1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,320 In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:07,040 Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,920 mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the Light of the world 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:14,680 and the life of all. Give us wisdom by your law and 5 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,720 enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,760 Sanctify our souls by Your truth, and grant that we may be 7 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,240 obedient to your words and may fulfil Your commandments at 8 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:27,560 every hour. O You who enlightens the 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,720 rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,560 Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and 11 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:39,920 divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son 12 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,640 and Holy Spirit forever Amen of the 13 00:01:01,110 --> 00:01:06,080 Apostles, an extension of Saint Luke's Gospel. 14 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,280 Saint Luke is the author of the Acts of the Apostles and we're 15 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:14,800 going to be introduced to him in a very subliminal way using 16 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:20,320 pronouns, pronouns, he, he, they, them from yeah, pronouns, 17 00:01:21,960 --> 00:01:26,280 chapter 16. We left that verse 5 last 18 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:27,920 program. We'll continue. 19 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,800 Paul finds Timothy and takes him on it, takes him on his mission 20 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:35,040 as his companion. Why? 21 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:44,480 Because he was a Jew and he was going to preach to the Jews so 22 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:48,440 that he would be more effective. But Saint Paul circumcises in 23 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,600 him, and we forgot to mention this last time. 24 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,320 Why did Saint Paul circumcise him apart from being a Jew? 25 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:55,840 So that he would be more effective. 26 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,040 A circumcised Jew is being circumcised. 27 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,560 That's the perfect reason is that Saint Paul only argued 28 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,960 tooth and nail, as we said last time, against circumcision of 29 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:16,200 the Gentiles because the the Mosaic Law was for the Jews. 30 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,200 He never said that you do this for the Gentiles. 31 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,600 No, no, the Mosaic Law was for the Jews. 32 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:24,440 So Saint Paul wasn't against the Mosaic Law, but he was against 33 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:29,640 the Gentiles being enforced to adhere to the Mosaic Law, and 34 00:02:29,640 --> 00:02:33,680 one of them being circumcision. And Timothy being a Jew, because 35 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:38,160 his mother was a Jewess, he, he circumcised him so that there 36 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,640 would be no rejection from the Jews. 37 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:44,160 So that St. Saint Timothy, I'm sorry, so 38 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,200 that Saint Timothy would be effective in his ministry. 39 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,360 Let's continue reading on. We're going to read about the 40 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:54,560 Macedonian call. They're going to go to Macedonia 41 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,520 now. When they had gone through 42 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,160 Friggler and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden, 43 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,480 forbidden by the Holy Spirit. So now Holy Spirit forbids. 44 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,520 They were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in 45 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,400 Asia. Why? 46 00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:19,040 We don't know, but the Church Father's right after they had 47 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:25,080 come to Misla, they try to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit 48 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:31,320 again, the Holy Spirit did not permit them again, so forbids 49 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:37,080 and doesn't permit. So passing by Misler, they came 50 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:42,040 down to Tross. Tross and a vision appeared to 51 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,880 Paul. In the night a man of Macedonia 52 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:50,040 stood and pleaded with him saying, Come over to Macedonia 53 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,320 and help us. Now after he had seen the 54 00:03:53,320 --> 00:04:00,120 vision, immediately we the pronoun changes immediately we 55 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,160 sought to go to the to Macedonia, concluding that the 56 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:08,080 Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 57 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:12,320 So the Holy Spirit, God the Father, God the Son, you know, 58 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,720 in some of the some of the version it says the Spirit of 59 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,279 Jesus in the Shatta version. I, I find I don't find that it, 60 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:24,320 it, it says in the the Spirit of Jesus, but the vernacular Syrian 61 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,120 version writes the Spirit of Jesus. 62 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,320 But the Shitta version in the Aramaic language. 63 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,440 Regardless, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit one God 64 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:36,840 is now leading. Let's go back and discuss in 65 00:04:36,840 --> 00:04:40,480 full. You know, when you read 66 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,480 Scripture like this, which is very important, beloved, and I, 67 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:48,480 as I was saying in the, in one of my Syrian programs that, you 68 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:57,400 know, I don't see the, the Acts of the Apostles preached quite 69 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,880 often. Why? 70 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,520 I don't know. Maybe there's an intention 71 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:07,920 there, maybe because the truth of the church, the church that 72 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:14,120 Jesus established and commissioned on earth, that has 73 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:19,240 been built upon the foundation of the apostles, St. 74 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,400 Paul writes to the Thessalonians. 75 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:27,960 Maybe the truth of that church being neglected and today being 76 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:33,640 opposed will then reveal the opposition and the neglect. 77 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,640 So let's, you know, let's avoid it. 78 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,760 Let's just go into Saint Paul's epistles to the Romans and to 79 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,720 the Galatians, which talks about faith and, and you know, and, 80 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,920 and talks about saved by faith alone. 81 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:52,160 There's only one place that that those 3 words appear in the 82 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,360 Scriptures saved by faith alone. That's in James, where James is 83 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:59,320 saying that faith alone does not actually save, but there needs 84 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,840 to be deeds. But we're not talking about 85 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:03,960 that. It's very important to study the 86 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,640 book of the Acts of the Apostles. 87 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:08,880 It was the beginning of the missionary work of the Church, 88 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,560 the one holy, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 89 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:17,280 Pentecost Apostolic build upon the foundation of the Apostles. 90 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:21,240 Catholic with a small C not Roman Catholic, not the Pope 91 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:24,960 with a small C meaning universal and complete Church. 92 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:31,120 And God commands that. The word that comes out of my 93 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,200 mouth. Every act that God has worked 94 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:37,680 doesn't change, it fulfills. So the, the, the Church that 95 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,600 Jesus established is here. You want to go back to the right 96 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:43,120 church? What is the right church? 97 00:06:43,280 --> 00:06:45,920 Who is the right church? We'll go to the Acts of the 98 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,360 Apostles and begin from the Acts chapter 1 and see the Missionary 99 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:54,080 of the Apostolic Church. And then you bring it down to 100 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,280 today and you find that, hey, you know what? 101 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:01,160 That's for example, this church is very close to the same 102 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:08,560 teachings, same procedures, same doctrine, same sacraments as the 103 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,080 early Church. Nothing's changed. 104 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:17,720 Heresies changed, evil people crept into the church and 105 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:22,840 changed, blasphemy changed, But the truth of the church remains 106 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,280 because Jesus is the truth within his Church, praising 107 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,280 glory be to his name. So let's have a look at God's 108 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,720 awesome. You know, sometimes we 109 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:39,720 foolishly, and I stand corrected and I stand judged foolishly 110 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:43,040 say, well, maybe God is doing this because he's doing that. 111 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,680 It's because we have that beautiful relationship with God. 112 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,200 We want to sometimes sort of tap into God's mind and and tell 113 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:51,360 people what our heavenly Father does. 114 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,600 But really, his works are awesome. 115 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:58,920 They're awful. Awful doesn't mean yuck, awe, 116 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:03,720 full, full of awe. So when you read in a liturgical 117 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:09,360 text God's awful work doesn't mean that God's works are not 118 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:11,240 nice. They're not good, they're not 119 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,040 proper. No, no, awful, full of awe. 120 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,240 Awesome is is a very light term used for everything but the the 121 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,200 Father's right. Use the term awful, full of awe 122 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,560 and it only only is befitting for God actually. 123 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:33,799 So the awful, unspeakable, incomprehensible work of God are 124 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:36,799 amazing. That's why the psalmist right in 125 00:08:36,799 --> 00:08:40,799 Psalm chapter 666 verse 5. Thank you Stephen, I have an 126 00:08:40,799 --> 00:08:42,720 extra 6 minute extra time, right? 127 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:48,400 Psalm chapter 66 verse 5. Come and see the works of God. 128 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:55,520 He is awful in His doing toward the sons of man or mankind. 129 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:01,160 Let's go back and look how how Jesus worked and how God works. 130 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,480 When the scribe in Matthew chapter 10 verses 19 to 20 131 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:11,440 wanted to follow Christ, Jesus didn't grant permission, did he? 132 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,640 What did he say? Foxes have holes and birds of 133 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:20,000 the air have Nets, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his 134 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,560 head. So that means no, don't come. 135 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:27,960 I don't permit you to come. Then another man who is ordered 136 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:36,080 by Christ to follow and did not receive that order but delayed, 137 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:40,080 wanted to delay asking for him to go and bury his Father. 138 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:44,520 Jesus says follow me and let the dead bury their own dead. 139 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:50,600 Verse 20, Saint Paul in Acts Chapter 9, verses 1 to 9, he was 140 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:52,360 on the road to a mouse. Remember? 141 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:54,520 What was he doing? He was going to oppose 142 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,440 Christians, meaning oppose Christ. 143 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:01,560 By the way, when Christianity, Christianity is being opposed, 144 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,920 Christ is being opposed. When churches are being 145 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:13,880 disrupted by lemons and oranges, it's Christ that is, that is 146 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,760 attempted to be destructed. And you know why? 147 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,200 Disrupted, destructed. You know why? 148 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:27,160 Because the lifestyle is convicting in a way that you 149 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:31,640 either have to change it or you need to start attacking the 150 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:36,560 convictor. So when Christians are being 151 00:10:36,560 --> 00:10:45,240 attacked, prosecuted, executed, and constantly opposed, it's 152 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:48,240 Christ they are opposing. St. 153 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:54,760 Paul was on his way fighting against Christ, but he was he 154 00:10:54,760 --> 00:11:00,080 was turned away. He was, he was repented. 155 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:02,840 He was attracted in spite of himself. 156 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,400 He didn't want to. And look at what Jesus said. 157 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:09,720 Not Hey soul, be careful, right? Right. 158 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:14,120 Be careful according to my understanding, will and 159 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:18,080 knowledge and power, I will, I will, you know, behead you. 160 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,560 No, he didn't. He said, soul, soul, why are you 161 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:26,040 persecuting me? Verse 3, arise in verse 6, arise 162 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:30,000 and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. 163 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:35,400 And now God, who knows the hearts, on the account of his 164 00:11:35,560 --> 00:11:42,200 kindness and His perfect intention and work, withdraws 165 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,480 his teacher, Saint Paul and Timothy from going to Asia. 166 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:56,000 Maybe the Asians then were the dogs that were not befitting for 167 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,600 the holy thing. Matthew Chapter 7 verse 6 do not 168 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:02,120 give what is holy to the dogs, right? 169 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:05,000 Maybe we don't know. There is no reason why, and 170 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:06,800 there's a there's a perfect reason why. 171 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,480 Saint Luke doesn't give us the reason. 172 00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:13,240 There's a perfect reason why Saint Paul doesn't even question 173 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:16,400 it just says the Holy Spirit said you're not going to Asia. 174 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:19,760 Though the text doesn't tell us why. 175 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:24,440 We refer to the Fathers and see what knowledge, what 176 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:28,440 understanding and what what traditions have been passed down 177 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,920 to know why this was not permitted. 178 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:36,280 All we know is that they were prevented. 179 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:41,600 Saint Gregory the Great rites having wicked hearts. 180 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,960 He's talking about the Asians. They would disregard his 181 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,480 preaching. Possibly God knew God revealed 182 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,720 to the Fathers God, you know, the tradition was passed down 183 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:58,640 that that's why Saint Paul and Timothy were deterred from going 184 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:02,520 to Asia. But Saint John Chrysostom writes 185 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:06,960 something amazing that this also teaches us that we only have to 186 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,240 obey and not to inquire about the reasons. 187 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:14,680 That's why it's not written. You don't need to know why. 188 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:20,440 You know, today we say, well, you know, it's the 21st century 189 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:23,720 and congratulations, God bless you. 190 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:30,640 Happy 21st century. Jesus of yesterday is today, and 191 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:35,760 he's forever doesn't change. Let's go back to the 10th 192 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:37,960 century. Let's go back to the century 193 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:43,520 where when we heard that Jesus said it, the Scriptures say it, 194 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:46,400 the Church teaches it and commands it. 195 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,080 That's it. That's enough not to not to ask 196 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:52,680 why. That's why it's not written. 197 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,000 It's not given the reason is not given to us. 198 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,040 Not that there is no reason that there there would have been a 199 00:13:58,040 --> 00:14:01,840 reason, but it's to teach us that to learn from Saint Paul, 200 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,200 to learn in the in the early Apostolic Church, there was no 201 00:14:06,200 --> 00:14:10,640 questions. The Spirit spoke, it's dogma, 202 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:16,640 it's it's command, it's done, it's concluded, the Holy Spirit 203 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,440 forbade and permitted at the same time. 204 00:14:20,720 --> 00:14:23,640 Notice that the apostle, this is what we learned from these. 205 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:28,120 These are good lessons that the apostle did nothing according to 206 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:30,440 his own will. Otherwise he would have said, 207 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:36,680 but we still, but Saint Paul still disobeyed and went to Asia 208 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:38,880 and had to learn the hard way, right? 209 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:45,080 Or Saint Paul on his way to Asia was caught up in a storm and he 210 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,560 was thrown in a pit. And from there he prayed and God 211 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,560 took him out and said, you listen to me. 212 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,040 I said don't. So go back just like Jonah did. 213 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:56,920 Jonah didn't want to go, ended up in a whale. 214 00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:58,280 And by the way, let me tell you something. 215 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:02,880 For those who claim that this is a legend for the church leaders 216 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,960 that claim that Jonah and the whale was a legend, well, you're 217 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:07,920 Jesus. I don't know. 218 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,400 I don't know. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 219 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,760 actually has referred to that because Jesus said just as Jonah 220 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:17,280 was in the belly of the whale, oh, here we go. 221 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:21,400 So Jesus is talking legendary, He's talking legend to us. 222 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,280 It really didn't happen. So Jesus is talking to us 223 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:28,120 something that did not happen and it wasn't a parable. 224 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,040 He didn't say hear this parable, hear this story. 225 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,600 You know, he said just as that mean it, that means it happened. 226 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,320 And when you talk about Jonah and the world, you're talking 227 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,760 about the Ninevites and the Rogation period. 228 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,520 I won't go further. Lots, a lot has been spoken and 229 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:45,560 posted during the last few weeks. 230 00:15:45,720 --> 00:15:47,440 I think the message is being driven home. 231 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:53,000 So the Holy Spirit, we see, forbade and permitted, and Saint 232 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,720 Paul did nothing of his own will. 233 00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,360 Rather, whatever he did or he even didn't do, it was under the 234 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:01,400 impulse of the Spirit. This is how we ought to be in 235 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:06,360 the Church. You see, going back to when he 236 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,960 saw Saint Timothy, there was a good rapport about Saint 237 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:11,440 Timothy. That's why he took him for 238 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,120 himself. Likewise in the Church, that's 239 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:19,760 how acolytes need to be elected. Not because they are learned of 240 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:23,280 the Aramaic language and they know the structure of the 241 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:25,480 Vespers and the Matins and the Raza. 242 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:29,200 No, because we see a lot of acolytes that are very learned, 243 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,720 but they don't partake. They are not in the church and 244 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:37,160 they're living contrary to the to the calling as a, an acolyte 245 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:40,320 in the church. See, Paul didn't didn't see 246 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:42,920 Timothy was a young man and thought, hey, you know what, 247 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:45,920 he's talking a little bit. He knows about the old, the Old 248 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,440 Testament. He looks good. 249 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:49,920 His mother's a Jew, you know, let me take him with me. 250 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:52,280 No, he didn't. Hence he writes to I think it's 251 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:57,320 Saint Timothy or Saint Jude that do not lay your hand on anyone 252 00:16:57,320 --> 00:17:00,640 in haste. Allow the Spirit to juice 253 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:09,119 Ammonius of Alexandria, who according to Eusebus was origins 254 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:13,839 teacher rights. Therefore it is dangerous to 255 00:17:13,839 --> 00:17:18,280 despise what was done by Paul or investigate what was directed by 256 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:21,280 the Spirit. Listen to this very carefully. 257 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:29,000 This is opposition towards the apostolicity or the apostles or 258 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:33,080 the church itself. It is dangerous to despise what 259 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:36,960 was done by Paul the Apostle in verse 4. 260 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:39,520 What did we read? Let me read it to you again one 261 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,800 more time, just as a a refresher, as a reminder, 262 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,240 Stephen, I need to get really, really bigger fonts than this in 263 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,440 any case. And as they went through the 264 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:53,160 cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were 265 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:56,800 determined by the apostles elders at Jerusalem. 266 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:02,040 Therefore it is dangerous to despise what was done by Paul or 267 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:05,000 investigate what was directed by the Holy Spirit. 268 00:18:05,000 --> 00:18:09,200 Consequently. So we ought not to ask why the 269 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,160 Spirit did not allow Paul to preach in Asia. 270 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:17,600 We ought not to question the the canons, the decrees, the 271 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:22,840 doctrine, the dogma, the faith, the sacraments, the authority of 272 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,080 the apostles in the Apostolic Church. 273 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:32,440 We do not because the Apostolic Church is an extension to that 274 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:36,760 church that was established in the book of Acts that we read 275 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:43,960 about and we read in verse 4. They were preaching that they 276 00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:46,680 should adhere to the commandments of the apostles 277 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:50,920 because the apostles didn't question the Holy Spirit. 278 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,680 The apostles were guided by the Holy Spirit. 279 00:18:55,960 --> 00:19:01,480 When we when we oppose the apostles, we're not opposing 280 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,360 them personally. We're opposing their authority, 281 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:10,200 gifted graciously by the power of the holy, by the Holy Spirit. 282 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:15,960 We're then opposing the direction of the Holy Spirit and 283 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:19,320 we are then opposing the authority of the Holy Spirit. 284 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:26,320 So we don't, and hence that's why Saint Paul says be imitators 285 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:27,800 of me. I don't question the Holy 286 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,200 Spirit. You don't question those whom 287 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,120 the Holy Spirit is working through. 288 00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:36,320 Now, you may say, but everyone claims that the Holy Spirit is 289 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:37,880 working through them. Amen. 290 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,360 Amen to that. How do we determine, Robbie? 291 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:45,920 How do we determine two people claiming that the Holy Spirit 292 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:51,680 spoke to them, moved them, told them, but they differ? 293 00:19:53,880 --> 00:20:00,240 Well, you got to go back and see how the Holy Spirit moved and 294 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:11,560 spoke and what the Holy Spirit established pertaining to the to 295 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,360 the subject that they are differing with. 296 00:20:15,560 --> 00:20:20,000 For example, for example, priesthood, the authority of the 297 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,600 priest priesthood. You know, I heard the other day 298 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:27,200 a, a, a Protestant brother saying Jesus is the high priest 299 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,800 and I only have the high priest. I only believe in Jesus. 300 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,800 Wait, wait, OK, just relax. We all love Jesus. 301 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,640 By the way, my message to our brother Protestant brothers and 302 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:38,640 sisters, you're not the only one that love Jesus. 303 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:41,720 You think you're the only ones that love Jesus and you're the 304 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,640 only ones or the only faith and understanding that that really 305 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,040 respects Jesus. Let me tell you, let me ask you 306 00:20:48,040 --> 00:20:50,040 a question. Have you shed blood for Jesus 307 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:52,600 Christ? Have you shed blood? 308 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:56,240 No. This church, the church that I 309 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,880 belong to, the church that I serve as an unworthy servant of 310 00:20:59,880 --> 00:21:03,080 Christ, has shed blood for the Lord Jesus Christ. 311 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:07,720 And those who shed blood for the Lord Jesus Christ, according to 312 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:10,520 the Book of Revelation are not sleep talking. 313 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:12,760 They're not dead, they're not sleep talking. 314 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:16,120 They're at the altar crying out to the to the lamb. 315 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:20,240 How long, O Lord, on our behalf? So they're interceding Sola 316 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:23,160 scriptura. Go read the Book of Revelation 317 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:25,120 and come back and, and tell me I'm wrong. 318 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:26,960 I'm more than happy to listen to you. 319 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,080 So don't think you're the only one that loves the Lord Jesus 320 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,280 Christ. I'm sorry, no. 321 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,520 So if you're saying Jesus is the high priest of which priesthood? 322 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,680 Which priesthood? Someone was arguing with me. 323 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:45,760 Why do you call your bishops Lord with a small L? 324 00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:49,680 And Lord means that they are the Lord of the of the of the flock. 325 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,160 Why do you call them Lords? Well, why do we call kings? 326 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:55,320 Why do we have kings? There are kings out there. 327 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:01,400 And who is the king of kings? Who is the King of kings? 328 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:07,520 Jesus praise his name, Amen. He is the king with a uppercase 329 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:12,160 K who are the small case lowercase K himself also, he's 330 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,440 king for himself. That's, you know, that's that's 331 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:20,800 trying to just to, you know, derail the, the, the argument 332 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,640 because it's going against you. No, the King of Kings, the Lord 333 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:29,080 of Lords, Jesus Christ, my Lord, my Savior, the Lord of the 334 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,360 Savior is the Lord of the Lords within the church. 335 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,600 So be careful, beloved, We must be cautious. 336 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,520 When we go against the apostles, we're going against the Holy 337 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,600 Spirit. We're going against the Father, 338 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:46,640 the Son, and the Holy Spirit because that's where it was 339 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,280 originated. That's who established the the 340 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,280 Apostolic mission or the Apostolic authority. 341 00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:58,280 Hence Paul writes that we all our church listen, go and read 342 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:02,080 it. 1 I think it's one thing I'm not I'm not biblically versed to 343 00:23:02,360 --> 00:23:05,120 Bang Bang, no, no, no, and I don't believe that that means I 344 00:23:05,120 --> 00:23:07,480 love the Lord more than someone who doesn't know the the the 345 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,160 Bible. No, no, no, no, no, but I know 346 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:11,760 it's there. I know if you Google it, build 347 00:23:11,760 --> 00:23:13,400 upon the foundation of the apostles. 348 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,920 Maybe someone's going to, you know, type it up and, and in the 349 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:20,160 in the comments, build upon the foundation of the apostles. 350 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,240 And that's what we learned from Saint Paul, verses 9 and 10. 351 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:28,040 Notice something Luke writes in verses 9 and 10. 352 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:31,840 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night, a man this time a 353 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:34,880 man, not the Holy Spirit or not an Angel, a man. 354 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:36,720 And this is a vision, not a dream. 355 00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:42,000 Appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and 356 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,920 pleaded with him, saying come over to Macedonia and help us. 357 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,320 Now after he had sent, he had seen the vision. 358 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:52,760 That's Paul. Immediately we notice. 359 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:58,480 But when Paul saw the vision, we yes, pronouns change, right? 360 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:04,800 We Paul, he and we most likely Saint Luke had joined them in 361 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:07,520 this missionary work. Hence St. 362 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:12,880 Luke writes the Gospel and a a continuation of the Gospel is 363 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:17,440 the book of the act. So now we know where Saint Luke 364 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:22,440 got all these information from. Though he was an A disciple or 365 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:28,520 an apostle, he heard, he examined, and he witnessed, as 366 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:36,960 he continues with Saint Paul and Saint Timothy, the vision no 367 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:41,480 longer an Angel. As Philip saw in Acts chapter 8 368 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:46,160 verse 26, an Angel told him to go to the Ethiopian Cornelius 369 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:50,120 who who was a devout fearer of God. 370 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:54,000 The Angel came to him and Acts chapter 10 verse 3 to tell him 371 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,280 that go, St. Peter is coming, he's going to 372 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:02,400 tell you what you need to do through the vision of a man, not 373 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:07,760 longer an Angel or Holy Spirit. No need for a more divine sort 374 00:25:09,120 --> 00:25:13,920 because Saint Paul was truly obedient to God. 375 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,000 When the Holy Spirit said don't, he didn't question. 376 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:20,920 He didn't need the Holy Spirit. He didn't need an Angel, a man. 377 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:22,840 We don't know who the man is. We don't know. 378 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,160 Possibly Jesus, we don't know, right? 379 00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:29,560 There is a reason why we don't know because we don't question. 380 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,200 Oh, but who was this man? It doesn't matter. 381 00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:38,040 It was divinely inspired and it was pertaining to the to the 382 00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:41,680 work of God. Anyone can God can use anyone 383 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:43,200 beloved. I was having a conversation with 384 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:47,040 a beautiful beloved brother of mine who said, well, you know, 385 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:51,360 if we keep saying, you know, we try and try and try and doesn't 386 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:53,000 work and we say, well, God will do it. 387 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,480 Why doesn't God do it himself? It was in a in a, you know, 388 00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:01,360 humor is just it's it. God's work is unfathomable. 389 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:05,440 God will use whether you know, my reply was how do you know God 390 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:12,440 is not using you at that time? At times God works himself 391 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:16,840 through people, through circumstances, through events, 392 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:22,720 et cetera, but all by God, with God, through God, and for the 393 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:27,680 glory of God. God's works are supreme, 394 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,480 beloved, dominant. They are purposeful. 395 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,800 There's a reason they are meaningful. 396 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,480 They're not bland. They're determined. 397 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:39,960 They're perfect. They're faultless, flawless, 398 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:45,760 unfathomable, unfathomable, incomprehensible, unspeakable. 399 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,920 Romans Chapter 11, verses 32 to 36. 400 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,400 Permit me to read this to you. Let me share it with you. 401 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,600 Look at what Saint Paul writes. So beautiful. 402 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,160 Now try. Good luck trying to find these 403 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:03,120 verses. 33 Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and 404 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:07,160 knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his just 405 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:12,360 judgements and his ways past Find ways past finding out you 406 00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:16,440 can't understand them. For whom has known the mind of 407 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:21,120 the Lord, or who has become His counsellor, or who has first 408 00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:24,160 given to him, and it shall be repaid by him? 409 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,160 No, no one knows the work of God. 410 00:27:29,120 --> 00:27:33,800 But what God reveals for us is enough to know that He is God. 411 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:42,080 Praise and glory be to His name. And we know that in verse 10 412 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:44,600 they understood that it's God calling them. 413 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:48,600 And why does Saint Saint Luke write this? 414 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:51,760 Origin writes it beautifully. I think it was Origin. 415 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,320 Listen to this, listen shepherds of the churches, listen, God's 416 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:00,120 shepherds, His angels always come down from heaven and 417 00:28:00,120 --> 00:28:05,600 proclaim to you today a Savior is born for you, who is Christ 418 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:09,480 the Lord. Luke 211 For unless the shepherd 419 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,640 comes, the shepherd of the churches will be unable to guard 420 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,200 the flock well. Their custody is weak unless 421 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,920 Christ pastures and guards it along with them. 422 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,120 We read guards it along with them. 423 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,240 We read in the apostles, that is, in the epistles. 424 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:31,760 We are cover workers with God. God's doing the work one 425 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:36,720 Corinthians 39 A Good Shepherd who imitates the Good Shepherd. 426 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:42,280 A Good Shepherd who imitates the Good Shepherd is a coworker with 427 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:47,040 God and Christ. He is a Good Shepherd precisely 428 00:28:47,560 --> 00:28:51,960 because he has the best shepherd with him, pastoring his sheep 429 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,400 along with him. For God established in his 430 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,560 church apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and 431 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:02,040 teachers. He established everything for 432 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:06,760 the perfection of the Saints. Ephesians 411151 Corinthians 433 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:13,320 12/28 Let this suffice for a simpler explanation of what 434 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,880 Saint Luke is writing. Let God through means and ways 435 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,360 that he sees fitting it is God that is working in the church. 436 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:26,360 It is God that established the church and today remains that 437 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:30,000 remnants that remnants of that church remains beloved. 438 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,720 Those that you know when you tell me well how come there are 439 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,240 40,000 I believe of denominations. 440 00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:37,720 Well, the enemy has been working. 441 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:41,800 Every person has, has cropped up and thought, no, I don't 442 00:29:41,800 --> 00:29:45,600 believe, I don't feel, I think this is what God means. 443 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,240 And then has has taken, you know, a detour from the true 444 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:50,920 church. But no, the, the, the church is 445 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,360 the, the church that we read here in the apostles. 446 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,800 And they were attentive to God and they knew this is God's 447 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,360 work. We will go where God takes us. 448 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:06,160 Be attentive and be obedient. And this happens even more 449 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,720 during Lent, beloved. It's easier when we're in Lent, 450 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:14,520 when the body is being tamed and is being belittled, weakened, 451 00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:18,000 and the Spirit is alive. That's where you're attentive 452 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,800 and obedient to the calling, to the work, to the will of God. 453 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:23,920 Praise and glory be to his name now and there are all times and 454 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:25,640 forever. Amen. 455 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,640 We hope you enjoyed this week's message. 456 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,880 Please don't forget to rate and review this podcast and share 457 00:30:58,880 --> 00:31:02,240 with your friends and family. For any future topic suggestions 458 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:05,680 or to give us detailed feedback, please visit our link in the 459 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:10,080 show notes. Linktr dot EE forward slash 460 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,040 double edged sword. Until next time, God bless you 461 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:13,360 all.