God will fill you first

In the book of Acts, chapter 3:25-26
25.  Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed
26.  Unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

It is self explanatory. God intended the Jewish people to hear and accept the Messiah, and then win the Gentiles into the kingdom.  I hope you can see the messages of Moses, Jesus, Peter, and Paul all ran parallel to one another, each calling a specific message to a specific people.....all to bring about His kingdom as promised. I pray you can begin to see it all.
Unto you first....to the jew first and then to the gentile........

It was God that separated out the Jewish people....

"Turn to Leviticus 20: 24
Here we see the beginning of separation and by whom they were seperated  out.

24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the Lord your God, which have separated you from other people.

Add to that verse 26 of the same book and chapter,

26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

So the scripture bears out, the separation began with God.

Now the thought of that is maintained all through the scriptures until you come into the "body of Christ" revealed as a mystery by Paul. It was started by God and finished by God. 

Look at Exodus 33:16

16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.

So the separation of the Jewish and Gentile peoples are laid out by God.  Why do people have trouble understanding the truth as it is laid out in the scriptures. 

To the Jew first.....more later

What did John the Baptist preach? What was Jesus message, What did Peter and Paul preach? Coming soon

3 Times in Acts....Turned to the Gentiles

Acts 13: 44-46
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, low we turn to the Gentiles.

To the Jew first......How much plainer does it have to get.  The scriptures declare, "it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you."

It was first given to the Jewish nation through Abraham, but was rejected by them. The Jewish nation was to be the light to the Gentile, to send the message and way of Salvation to the Gentiles. But they rejected.

When have you heard that preached from the pulpit? 

Read it and see how the Jewish people rejected the call and plan of God.  "But seeing you put it from you." Rejected was their call." 

Now turn to Acts 18:5-6

5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

6 And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

Again rejection of God's intention, so Paul is declaring a turning from the message Jesus preached of the Kingdom of God, to the message to the Gentiles.

Now turn to Acts 28: 26-28

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

Again rejection and unbelief and the plan of God is turned from the Jewish people to the Gentiles. "...and they will hear it."

Line upon line and precept upon precept. To the Jew first......More to come.

The Jewish nation was to preach to the gentiles and bring them to Christ.....however

Isaiah 49:6,7

And he (God) said, "It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles.  (To who? Gentiles, You got it and we will share more as we go) that thou mayest be my Salvation unto the end of the earth.  Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy one (Messiah) to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth to a servant of rulers,  Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. 

Can you see this?  You will never understand the Scriptures until you learn the facts of the Abrahamic Covenant, and the Jewish Nations and their being used of God was God's intention for this world. 

God intended for the Jewish people be the light to the Gentile people. Jesus preached to them, "Ye are the light of the world." 

 

To the Jew first......more later

Maybe now as we continue on, you will understand why Jesus "came only unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel." 

Israel or the Jews are the Center......read on

Go to Deuteronomy 32:8
When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people (all of the other nations) according to the number of the children of Israel.

So who is at the very core of the whole world experience? Israel, God's covenant peoples. Everything falls in place as it has Israel as it's center. How many times do I declare, "to the Jew first." How many times is quoted those words?
The scriptures bear it out.

Even today, Israel is in the news constantly. The whole world stumbles over this people of God.

Thy Kingdom come, they will be done.

Jesus is coming back and I am looking

In Acts 1:9-11, The angels tell the disciples that Jesus will return from heaven just as they had seen Him go into heaven. 

The old Testament or Covenant in the book of Zechariah,  the inspired prophet tells us that when Jesus returns His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4).

 It is interesting to note that when the glory departed from the temple in the days of Ezekiel, the glory cloud departed from its place between the cherubim to the threshold of the temple; and then departed from the temple, and from the city itself to the mount on the east of Jerusalem, which is the Mount of Olives (Ezek. 9:3; 10:4; 11:23).

Ezekiel 9:3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

Ezekiel 10:4 Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory.

Ezekiel 11:23   And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city

Why did the glory leave? Rejection. Why did The Christ die and leave in His earthly Kingdom? Rejection. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. Why is He not in some of the "churches" today? "Rejection. Look what is being taught in His Holy name today.  

But the time of the Gentiles will soon run out and read what Ezekiel then promises.

Ezekiel also foretold the return of the glory of the Lord, that it would come from the east of Jerusalem, enter the gate on the east of the city, enter and fill the temple (Ezek. 43:1-5). (The temple set up that is to come for the Kingdom Age)

Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:

2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.

3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

4 And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

As previous stated, Jesus Christ is the Glory of God. Now in the gospels we find Him  rejected, just as in Ezekiel's day, He left the temple, went out to the Mount of Olives and ascended into heaven. 

Some day He will return to that same Mount and enter Jerusalem and establish His glorious Kingdom with Israel.

When He left the temple in the Ezekiel day, the temple never missed Him. They just kept on temple worship and it seems, no one even noticed the power of God and the Glory was gone.  

Has it gone that far today?  Think on that one a while.

Why did John Baptize with water?

Our standard is to allow the words of the Bible speak for themselves, and without church tradition or preconceived ideas.

Acts 1:4

And being assembled together with them (Christ) commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he (The Father ) ye have heard of me.

Acts 1:5  For John truly baptized with water (This is Jesus speaking) 

Sorry that we do not hear these things preached today as a whole. But it is Bible.  That is about as far as most will go with Baptizing.

Why did John or why did Israel have to be baptized in the Kingdom message being preached and at Jesus ministry? 

Turn to Exodus 19: 5-6 and we find there the Lord commanded Moses to tell the nation Israel:

 

5. Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine;

6.  And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.  These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 

Refer to 1 Peter 2:9 and this is why believing Jews are call "priests"

Study will show that the Priesthood was given to the Levites in  Exodus 28:1 and all because of unbelief.  Reference Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10

The standard required by God was when the sons of Aaron, the Levitical priests of Israel, were ordained into the priesthood, they had to first wash with water.

The Mosaic Law said in Exodus 29: 1,4 

1.  And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,.....

4.  And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, "and shalt wash them with water"

Another witness is Leviticus 8:6 and reads, "And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water."

Water baptism was necessary to prepare believing Jews to become a Kingdom of Priests.

Each Jew must wash with water like the Old Testament priests washed with water before entering their ministry.  The Jews must be water baptized, or they cannot be a kingdom of priests:  thus, water baptism is necessary for preparation to minister in Israel's program.

Speaking of Israel's salvation and restoration, the Lord said to the nation Israel, "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you

Ezekial 36:25

Israel needed spiritual cleansing, and water baptism was a sign to them that they needed that cleansing.

Evidently, water baptism is the sign of the Davidic Covenant, God’s promise to establish an earthly kingdom using a descendant of King David—the King, Jesus Christ—and the nation Israel 

(2 Samuel 7:12-17; 1 Chronicles 17:11-15). 

Going back now to Acts 1:5

ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

Let's go back to Matthew Chapter 3. Drop down to verse 11 where we are dealing with John the Baptist. Matthew is quoting what John the Baptist says.

Matthew 3:11

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance:

but (there's going to be a change)

He (speaking of Christ) that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:"

Now, again, who is John the Baptist addressing? 

Jews, there are no Gentiles in his crowd. Jesus, The Christ, he says is going to baptize you with, or into, the Holy Spirit.  

You now see or find Jesus is going to be the baptizer. And He's going to baptize the Jews into the Holy Spirit. 

When did Jesus do that? 

It was fulfilled at Pentecost. That was a Jewish feast day. The Nation of Israel was gathered and down came the Holy Spirit with power. I know that will not go over good.  Who was gathered? Devout Jews from all the regions. 

This is the Messiah's valid offer for the Jews, to experience that power of the Holy Spirit to a power they needed to perform miracles, signs, and wonders as Jesus has done for His ministry and carry on in His absence to do what He did, and carry on to the Salvation of the earth.

So this was the Nation's prospect that they could just literally carry on as individual believing Jews what Christ had been doing for three years. 

And how would He manifest it? By placing them into the very power of the Holy Spirit.   When we get to verse 8, when He said, "You will receive power."

So that was the whole concept that Jesus would be the baptizer, and Israel would be the one being baptized. 

Turn to I Corinthians Chapter 12 and we will start with verse 12. Here Paul is writing to the Gentile Church at Corinth. And here he comes up with a term that is strictly Pauline. (Yep I am one of them, more on that later)

Jesus or the Twelve never spoke of the Body of Christ. 

So here in verse 12 Paul is using our human body as an picture to get those to understand this concept.

I Corinthians 12:12

"For as the body (our human body) is one, and hath many members (your hands, feet and so forth), and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."

He's making the allusion to the Body of Christ, the Church. We've got all these different people who are making up the Body of Christ. We have rich and poor, black and white, whatever from all around the world, they have come into the Body of Christ. They all have different cultures, different ways. 

But if they have all been saved by the same power and Gospel, then what are we? 

We are "one" in Christ.

Because we are one in Christ. How did we get there? Here is the crucial question. How did we get into this unique living organism that we call the Body of Christ? Now verse 13:

I Corinthians 12:13

"For by one Spirit (The Holy Spirit) are we all baptized into (not the local Church, but) one body (the Body of Christ, the Church),"

Remember, no unbeliever can go into the Body of Christ. 

You can baptize many people and make them members of the local church, but they can be totally lost. Hang on, Baptizing in water saves no one. They're baptized, but they're not in the Body of Christ. 

But the true child of God, the moment he believes, is saved by the work of the Spirit, He is baptized by the Holy Spirit into that Body. And that is the one that counts for eternity. 

And it doesn't matter what way you have been baptized, by Jordan River water company, or a country pond, or a Church baptistry, it makes no difference. 

But when you have been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit you are His. You are safe.  

Remember, Paul is the only one that uses that terminology. He will say the Church, which is His Body, or the Body of Christ which is the Church.

Now remember early on, as we come out of the Four Gospels and into the Book of Acts with God dealing with the Nation of Israel, Christ is the Baptizer. He is placing the Jews, as they believe, into the power of the Holy Spirit to perform the signs and miracles that would continue Christ's earthly ministry. 

But when that fell apart, when Israel rejected it completely, God turned to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul - and now we find the Holy Spirit has become the Baptizer and He places us into Christ. 

This is not the only verse where you find this, there are many verses Paul uses. For example, in the Book of Colossians it says, "You are hid in Christ in God." Well, how did you get in Christ? Not with water baptism, but when the Holy Spirit baptized you into Him.

So to cap it all off, John baptized in water, Jesus baptized in the Holy Ghost, and we are baptized by the Holy Ghost into Him. How simple. But what a mighty God we serve.