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Stand Up For God’s Word. The Apostle Paul was not a very politically correct person for wherever he went, his message cut most everyone to the heart and they
usually ran him out of town or threw him in jail. Why all the fuss? Paul was standing up for the Word of God. When you stick to the scriptures and abide with the truth
, the world will always have a problem with it and your popularity will suffer. In Athens, the teaching of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle had their intellectual hold
on the people around Mars Hill. In Acts 17:22,23 when Paul saw the ignorant worship to the “unknown god”, he made the statement “Him do I declare unto you” because his heart was
stirred up by the lost nature of the people. Secondly, instead of attacking all the idols, Paul told them about the one true God. We need to be able to do
the same as well by knowing Gods word and being able to tell others about Christ out of the scriptures! Finally, Paul calls on those in Athens to repent
reminding us that man needs to acknowledge his own sinful nature and need for a savior. From there, you should grow in the word and in the knowledge of Christ. The lesson finishes by showing how 1 Thessalonians
ties in with Acts 17 thereby establishing the time frame and context of the Thessalonian letters.   Click here to listen to the lesson on 09-02-2001.
Preach The Word. A Tentmaker preaches the Word. A Jewish father primarily focused on three things for his son as he raised him to be a proper Jew: 1) Circumcision, 2) The Law, and 3) a Trade.
We know of Paul’s reputation for Circumcision and keeping the Law... and we see in Acts 18 his trade was that of a tentmaker. Because of his trade, Paul met up with Priscilla and Aquilla who received the
Word from Paul as he testified about Christ out of the scriptures. No matter where your work takes you, there will always be an opportunity to share
the scriptures and preach Christ. When Paul goes to the Synagogue, he reasons out of the scriptures to everyone present. What was the context of Paul’s message? The lesson on 09-09 takes time to go back and establish the history of Israel from Abraham through the Judges, Kings, and Prophets. Old Testament history is crucial to
understanding the context of Acts 17 & 18 to that of 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Those in Thessalonica were concerned that the Day of the Lord had past. Paul helps clarify it for them. Click here to listen to the lesson for 09-09.
 Attack on America. On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijaked passenger jets and used them
as missles by flying them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. In the wake of this awful tragedy and act of war, America has called for
prayer for the families and victims of this attack. Even though America has been quick to “pray
to God”, there has been a distinct lack of specific reference to the one true source of peace... Christ Jesus. As the emotions of the world are caught up in this attack, it’s important to seek
Christ through prayer and reading the Bible. Unfortuantely, there will be those who try and take advantage of our fears and emotions, saying the end of the world is near, or the events in
Revelation are beginning right before our eyes. Don’t be fooled... the scriptures are clear on the events that need to take place prior to the Day of the Lord. The lesson on 09-16 discusses how
Christ is the answer to our fears while the latter part of the lesson covers the scriptures that portray how prophecy will begin again with Israel. Click here to listen now.
 Dating Pauls Books.
There are two ways to identify when Paul wrote his letters in the New Testament during the Acts Period. First, when there are historical events mentioned in Acts or one
of His 14 epistles. The event in history then provides a time marker for when the book was written.
The second way is by the subject matter itself. These two methods allow you to put Paul’s books in order and thereby understand the progressive callings that Paul was responsible for communicating
to Israel and Gentiles. We are called to learn the scriptures so we can compare the things that differ. When you have the word of God in your heart, it is what lifts you up in times like these when
world events cause emotional turmoil. It’s the Word of God that keeps you grounded in truth. The lesson on 09-23 encourages you to study the word so you won’t be fooled by “End Times” enthusiasts. Click here to listen now.
 The attack on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, DC has caused many people to ask the question “Is this the End Times?
” There is much uncertainty and unrest in the world but one thing is certain... Christ Jesus and His Word. It’s in His word
where the student of scripture who rightly divides the word of truth, will ask the question and go to the Bible to search for the answer. What you will find is that there are specific events that must
occur in order prior to the Lord’s return. These events in prophecy involve the Nation of Israel
who must be spiritually restored before the latter days unfold. This restoration is foretold in Malachi 4:4-6 with the return of Elijah. Leland Maples takes the time during
the lesson on 09-30 to describe the order of events that need to take place according to the Bible. Click here to listen now.
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Audio Lessons for this Month
