friends, what kind of God would the Lord be if He never expanded His salvation and healing grace to all He’d created eh? Not very fair or wise. Anyway, once Bruh Paul told the Jewish leaders that salvation through Christ was also being offered to the Gentiles, ‘the Jews departed, and had great reasoning (dispute) among themselves.’ (Acts 28:29) Oh mih people, yuh see what a whole lot of education, law and overly strict regimen can do to us? It makes us rigid, narrow minded and blinkered, we can’t see the forest for the trees. It makes us blind and deaf to the truth, and hardens our hearts to anything not fixed in our tightly closed box of dogma. As Bruh Paul later reasoned in his Roman epistle. ‘I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid (certainly not): but rather through their fall (trespass) salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.’ (Rom.11:11) And who says the Lord isn’t a great thinker, and knows how to play one side against the other? Since the Jews didn’t want or accept Jesus, He gave His salvation to the Gentiles, who were willing to listen. ‘All praise to the Most High God Jehovah for His absolute and amazing wisdom!’ For if he hadn’t offered salvation to the heathen and just left it with the few Jews that believed, then we would probably not have heard the good news. Oh Friends, please, let us not be like those who did not believe. If the Good Book is the Word of God, then it must be true, for why would a great God like ours, tell untruths and lead us astray eh? Oh my people, the gospel is God’s guide for our earthly walk, so let’s believe and obey it with all our hearts, souls and minds. Let’s LOVE our God, LIVE our Faith, and SPREAD his Word with great enthusiasm. Much LOVE!…Jesus…He is the greatest thing that ever happened to man…believe it…cause it’s true…
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