Because God created you in His image, you have worth, dignity, and purpose.
New this year: I will be doing a synopsis of the key points of the Lessons on Friday. Reading the notes, I’ve come to realize that not everyone has time to read 6 pages of notes every week. This segment will be a less than one minute read for those of you who just want a snippet of the week.
The writer is telling everyone and everything to praise Him because He created them, from the angels, sun, moon, and stars to the sea creatures, lightning, hail and more.
God points out to Job the fact that He is the Creator of the universe, and Job is but one puny man. God asks Job purely saracastically if he was there when the earth was formed, if he has given orders to the morning, or if he has an arm like God’s. Job responds to the vastness of God in Job 40 that he has no words and that he will speak no more.
13) God is amazing in all that He had done, does, and will continue to do. It amazes me how anyone can deny an Almighty God when passages such as these list all that God has created.
14) Personal Question. My answer: Just to be more in awe of God, who He is, praise Him more, and give Him credit more. Every time the sun rises and sets and you are privileged to see it, you should praise God. Every time you see a shooting star, watch a butterfly fly, or see a raptor soar, you should praise God. Every time you eat, drink, and make memories. Every time you do anything, it is all Him.
It’s kind of cool to read all that God has done and is done.
Psalm 148 calls upon creation to praise God, from the angels and the heavenly bodies to every creation and thing on earth. God should be praised because He made all these things. He alone is God that deserves our worship, honor, and praise. God also deserves our praise because He has drawn near to us.
God answers Job after deliberately not answering him in the first 35 chapters of the book. God calls Job to account, questions Job about what he doesn’t know, asks Job if he knows the boundaries of the sea, if he understands the nature of the earth, if he comprehends the nature of light, darkness, and the sky, if he understands rain and its effects, if he knows the nature of the constellations, the clouds, weather, and the human mind, and if he can understand and master the animal kingdom.
God continues to question Job, asking him about mountain goats, wild donkeys, and wild oxen and donkeys. He asks him if he knows the ostriches, horses, and hawks and if he can master them.
God asks Job now will he challenge Him? Job is speechless before the Almight God and is ashamed of his mouth (or the way he spoke). God asks Job if he is fit to prove Him wrong or to save himself. God uses the example of the Behemoth to show God’s might and Job’s weakness. The precise nature of the Behemoth remains unknown. Many believe it is the hippopotamus.
On the fourth day, God made the stars, the sun, and the moon. God said this was good.
On the fifth day, God made the sea creatures and the birds according to their kind. He told them to multiply. God saw that this was good.
On the sixth day, God made the land animals according to their kind. God said this was good.
9) On the fourth day, God made the stars, the sun, and the moon. God said this was good.
On the fifth day, God made the sea creatures and the birds according to their kind. He told them to multiply. God saw that this was good.
On the sixth day, God made the land animals according to their kind. God said this was good.
10) The lights on the 4th day are more specific. On the first day, God created light. On the 4th day, God created more light with a specific purpose: “to separate the day from the night, serve as signs to mark seasons, days, and years, and to give light on earth.” The stars, sun, and moon were to separate light from darkness and to govern the night and the day.
11) Personal Question. My answer: God knows what is good and what is not good. Thus, in our lives, God’s rules of how to live let us know what is good and what is not. It is clear-cut. Man does not have to decide. Instead, man frequently does what is not good against God’s wishes.
12) I have no answer for this. I have always believed, and when you look around at the amazing vastness and diversity of this earth, it is evident that only a higher power could create this. I think those who don’t believe in the Creator God choose to turn a blind eye, or God blinds them. They are in denial. Let’s face it, it’s easier this way; then you don’t have to follow God’s laws, and you can live as you choose.
I love re-reading the formation of everything on this planet. It’s always so humbling to know how insignificant we truly are.
Man has used God’s provision of the sun, moon, and stars to mark and measure time and direction since the beginning on humanity, as God has intended.
God knew exactly how far to set the sun from the earth. If the earth were closer or further from the sun, life as we know it would be impossible.
We see birds and sea creatures were created at the same time, not evolving slowly over millions of years.
The fossil record totally rejects the idea of millions of tiny changes. Most creatures stay the same over time.
Only an omnipotent God can create such a variety of land animals, and God shows His sense of humor, too, in the variety of unusual creatures that only a Creator could make up.
On the first day, God made light and called it day. He called the darkness night.
On the second day, God made the sky, separating it from the waters.
On the third day, God made God made dry ground, calling it land. The waters he called seas. This He said was good.
God made vegetation on the land, seed-bearing plants and trees that bore fruit and seed. This He said was good.
5) On the first day, God made light and called it day. He called the darkness night.
On the second day, God made the sky, separating it from the waters.
On the thrid day, God made God made dry ground, calling it land. The waters he called seas. This He said was good.
God made vegetation on the land, seed-bearing plants and trees that bore fruit and seed. This He said was good.
6) Part Personal Question. My answer: Day is a particular period of time, and can be whatever you define it as. Our days are the time it takes the earth to complete one full rotation around its axis, encompassing both day and night. God’s days could have been shorter or longer; there truly is no way to know.
Some Bible scholars wonder if the days are geologic days and ages. Others refute this by saying that why would the writers who were inspired by God use the word “day” then? Again, there is no way to know except when we get to heaven and ask God.
7) “Let there be,” “and there was,” “God made,” “It was so,” “And God saw that it was good.”
8 ) Personal question. My answer: God is Almighty, the Creator, and what He says happens. He is in control always and forever. He can create as easy as He can destroy. God is awesome.
Love the repetition. So powerful for emphasis. All feature God doing and creating while in control of everything.
Note the first step from chaos is light. This holds true in our lives as well. God and the gospel are light (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).
God spoke. His word is enough. Remember that as you study God’s word — the Bible — throughout this year.
Genesis tells us that light, day, and night each existed before the sun and the moon were created on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14-19). In the new heavens and the new earth, there won’t be any sun or moon. God Himself will be the light (Revelation 22:5).
Land was in existence before; it was just covered by water; God gathers the water into one place and calls them seas.
Plants were created before the sun. If the days were geologic ages, how woudl the plants have survived?
Many say the stars, sun, and moon were created on the first day but weren’t visible until the fourth. (Revelation 21:23) tells us that we won’t need the sun, moon, or stars any longer. It could have been that in the beginning, the plants didn’t need them either.
The plants were created not as seeds, but as full-grown plants each bearing seeds. The chicken really did come before the egg.
According to its kind is a phrase that appears ten times in Genesis chapter 1. It means God allows variation within a kind, but something of one kind will never develop into something of another kind.
And God saw that it was good. God knows what is good and organizes His creation to result in something good.
God does not call the earth good until it has become habitable, a place where man can live. How awesome is that?!
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
3) God created the heavens and the earth. Creation was nothing, empty space, formless. God created everything from nothing. God is Almighty, powerful. Creation is all His.
4) Personal Question. My answer: God molded everything from nothing like Play-doh. Truly, there are no words how awesome this is.
It’s like the darkness of a cave, which is about as pure dark as it gets here on earth. The beginning was darkness, nothing. Now, look at our world today and the beauty. Only an Almighty Creator can have such vision and power.
There is a ton in Genesis so read each sentence carefully or you may miss something. Read slowly, for what happens in a single line may echo throughout all of history and for eternity.
God is the subject of the first sentence, and He does something — He creates. If you believe this first sentence of the Bible, then you believe the rest. This is the cusp. The original form of “God” here is plural, indicating the Holy Trinity, including Jesus, was present here.
To understand the vastness of the world, you only have to look to the stars. There are a million galaxies in one patch of sky. A galaxy contains on average 200 billion stars. The average distance between galaxies is 20 million trillion miles. The closest galaxy to ours, The Andromeda Galaxy, is 12 million trillion miles away.
God is the uncreated Being, eternal, the Alpha and the Omega, without a beginning or an end.
In the beginning was the Holy Trinity, was the eternal purpose of God, was His plan.
Doesn’t it seem funny to you that mere humans even try to figure out God?
Any time God begins work, it’s with the Spirit of God.
When God formed the earth, it was already aged. Adam was not a baby, the trees were big trees, and the canyons were formed.
Fun Fact: The word “God” appears 30 times in the 31 verses of the first chapter of Genesis.
Fun Fact: There are at least 165 passages in Genesis that are either directly quoted or clearly referred to in the New Testament. If you count the verses that are quoted more than once, there are at least 200 quotes total.
Fun Fact: Fossils had to come after Adam since death did not exist before him.
The Eleven disciples returned to Jerusalem from Mount Olives after witnessing Jesus ascend to heaven. Along with women, Mary mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers, they prayed constantly. While waiting for the Holy Spirit to descend upon them, Peter leads the believers (120 in number at this time) in choosing one to replace Judas Iscariot as the Scriptures dictate (Psalm 109:8). So they choose one who has been with them from the beginning by praying and casting lots. Matthias is chosen and becomes the new twelfth disciple.
11) Part Personal Question. My answer: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas son of James, women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’s brothers. They are coming together to support one another and mourn together.
12) They chose a replacement because of the Bible (Pslam 109:8) They prayed before casting lots. They wanted someone credible who had been with Jesus since the beginning.
13) Part personal Question. My answer: He had all of the disciples together, so no one had to bear the death of Jesus alone. We’re stronger together so the disciples could draw upon each other’s strength for the coming days. All prayed together. The replacement was chosen together. There is no strife right now.
I love how everyone retreated in prayer. Great lesson for when we suffer a loss. God will comfort you.
Note the disciples obeyed Jesus here: they did return to Jerusalem and await the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:15 tells us that there were about 120 present.
Peter took a natural leadership role among the disciples
Peter, quoting from two separate Psalms, showed why God wanted them to choose another disciple to officially replace Judas.
This is the first time in the New Testament we read that Peter quoted Scripture.
Because of the principle of the quoted Scripture, they decided to replace Judas because they believe it is what Jesus wanted, not because it is what they wanted.
When Jesus chose His disciples, He prayed (Luke 6:12-13). The disciples, following Jesus, prayed for wisdom to know who the Lord would add to their number.
This is the last time the Bible mentions the casting of lots, which is an Old Testament method to discern God’s will. Now that we have the Holy Spirit, we don’t need lots.
The casting of lots may be an imperfect way to discern God’s will, but it is much better than the methods many Christians use today – relying on emotions, on circumstances, or feelings, or carnal desires, and so forth.
Fun Fact: Except for Peter and John, none of the original twelve are mentioned again after Acts 1.
Revelation 21:14 brings up an interesting question. It tells us that each of the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem has the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. When we get to heaven, it will be interesting to see if the twelfth apostle of the Lamb is Paul or Matthias.
Jesus gives the disciples a command to not leave Jerusalem until they have received the gift from His Father, which is the Holy Spirit. The disciples asked Jesus if he was going to restore the kingdom of Israel and Jesus says it is not for them to know the Father’s timing; it is for them to be witnesses for him in Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Then Jesus was taken up before their eyes into heaven. Two men in white suddenly appeared next to the disciples and said this same Jesus will come back again in the same way you have seen him ascend. (Basically, quit gawking and start talking! You have much work to do!).
Jesus assures his disciples he is preparing a place in heaven for them to be with him.
Jesus will ask God to give the disciples the Holy Spirit to be with them instead of him physically to live inside of them.
The Holy Spirit will guide them in what to say and do and bring God and Jesus Glory.
8 ) So that the Holy Spirit could come in his place. That way all believers can be with Jesus.
9) “Jesus will come back int eh same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
10) That they would not be alone and forsaken after Jesus left them.
I would definitely encourage you to look back at the previous Acts study and see the differences. This lesson especially has been vastly modified from when I first did this study the last go-around. Here’s my commentary from back then HERE We had to look up way more Bible verses back in the day.
Jesus was taken up from them as He blessed them (Luke 24:50). As He slowly disappeared into the sky, surrounded by a cloud they continued to gaze upward.
The cloud of glory (called the Shekinah) that is associated with the presence of God in the Old and New Testaments.
It was important for Jesus to leave His disciples in this manner. He could have simply vanished to heaven and the Father’s presence in a secret sort of way. But by ascending in this manner, Jesus wanted His followers to know that He was gone for good.
John 16:6-7 Jesus says, “You are filled with grief. But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you.”
Morgan speculated that the two men were possibly Moses and Elijah. It seems best to say they were angels.
This same Jesus reminds us that the Jesus ascended to heaven and seated at the right hand of God the Father is the same Jesus of the Gospels. He is the same Jesus forever and always.
This entire focus is being with Jesus again, who is preparing a place out of his great love for us. Heaven is heaven because Jesus is there. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us every day.
Jesus tells his disciples one day after his resurrection and during the 40 day period of his teaching (before he ascends to heaven) to not leave Jerusalem to preach the Good News but to wait to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. The disciples ask Jesus if he is going to restore the kingdom of Israel, and Jesus basically says it’s not for you to know the time, but it is for you to be his witnesses to the world.
6) “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promied, which you hae heard me speak about.” The Spirit will empower them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and the entire world.
7a) All the difference. You can do nothing without Christ.
b) Personal Question. My answer: God has guided my every step and gotten me to this place in my life right now where I can live the life He has for me.
Great emphasis on the fact that we can do nothing without God, and that God does not leave us to our own devices to do His will. He empowers us through the Holy Spirit with every step we take every day no matter our circumstances.
Fun Fact: This is the last time the disciples see Jesus in His physical body, until they went to heaven to be with Him forever.
The disciples had asked when Jesus would restore Israel many times before, but it had a special relevance now. They knew that Jesus had instituted the New Covenant (Luke 22:20). They also knew that the restoration of the kingdom to Israel was part of the New Covenant (as seen in Jeremiah 23:1-8, Ezekiel 36:16-30, Ezekiel 37:21-28). Jesus tells them it is not for them to know.
The progress of the spread of the gospel message from Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria, and then to the end of the earth becomes the outline of Acts.
Jerusalem was where Jesus was executed at the word of an angry mob.
Judea rejected His ministry.
Samaria was regarded as a wasteland of impure half-breeds.
In the uttermost parts of the earth, the Gentiles were seen by some Jews of that day as nothing better than fuel for the fires of Hell.
Yet God empowers all through the Holy Spirit.
Luke (the writer of Acts) tells Theophilus that he previously wrote (in the book of Luke) about Jesus’s actions and teachings up to the day he ascended to Heaven after instructing the apostles through the Holy Spirit. Jesus gave proofs to the apostles that he was alive after he had been crucified, and Jesus continued to appear before them for 40 days, speaking about God’s kingdom. On one occasion, Jesus instructed the apostles to not leave Jerusalem until they received the gift God has promised.
Two men were walking along the road to Emmaus when Jesus appeared to them after he was crucified. The men did not recognize Jesus who then told Jesus about his own death. Jesus responded by admonishes them for not believing the prophets when they spoke of Jesus’s death. Jesus then explains the scriptures (the OT) to them concerning himself (basically, how his life, death, and resurrection crowned centuries of God’s work). Jesus stayed with them, broke bread with them, and he was recognized. However, he disappeared after that. They told the 11 disciples all that had happened.
Jesus then appears before the disciples in Jerusalem. The apostles are frightened and Jesus asks why they don’t believe it’s him. “Look at my hands and my feet. It is I…” and Jesus showed his hands and feet where he had been pierced on the cross. He ate with them and reiterated how every prophecy must be fulfilled from the Old Testament. Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand how he must suffer, die, and rise again; forgiveness of sins will be preached. But first, Jesus will send them what God has promised so they must remain in Jerusalem until they have been clothed with power from on high.
Jesus led them to Bethany where he blessed the disciples and arose into Heaven. The disciples worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem where they remained, praising God at His temple.
3) Personally. Jesus appears to his disciples and other believers and continues to teach them and put the pieces of his death together for them.
4) Part personal Question. My answer: Jesus still needed to teach his disciples, and he needed to have proof, or witnesses, that he was risen in the form of testimony. He also needed to explain about the Holy Spirit. I’d want to know when the Second Coming was, and I’d ask about everything else I don’ know!
5) Personal Question. My answer: It’s helpful to know that this life and troubles are temporary, that there is a better place awaiting — a place with God, Jesus, and no evil in the world.
Acts opens fairly simply with Luke casually talking about Jesus hanging out with the disciples after his resurrection. No big deal.
Yay! First Lesson of the Study of Acts and Letters of the Apostles. So exciting!
Luke, the writer of Acts, was a physician (Colossians 4:14), a Gentile, and a devoted follower of Paul (from the text of Acts, and Colossians 4:14, Philemon 24, and 2 Timothy 4:11). That’s about all we know about him.
Theophilus (Greek meaning lover of God) is the person to whom Luke is writing the books of Acts (and the book of Luke previously) to. He could have been a Christian or a Roman official. We don’t know anything else about him, although he may have held office since Luke calls him “most excellent.”
One theory has Acts as a defense book on Paul’s behalf since Luke was with Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17) and went to Rome with him (Acts 27:1).
Fun Fact: “Ancient books were generally written on papyrus scrolls. It was practical to have a scroll about thirty-five feet in length. When it got any longer it got too bulky to carry around. This physical limitation has determined the length of many books of the Bible.” (Boice) Luke used two scrolls to tell his story, and one we call “The Gospel of Luke” and the other we call “The Book of Acts.”
Acts spans a period of about 30 years, and takes us up to about A.D. 60 or 61, with Paul in Rome waiting to appear before Caesar Nero. This same Nero began his infamous persecutions of Christians in A.D. 64.
Note how Jesus rose and spoke to the disciples with the power of the Holy Spirit. If the glorified, resurrected Jesus needed and relied on the Holy Spirit, so should we. This will be an on-going theme throughout Acts that we need the Holy Spirit to operate as well.
The Power of the Father (or Holy Spirit) is:
These 2 anonymous disciples were sad that Jesus had not redeemed Israel. Jesus appeared to set them right. They indeed were redeemed! Jesus teaches them:
God’s word can burn on your heart like it burned on theirs.
Jesus had to ascend to heaven so that confidence would be put in the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit, not in the geographical presence of Jesus.
