Awake Us Now

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 8 Scripture - Matthew 24:15 - Matthew 25:13 Luke 21, Mark 13 and Matthew 24-25 all have the story of Jesus’ Mt. Olivet Discourse with His disciples. In today’s opening verses in Matthew 24:15ff, we hear Jesus answering the questions we left off with last week.   The two questions the disciples asked Jesus:     1.    When will these things you are telling us happen to the temple     2.    What will be the sign of your return They are thinking that these two questions coincide one with the other…. As we now know - that was not the case.   Jesus is giving a forewarning of what would befall Jerusalem. (The fall happened in the year 70AD when the Roman General Titus laid siege to Jerusalem and ultimately leveled it to the ground.) Jesus’ answer contains responses for both the questions.  The Abomination that causes Desolation - three options of what this might be were shared last week - but only one seems to fit the time frame: An event in winter 67/68AD -  the temple was profaned by Jew

Acts 8:26-39, Psalm 51:7, Isaiah 53 God offers His invitation to every single one of us. Pastor opens today's class with a story from Ruth Bell Graham's life (the wife of Billy Graham) and how personalizing chapter 53 of the book of Isaiah in the Bible changed her life.  Our scripture story today is the story of an angel telling Philip to go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. On the road, Philip meets a eunuch who is an Ethiopian high official in charge of the treasury. He is on his way home from Jerusalem. When God calls, when God invites, we ought to answer, we ought to respond, and Philip did. Things to learn from this story:     1.    God loves individual people.     2.    God especially seeks seekers.     3.    God arranges encounters. The Spirit of God told Philip to go to the Ethiopian’s chariot and stay near. As Philip approaches, he hears the man reading out loud chapter 53 of Isaiah and Philip asks the him if he understands what he is reading. And the eunuch says he can’t unles

When examined in light of 1st Century culture, the "scandal" of crucifixion, the visible empty tomb, and the transformation of lives in generations of believers, the Biblical evidence for the Resurrection supports only one conclusion: Christ is risen - He is risen indeed!

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 7 Scripture - Matthew 23:1-39, Mark 12:41-42, Matthew 24:1-16, Psalm 51:10, 2 Timothy 3:11 Class opens with a teaching from Jesus on humility and His warning against hypocrisy. The Seven Woes - spoken against hypocrisy:     1.    Verse 13 - roadblocks to the kingdom of heaven for people     2.    Verse 15 - produce more hypocrites     3.    Verse 16-22 - make a show of displaying how much they give to the temple     4.    Verse 23-24 - neglect justice, mercy and faithfulness     5.    Verse 25-26 - love to display outward cleanliness     6.    Verse 27-28 - do things to look good     7.    Verse 29-32 - act like they are better than others. An outward show - as good as it may look to others - does not matter at all to God. In fact, it destroys a relationship with God. The seven woes are Jesus’ call to us to make sure our hearts are right with Him. This same kind of hypocrisy is just as present today as it was then. Jesus is reminding us that what God looks at is the heart - a heart

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-9, Luke 9:28-36, Psalm 104:2, John 14:8-9 Pastor’s teaching on Jesus’ transfiguration on a mountain top with Jesus, Peter, James, John, Elijah, Moses and the Voice of God brings this series of God’s Ten Words to a conclusion.  It’s a surprise ending, because how could Jesus’ transfiguration be remarkably connected to God’s Ten Commandments, while also having a tremendous application to what we have been studying these past weeks? When Jesus was transfigured his face glowed like the sun. The three disciples Jesus brought along are in awe and amazed. Psalm 104:2 says, “The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment;” The disciples knew the psalms well, did this verse come to mind as they saw Jesus shining so bright?  They are witnessing the true revelation of who Jesus is.  True God and true man - God-man who has come to deliver us all.  Then suddenly Moses and Elijah appear with them as a cloud (the presence of God) comes over the entire group and they hear the Voice of G

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem in fulfillment of scriptural prophecies, He was announcing that He was Israel's Messiah and the hope of the nations!

2 Year Gospel Study - week 64 (Friday, 03–21-25) Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 6 Scripture - Matthew 21:45-46, Matthew 22:1-45, Revelation 7:9-17, Job 19:26, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2, Exodus 3:6, Mark 12:28-34, John 14:6, Micah 6:8 Today’s teaching centers on Jesus’ encounters with the religious leaders in the temple as recorded in the 4 gospels and enlightened by some of the latest findings of archeologists and others who have uncovered things that have been hidden for generations but that clearly testify to the truthfulness of God’s Word.  We will see the display of absolute brilliance as Jesus encounters the religious aristocracy, as He answers the critics and as He clearly demonstrates the Divine plan to redeem the human race. Jesus is in the temple courts teaching - This is where we start today - Matthew 21:45-46 “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held

Scripture:  Exodus 20:17, Mark 7:21-23, Matthew 6:33, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Timothy 6:6-10 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Exodus 20:17 Covet - to yearn to possess or have what belongs to another. Covet - insatiable desire for more at the expense of others. Today’s tenth word is unique as it regulates thought. The other ten words all regulate behavior (e.g. have no other gods, remember the Sabbath Day, honor your parents, don’t steal, don’t murder). We see in scripture how our thought-life has a huge influence on our behavior: Cain - Genesis 4 Joseph’s brothers - Genesis 37 Korah - Numbers 16 David - 2 Samuel 11 Ghazi - 2 Kings 5 We see in the Bible that our thought-life greatly controls our behavior, actions and even our futures.  As the mind thinks - so we behave.  Pathology Envy Jealousy Dishonesty Relationships Dissatisfaction Focus Mental health Financial issu

Is the grave our final destiny? Scripture says, "no!" At the Lord's return, the dead will rise, the living will be changed, and for those who belong to Christ, there will be a glorious and eternal life with Him!

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 5 Scripture - Mark 11:19-33, 1-14, Matthew 21: 28-45, Isaiah 5, Psalm 118 Pastor takes time to discuss the chronology of Jesus’ ministry, the length of His ministry, and the questions of Palm Sunday or Pam Monday along with Good Wednesday, Good Thursday or Good Friday. Our teaching covers:     ⁃    The rest of the story about the fig tree     ⁃    The cleansing of the Temple     ⁃    Total reliance on God     ⁃    Living in the power of the Holy Spirit     ⁃    Having faith     ⁃    Prayer is powerful     ⁃    Jesus’ command to forgive     ⁃    Jesus’ authority     ⁃    Denial of the power of God, the power of the Scriptures, the power of the prophetic word, the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of Jesus     ⁃    God’s authorization of John the Baptist     ⁃    Jesus’ brilliance and wisdom     ⁃    Parable of the Two Sons     ⁃    The continuation of Jesus’ challenge of the religious leadership and His desire to have them and those duped by them come to an understanding of who

Scripture:  Exodus 20:16, Proverbs 19:5, John 8:44, Ephesians 4:25, Ephesians 4:15, Proverbs 26:20, Romans 1:28ff, Philippians 2:5, John 8:31-32 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16 The Bible tells us that there is One who is only truth. One who is total and absolute in His Truthfulness and that is our Living God. God values truth and judges lies. Proverbs 19:5 “A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.” Pastor shares two examples from scripture.      1.    From the Old Testament in 1 Kings 21 about Naboth     2.    From the New Testament in Acts 6-7 about Stephen These stories encourage us to take seriously the importance of truth. Lying is an issue in our culture today. Lying is seen in some of the highest places and some of the most common parts of our daily lives. What does it mean “you shall not give false testimony”     ⁃    REJECT THE LIE - Recognize where lies come from. John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and yo

What does Jesus mean when he offers us "living water?" What deep thirst of the soul does He promise to quench if we believe in Him?

Scripture - Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-14, Luke 19:28-44, John 12:12-19, Psalm 118, Zechariah 9:9, Galatians 5:22-23 We explore Palm Sunday – the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of hosanna. It was the 10th day of Nissan on the Jewish calendar. The day when the Passover lambs were herded in and prepared for sacrifice in Jerusalem at the temple. Palm Sunday on Nisan 10 - recorded in these gospels: Matthew 21:1–11 Mark 11:1-11 Luke 19:28-44 John 12:12-19 There are two dates that could be the date of the first Palm Sunday. Those dates are April 3, 30 A.D. or March 29, 33 A.D.  Jesus rides in on an unbroken donkey – one never before ridden on. This is biblically significant – a young animal, never previously ridden on was an animal that could be offered in a sacrifice as a gift to God. Jesus rides in on such an animal. All donkeys across the world have the same markings on their backs. It is a long dark stripe that runs along their spine, along the center of their backs and another stripe that

Scripture:  Exodus 20:15, Joshua 6-7, James 1:17, Ephesians 4:28, Leviticus 9:13, 1 Timothy 6:17-18, 1 Peter 2:12, Philippians 2:4, Philippians 3:20, Ephesians 2:8-10 This command is simple words, but words with great depth. What does “stealing” cover? It’s the taking of what’s not ours. Pastor shares a biblical demonstration from the story of the Israelites of the consequences of taking what is not ours and what the Lord has said not to take. There are consequences to disobeying God’s clear will and He has established moral law that’s be given to us for a purpose - It’s for the protection of society and for everyone. You Shall Not Steal     ⁃    Ownership - there is personal ownership but this is not absolute ownership, because everything we have comes from God. God is the giver of all good gifts.     ⁃    Stewardship - take care of what we have - use wisely what God has given us, and bless others with what we have.     ⁃    Citizenship - Be a good citizen - we are part of a culture and called to be a blessi

"Am I a good person?" Many in our culture have been taught to answer "Yes," but the Bible says "No" -- we are all born sinful, and our best efforts still fall far short of God's perfect holiness. Only salvation through Jesus Christ can make someone a child of God!

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 3 Scripture - Luke 19:11-27, John 12:1-11, Psalm 45:4, 6-8, Mark 14:10-11, Hebrews 1:8-9 Jesus has set his face toward Jerusalem and will carry out  the heavenly Father’s will. People were expecting the Kingdom of God to appear suddenly - political deliverance - a great king to rule - but Jesus continued to emphasize the difficulties that lie ahead as well as the glory that would come in the future.  Today’s teaching begins with the Parable of the Mina. A mina is equivalent to 3-4 months pay. The story tells of a king and 10 servants, each are given a mina, the king goes away and then returns asking for an accounting of the mines each had been given. In this parable - Jesus is trying to show how he too will go away. The kingdom of God is coming - but the final fulfillment is in the future - His second return.  But while the king is away and we await His return - those of us that follow Him are called to wisely use what He has given us.   As Jesus continues heading “Up to Jerusalem”

Scripture:  Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:18; Mark 10:6-9; Hebrews 13:4; Acts 17:30-31 The Ten Words are the equivalent of an Owner’s Manual - showing us how to live a life that makes a difference for ourselves and everyone. And so let’s wrestle with the question, “Does our Heavenly Father know what’s best for each of us,” especially in light of today’s Word in Exodus 20:14. “You shall not commit adultery.” From the beginning God was concerned that the family be protected and that marriages be preserved. Marriage - God’s First Institution     ⁃    One man and one woman     ⁃    For a lifetime     ⁃    Become one flesh - intimacy     ⁃    For family     ⁃    It was “very good”     ⁃    Especially under attack today God’s plan is and was good, but the consequences of losing, breaking, ignoring and destroying what the Father intended are huge.  What is the biblical teaching on marriage and what does it tell us today: Biblical Basics for marriage, sex, family and relationship:     1.    Flee sexual temptation and

Through redemption by the blood of Jesus, we are now part of God's Royal Family. We should conduct our lives so that they honor the King!

Up To Jerusalem - Teaching 2 Scripture - Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 18:35-43, Luke 19:1-9 “Up to Jerusalem” are words used by several of the Gospel authors - this phrase is teleological, meaning it has evidence of design, purpose, and planning of the Heavenly Father.  And it shows the heart of Jesus as He steadfastly walks the route that leads to Jerusalem where He knows the coming events of betrayal suffering, crucifixion, and paying the full penalty for our sins against the Father.  Jesus was willing to take on all the filth of the human race. The feeling of many at the time of Jesus was that now that the Messiah is here - now everything will fall into place and the kingdom of God will  - after waiting and waiting centuries - finally be established on earth.   As a precursor to our story today, Pastor shares the controversy surrounding Jericho and the controversy of Jesus’ appearance in Jericho along with a look at the geography and topography of Jericho. He shares archeological discoveries and i

This teaching is from Matthew 21:23-46 and continues our dive into Jesus’ final week of his ministry before his death and resurrection. The religious leaders are doing all they can to get Jesus to say something so that they can bring Him up on charges and get rid of Him. And there is a debate between Jesus and those leaders in the first verses of our study today. As the leaders (priests and elders) ask Jesus by what authority He was doing things in and who gave him this authority. This question might seem like a simple question but in reality it is a set up and they want him to reveal who He is so they can charge Him with blasphemy.  These leaders should have understood who Jesus was; they had the opportunity to listen to His teachings, see His miracles, and hear testimonies of what Jesus had been doing. All these things predicted had been predicted by the prophets. Those with eyes to see could see who He was.  Jesus takes their question and turns it around on them and responds that He’ll answer them