Acts 2:42

2009-12-13 - Basic Geological Features of Palestine

2009-12-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

Basic Geological Features of Palestine power point - Click Here.
Basic Geological Features of Palestine handout - Click Here.
Basic Geological Features of Palestine list - Click Here.

2009-11-09 - Historical Geography of Israel

2009-12-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Historical Geography of Israel power point - Click Here.

Get a Bible with All the Words

2009-08-19T20:26:00.001-07:00

2009-05-07 - Arcing: How Study the Bible

2009-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here is some great insight from John Piper about how to study the Bible for those involved in our Acts 2:42 study – and for all who truly desire to know the fullness of God’s truth in His Word. Click Here for the website that teaches you how to “arc.”

2009-04-26 - Narrative and Epistles

2009-05-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Narrative notes - Click Here.
Epistle notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

Interpreting the Bible Study Guide - Click Here.

Was Jesus Really Buried for Three Days and Three Nights?

2009-04-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

"For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40)

I have been asked a few times if Jesus was really in the tomb for three days. By the way we count days and nights, it does not seem to work out. And so after some research, here is the answer:

1) The Jews officially and legally defined a normal calendar day to be from sunrise to sunrise. Although we consider a day to be from midnight to midnight, we usually think of our day as beginning when we rise in the morning. The Jews began their day in the morning. Matthew 28:1 supports this: "Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave" (Matthew 28:1, NASB). We are reading here that the first day of the week (Sunday) began at dawn.

2) The Jews also officially and legally defined a fraction of a day as a whole day (a day and a night). Jesus was crucified on Friday, the very same day he was taken down from the cross and was buried – and so Friday was the first day (considered as a whole day, a day and a night) our Lord spent in the tomb. The next day was the Sabbath (Saturday) which was then the second day. And on then on next day - the first day of the week (Sunday) which followed the Sabbath day (Saturday) which we count as the third day - the day the Lord Jesus arose from the dead. Even if Jesus spent only a small fraction of the first day of the week (Sunday) in the tomb, it was officially and legally counted as a whole day (as if a day and a night).

Silence in Heaven before Jesus Comes

2009-04-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

For those who asked about this reference on Sunday evening, here it is:

"When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour" (Revelation 8:1).

from Mary Ellen

2009-04-05 - Parables and Prophecy

2009-04-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

Parable notes - Click Here.
Prophecy notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

2009-03-22 - Hyperbole and Idioms

2009-03-25T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hyperbole notes - Click Here.
Idioms notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

Do we have guardian angels?

2009-03-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 18:10).

During our Acts 2:42 gathering on the evening of March 8th the question was asked: "Do we have guardian angels?" I responded by saying in essence that while we do read in the Bible of angels that work on behalf of human beings, I did not know of any text that stated we each have an angel assigned to us. I did receive an email a few days afterwards asking me if Jesus’ words from Matthew 18:10 was a reference to guardian angels, or to be more specific if - “the word 'their' seems to say they belong to the little ones.”

After doing some research I found that the word “their” in Matthew 18:10, is a collective pronoun in the Greek, and refers to the fact that believers are served by angels in general. Nowhere in Scripture does it state that an angel was assigned to an individual. Sometimes angels were sent to individuals, but no mention is ever made of that assignment being permanent. Historically the Jews had fully developed the belief in guardian angels during the period between the Old and New Testaments. This belief was carried on by some of the early church fathers who believed that not only did each person have a guardian angel, but also each person had a demon assigned to him/her – again with no explicit scriptural basis for it.

Do we have guardian angels? The Bible does not emphatically answer whether or not each follower of Jesus Christ has a guardian angel assigned to him/her. Maybe the real question before us is this: If we truly have a sovereign, providential, omniscient, omnipotent, all-loving, graceful and merciful God who watches over us, does it really matter whether or not there is a finite “guardian angel” protecting us?

2009-03-01 Beliefs and Practices

2009-03-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Meet the Family at Arrowsmith booklet - Click Here.
Views of Baptism notes - Click Here.
Views of the Lords Supper notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

2009-02-22 Role of the Holy Spirit, Different Forms of Scripture, Proverbs, Poetry

2009-02-23T06:36:00.000-08:00

Role of the Holy Spirit notes - Click Here.
Different Forms of Scripture notes - Click Here.
Hermeneutics notes - Click Here.
Proverbs notes - Click Here.
Poetry notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

2009-02-08 Defining Rules of Biblical Interpretation

2009-02-10T10:12:00.000-08:00

Interpreting the Bible notes - Click Here.
Defining the Rules notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

2009-01-25 History of the English Bible & Bible Translations

2009-01-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

Thank God for an Inspired Bible - John Piper

History of the English Bible notes - Click Here.
History of the English Bible timeline - Click Here.
KJV to ESV notes - Click Here.
Bble Translations notes - Click Here.
Power Point - Click Here.

Understanding the Bible

2009-01-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

A quote from Franz Delitzsch from "Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah."

When you're trying to understand a passage in the Bible, weighing different interpretations, here is the ultimate criterion for deciding. Which one is "an interpretation worthy of God"?

Having Problems Running Audios and Videos?

2009-01-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

I have heard from a few people that they are having trouble listening or watching or loading audios and videos on this website and linked websites (A Heart for God's Glory and My Favorite Music).

Last December I ran into the same problem and after some research found that my flash-player had somehow been corrupted, as well as my Winsock configuration. For those of you who don’t know what that means – I am with you! But in spite of my ignorance, after spending some time doing more research I was able to solve both problems.

1) If you are having this problem, first try replacing your flash-player. You will need to uninstall your current flash-player and then install the most recent updated one. I have posted both programs for you here.

For the program to uninstall your current flash-player, Click Here.

For the program to install the most recent updated flash-player, Click Here.

After you have done both of these, shut down your computer, start it up again, and try listening/watching/loading audios and videos.

2) If you are still having problems hearing/watching/loading audios and videos, then try repairing/resetting your Winsock settings. Again I have posted the program for you below.

For the program to repair/reset your Winsock, Click Here.

May God bless you with patience and success!

2009-01-11 Historical Background of the Bible

2009-01-12T06:54:00.000-08:00

That's My King!

Old Testament notes - Click Here
New Tesament notes - Click Here
History Between the Old and New Testament notes - Click Here
Apocrypha notes - Click Here
Canon of the Bible notes - Click Here
Power Point - Click Here

Why Memorize Scripture? - John Piper

Memoirzing Scripture notes - Click Here

2008-12-07 Simple Prayer/Prayer of Meditation

2009-01-06T21:59:00.000-08:00

Simple Prayer notes - Click Here.
Prayer of Meditation notes - Click Here.
Simple Prayer/Prayer of Meditation power point - Click Here.

2008-11-15 How to Pray for One Another

2009-01-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

Intercessory Prayer notes - Click Here.
The H.A.B.I.T of Prayer notes - Click Here.
Praying Together/Intercessory Prayer Groups notes - Click Here.
How to Pray for One Another power point presentation - Click Here.

Acts 2:42

2009-01-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42)

Throughout the Gospels we read time and time again that the ministry of our Lord Jesus on earth consisted of three activities:

1) Preaching - “Jesus said, ’I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God . . . I was sent for this purpose.’” (Luke 4:43)
2) Teaching - "Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues.” (Matthew 9:35)
3) Prayer - "He went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God." (Luke 6:12)

Once Jesus ascended into heaven, we read that by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the first church continued in those same activities:

1) Preaching - "Every day . . . they did not cease . . . preaching Jesus as the Christ." (Acts 5:42)
2) Teaching - "They were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (Acts 4:2)
3) Prayer - "All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer." (Acts 1:14)

As the body of Christ, the presence of our Lord on earth, Arrowsmith is also called to follow Jesus and the early church in these activities. While our Sunday morning worship service allows us to grow in grace through preaching, we lack a regular corporate time to gather together for teaching and for prayer.

As a result we at Arrowsmith Baptist Church are resolved to meeting together on the second and fourth Sunday evenings of every month from 6:30 PM to 8 PM for a time of teaching and prayer - both for the glory of God, and so "that we may present everyone mature in Christ." (Colossians 1:28). Child care will be provided.

". . . and all who believed were together and had all things in common. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)