Many were added to the early church, some were removed, and it greatly multiplied. There came a time when the physical needs of people weren't being met and the first deacons were established.
When people serve well as deacons, they become bold for the gospel. This is evidenced by Stephen, who had great boldness with signs and wonders. The Jews opposed him and he gave them a history lesson about how the God of grace had worked with and for them throughout history, but still, the Jews were stiff-necked people, full of idolatry and hypocrisy. When he rightly said they killed Jesus, they became furious and stoned him. Saul, later Paul, assented to his death.
Three types of people are in this familiar encounter of the woman caught in adultery: the accused; the accusers; and the One to whom the accused is brought. The religious leaders set a trap for both the woman caught in adultery and also for Jesus. Adultery is serious (lust is also adultery) and sympathy for the woman should not distract from her sin, however, Jesus neither condones it nor condemns her. Those who came to shame Jesus leave in shame, but the woman stayed in His presence. Jesus gave...
As opposed to an exhaustive teaching on fasting (resources are available both in print and online for those interested), Rory summarizes the history of Calvary Prineville and the important role prayer and fasting have played throughout the years, as the local Body prepares for a churchwide fast this coming week. This is an excellent teaching both from the standpoint of how fasting plays into the life of the believer and the church, as well as a short history of this local fellowship and the Lord...
A special message re: fostering and adoption and God's heart for orphans
The Holy Spirit, as the third Person of the Trinity, is not an “it.” Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the disciples and then promised a further “baptism with the Holy Spirit,” the promise of the Father. Pentecost ushered in the age of the Spirit who gave the disciples power to be witnesses. Beyond having the Holy Spirit within us, we need to have the Holy Spirit come in power upon us. All we need to do is ask.
In Acts we see the start of persecution after Peter and John are taken to task for healing a paralytic. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches Jesus to the people and to the Sadducees. We can expect persecution if we believe in Jesus, and even more so if we speak His Name. If we haven’t experienced persecution we should ask ourselves “why not?”
During the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus proclaims that as God provided water in the wilderness from the rock, He will satisfy those who thirst with Living Water, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave his disciples a “new” command – to love one another. This was not really “new” but fresh. He is the example of how to love one another with sacrificial love. We need to love and expect nothing in return, and show no partiality. Are we loving people who are hard to love? What is hindering us? We cannot profess to love God and not love people.
A special Christmas Eve service at Calvary Prineville. Rory's mic is off for the first 90 seconds.
Jesus hangs back from going to the Feast of Tabernacles, but eventually sneaks in to the celebration before he is found out. During this incident five important questions about Jesus are posed: Where is He? How does He know so much? Who wants to kill Him? Who is He? and will you come to Him?
Peter uses the healing the lame man as an opportunity to preach the gospel, but is quick to stay humble and direct the glory for the healing to where it is due. This was a bold and blunt condemnation of the Jews for killing Jesus, yet he has compassion for them, acknowledging they did it in ignorance, but now have the chance to repent and be converted. The gospel converts us and transforms us. Sins are blotted out and there is instant refreshing and relief.
Beyond Jesus being the Bread of Life, there are three important questions whose answers we need to understand. First, where did Jesus come from? The Father sent the Son that we would believe. Second, why did he come? He came from heaven to give life to the world – to do the will of the Father. Finally, what does that mean for me? It means that we would see the Son and God’s great love for us, and then believe and trust, receiving everlasting life; the Bread that lasts forever. In Hebrews 10:5 we...
Jesus warned people not to labor for temporal food but to seek the eternal. How much effort do we put in things that won’t last? There is no method or list of works needed to be saved; we simply need to believe. Jesus will keep those who come to Him, and who will have a future hope and be raised on the last day to everlasting life.
As Peter and John go to the temple to pray, they are accosted by a lame man for alms. Instead of giving money, he is healed. This was done in front of very “religious” people – the kind of people that don’t hear very well. They know what they know, usually as taught by someone else. Christians, on the other hand, have the Bible as their authority. Peter trusted the Lord would heal him and rebuked the people for wanting to give credit to them, based on Peter and John’s own power and godliness.
Jesus sent the disciples across the Sea of Galilee, where in the dark of night they encountered a strong storm. Afraid because Jesus wasn’t with them, they strained at the oars, until they saw Him walking on the water in the midst of it all. Matthew recounts that Peter got out of the boat to walk to Jesus, but saw his circumstances, took his eyes off Jesus, and began to sink. We need to remember the big picture that God has a plan for each of us and not to let the cares of the world choke out th...
A new and courageous Peter stands up and preaches to a large crowd. Using Old Testament passages he quotes Joel and David to preach the gospel. In the last days, or Day of the Lord, he said, the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all mankind. This isn’t just a shower, but downpour of power to preach and to prophesy, which is speaking forth the heart of God as exhortation, encouragement and comfort toward men. Peter pointed out that Jesus was crucified both as part of the Father’s determined purp...
After working many miracles for sick people, Jesus went away to rest with His disciples. Still, the people followed him, and Jesus had great compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He sought to feed them but the disciples only found a young boy with five barley loaves and two fish. This was a very tiny amount of food but enough for the Lord’s purpose. Blessing the food, Jesus gave thanks to the Father, because he knew what this tiny amount could do. In the end, there ...
There was a fourfold witness of Jesus: 1) Jesus HImself; 2) John the Baptist; 3) the works of Jesus; and 4) the witness of the Father. Jesus indicted the Jews for their unbelief which was a spiritual and moral failure against God. The never heard God's voice yet claimed to be followers of Moses and never saw His form, even though Jesus was the manifestation of the Father. Even though they were experts in the Scriptures, they didn't have the Word of God dwelling in them and missed Jesus, who the ...
After Jesus ascended, the disciples waited for the Promise of the Father, which was the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has three presences in the believer: He's with us (beside us), in us, and is poured upon us (baptized with). The purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is for boldness - to be a bold witness for Jesus with courage and power. There is nothing to be afraid of. It's important to realize that the Holy Spirit is a person who has feelings and is not a "force." H...
Christianity has nothing if Jesus isn’t God, because as we believe in Jesus we pass from life to death. Most people, even Christians, don’t have an accurate understanding of the resurrection of the dead. All will be resurrected – some to eternal life (those who have done good works because of their faith in Jesus) and some to eternal death (those who didn’t believe in Jesus and as a result, practiced evil). Jesus transforms dead sinners to living sons. The entire world will be judged.
God is both good and severe, and where there is mercy, salvation and justice there is also judgment. You can’t give one attribute to God and ignore the others. A day has been appointed for judgment – a day of reckoning by the Son. Today we are being attacked by the “religion of tolerance,” but unless you acknowledge Jesus Christ as the risen Son of God, and believe in His Name, you will not be saved. Any religion that does not honor Jesus as God is from hell.
Rory gives an introduction to the book of Acts, which is both historical and evangelical. Acts is the main source of our study of the Church. Written by Luke, a physician, it is an orderly account, and is incredibly accurate. Places referenced in Acts can still be found today. It is at this time that Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Promise of the Father, who was the Holy Spirit. Verse 8 is the key verse.
Mark's brief description of the events after Jesus' resurrection is examined, with both Matthew and Luke used to fill in the gaps. After His resurrection, the scared disciples refused to believe that Jesus was alive. Only when He appeared to them did they understand. God allowed this to unfold to provide many witnesses, and then Jesus told the disciples to preach the gospel to every creature. That is our reason for existence - to preach the gospel. It's the play that's been given and we need to ...
Whereas our concepts of a day, a month and a year are all tied to natural (created) phenomena, the week is directly related to the creation itself. God created for six days and then rested on the seventh - a week. This has been passed on through cultures for thousands of years. The Jews, following the Old Testament laws, regarded the seventh day (now known as Saturday) as the Sabbath. However, early Christians soon made the first day of the week the Lord's day, based all that had happened on the...
It is a fact that Jesus died and rose again from the grave - the foundation of our faith. Immediately after, people were afraid. The women - who at least weren't afraid to be with Jesus at the crucifixion while the disciples hid - were also afraid to tell of His resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple who received Jesus' body for burial was also afraid, and so came at night. We need not be "secret" disciples. Because of Jesus we are righteous. Let the "was" be crucified with Him.
Healing on the Sabbath was the beginning of the real persecution of Jesus. This is also where he begins to show himself to be equal in authority with the Father. The question was: Does God work on the Sabbath or rest on the Sabbath? Does He violate the Sabbath law? The Jews wrestled with this question. Jesus said the Father has been working and so has He. The Jews instantly understood the importance of what He said, that Jesus was claiming to be God. Jesus also said he can't work independently f...
After Jesus leaves Samaria he goes to Galilee. There he is received as opposed to in Jerusalem, his own country, although he was received in Galilee based on the miracles he did in Jerusalem. This wasn't authentic faith in the Savior of the world. He meets a nobleman who is desperate for his dying son to be healed, and who realized that with all he had he had nothing. In life, trials drive us to Jesus. As opposed to those who believed Jesus because of his miracles, this nobleman, like the Samari...
Note: tech difficulties cut off the first few minutes. The Samaritan woman returns to her town and tells everyone about Jesus, and many believe because of her testimony. Our fields are white, and we need to be willing to take part in the harvest of souls.
The disciples were directed to find a man in Jerusalem who would take them to the Upper Room where they would celebrate Passover. They found it just as Jesus had said. The Passover foreshadowed Jesus, who is the true and better Passover Lamb. The Passover feast celebrating vicory became tainted with treachery because of Judas' betrayal of Jesus. This was prophesied and had to happen. The Last Supper is a time of true intimacy with Jesus, and communion proclaims the gospel to the world.
