"Simon Says" Part 2
ZADOK PUBLICATIONS - Dr. C. R. OLIVER
March, 2023
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ZADOK PUBLICATIONS MONTHLY NEWSLETTER
March 1, 2023
"Simon Says" Part 2
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"Simon Says" Part 2
Introduction:
Last month, we surveyed most all of the passages that featured Simon Peter throughout the four Gospels. Virtually, it was an overview of the three-year training program taught by Jesus (all of which took place before the infilling of the Holy Spirit).
Today's study will involve Peter's life after the pouring out of the Spirit in the Upper Room. Previously, we discovered why Jesus required three questions of him (they were offsets for his three denials). Jesus used two Greek words for "love" in this exchange - Peter used only one. Twice, Jesus asked Peter did he love him using the highest form of love - the kind of love reserved for God (agape). Each time, including the third question, Peter used "brotherly love (phileo)." Jesus accepted this form by asking the third question using "phileo." This assurance would be cherished by Simon from then forward.
After the ascension of Christ and the voice from heaven, along with the mandate to evangelize the world, Peter returned to the Upper Room as instructed by Jesus. Along with the hundred-twenty, Peter was propelled by the Spirit into the streets of Jerusalem. Here, Simon gets his stride and the thrilling events that followed are well worth discovering.
The next two passages characterize the audience Peter will address momentarily.
Acts 2:11-13:
…we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God." 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "Whatever could this mean?"
13 Others mocking said, "They are full of new wine."
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Market-place audiences are similar, no matter what time frame one uses. What is amazing is each heard his own language. This phenomenon has fostered huge discussions and segregated whole denominations.
What I believe happened was an outpouring that resulted in each person in that room expressing themselves in their personal heavenly language, and they did not change expression as they burst into society. However, those in the public ranks had a hearing adjustment that caused them to hear what the early church was saying as they glorified God.
To the unbelieving Jewish mockers, the heavenly language sounded like drunken gibberish. As they mocked, Peter rose to the occasion and defended his brethren and sisters, and this prompted further explanation, hence his first sermon.
Acts 1:14-21:
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.'
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With heart and Spirit, the Scripture which prophesied this event rolled out of Simon's belly like living water. (There is nothing more exhilarating than preaching under the anointing!)
Peter amazes me with his wealth of memorized Scripture, for here is a fisherman with no formal education and only one certification: "he had been with Jesus." Simon's audience knew this passage, for they were all Jews and had queried the mystery of this passage in Joel.
Seeing his message sinking into their hearts, Peter reached into their minds and, after evoking the words of Jesus and David, witnessed the ultimate response:
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"What shall we do?"
Acts 1:22-24:
22 "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know - 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him:
Acts 2:25-28:
'I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope.
27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.'
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At this point, Peter interjects a bit of respect for his religious audience (he probably knew many of them). He asks permission to continue: "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David." Peter knew what he was about to address - the crucifixion.
Acts 2:29-37:
29 "Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
34 "For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
'The Lord said to my Lord,
'Sit at My right hand,
35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'
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36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"
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Notice at what point the multitudes who were standing before him owned their sin. The sharp two - edged sword of the Spirit cut them to the heart. There was no "wiggle" room" in the atmosphere, for with one accord they cried out," What shall we do?"
Peter, under the Spirit, "slammed the door on their 'business as usual' religion." When he used the word "therefore," the great fisherman drew the net. Verse 36 is a binding resolution, which allowed no turning back.
Peter's heart was revealed; he wanted all of Israel to be saved. Paul would echo this desire later on by saying he was willing to be accursed, if it would bring his brothers to Christ.
Saul was being radicalized at the time of Peter's message. The murder of Stephen was soon to take place at this time. It was in these crosswinds that Peter was becoming the chief spokesperson for the living Christ.
Today, a challenging voice must be heard in the face of the carnal "House of Christianity" that God has made this Jesus whom you have neglected, scorned, and sought to discredit both Lord and Christ!
There needs to be heard again the shout of "What shall we do?"
The same answer Peter gave must be heard again. as well.
Acts 2:38-39:
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
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Peter wanted the Jews to be changed - converted! He wanted to see them in the waters of baptism. He wanted to see them receive the infilling of the Spirit.
O'church, Peter's response needs to be sounded again down cathedrals halls and latent pulpits. Every person who heard his answer was a Jew, a Temple tither, an ardent sacrificer, a Torah adherent - YET, lost.
No, Peter's message was not that of a religious reformer, but a transformer. Three thousand men of Jerusalem, and other parts of the world, stepped into a relationship with Jesus (the recitation of those who heard in their own language).
Thousands of years of prophetic utterances came to pass in that single moment. What a day that was and what a day lies in front of us as we stand on the threshold of all the end-time prophesies.
Regardless of the political courtesy given to modern Israel, Peter's response is the only path to heaven's door.
Acts 4:12:
- for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
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Next month, we will study Peter's continuous witness and where this last
Scripture is found in context.
Until Next Month,
Dr. Cosby R. Oliver, PhD.
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MISSIONS REPORT:
From: Frank and Hily Carrel
Contacts:
Email: shilotravel@gmail.com
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This is their church in the Philippines:
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Oliver Evangelistic Association Ministry (OEA) Recap
Due to the contributions from readers and donors OEA was able to make the following contributions:
- Helped in finishing Mexican Rehab Center which was dedicated by Dr. Samuel Karunanithi right before Christmas
- Built a complete church from ground up in Butuan City, Philippines for Shilo Missions
- Built a roof on the new church in Botswana we had purchased land for a couple of year's ago, as well as repairs on a new used ministry truck and sound equipment for outreach through Branch Ministries
- World Outreach Fellowship, funding for Tapachula, Mexico Conferance
- Aided food help for many poor families and widows in India
- Aided Sid Luke Ministries with funds to help cover expenses for Cathy Luke who is still recovering after being severely injured in a head-on collision with a drunken driver
- Helped support widows and orphans through Gospel Ministries International (GMI) in Romania
- Helped with food relief for the Ukraine through Gospel Ministries International (GMI)
- Continue monthly support for India missions through Dr. Samuel Karunanithi
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JIM'S JEWELS
From: Jim McCants
Jim's Jewels is a walk throughout Scripture with an eye toward the Promises of God. Jim McCants, at my request, took on the task of seeking out both obvious and hidden promises.
Below are his promises to Judges.
God's Covenant and Promise in Judges
Judges 1:2 2 And the LORD said, Judah shall go up: behold, I have delivered the land into his hand.
Judges 1:19 19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but [Judah]could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.
Judges 2:1-2 1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.
2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?
Judges 2:3 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
Judges 2:15 15 Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.
Judges 2:20-22 20 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;
21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:
22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.
Judges 4:6-9 6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. Fulfilled in Judges 4:21 21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.
Judges 5:24-27 24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
Judges 4:14 14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the LORD gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.
Judges 6:8-16 8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
Judges 6:17-24 17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 7:7 7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
Judges 7:14-15 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
Judges 9:23-24 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.
Judges 9:56-57 56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Judges 10:7 7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.
Judges 10:11-16 11 And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
12 The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.
13 Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
15 And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.
16 And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.
Judges 11:29-40 29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.
34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.
36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.
37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.
38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.
39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,
40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.
Judges 13:2-5 2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.
3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:
5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.
Judges 13:11 11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.
Judges 13:17-20 17 And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?
18 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?
19 So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.
20 For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.
Judges 13:24 24 And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.
Judges 16:28-30 28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.
29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
Judges 18:5-6 5 And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.
6 And the priest said unto them, Go in peace: before the LORD is your way wherein ye go.
Judges 20:28 28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand.
Judges 20:35 35 And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
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