Acts Chapter 7 & 8 vs 1-4

Do it.

Before we dive, and if you want to do a deep dive into the book of Acts, if you don't mind, um indulge me a little.

Here's key scriptures I want you to always hold true to in your heart and your mind.

Go to 2 Corinthians real quickly.

Uh real quickly.

Um there is a difference.

There is a death ministry, which became the left hand of God after the day of Pentecost.

That hand was left behind.

Under that hand, you hadn't been called, did not have to be called of God, didn't have to be sent of God, didn't even have to be anointed of God.

All you had to be was born of the Aranic priesthood, the sons of Aaron, and you was in the priesthood.

Not so over here.

This is a different manifestation.

This is the manifestation of the grace of God.

It is the ministration of reconciliation.

If we will, just go over to 2 Corinthians real quickly.

I'm just going to touch two verse, just two verses, if I may, and keeping it real short.

It's just things that we never want to forget, uh, lose sight of.

My Bible's a little torn, so forgive me.

I might I may have to quote some of these scriptures.

Uh some pages are missing, worn out anyway.

If uh look at the third chapter, verse six.

He uses two different administrations, two different ministries.

Verse six is talking about God.

Um, verse four explains that this is Christ to God word, what God.

Not that we is talking about the New Testament ministry.

We have sufficiency, sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency of God.

That's who calls, that's who equipped us, that's who sent us.

Who God is the who has made us, that's the people whom God has called, anointed, and chosen, has made us able ministers of the New Testament, of the new covenant, not of the letter, it's not something carnal that's written in the table of stones, but of the spirit.

For the letters that is do's and don'ts, the law of Moses, all it does is kill.

But the spirit, that is the spirit of life through Christ Jesus, give it life.

Now, here's a comparison, and we'll go to the book of Acts.

But if the administration of death, that's the letter on the old Mosaic law, that's the old covenant.

He said, But if the administration of death written and engraven in stones, that's the two table of stones that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai, if it was glorious to the deterrence of Israel, could not steadfastly behold, that is, look into the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance, because he shined, because in the presence of God, which glory, this in this term, was to be done wow, away.

That's the old covenant.

How shall not the administration of the spirit, that's the new covenant, be rather glorious?

It's greater glory.

Verse 9 for the administration of condemnation, that's the old testament, if it be glory, much more do the administration of righteousness, that's the new covenant, exceed in glory.

Those are some strong terms, Paul.

Those are some very strong terms.

But that's the difference.

There's an old covenant, the administration of death, and then there is the administration of life, of life.

And so that was brought into manifestation starting on the day of Pentecost.

And just a quick rehab to bring us up.

We will, we will um get the chapter.

I think we're in the seventh chapter.

Yes, we'll get it covered, but I just want to show you something, if I may, by the grace of God.

Uh, I'm gonna start from the first chapter that I can dispel in it doubts.

It's not just the what, it's the how, it's the what, what, the how, why, and the where.

It matters.

If we can't see the where, we can't see the how and the why and the what, then we really don't have a vision.

And without a vision, it's all just myth, it's just a fairy tale.

Uh and of course, in a time of trying, uh, we'll faint because our strength is weak.

We don't have a true vision of what God is doing.

So when he started off, the transformation went from the law of Moses until the full implementation of the law of grace took time.

What was somewhat confusing, and so here's one reason it took time, Brother Jaden Malachi uh Brown.

Here's why.

Because the initial when the church, Jesus didn't tell them everything at first, and it was a reason.

Uh, did you know that for the first three and a half years, the revelation that the law of grace in Christ Jesus was not part of the law of Moses.

It was like to them an enlightenment, it was a step further.

But no, that's not the truth.

It was a complete separation.

But because God was working with the nation of Israel in the last three and a half years before he would judge them eternally.

I want you to get these terms.

Write them down.

There is a there's a judgment, and then there's an execution.

You can be judged and not yet the judgment are executed.

That happens quite a bit, even in your natural court system.

Person can be sentenced for 20 years, and yet sometimes they'll give them up to six months, depending on uh how much affairs they have, especially if they had wealth, to give their house an order for this 20-year sentence.

It may be three months, it may be two months.

If you don't have a lot of money, if they give you any grace, they may give you two or three weeks because you have businesses or you're renowned in the community.

It gives you a chance.

And so there's a judgment you found guilty and you've been sentenced to 10, 20 years, but it's not implemented until the time they appoint.

And so, what the reason I'm giving you this is because what was still in session, spiritually speaking, for the nation of Israel, or as Paul calls them, Israel after the flesh.

That's natural Israel.

Uh it was still in session.

Jesus Christ first began to judge uh at range truth.

And then Jesus said, He said, I'm not gonna judge you, but your your children.

That is the truth of uh Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

They're gonna judge you.

Well, they didn't say you're damned.

How they judged them was by preaching the truth.

And everyone who could hear the truth who was weak, and he put them in the garner.

Everyone else who heard it, scorned it, ridiculed, wouldn't make the transition, they judged themselves of the unworthy of eternal life.

And so then the Lord pulled the shades down on him.

The Bible said he uh, how he put it, it's some hard speech, but they bound him with everlasting chains of darkness.

That's eternal darkness, that you can't see the light.

Uh, and of course, the conclusion of the court was three and one half years after Christ was crucified, resurrected, ascended to heaven, and sent back the Holy Ghost.

That was the last of the seventh week of Daniel.

The first seven, three and a half years, Christ preached.

The apostles, they finished out his week.

That's a week of years.

Week means seventh.

They finished out his week, they finished proclaiming the gospel to the Jews only because their case was being judged.

They was on uh on trial.

They were not by what Jesus did while he was here, but by what the apostles did.

And so from chapter one all the way to chapter eight, God was trying to gather the last bit of wheat out of that threshing flow of Israel.

He's putting them in the New Testament church, and the rest will be judged with unquenchable fire, where the worm died not, and the fire of the judgment is never quenched until it was totally consumed.

I hope you can follow me.

And since court was in session, he started off with where they were.

That is, the one who was trying to follow the Lord.

He wasn't out in the streets and highways and hedges yet, yet, he first bid uh those who was bitten to the wedding, which was the Jews, to come.

And then when they did not come, then and only then he told them to go out into the highways and hedges and compel men.

That's the Samaritans, that's the Gentiles, to come into the banquet.

Are you following me so far?

Give me a thumbs up.

Do I have any questions on what I've said?

I'm just trying to give you the backdrop.

So, where were the devout Jews gathered?

They were instructed 1500 years to gather three times a year in Jerusalem.

Every male, the reason he said male, he's the head of the house.

Every male had to appear three times a year.

It was their pass for the unleavened bread, which unleavened bread included the Passover.

And that's what Christ died on the Passover.

He was a sacrificial lamb that caused the death angel to pass over.

The blood had to be applied to the lentils and the doorposts.

Then they went seven days and eating unleavened bread.

And after 49 days later, after the first wave offering, which was just Christ, he was the first uh fruits of those that slept.

He was the first that was presented to God, he was the first overcomer.

49 days after that was what was called Pentecost.

Pentecost was the first fruits gathering.

All the first fruits come into the garner.

And so all the devout Jews from all over the known Mediterranean world went back to Jerusalem on this feast of Pentecost.

Uh, they were there before for Passover.

And that was one more is going to be called the Endgether or the Feast of Weeks.

But that's at the end of the year.

So they're there.

Everybody devout.

And where would they be?

They were going to be at the temple because that's where they were commanded together.

They couldn't all go into the to the sanctuary because that was reserved for the priests only.

But what they had was courtyards with covers.

And uh they had various names.

The largest would be in, by some estimations, I took the time to research it, between four and five hundred feet long.

Thousands of people was able to gather there.

And so they're there because they were compelled by the law of most for 1500 years to be there.

And not only was they there, this is where the church is going to be birthed, and this is where they will return every single day until court was over.

Court would not be over until they put the first martyr to death, until they killed the first righteous man under the grace of God that was in the kingdom of God.

Because Jesus said, Which of the prophets have your father not killed?

And so, upon this generation, which is 40 years, upon this generation shall all the righteous blood that was shed on the earth be required of you.

And so he prophesied what was going to happen.

Court was in session.

And so everything, based on my understanding, and I can substantiate it with the scriptures, everything that happened happened at the court.

And the court was Solomon's temple for the people, but it was Sodom's court.

It was the temple.

He considers a fallen ashamed.

I did consider it.

It's erroneous.

It's absolutely erroneous, and I'll prove that when we get to it.

Everything happened there because this is where court was in session.

This is where the word of God was going forth.

Here is where the righteous fruit was gathered.

And here is where he's going to continue until court was over.

They didn't live there.

They went there three times a day.

Morning prayer, noon prayer, evening prayer.

And so three times a day they had a chance.

People just come, they hear the word of God.

And then it was broken down, that's for the masses.

And then it was broken down into house setting.

As many people could hold in a house.

When it was broken down into a smaller group.

And so people who was really hungry and thirsting after righteousness, they went to homes and they were ministered to.

It was broken down to them the things that were said in public.

And so people's eyes got they already had a background because they was devout and there was Jewish people.

And that was God's old covenant people.

He was in covenant relationship with them.

Okay, just a real synopsis, but we'll go too quick.

I'll do it myself today.

Chapter one, the misunderstanding is in verse uh uh 13.

And this is 11 after Christ ascended, and they was come in, they went into an upper room.

And this is the misconception that's in the religious and church world.

The reason they got that is again because Charles Parthing, back in the uh 1890s, uh, he taught about the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Pentecost experience, and he, erroneous or mistakenly, assumed that because this is where these 11 people was biding, this is where the Holy Ghost fell.

And that's not the truth.

William Seymour, who was one of his students once he went to Houston, by the way, he had to sit outside and listen, and they left the door open because he was black, he was not permitted to come inside.

And he heard the message, and so he repeated the words he was said.

He was he heard.

And so when he went to California to a holiness church, began to preach the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence to speak in other tongues, it was pastored by a woman, and she locked the door so he couldn't come in.

And so he went down to an Azusa stable and converted into a church, but he preached the same message that he heard Brother Charles Hawthorne preach.

And that it was an upper room.

And everybody on the earth, I'm sorry, in the United States who received the Holy Ghost back in the 1906, that revival when it started, imitated what he had told them.

It still was wrong.

And so a misinterpretation is if it's repeated thousands and thousands of times, it becomes sensed in the minds of people's psych.

Well, let's we're we're in a different dispensation or restoration.

And so I want this to be real to you.

3,000 people cannot get in an upper room.

120 men and women can't even live in an upper room.

And so, how do these people here?

Well, this is how the upper room is just telling you who lived there.

Verse 14, let me go a little faster.

These all, what all?

The eleven.

They continue with one accord in prayer and supplication.

Where do they go for prayer and supplication?

To the temple.

You'll see that.

You'll see that.

With the women, and not just with women, mostly talking about their wives, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, with his brethren, because his brother didn't believe until he was crucified, and the mother was with them.

Then you can begin to see he said, and in those days, Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples.

Well, and the number and said, the number of the names together about 120.

From this verse, verse 15, is when they was in the temple.

He was in prayer in the temple.

But he's talking to the seven and began to tell them okay, there's only 11.

One of the men who was with us from the beginning of Jesus' ministry, starting from the day he was baptized by John until the day he was taken up, back here in Acts 1, verse uh uh nine and 10.

Someone had to be there.

And of course, they all gave their voices, and Matthias, which is one of the two, was chosen to be one of the 11 with the 11, so now he's 12.

But again, the feast they hadn't yet started.

And then you get to chapter 2.

And when the day of Pentecost, a very particular day, was now fully come, that is now it's daytime.

There was with all, I want you to underline this, they were all with one accord in one place.

He doesn't specify what place, but the terminology would be used redundantly.

One accord in one place.

And as you go on, it begins to unfold like peeling an orange or grapefruit or even onion.

You keep peeling layers back, and you'll get it.

And then the inauguration of this wonderful day that Christ had told them they would be baptized with this wonderful spirit, not many days hence.

Verse 4, they were filled with the Holy Ghost and the evidence they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance.

And I won't read the rest of this, but there was devout Jews, as he says in verse 4, from under heaven five, I'm sorry, uh, from every nation, that is, in that Mediterranean world, under the heaven.

It's not talking about the uh India, it's not talking about Asia, not talking about Europe, because God's people was in that area, the Mediterranean.

He's talking about the people of God first.

The judgment of God was for the Jews only.

When Christ sent them out, he told them, don't go into the house of the uh the ways of the Samaritans or any of the Gentiles, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

It's the last seven years.

Christ was ministering to them exclusively, and the apostle was ministering to them exclusively, because court is still in session, until the seventy weeks was fulfilled that happened while I let you read it.

Uh, and of course, they heard these people speak in tongues, and then the multitude came together.

How can you come together into the upper room?

No, nobody knew what you're doing in the upper room.

They were on it in Solomon's temple at the porch at the temple, forgive me.

And every man heard him speak in the tongues.

Okay, that's wonderful.

And so, uh, as they was named some of the nations, verse 14, real quick, Peter standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and look who he's talking to.

You men of Judea.

Judea was the country of Israel, and uh and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem.

That's the capital, that's the city.

He's talking to the Jews only.

Be this known unto you and hearken to my words.

That's his who he was talking to.

Okay, go down a little bit further.

Verse 22.

Ye men of Israel, again, not everybody, just the Jews.

Hear these words.

Either Nazareth man approved a god among you by miracles and signs, which God has by him, God did by him in the midst of you, you Jews.

You yourself know, and it goes on to tell how you actually put him to death.

You put him to death.

And when he finished preaching, 3 verse 41, then they that glad it received his word, because everybody who heard it didn't believe it, because it was thousands of people.

But those that did, the same day there was added to them 3,000 souls.

You can't hear someone in the upper room.

They'll tell you where this is happening at as you begin to read a little bit further.

Go down to verse 46.

And they, what they, the one that heard and was baptized, they continue underline this.

They and they continue daily, daily, with one accord in the temple.

That means the temple compound.

It was very massive.

It was extended by King Herod.

It was massive.

They continued daily, underline that, with one accord in the temple.

So now, see that term one accord?

That's the same one you read in chapter one.

And chapter two telling you where this one accord happened.

And not only that, and breaking bread from house to house.

Wow.

And of course, because of that wasn't the end, that was the beginning.

And they was praising God, having favor with all the people because of how they conducted themselves.

It was all Jews anyway.

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Who's who should be saved?

Verse 41 again.

They that gladly received the word.

That's the ones, and no one else.

Then in chapter 3, I'm gonna walk you up to it.

I want to prove without any reservation, consideration, doubt, schism.

I want to show you this.

So no one can bamboozle you with some conjectural ideas and thoughts that they can't prove with the scriptures.

I am submitting to you a preponderance of evidence that from until Stephen was stoned, everything occurred at the temple where God was operating, where court was in session, not some private back room, a private group, none of that.

Court is in session to the Jews and the Jews only.

Let's keep reading.

And now, Peter, this is another day.

Now Peter and John went up together, here it is, into the temple.

And later it's going to tell you where in the temple, at the hour of prayer, and telling you which one.

This is being the ninth hour.

There he performed the miracle.

He performed the miracle and he preached the gospel.

And he's telling you where at the temple.

Chapter 2, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, at the temple.

Why?

Because that's where the Jews was gathered and the Jews only, and God is judging the Jews and the Jews only.

Not as individual, but as a nation.

And every individual could hear it, receive it, be baptized, come into the kingdom, or you were free to reject it.

When he heard it, it was called wheat that was put into the gorner, which is the New Testament church of the kingdom of heaven.

If you heard and you reject it, then you're called shath.

That's going to be bundled together in your denominations to be burned in 70 AD when God execute the judgment upon these people, finding them unworthy of life.

Okay.

Now, chapter 3.

Uh I think I'll pick it up in the 10th verse, just real quickly, keep moving.

And when they knew that it was he, this is his man that Peter performed the miracle on, he was lame at the beautiful gate, here it is, of the temple.

Same thing you're reading, verse 1, at the temple.

They were filled with wonders and amazement in that which had happened unto him.

And when the lame man, which was healed, held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's.

Greatly wonder.

This is where the court is held in session.

This is the what?

Why?

Because God is making a last appeal to Israel as a nation.

Not that Jews couldn't be saved, but not because you're a Jew, it's because you heard the gospel and came in.

Not as a nation, because now it's going to spread out after this.

Okay, write that one down.

3 and 11.

It tells you not just the temple, it tells you where.

In the porch that's called Solomon's.

Wow.

And then, of course, as Peter was preaching, the people got upset.

What people?

The religious people who didn't believe.

Chapter 4, verse 1.

And as they, who's today?

That's Peter and the apostles.

As they spake unto the people, what people?

To the Jewish people who was at the temple on Solomon's porch, the priest.

Wow.

And the captain of the temple.

And the Sadducees, which basically was the priest, they was the wealthy one, they was the ruling element, came upon them.

Watch this, being grieved that they taught the people.

Why did they teach them?

At the temple on Solomon's porch and priest through Jesus, this was the offense, the resurrection of the dead.

They confiscated them.

But because the miracle was done, they couldn't deny it.

They had to let them go.

So what do they do?

They threaten them.

They tell them, Don't you preach anymore in this name?

Of course, Peter, now he's not the same Peter who before, when they held trial on Jesus at the temple, he ran.

He denied him.

This time he has the Holy Ghost and he has holy boldness.

And so they threatened him.

But Peter responded, We all should obey God rather than man.

And after they finished threatening, verse 23, and being let go, they went to their own company, not in homes, not the back room, but right back on Solomon's porch, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders, that's the rulers of Israel, had said unto them.

And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God.

Here we go again, with one accord, and began to quote Psalms 2, verse 31.

And when they had prayed, uh oh, my God, heaven responded.

The place was shaken, not the whole temple, where they were assembled together on Solomon's porch.

And then God strengthened them again.

They was all filled with the Holy Ghost.

That's not a refilling, that's a sagiration again.

And they spake the word of God, here it is, with boldness.

Wow.

And not everybody, but the multitude that believed, faith without works is dead.

They was baptized, no doubt received the Holy Ghost, were of one heart and one soul.

So much, neither said any of them that all of the things which he possessed was his own.

Because though they were put out of the synagogues, because they confessed Christ, they stayed with God's people, even though they couldn't sell their merchandise.

That's okay.

The people of God had made provisions for them by giving everything they had to this great cause.

Okay.

Now, of course, chapter 5.

We can see Ananias and Sapphira.

He decided he wanted to be a part of the great work of God, but his heart.

Sometimes people can have money, they can have wealth, they don't have the ability to give.

What do you mean have the ability to give?

Their heart won't let them.

Why won't their heart let them?

Because that's their treasure.

Jesus said, Well, man's treasure is that will his heart be also.

So they couldn't give because of their heart wasn't right.

They should have left these people alone.

Court was in session.

Not only when you got a white throne judgment, and you got a righteous of perfected hearts of people judging, the judgment's going to be swift and it's going to be eternal.

And so you can see here, eternal judgment.

Because when they verse one and two, a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife, they sold a possession, it was there, but they kept back part of the price.

What made that so wrong is because everybody else was doing this.

And you pretending to be a part.

If you're not on that level, then just don't be on that level.

Don't pretend to be something you're not.

But they didn't know where they were, and they didn't know their court was in session and eternal judgment was transpired.

And of course, you know this what happens.

Peter being filled with the Holy Ghost asks him, and why?

Why have you look at verse three?

Peter says, Ananias, why have Satan?

And I emphasize the word Satan, the word Satan means the adversary.

Why have he filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and kept back part?

That is, of the price of the land?

And so, verse four is going to show you who Satan was.

While it remained, was it not thy own?

And after it was so, was it not in our own poem?

Why has thou conceived this thing?

Why has thou the thought Satan did it?

Yeah, you are saved.

You're working against God.

Why hast thou or Satan conceived this thing in thy heart?

They hadn't lied to men.

Court is in session.

You lied to God.

And of course, Anani felt dead.

Then his wife came in a few hours later.

She felt dead.

This was all on Solomon's porch.

Verse 11.

Great fear came upon the church, and as many as not just them, but people who heard what was happening, as many as heard these things.

And watch those people.

Again, verse 12.

And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people.

Again, and they was all, look at the emphasis, they was all with one accord.

Look at the terminology, but it's telling you now, without any reasonable doubt, by a preponderance of repeat, is in Solomon's porch.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6 was on Solomon's porch.

Now, and the believers was more added to the Lord, more multitudes of men and women.

Why?

Because they had an audience.

They went to the same place every day, three times a day to pray.

No doubt as they pray and they get to feel the anointing of God, they proclaim the gospel to the Jews only, redundantly.

They're not going into off shoots backward, this group that grew, not even to another synagogue.

They was doing business for the Lord.

Only.

But the angel of the Lord.

By night, he opened the prison and brought them forth and said, You go.

I want you to watch this, watch this terminology, and stand and speak in the temple to all the people, to the people of all this world.

In the temple.

If it's changed location, it would tell you.

Anything else is conjecture.

It's not the truth.

Ideals and thoughts, but Paul tells us to speak to things that are sound, things you can prove, and nothing else.

Everybody got ideas.

Keep your ideas to yourself.

If you want to get it tested, we have meetings that we can prove things.

But don't present something that's not at least tested, tried, discussed, because I'm gonna blow it up.

I'm gonna blow it up.

Here we go.

And then uh what did I stop?

Okay.

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple and got put in prison in the evening.

They got let go that night by the angel.

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple.

Wow, early in the morning, right on back, the angel let them go.

They went to the upper room or wherever they were aboarding.

The next morning, they got back in the temple and taught.

But the high priest came and there was with them.

They called the council, that's the Sanhedrin council, the seventy rulers, and called all the senate.

That's a council, the seventy of Israel, sent to the prison to have them brought.

But they weren't there.

And the high priest, verse 24, when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priest heard these things, they doubted, man, what's going to happen?

But then came one and told him, saying, Behold, the men whom you put in prison, they're standing in the temple.

What temple?

Out on the outer call of Solomon's porch.

That's where they are.

And they're teaching the people.

Wow.

So they go get them and they bring them in.

Peter said, Listen, we ought to obey, verse 29.

We ought to be God rather than man.

He began to preach the gospel all over again.

And this time they beat them, they gave them a beating.

And verse 42.

Look at verse 41.

This is after they beat them.

What verse 40?

And he said, and to him they agreed.

And when they called the apostle because they set them up aside, they beat them and they commanded them again.

Listen to this do not speak in the name of Jesus.

And they let them go.

What do you think they went?

They went right on back into Solomon's porch, out there again.

And they departed from the present of the council, the seventy, rejoicing that they were counted worthy of self ashamed.

And look at verse 42.

And daily, daily, daily in the temple, and in every house they ceased not to teach nor to preach Jesus Christ.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5.

Why?

Where?

In the temple.

Why?

Because they're judging Israel to bring in all the wheat into the corner.

Then when 70 AD came, there was not one grain of wheat left.

Now, problem.

You get people, you get problems.

And in those days, when the number of disciples, verse 1, uh was multiplied, there rose a murmuring of the Grecians.

These Grecians is not Greeks, these are Jewish people from Greek-speaking countries.

And they took on Hellenistic customs because the Grecians against the Hebrews, that's the people who was Hebrew-speaking, people who lived there in Jerusalem or Judea, because their widows was neglected.

And of course, from that you can begin to see the apostles say, look, it's not fit that we should leave the word of God in prayer and serve tables.

You, he's talking to those 70 and no other elves who would no doubt have grown at the time.

You look out among you seven men, seven men full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom and faith that we can put over this matter.

And they took seven of those men, and they look at verse six, whom they set before the apostles.

This is the now you see in the doctrine laying on the hands, which I didn't, I'll go through it some other time.

In chapter two, you see water baptism.

Uh, you see the preaching of the resurrection of the dead, you're gonna see preaching of uh repentance from dead works.

But let me finish this out first.

And the word of God increased.

They laid hands on them in verse seven, and so the word of God increased in the number of disciples in Jerusalem, they multiplied in Jerusalem, and not only so, but a great couple of the priests they came over, and then he's showing you this man.

He's one of the seven that was adain in the earlier verse, verse seven, the names in verse six, they was a dain, and then they told you these men was not some grass cutters, they wasn't somebody counting the money, they wasn't somebody hiring the priest, it wasn't somebody serving great juice and crackers.

These were able ministers of the New Testament, and Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders, and not only that, and miracles among the people.

What people?

The Jews.

Verse 9 is where who's of a different opinion.

I don't know why, because it's very plain.

Verse 9, and there arose certain of the synagogue, which was called the synagogue of the Libertines, and these are groups of people.

One group was from a synagogue of the Libertines, and then there was another group which was Cyrenians, then there was another group, which was Alexander, and there was another was some of them of the Silicon and of Asia.

It's telling you who was contending, but they're not contending in their temple, in their synagogue.

That's not what it says.

It'll be identifying who they were, not where they were.

That's a conjecture.

That's not the truth.

Everything that happened is happening on the temple.

And this is the group where they came from.

And by the way, no doubt people, synagogues where they gathered on the Sabbath day and did their thing.

That's okay.

But you had different people, different synagogues who have different ideas and different groups.

These particular ones is of a certain synagogue of the libertines, that's one.

The Cyrenians, that's another group.

The Alexander, that's another group, and them of Celissa, that's another group of Asia, disputing and of Asia, that's another group.

They was disputing or arguing with Stephen.

They weren't arguing in some synagogue.

That's not the truth.

And they, what they the one, the groups he just named, these are groups.

They was not able to resist or overcome the wisdom and spirit by which he spoke.

You know why?

Because he was speaking by the inspiration of the Almighty.

He was called, he was gifted, and he was sent out.

He could not be resisted.

And that's not what they just did.

They suborned man.

That is, they said, uh, they instigated men to stand with them.

They support men, which said, we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.

Where are they saying these things?

They standing on Solomon's porch.

They continued with him on Solomon's porch, and he got some other men to feed into that to say some things against them, uh, against Moses and against God.

Well, it was teaching that the law of Moses had passed, and now God has implemented something new.

It was the New Testament.

But they thought it was a belief or understanding God is just moving Israel on.

He didn't understand there's going to be a separation.

And of course, it wasn't until after they saw Stephen against Moses and against God.

And watch what they did.

They stirred up the people.

Where?

On Solomon's porch.

And the elders and the scribes.

And they came upon him.

Where?

He was on Solomon's porch like everybody else was.

And they caught him and brought him to the council.

They didn't drag him from down the street around the corner.

Uh no, he wasn't dragged from some synagogue.

He was in the same place that they wore in chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 2.

Said, this man ceased not to speak blasphemy word against his holy place.

23rd chapter Matthews, 24th, I'm sorry.

Jesus told them the stone, the day was going to come, that it wouldn't be left one stone upon another, but all gonna be thrown down.

That was against the temple.

That's what it's making reference to.

And it is passed, now we're under the law of Christ.

That wasn't blasphemous, word, it was blasphemy against what they believed.

And it was offended because they teaching the people that.

He said, Moses said, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

But I say, Who's ever looking at a woman to lust after her have committed adultery already in his heart?

It's not govern the outer man, it's govern the inner man.

And they took that to be an offense.

And verse 15, and all that said in the council, that's a Sanhedrin council, looking steadfast on him, saw his face, and it had been the face of an angel.

What do you mean by that?

That means his continence changed because now the Spirit of God is filling him again.

He's already baptized, and he's going to open his mouth as soon as he gave him a chance.

Verse 7, chapter 7.

Then said the priest, Are these things so?

Is this the truth?

Watch this man.

I want you to watch him.

He didn't take out any notebook, he didn't go get a stow-balled sermon.

He opened his mouth.

He was so well read, he's so understanding, so illuminated, he didn't have to use any crutches or any fillers.

He opened his mouth.

And look what he said.

Men and brethren and fatherings, talking to all of Israel.

The God of glory appeared unto our father.

That's talking about the father of the Jews, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, unto our father Abraham, when he was yet in Mesopotamia.

He's going to walk you through your pedigree.

He's going to help you to understand God was trying to establish something from the beginning before he dwelt in Haran.

This is just a rendering called sharding, but Is Heran.

Okay, here we go, verse five.

And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred.

This is the 12th chapter of the book of Genesis, starting from verse 1, and come to the land which I will I shall show thee.

And he came out of the land of Shaldin, and he dwelt in Haran.

And from hence, when his father was dead, he that is God removed him into this land where you now dwell.

He didn't give him an inheritance, verse 5.

No, not so much as to set his foot on, yet promised that he would give it to him for a possession.

He never ever owned it himself.

God promised him by faith.

And to his seed, that's his natural descendant here.

After him, when he had no children.

And God spake on this wise.

This is no unique writing on this wise.

Nobody speaks like that, but Luke.

You see that in the gospel of Luke, he says, On this wise, this is how it happened.

That's interesting terminology.

That his seed, he's talking about his natural seed, Israel, would sojourn in a strange land.

Wow.

And they that and shall bring them into bondage.

That's when he went into Egypt, and entreat them even for 400 years.

And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, that's Israel, I will judge, said the Lord.

And after that they shall come forth and serve me in this place, that is, in Canaan.

That's how they got there.

He was re-rehearsing it to them.

And he gave them the covenant.

I want you to underline this term.

He gave him, that's Abraham, the covenant of circumcision.

And every male had to be circumcised to be in covenant relationship with God.

And Abraham begat Isaac.

That's how he got into the covenant, and circumcised him the eighth day.

And Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelfth patriarch, they was all circumcised.

And the patriarchs, being moved with envy, he's speeding you up and walking you through their soul, Joseph, into Egypt.

But I love this term, but God was with him.

Wow.

And delivered him out of all his afflictions.

Let me inject this.

Doesn't matter what you go through.

The question to be asked is, God, are you with me in this?

Are you with me?

Even if I'm being chastised, help me to see the chastise.

Help me to see the correction.

And even if you're judging something in me, Lord, I still will submit.

I want to see what you're saying.

Are you with me?

Let's keep reading.

I don't want trying to preach.

I'm trying to teach this message real plain.

And by the way, he's talking, he's on Solomon's, no, I'm sorry, he's at the temple.

Not in the Solomon's porch now.

He's in the temple at the Sanhedrin Council.

Everything, chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, it don't leave the temple and start going other places until they stone Stephen and persecution arise.

When they stone Stephen, God is through with Israel.

He's cutting them off.

And so now he's not preaching just at the temple, because that is over with.

He's still dealing with Israel as a nation, and now it's to the Samaritans and to the Gentiles, and it's whosoever will.

Remember, he said, you shall be witnessed in Jerusalem?

That's Jerusalem.

It's at the temple.

Nowhere else.

Then Judea.

It spreads out into the countrysides.

And Samarita, you'll see that in the eighth chapter.

Then up to the uttermost parts of the world.

You see that preceding chapters.

So keep the order and understand the what?

It's the judgment of the Jews.

The where is at the temple where the people came, the devout people came.

Why?

Because he establishing a whole new kingdom of heaven, not just the kingdom of God, and it is the kingdom of God, but the spirit is the kingdom of heaven.

And so I want you to follow this and don't be diffused, confused, don't be sidetracked.

Don't get woolly ideas.

Stay focused.

With the things that are sound, through the preponderance of scriptures.

Keep your mind locked down like a laser.

Everything else, block it.

Just block it.

Stick with the book, chapter, verse.

Book, chapter, verse.

Nothing else.

It can't be substantiated with the scripture.

It means nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

Let's keep reading now.

And the patriarch moved with envy.

And so Joseph, I read that.

He delivered him out of his affliction, gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and made him, that is, even through the Pharaoh, governor over Egypt and all his.

That's the Pharaoh's house.

He didn't just govern Egypt, he governed the Pharaoh's house.

And there came a drought over all the land of Egypt, and not just Egypt, Canaan, because God's going to make his brothers come and bow before him, who sold him.

And that was great affliction.

Our fathers, wow, Jacob and all of your 12 11 brothers, fathers as well, they found no substance, there was no food to eat.

And when Jacob heard that there was corn, natural food in Egypt, he sent our fathers first, the other 11 brothers, or 10 brothers.

And the second time, Joseph was made known unto his brethren.

First time, they didn't know that he was because years had passed, and he looked like an Egyptian.

Wow.

And Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.

Joseph brought him exposed.

This is my family.

Then sent Joseph, called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindreds.

And the total of them, because Joseph was already there, he and his two sons was three score and fifteen souls, all that came out of the lawn.

They're going to hate him.

They're going to stone on him.

It was over with.

Now they're going to scatter to the Samaritans, I'm sorry, Judeans, and other most parts of the world.

Your favor with God is over.

It's over with.

So uh verse 15.

So Jacob went down into Egypt and died.

But Jacob had a revelation that don't you bury me here, just like his son Joseph said, Don't you uh don't you bury me here in Egypt?

There's no resurrection in this ungodly world.

You take my bone in the land.

And verse 16, and was carried over into Shekem and laid in a sepulchre.

That's just a tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of sum of money from him.

I don't know what happened.

My uh computer went down.

When I was in Pentecost, I'd say the devil got in it, but that's okay.

It gotta be the glory.

Back.

Can you all hear me?

Give me a thumbs up if you can hear me.

They can't hear me.

Oh, yes, they can.

There we go.

I'm good.

Right, good.

Let me pick back up.

I didn't bring my watch.

What time is it?

Oh, I got plenty.

Okay.

Fasting your seatbelt, saints.

Let's let's run this course out.

I'm gonna do it.

Uh maybe pick at the pace.

Uh and then, of course, uh, verse 19 again, the same dealt subtilily, wickedly with our kindred, and he even treated our father so they cast out the young, that's every male, had to be thrown into the Nile River, to the end they might not live, trying to reduce them.

In which time Moses was born, and exceedingly fair, fair means beautiful, and nourished up in his father's house for three months.

He was told to cast these kids into the Nile River.

But the Bibles gave this man favor and strength to hold Moses as long as he could.

Now the baby's too loud, and so they had to do something.

Uh, nourished up in his father's house for three months, and he was cast out.

He's actually put into a little ark.

Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him.

You can read this in Acts.

I'm sorry, Exodus 1 and 2.

It's very interesting.

Took him up and nourished him for her own son.

And Moses, here's the key.

I want you to get these keys too.

Uh from chapter verse 22 down to 25 is essential.

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptian.

He was mighty in words and in deeds.

And I want to pause here.

It was 40 years he was there.

Up to this time, until Moses became the head of Israel, do you not know that all the history of Israel was just aura?

It was passed down by mouth, it wasn't documented, uh, it wasn't recorded, it was just passed down by word of mouth.

But because Moses was raised to be the Pharaoh, he learned how to organize thoughts, he learned how to lead people, he learned how to even do battle.

All pharaohs went to war.

He didn't tell you who he warred with, but don't you think the first time he went to war when he went against a uh Mouseir brother, he had been learning how to war in his youth to be a pharaoh.

You knew how to war.

You knew how to lead.

He was well educated, he was very intelligent, you know how to chronicalize.

So he took the things that was passed on by mouth and put it in writing.

Until then, there was nobody who wrote.

He documented it.

God used Egypt to qualify this man to be very methodic, very seasoned.

And so, in this Bible, the Bible said the wealth of the uh the wicked is laid up for the righteous.

And so, all the by the way, Egypt was the most advanced nation on the globe at that time.

And Pharaoh was brought up to be the leader over that.

Yes, he was.

And so, verse 4023, when he says mighty in word, though he had a speaking paradigm, which is we can read about, word just simply means he was able.

He was able to come to uh uh transfer complicated thoughts.

So he must have known something about uh not just the language, but signs and how to lead, he had the ability to lead people.

Then he says in deeds.

So no doubt he was a pretty good warrior as well.

But when, anyway, that's that's let's keep reading.

When he was full 40 years old, underline that his life is divide, he died at 120.

First 40 years was in Egypt, being a Pharaoh's son.

If Pharaoh would have died, he would have been in charge, but God intervened from that because he had better purpose than that for Moses.

The next 40 years, he was a shepherd, sheepkeeper.

So he went from being exalted to being abased, humbled, tending to stink a sheep that wasn't even his.

It belongs to his father-in-law.

Let's that's okay, let's keep reading.

And when he was full 40 years old, it came into his heart.

I know God put it in his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel, who was being oppressed.

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, an Egyptian was beating him.

He defended him, him being his brother, the Egyptian, and avenged him, that is the man who was being beaten, that was oppressed, and he smoked, or he killed the Egyptian, hit him in the sand.

Now, I can't prove this, but it's no other way it could have been known unless somebody saw it.

The guy who was getting beat, he went and told somebody, who told somebody.

So people knew that the Pharaoh's son is what he was thought to be, because he was raised as the Pharaoh's son, killed an Egyptian for me.

He saved me from this man beating me.

That was good news, but it wasn't good to the wicked.

Read the next verse.

For he that is Moses, supposed his brethren would have understood how that by God, I'm sorry, that God by his hand would deliver them, because he was in position to do so.

But they understood not.

Wow, they didn't understand.

And the next day, after he killed this Egyptian, he showed himself unto them, that is, Hebrew bred men, as they strove fighting, and would have set them at one again, trying to make them come to peace.

Saying, sirs, you are brethren.

Why do you wrong one another?

Why do you fight it?

But he that did his neighbor wrong, this is the one who always rebel, whose heart ain't right.

He that did his neighbor wrong, thrust them away, snatched away from him, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?

Wow, what kind of spirit is that?

Then he challenged him.

Well man, how did you know that?

The man who Moses delivered had to tell it.

I don't think he told it for evil, but this man doing evil used it as an occasion to the flesh, and now he's telling Moses, I know what you did.

Now, let's be honest.

If Moses was an unrighteous man, he would have killed that man, so they would have stopped that right now.

But he didn't.

He didn't kill her.

Look what he did.

Then Moses fled at this sin.

He ran away, he left his position.

Wow.

Wow.

Most of us would have killed the person.

And by the way, when he said Moses smoked the man who was oppressing the Egyptian, he shows you Moses knew how to do battle.

He knew how to take you out.

He was a trained pharaoh.

He wasn't some rooted poot.

He could have spoken the word and have not only uh the man who made this church known, but everybody associated with him, his whole family.

Now it does say it, but he ran.

He didn't want to hurt them.

He ran.

And uh verse 29, then Moses then fled Moses at this sand and was a stranger in the land of Midden.

Wow, where he begat two sons.

And watch this, underline this.

And when 40 years was expired, he tended to his father's sheep, father-in-law sheep.

When 40 years, this is the second 40, his life is divided into three forties.

When 40 years was expired, there impered unto him in the wilderness in the Mount of Sinai an angel of the Lord and a flame of fire.

That fire represents God's presence in a bush.

And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight.

Why didn't somebody else wonder?

Because God wasn't dealing with them.

It didn't mean much to them.

They might have looked and kept walking.

When God is dealing with you, he knows how to get your attention if he's dealing with you.

So when Moses saw it, he went at the sight, and as he drew near to behold or to look at it further, the voice of the Lord came unto him.

I want you to get this.

In verse 30, it's called the angel of the Lord, an angel of the Lord.

In verse 31, he said, The voice of the Lord.

The voice of the Lord was the voice of that angel.

That's what God was using to speak to Moses.

Was that angel?

The Lord was thinking it, and the and the and the voice angel said it.

And when Moses, I'm sorry, verse 32, this is what he's saying.

I am the God of thy fathers.

He didn't say I was, I am.

Though they were dead, they were dead in the mind of God.

I am the God of thy fathers.

Letting you know that though they were in the grave, they did not perish.

It was in God's mind.

I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

Then Moses, you got to give them the details.

Did Moses tremble and durst not look at it?

Look how this man is given minute details without any script.

He's not reading, he's ministering.

What a gift he had.

I say, what a gift this man had.

By the way, if you watch his presentation, he goes into more detail than Peter ever did.

He went into more details than Paul ever did.

You know why?

Because this is the final voice to Israel before they cut off.

He reminded them how God chose them, brought them, delivered them.

He's walking them through their pedigree and all that they did, how you got where you are.

This is the final voice.

You won't hear another trumpet.

The ones who couldn't hear this.

The Bible called it everlasting chains of darkness.

Wow.

Shades pulled down, conscience seared, rejected of the Lord.

Wow.

The word reprobate means rejected.

And so Israel after this will become reprobates.

I'm tempted to let you read something.

Let me keep reading.

How much time do I got?

15 minutes.

Okay, I can make it.

Okay.

I want to come, please, before we dismiss, have me to come back and read to you.

I want you to read this.

First Thessalonians chapter 2 about the Jews is showing you this is where it happens when they stone Stephen.

1 Thessalonians 2 · chapter mention

They become an enemy to God.

They become devils, contrary to God.

And for years we were taught, and I believe, that God is going to restore them.

They are eternally judged.

When something is eternally judged, there is nothing else to judge.

It's eternally judged.

It's over with.

Court is in session, and they're found guilty and unworthy of the things of God.

Let's keep reading.

And I've underlined this again, verse 30.

And when 40 years was expired, they're imputed in him in the wilderness of the Mount of Sinai.

Watch this again, an angel of the Lord.

And each time is in the uh in a flame of fire.

That's the presence of God.

The angel represents the presence of God, not God Himself, no man can see God and live it, but the angel of the Lord, or the angel of his presence.

It's another term is used.

God's presence is by that angel, uh flame of fire in a bush.

And when Moses saw it, I read that.

Well, you didn't tell me I read that.

Go down to uh verse 33.

And then said the Lord unto him, how did he say it?

Through the angel.

Put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

The things that you think you know about me, the things that cover up your ability to understand correctly.

Forget about those things.

Now he tells them, For I have seen, yes, I have.

I have seen the affliction of my people, which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groanings, and I have come down to deliver them.

That is through you.

And now come, I will send thee.

Now you see the calling, you see the equipping, and now you see the sending.

I will send thee into Egypt.

This Moses, whom they refused, and is who said, Well, you're gonna tell you, uh refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge?

The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel, which appeared unto him in the bush.

The hand of the angel was the hand of the Lord because he was the angel of his presence.

And he brought them out.

Yes, he did, after he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, here's his last 40 years.

Underline that 40, 40, and 40.

He lived to be 120.

Each cycle of his life, God used them differently.

First he brought them up, then he humbled them, then he used them.

Now, verse 37.

This is that Moses, I want you to get it, was said unto the children of Israel, he prophesied to them, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me, him you share here.

Of course, he's talking about Jesus Christ.

That's who he's talking about.

And of course, he's you find this over in Deuteronomy 18.

Listen, this is he talking about Moses, which was in the church.

Underline that word.

He calls them the church in the wilderness, with the angel which spake to him.

This is he, that's Moses, that was in the church, that's Israel, but that was God's people who were separated now.

They're separated from Egypt.

This is a church, it's an assembly, call out people.

It was called out and brought out.

That's what the church is in the wilderness, with the angel which spake to him in Mount Sinai, with our fathers.

Listen to these terms, who received the lively ordinances.

How was it lively?

It was dead.

It would give them a chance for a resurrection.

But it will give you a chance for a resurrection that you can get life, to whom our fathers, listen to this, would not obey, but thrust them from them, and their hearts turned back again into Egypt.

My God.

When Moses on the mountain getting the laws of Moses, laws of God from Mo to Moses, this is what they were saying to Aaron.

Make us gods, like we've seen back in Egypt.

What they want something they can see to go before us.

As for this Moses, that man who brought us out, that man who opened up the Red Sea, that man who did 10 miracles, that man who smoked the rock and brought water out, that man who brought manner from heaven, we don't see him no more.

Boy, this is corner.

And for this Moses, which brought us out of Egypt, we want not what has come of him, become of him.

Why?

Because you can't see him, you can't see him, so you do what you knew to do in the world back in Egypt.

And he made a calf.

Why a calf?

That's what they seen in Egypt in those days, and offer sacrifice unto the idol.

What was the idol?

That calf, and rejoiced in the works of their own hand.

Watch this.

And God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven.

He stopped dealing with them.

That generation, he pronounced judgment on them that they go on to wonder for 40 years until another one rise up.

As it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, the nation of Israel, what he's talking about.

Have you obeyed, have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrificed by the space of 40 years in the wilderness?

So that's where they spent the 40 years in the wilderness.

He accuses them.

Yeah, you took up the tabernacles of Mola and the stars of your God Renpel, figures which you made to worship them.

I'm going to carry you away beyond Babylon.

Our fathers had the tabernacle of witnesses.

He had the gold inside that tabernacle, inside the Ark of the Covenant, was the witness of God.

You had Aaron rod that butter, you had the golden pot of manor, and you had the two table of stones.

It was a witness of what God had done.

For they couldn't see it, they didn't care.

Wow.

Wow.

And our father had the tabernacle of witnesses in the witness in the willingness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses that they should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.

That's in the 25th chapter of the book of Exodus, which our father that came after brought in with Jesus.

That's a mistranslation.

That's Joshua.

The word Jesus is just a rendering of Joshua.

It's the same word.

Because Jesus didn't bring them in.

Jesus wasn't born yet.

It's Joshua.

Into the possession of the Gentiles, that's Canaan, which God drove out before the face of our father until the days of David.

He finished it.

Who found favor before God, that is David, and desired to find a build a to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

But look at He walking them through details.

Now that this sermon must have last quite a while.

I mean nothing but minute details so they can see, because this is the last witness.

Listen to this.

But God, but Jac, I'm sorry, Solomon built him a house, forgive me, albeit the most high that is God, dwelling not in temples made with hands.

As said the prophets, heaven is my throne, earth is my footstool.

What house would you build unto me, saith the Lord?

Or what is the place of my rest?

Have not my hand made all these things?

Now he shifts.

He's quoting Isaiah 61, 66 and 1, and 66 and 2.

Now he shifts.

No longer.

He done brought them up to everything that's important.

Now he's pronouncing judgment on them.

Watch this.

Ye stiff neck.

That means stubborn and uncircumcised in heart and ears.

That means you got nothing but flesh over your heart.

That's your mind and your ears.

You listen to this accusation.

You do always resist the Holy Ghost.

You always did that, even in the wilderness.

As your father did, so do ye.

Wow.

Wow.

At this time, he done shift from giving them their pedigree and their history to letting you know you are a wicked people.

You are a stubborn people.

Wow.

My God, nothing but the Holy Ghost.

Look how He shifts.

He's speaking directly from the glory world from third heaven.

Look what he says to them.

This is God speaking profoundly.

He's thundering at them.

Which of the prophets?

You tell me, which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?

And they have slain them, which showed before the coming of the just one, talking about Christ, the one who prophesied, they put in the devil by Christ, of whom you have, you have, now become the betrayers and murderers.

Wow.

Who you have received the law by the disposition of angels, that's Moses and Aaron, and have not helped it.

Wow.

He called these men, Moses and Aaron, angels.

And that's what Paul says in Galatians with the 3.19.

He received me as an angel from heaven.

Guess what angel means, messenger.

When they heard these things, nothing they said before was offensive, but when he got to verse 51 and 52, this is what provoked them, because he pronounced judgment on them.

The rest is just a history.

He reading out.

If you can see someone lead, rain out reading out the charges of how God has been merciful.

And now you're condemned.

When they heard these things, rather than let their heart be pricked, the order to repent is simple.

You first have to be pricked in your heart or convicted.

Then you have to acknowledge to yourself that I'm wrong.

We're wrong.

And then thirdly, you have to confess it to the ones you did wrong, at least if it's just God.

I was wrong.

And then you turn.

That's what repentance is.

They weren't convicted.

No, they weren't convicted at all.

They was angry because it wasn't in their heart to do right.

Watch this carefully.

I'll say something that can be quite offensive.

I'll be the first to tell you.

But I'm not trying to offend.

As I told the dear saints there, Sister Desiree and Sister Tara was there.

I don't like to waste my time.

I don't.

If you want to go, then I would carry you in a wheelbarrow.

But if you don't want to go, I'll drop you like a hot potato.

Don't, please don't waste my time.

I told the dear, I don't invest in everybody.

But if you in the kingdom of God, if you under this ministry, I owe it to you to invest in you, if you'll let me.

I get calls all over this nation, honestly.

I had some conversations today from people outside of this state.

But I have limited time I can give them.

But when the people of God call, I'm going to talk to you.

And if I can, I'm going to call you back.

So I'm investing in you.

But I'm not without I'd like to help who I can, but you're the one that I give you my time to.

At least keep reading.

And so now this is some harsh words.

Verse 53 again.

You have received the law by the that's the law of Moses, by the disposition of angels.

That's Moses and Aaron, because Moses wrote it and Aaron spoke it.

When the Bible said Moses said, he said it through Aaron.

He didn't speak to them directly.

He said, God told him that you would be like unto God, and Aaron would be your prophet.

So Moses wrote it and Aaron spoke it to them.

And so that's what he means by angels.

It was Moses and Aaron and haven't kept it.

When they heard these things, they was cut to the heart, not to get it right, but they gashed upon him with the teeth.

What does that mean?

While he's talking, they grinding their teeth.

They're enraged, they're angry.

They're what you call for real MAD.

Mad means insane.

They're besides themselves because it wasn't in their heart to turn.

These are the same people who you read about, uh, that is in chapter six, who was arguing with him and got others to argue with them, to take their position against him.

And now they couldn't resist the wisdom again by which he spoke.

And now he indicted them.

And look what they did.

But he, even though they've gashed with their teeth, hating on him, but he being full of the Holy Ghost.

Look at that turn.

Full of the Holy Ghost.

That's what he's speaking by.

Looked up steadfastly into heaven.

This man, by God, he was caught up.

He looked up steadfast into heaven and he saw the glory of God.

Wow, while he's on the earth.

And Jesus standing, not sitting.

Everywhere's in the Bible, Jesus sits on the right hand.

This is the only time you see him standing on the right hand.

Why is he standing?

He's standing because here comes his first martyr.

He gets up off of his throne and stands.

Forgive me for using this.

It's like unto you giving a standing obation.

But God was pleased, and so was his son.

He got up off the throne.

The only time you can find in the Bible, he's standing on the right hand of God.

This is what he said.

And said, Behold, look, nobody else can see it, but he's so caught up.

I see the heavens open.

And the Son of Man, talking about Jesus, standing on the right hand of God.

Oh, that was too much.

That was too much.

Then they cried out with a loud voice.

They stopped their ears.

I don't want to hear another word.

They ran upon him with one accord, not for righteousness but for evil, and cast him out of the city.

They took him not just out, they took him out of the city and stoned him.

Wow.

And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, who was right there with them, supporting him, whose name was Saul.

That's the same Saul who wrote these books.

And they stoned Stephen.

And he was caught up on the Lord, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice.

The last thing he said to show you he was just like Christ in every way.

He was an overcomer.

Lord, lay not descend to their charge.

And when he had said this, he gave up the ghost, he fell asleep.

That was the end.

Wow.

And that was it for Israel.

I'm gonna read a little bit of the eighth chapter.

How much time I got?

Oh, give me three minutes.

I want you to read this.

When they stone on Stephen, that's it.

They can no longer be at the court, they can no longer be at the temple, they can no longer be on Solomon's porch.

Verse 1.

And Saul was consenting to his death, given his voice.

And at that time, there was a great underlyingness.

Persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem, no more of your days at the temple.

God did the persecution because court was over with.

He was through.

He no longer needed them to go to the temple, no longer needed them on Solomon's porch, because now the gospel is gonna go out to whosoever will.

Samaritan first and then the Gentiles.

He's still dealing with Israel as a nation.

There's no need to gather at the temple because he's through.

Some are going to go back, but he's not trying to save Israel as a whole.

Let's read it.

And there was great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea.

Remember Jerusalem, Judea, and Samarita.

Everybody scattered except the apostles.

They stayed to keep the church together.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation.

But I want to read verse 3 before I stop.

Verse, I'm sorry, the next two verses, verse 4.

But Saul, he made havoc of the church.

Wow.

Entering into every house, because that's where the houses, that's where the church was in the house.

They're not in the temple no more.

Hailing or hauling men and women and commit them to prison.

Therefore, they were scattered abroad.

They went everywhere, but they never stopped.

It was preaching the word.

I'll stop there.

Court is over.

God is not dealing with Israel as a nation no more.

They're found unworthy, guilty.

And you'll see the execution in 70 AD.

One passage I told you.

Go over to 1 Thessalonica.

I want to emphasize so you get the grasp of this.

I want to nail it down.

Don't leave any doubt, wiggle room, or thought.

Otherwise, I'm not anti-Semantic.

I'm just anti-enemy of God.

Verse 14.

I'm sorry, 214.

First Thessalonians, I said, come on, forgive me.

Did I say 214?

That you need the right place.

Okay, 1 Thessalonians, second chapter, verse 14.

You keep this under your treasure chest as well.

Keep this in your heart.

For ye, brethren, he's writing to the Gentile, the church in Thessalonica, you brothers, became followers of the churches of God, which is in Judea, not just in Jerusalem, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus.

Now watch this carefully.

You follow this church.

What do you mean, follow them?

You endured your hardness.

Listen.

For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they, the churches in Jerusalem, have of the Jews.

So who calls the persecution of the churches in Jerusalem and in Judea?

The Jews.

Verse 15, who both killed the Lord Jesus, and that wasn't enough, and their own prophets, and that's not enough, and have persecuted us.

Wow.

This is a mean verse.

And they please not God and are contrary to all men, an enemy to all men.

What do you mean by that, Paul?

Verse 16.

Forbidding us, that's the New Testament ministry, to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved.

Wow.

And that started from the stone of the seven.

And here's why it's to fill up their sins always, so God can be justified.

What do you mean?

For the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost.

78 D hadn't occurred, but God was through with them, pulled the shades down on the eyes, sealed their conscience, and bound them with everlasting chains of darkness.

It's over with as a nation.

I just want you to see that.

Okay.

We finished it.

Uh any thoughts, comments, questions before we dismiss.

Anyone?

I I just had a thought, Brother Brown.

Yes.

I was uh after reading uh Stephen's whole dissertation, and you read those those uh three verses, and just to see the type of spirit that those men had, I mean he gave them their their whole pedigree and all of it was true, and it seems like they agreed to it, but then when he spoke those three verses, how they were stiff-necked, um, it's just amazing how their their whole spirit, all of everything changed, and the anger just built so much.

Uh, so I I just was thinking about that, even as you went through it and as I read it, it's just amazing how that all transpired.

Just with those three verses, everything shifted right there at that point.

Absolutely correct, sir.

And let me tell something that's amazing because these people was God's chosen.

They couldn't make the transition from the law of Moses to the law of Christ because they was devout, they was committed, but guess what?

They were not they weren't humble and they was not able to change because their pride was their nation and their pedigree.

They didn't know when you when you reject this man, this is your last opportunity as a nation.

And uh Paul makes this statement in the 13th chapter of Acts.

He was talking about a certain group, but it's it's applicable to them on the day of Pentecost.

I mean, on this day that Stephen was uh stoned.

Seeing you judge yourself unworthy of eternal life.

Acts 13.

Lord, we turn to the Gentiles, and they will hear.

So this is the last voice to the nation of Israel, and it was right there in their capital, right there at their temple.

Everything happened at the temple for a reason.

This was the center of their religious worship, the center of their religious existence.

This meant everything to them.

This is where they gathered, and this is where God judged them eternally.

Can then Jew be saved?

Yes, any nation can be saved as an individual, not because of some pedigree.

Thank you, brother uh felt for your word.

I want to I want to drive this so far from your fifth reel.

Six wild horses can't pull it out.

When you can see, can't nobody make you unsee.

And once you learn, can nobody make you unlearn?

I want it so it can't be taken out your heart.

Paul said, Though I an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel you know that which you have received, let him be a curse.

It's the reason for everything.

It may seem minute.

But it's not it's not minute.

God knows exactly what he's done.

I'm gonna let you go with this statement.

Never forget it.

God is a God of exactitude.

Exactitude.

Everything with God is exact.

Christ had an exact time that he was going to be put to death.

He had an exact time in which he was going to raise from the dead.

He had an exact time in which he was going to go back to his father.

He had an exact time in which he was going to pour out the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Everything is on schedule.

Israel of old had an exact time the last three and a half years that they was going to fin that week was going to be finished.

That they was going to declare his generation.

Christ was cut off in the midst of the week.

In exact time.

And I'm so grateful.

So I don't want to try to get ahead, and I never want to lag behind.

Love all of you.

I hope you will plunder these things in your mind and go over to you and get up trying to give you a clear picture so that you can see what the New Testament church purpose was, how it was born.

Then, of course, the persecution was part of how God's plan to disperse them.

Get rid of that temple.

Because it by the way, he did them a favor.

It was going to be many more years until that temple's going to be destroyed anyway.

But no faithful saints was going to the temple at this time.

Jerusalem is going to be overthrown and burned.

But no faithful saints was left in Jerusalem.

He separated the wheat from the shaft.

He took the precious from the vow.

God bless all of you.

The next week we'll pick up the eighth chapter.

We're getting very close to the 10th.

After the 10th, you go back to your respective uh house meeting.

So we need probably about another three weeks, and uh you've gotten the right foundation.

Can move on from there.

God bless everyone of you.

Love you.

So good to see you.

Uh so uh sister uh Kimberly.

I'm in attendance.

I'm in attendance.

Did I lose you?

No, you did not.

Okay, can you appreciate the God you serve?

Oh yes, all the time.

Yes, ma'am.

I'm trying to make sure I didn't uh disconnect from some of your newer saints.

I I seen, I'm so happy to see his name on here.

I seen uh Joshua.

Joshua, you out there?

Are you at work?

Can you speak?

Hey brother, I just stepped outside.

How you doing?

How you doing, young man?

I'm doing good.

Are you able to follow us?

Are you able to follow us clearly?

Yeah, I got it.

I was uh chasing my mom a little bit in between because I don't want I don't like interruption.

But if you have any questions, feel free to call me, sir.

Okay, I got it.

I don't give my time to everybody, but I give my time to anybody on this meeting.

I see Sister Nica, girl.

I'm so glad to see you've been a minute since I've seen you.

And uh good to see uh here in West Florida, Southwest Florida.

Good to see you.

Uh, then I see Brother Harris up from Detroit.

God bless you, but that's Brother Elton's Harris son.

How are you doing, young man?

If you can speak, maybe you can't, but it's good to see you on.

And then I see Rick Moes from Southern uh South Florida.

God bless all of you.

Sister Isley from Beaumont, Texas.

Good to see you.

Uh brother.

Love you too, young lady.

God bless you.

See, Brother Indy is on.

Good to see you, sir.

Good to see that you're on anyway.

Thank you, likewise.

Uh, can you follow me?

Am I talking too fast?

No, I was able to follow you.

I'm making sense to you.

Can you see the picture?

Yes.

Um, matter of fact, I I I kind of spoke on it.

Um, sorry, I I my camera's off.

I'm actually traveling from work.

Um actually on last Sunday I I I spoke about the function of the Holy Ghost and how you know how it manifested on my in my in my life.

Um just just to kind of brief recap, um in 2012 I and I prayed for a home and um in the church that I you know spoke about is it's it's a fairly new um and they don't understand the function of the Holy Ghost, but I try to make it how it manifested in my life because back in 2012 when I um got when I prayed for a home and I told them that God couldn't give me the home because you know at the time I didn't realize it that I had a fear, which is uh, which is, you know, um you can you can say like it's some sort of a of a God uh for me.

And I kind of bring them down to where, you know, the Holy Ghost, um, you know, God allow me with grace to get baptized with water and then the Holy Ghost.

Now, as I'm going through the journey, it um it um it when my mother-in-law, you know, came in 2022, I'm sorry, 2021, and um, which was an angel to me, told me that, you know, a football player was about to um build a home in Westlake.

I I mean, I mean, because, you know, I I make decent money, but I mean I can't live next to a football player.

But then again, because of me, you know, coming to those meetings and hearing you talk, you know, it it I mean, I mean, you've been uh uh word can express it, man.

I if it wasn't for you guys, man, it was gonna be real difficult for me to get this home.

But because of the Holy Ghost, it quickened my minds.

And I'm starting, you know, remembering scriptures like, you know, 2 Timothy verse 1 7, you know, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and and a sound mind.

And we're going through Joshua 1.9, uh, where it talks about, you know, have I not um have I not um um have I not commended thee, you know, be strong, be courage, encourage, you know, um be not afraid, neither dismayed, for the Lord God is with you always.

That's the Holy Ghost, it's always with you.

And my mind started quickening, and I begin, you know, using Psalm 34, verse 4.

Psalms 34:4

You know, um I sought the Lord and he heard and answered me and delivered me from my fear.

And that was the fear that I was in my mind, saying, Man, I have a good job over here.

You know, I don't make millions of dollars like those like that, like those football players.

Then I began to um, you know, to release all of those fears and let God, instead of saying, I, I, I can't do this, and let the Holy Ghost, you know, you know, like Jesus went through the um Garden of Gethsemane and He said, Not my will, Lord, but but your will.

So I decided to let God's will, you know, to you know, quicken my mind and allow me to pursue this home that I was fearful of because you know, I'm moving away from my job and I don't know, you know, the situation as far as I mean, I'm leaving about an hour and a half from work.

Um, you know, it was very difficult.

But seeing now, you know, how I allow God to manifest and now I got a really good job, you know, my wife not working at the moment and I'm able to take care of all the bills, it's just nothing but God.

So so I'm just thankful, you guys.

You know, I I I don't really stand up much when I go to those to your meeting to those meetings.

Um, but now today was just an opportunity since you called on me, so I might as well, you know, you know, let you guys know that I I follow and I really appreciate you.

God bless you, sir.

That's so encouraging for us all.

Uh it's not for just us, it's for whosoever will.

But let them come.

That is to the truth.

Um, we're glad that we can be a blessing.

We really do.

That's very, very encouraging.

We appreciate you.

Uh brother Indy, when you come back, I'm gonna see if I can pry you at that chair.

Uh we appreciate you.

Thank you.

Love everybody.

Good night, dear Saints.

Good night, everyone.