Sunday, September 30, 2012

On 10-7-12, Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49 or Acts 6:8-7:2a will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Stephen Defends His Faith aka Stephen’s Arrest and Speech.

Stephen Defends His Faith
 aka
 Stephen’s Arrest and Speech
 Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49
 or
 Acts 6:8-7:2a
International Sunday School Lesson
October 7, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough



As you read this blog weekly do you ever stop to consider that you are a part of a class?  Yes, like most of you the majority comes from my country of America, but there are many students who visit from countries all over the world.  Some of the countries you might expect but there are some who come from lands where their worship of our Father could bring their arrest and even death.
Yes, for the most part those of you who read this blog weekly live and worship in America.  Many of you have faced prejudices and are more aware than others that our freedom to worship might be a precarious one.  God has put it upon my heart that we all should be prepared for the day when we might be treated as Stephen was.
Because these are International lessons we come from a divergent set of beliefs.  I know that we can agree with that simple statement, right?  So let’s agree that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and not let the things about which we disagree drive us apart!
Having said that, I believe that we have received ample warning from Christ that in the End just like Stephen all of us may have to undergo questioning or worse.  But that we too can stand with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guiding us and helping us to endure.
We can’t ever be too sure about the final result when we read prophecy and therefore we should not teach absolutes.  I am however confident in the consistent nature of God’s word that shows that we should be prepared to withstand the slings and arrows that satan has ready for us.  In Ephesians 6:10-18 we read:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Practiced in prayer and practiced in His word will equip you to ultimately allow Him to take care of you in the moment of your trial just as Stephen was prepared.  Remember how our scripture for today said that “they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.”  Again this speaks to the consistency of God’s word.  If you recall what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 10 when He was sending them out we see this same thing.  Jesus said, “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.  On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Stephen, as we will read next week was prepared to endure.  Many others we know through church tradition had to endure as well and countless others we don’t know of had to endure after them as well.  None of us are more special than they and we all have the same Father who gave us ample examples and preparatory warnings.  This scripture from today is another one.


For Discussion:


1.      If you are free you might find it hard to picture a scene such as the one portrayed in today’s scripture but remember he faced the evil of satan which knows no boundaries.  Discuss how Stephen was persecuted because he was full of God’s grace and power and that he demonstrated great wonders and miraculous signs.  The evil response was opposition. 
2.      What does the Bible seem to indicate that the devil will become the nearer we come to the End, more relaxed or more desperate?
3.      Is satan concerned by your efforts for the Kingdom?
4.      Is there harm in being equipped to endure?
5.      Read all of Matthew 24.  After reading all of what Christ has to say about the signs of the End of the Age read beginning with verse 36 of our responsibility to each other.
6.      In many translations our first verse would be “full of faith” rather than “full of grace” and I think appropriate to the theme we have been following and better understood.

Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


10-14-12: Stephen is Faithful to Death aka Stephen’s Martyrdom Acts 7:51-8:1
10-21-12: Simon Wants to Buy Power Acts 8:9-25 or Acts 8:9-24
10-28-12: Philip Baptizes a Man from Ethiopia aka Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8:26-39
11-4-12:   Paul Testifies Before King Agrippa aka Paul before King Agrippa Acts 26:19-32




Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, September 23, 2012

On 9-30-12, Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13 or Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Faith Instills Love aka Faith Requires Mutual Love.

Faith Instills Love
aka
Faith Requires Mutual Love
 Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13
or
 Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
International Sunday School Lesson
September 30, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough


With all of our many divisions out there we quite often cannot settle on a main title for the weekly Sunday School Lesson.  This week is no exception but when we do have two there is usually one that speaks to me more than the others after I have read the scripture for the week.  This week it is the one that considers that Faith Requires Mutual Love.
Although what is in sight here is not romantic love that is what usually is what we first think of when we see the word.  And going with this idea of mutual or reciprocal love, I give you one word: Romeo.  I’d be really interested to know how many people there are who could read Romeo and in almost the same instant not think Juliet.  Because of what we know about them the two are one.  There would have been no story with just one of them it took two.
But that was a reciprocal successful love, have you ever known the pangs of unrequited love?  Spending months or years head over heels for someone and have it not returned to the same extent is about as painful as it can get especially when you are still young.  It takes two.
I recently wrote about the scripture where we read in Hebrews without faith it is impossible for someone to please God.  I tied in how for a parent how painful it can be when for seemingly no reason that child who you have always been there for accuses you of having not been.  This type of pain for a parent is as terrible as any.  The parent never stops loving.  They love the child while carrying them for nine months and from infancy to adulthood.  But occasionally the child turns from the parent and takes with them their love.  It takes two.
The love of a parent is about as close as we can come to understand the love of the Bible in my opinion.  The love we have for friends and romantic interests often changes as we grow or mature but the love of a parent is most often as steady as we flawed beings will get to understanding God’s love.
God loved us so much that He gave His Son for us.  Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life for us.  Like parents they knew what had to be done for us and like parents desire their child to love them in return so does God.  It takes two.
We all know that God is perfect and since God is love (1 John 4:8) than love too is perfect.   I can study God’s word until I can’t think of anything else but if I don’t live what I have been studying I have done nothing.  I must have love. 
If I read the scripture for today and I read of brothers, strangers, prisoners and the suffering I know that it takes two.  Without someone giving love to one, no one is being helped nor being loved and neither is God.  This is why in being asked in Matthew 22 what the greatest commandment in the Law was that Jesus answered, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

It really does take two, me and you!

Now I hope you will forgive me for going secular but ever since I landed on this week’s lesson I haven’t been able to get this Marvin Gaye song out of my head:

One can have a dream, baby
Two can make that dream so real
One can talk about being in love
Two can say how it really feels
One can wish upon a star
Two can make that wish come true
One can stand alone in the dark
Two can make the light shine through

It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby
Me and you, just take two

One can have a broken heart, living in misery
Two can really ease the pain like a perfect remedy, now
One can be alone in the far, like an island he's all alone
Two can make just a any place seem just like a being home

It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby
Me and you, it takes two
It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby
Me and you, it takes two

One can go out to a movie, looking for a special treat
Two can make that single movie, something really kinda sweet
One can take a walk in the moonlight, thinking that it's really nice
Ah but two walking a hand in hand is like adding just a pinch of spice

Oh, it takes two, baby, it takes two, baby
Me and you, it takes two
It takes two, baby, it takes two, baby
Me and you, oh, it takes two
It takes two, baby, yeah, it takes two, baby, yeah
It takes two, baby, yeah, it takes two, baby, yeah
It takes two, baby, yeah, oh, me and you, baby, yeah
Me and you, baby, yeah
It takes two, baby, yeah...




For Discussion:


1.     Care to discuss whether you have been or are a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal?
2.     Discuss whether love is something learned, added, developed and so on.
3.     Discuss how people are doing in the area of being hospitable.
4.     Find and discuss examples of love demonstrated from the scriptures.
5.     Ask if anyone is troubled by today’s scripture.
6.     Give examples of people who have demonstrated Christian love.
7.     Read and discuss 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and Christ’s own words in Matthew 24:12.


Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


10-7-12:  Stephen Defends His Faith aka Stephen’s Arrest and Speech Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49 or Acts 6:8-7:2a
10-14-12: Stephen is Faithful to Death aka Stephen’s Martyrdom Acts 7:51-8:1
10-21-12: Simon Wants to Buy Power Acts 8:9-25 or Acts 8:9-24
10-28-12: Philip Baptizes a Man from Ethiopia aka Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8:26-39



Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved


Sunday, September 16, 2012

On 9-23-12, Hebrews 12:18-29 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Faith Inspires Gratitude.

As with last week I am posting a bit early for the next week due to access to the Internet so be sure you notice that this is the commentary for 9-23.  The commentary for 9-16 can be found immediately following this one or on the right side.
Jed



Faith Inspires Gratitude
Hebrews 12:18-29
International Sunday School Lesson
September 23, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

Are you among those who have been guilty of bringing God down to a place or to an image that He doesn’t belong?  Have you been guilty of debating matters in church where you say something like, “My God wouldn’t do that, my God is a loving God.”?  If you haven’t I bet you have heard comments like that.
I don’t want to hurt your feelings but our God is exactly like He is described in today’s scripture.  He is mighty and all powerful and unchanging so do not misread today’s scripture and think that He did change.
Today’s scripture talks of a mountain burning with fire, of darkness, storm, and gloom; of a voice that when it spoke was most unbearable to hear.  Go back and read Exodus 19 and 20 and Deuteronomy 4 and 5 and you will see how God manifested Himself in a created place.  By doing so God was able to give the people of Israel something palpable that they might fear Him, and because this is the beginning of wisdom, have them do as He was about to command them.
As we read here and elsewhere He put limits around the mountain and in how the people should approach Him through priests.  Does this sound like a God who wanted to be brought down to something you have created?
Don’t get me wrong this doesn’t make Him an unloving God.  No, clearly as we consider His plan as it is unveiled we see in fact how great His love is and how grateful we should be if we have faith.
This same unchanging God who once shook a created mountain, will as we read in today’s scripture one day soon, I think, shake everything that He has created.  Then we will be at the heavenly Mt. Zion, the heavenly city.
When God shook the mountain then the people of Israel should have been grateful to God and one day He will shake everything else that He has created.  And as Paul says in today’s scripture, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.
Did you see those last words, “a consuming fire”?  God is, as He says Himself in Malachi 3, unchanging.  He is still that same awesome God who we should be grateful to and worship reverently.  And as it also says with regard to that fire in Malachi 3 and what Paul is telling His readers He is a refiner, a purifier, and why our faith as our title says should inspire gratitude.
If God did not inspire fear and show the people with what high regard He was to be held He knew that people would never do what He commanded them.  Likewise if we today bring Him down from that reverent position we will slowly cease to have a faith that inspires gratitude.

For Discussion:


1.     Discuss today’s scripture verse by verse.
2.     I think that 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 is good companion scripture for today’s.
3.     Discuss how stark the contrast will be between the Jerusalem of this world and the heavenly one to come.
4.     Go back to Exodus and look at Exodus 24 where the people were sprinkled at the onset of the new covenant when considering today’s verse 24.
5.     Discuss what you think it means to worship God with reverence and awe and things that we might be doing that don’t meet that.
6.     Today’s scripture is a reminder to Christians.  Discuss how once reminded we should be moved to more earnestly be about our work of sharing the gospel for the sake of the unsaved, “for our God is a consuming fire.”





Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


9-30-12:  Faith Instills Love aka Faith Requires Mutual Love Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13 or Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
10-7-12:  Stephen Defends His Faith aka Stephen’s Arrest and Speech Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49 or Acts 6:8-7:2a
10-14-12: Stephen is Faithful to Death aka Stephen’s Martyrdom Acts 7:51-8:1
10-21-12: Simon Wants to Buy Power Acts 8:9-25 or Acts 8:9-24


Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved


Sunday, September 9, 2012

On 9-16-12, Hebrews 12:1-11 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Faith Empowers Endurance aka Faith is Endurance.


Please notice that this is the commentary on the 9-16-12 lesson which I am posting a bit early.  You will find the message for the 9-9-12 lesson immediately beneath this one or on the right side. 
Blessings, Jed


Faith Empowers Endurance
aka
Faith is Endurance
Hebrews 12:1-11
International Sunday School Lesson
September 16, 2012



Commentary
By
Jed Greenough

Let’s look at two scenarios today and see which is the most beneficial to the individual who we shall say is an 18 year old.  It doesn’t matter whether they are male or female.  However you picture that person is fine but let’s give them the name Kelsey as I have seen both sexes with that name.
Kelsey as we said is 18 and just out of high school and is traveling cross country from a home in California to an ultimate destination which would often depend on whether the person you have imagined is male or female.
Each day as they take their time in this trip they spend the night in a different fine hotel, eat out three times a day and visit venues that a person of time and means would when traveling. 
Each day begins the same with the bed linens in a heap, the towels lying on the floor and the cans of soda, a pizza box and chip bags left were they had been last enjoying their contents.
After breakfast Kelsey fills the parent’s car  with gas from the first gas station in sight and not necessarily the cheapest with Mom and Dad’s credit card.
Eventually the trip of leisure ends as they arrive at their destination which is Marine Boot Camp.  Do we need to detail their daily routines going forward as we just did?  How about the basic cleanliness, order and discipline that they will soon be exhibiting?
In the end which of these two separate parts of their life will mean the most or instill in this individual the most?
When we become Christians we haven’t just joined a club and now we are “golden”.  Rather we have joined a family and become coheirs with Christ.  The Father is the same one who sent His only begotten Son to die for us.  The same Father who expected so much of one expects much from everyone who becomes an heir.
Like the recruit who traveled to Basic we should examine the Christian life experiences of ourselves and see if we are going to look back at a life spent on someone else’s dime alone or one where we have become disciplined.
The child to whom much is given should eventually have much expected don’t you think?  If you aren’t exhibiting the things that God expects of His children you can expect that God has been disciplining you and you may have not even realized.  What is going on in your life, what pain have you been experiencing?  Though it is a little hard to understand and not included in today’s scripture verse 12 and 13 will apply to us if we become disciplined as Christians and become holy and produce a harvest of righteousness and peace just as He would have us.

For Discussion:


1.     Discuss in general terms if due to persecution you have used the beginning verses of today’s scripture as encouragement.
2.     In verse one Paul speaks of throwing off everything that hinders and entangles as we pursue living out our lives as we should now as Christians.  The word “everything” speaks for itself.  Discuss this and what those things are especially those things that might not be so obvious.
3.     Discuss how Jesus did just that.
4.     If you think it helpful have individuals give examples where in their Christian efforts they did give up and where they did not.
5.     Though these being spoken to had not suffered “to the point of shedding” their blood, some probably would and many in the future of the church would.  Discuss verse 4 in light of this.
6.     Some good parallel verses for verse 5: Job 5:17, Psalm 94:12, Psalm 119:67, Proverbs 3:11.
7.     Discuss discipline.
8.     Discuss the “harvest of righteousness and peace”.



Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


9-23-12:  Faith Inspires Gratitude Hebrews 12:18-29
9-30-12:  Faith Instills Love aka Faith Requires Mutual Love Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13 or Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
10-7-12:  Stephen Defends His Faith aka Stephen’s Arrest and Speech Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49 or Acts 6:8-7:2a
10-14-12: Stephen is Faithful to Death aka Stephen’s Martyrdom Acts 7:51-8:1



Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Commentary On 9-9-12, Hebrews 11:1-6; Psalm 46 or Hebrews 11:1-3, 6; Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11 will be our Adult Sunday School/Uniform Series/International Sunday School Lesson, herein is my commentary. This lesson is known by some as Faith Gives Assurance aka Faith is Assurance.

Faith Gives Assurance
Aka
Faith is Assurance
Hebrews 11:1-6; Psalm 46 or Hebrews 11:1-3, 6; Psalm 46:1-3, 8-11
International Sunday School Lesson
September 9, 2012



By
Jed Greenough

Whether rich or poor or somewhere in between I hope that you had the type of childhood where you had someone in your life such as both parents, grandparents or even just one individual that you could put your faith in growing up.  Some didn’t I know and now you are in a position “to make up for it” because now someone is putting their faith in you.
It doesn’t matter whether we are a teacher, an electrician, a pastor, a stay at home parent or in a sales position,  the person who has faith in you knows that you will take care of them when it counts.  They know that you will be there when they are sick or hurt or hungry or scared.  You are like a momma grizzly is with her cubs.
Now let’s imagine this scenario.  Let’s say you have dutifully been there for a child for 20 years.  You came to every program, you missed work, and you went without things so that they would not go without.  You made costumes at the last minute, you used your funds you’d been saving for your own needs to buy those suddenly wore out shoes a replacement.  You went out in the rain at 1:30 in the morning because of car trouble, you went into debt for them and you defended their position when at times they may have been in the wrong.
Then one day you come under attack.  You are accused of never having been there or some other grossly inaccurate accusation.  Before this their faith in you wasn’t an issue it was a given, just like breathing.  How does it feel?  It certainly doesn’t feel good and why does it happen?  Why do some continue to have faith and others not?
Children are faithful, I know that, and we know that rather than change as we age we all should remain the same so that what it says in Mark 10:15 can always be true of us when we read, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
But yet the statistics show us clearly that our children who are raised in church go from, “Jesus loves me this I know.  For the Bible tells me so.”  To saying there is no God at an incredibly high rate these days.
And God for millennia now has received daily over and over again this callous display like the scenario we described above yet He is always there for us.  He has protected and blessed, healed and given in ways that go unknown and unthanked up to the ultimate giving up of His son.  But we question His ability, His motives and His existence; of course this is displeasing to Him.
In the scenario above where you or I may have come under attack after having always been there for someone we were hurt.  However, if that person came back to us with a penitent heart we would lovingly take them back and be there for them just as we always have been there.
So it is with God for those that need to be reminded.  He has always been there and we need to always be there too.  It certainly is not pleasing to him if we are constantly seesawing up and down in our faith in Him.  We must have the daily faith of a child who just like they breathe so they believe.
For Discussion:


1.     Have individuals discuss the strength and weakness that they have had in their faith.
2.     Discuss examples of people with strong faith.
3.     Discuss why you think some people can easily accept God’s creation of everything while others cannot.
4.     As we consider Hebrews 11:1 we must honestly admit that there are some aspects of our faith that are more strong, or to use the words of the verse, sure and certain than others.  Discuss.
5.     Here are several verses that fit in with today’s scripture: Romans 8:24, 2 Corinthians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 3:6, and Hebrews 3:14, Hebrews 10:39.
6.     Discuss the role of God in an individual’s faith.
7.     Have individuals discuss what things that they are hoping for that that they have faith they will one day see or receive.
8.     The postings for 9-16 and 9-23 may be delayed as I will have difficulty obtaining Internet access but I will endeavor to get it to you in a timely manner.  If you want them before 9-7 you can certainly shoot me an email.  Thanks and blessings, Jed.


Upcoming Adult Sunday School Class Commentaries


9-16-12:  Faith Empowers Endurance aka Faith is Endurance Hebrews 12:1-11
9-23-12:  Faith Inspires Gratitude Hebrews 12:18-29
9-30-12:  Faith Instills Love aka Faith Requires Mutual Love Hebrews 13:1-3, 6; 1 Corinthians 13 or Hebrews 13:1-3; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
10-7-12:  Stephen Defends His Faith aka Stephen’s Arrest and Speech Acts 6:8-7:2a, 22, 44a, 45b-49 or Acts 6:8-7:2a



Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved