Dear Friends,There are three important happenings at RCF which you need to know about for this Sunday, November 1st.
1. Daylight Savings Time – Remember to move your clocks back. If you don’t stay up later than normal on Saturday you get an extra hour sleep!
2. The Lord’s Supper – We will be beginning our time together commemorating Our Lord’s sacrifice for us. Please have some bread and juice prepared with which you can remember that His body suffered and died and His blood was shed to pay the penalty for your sins. If you have children it is your decision whether they should participate in this remembrance. It is important that we all prepare our hearts in order to partake rightly. Please contact me if you have any questions.
3. Discussion Bible Study – We will continue our study through Jesus’ life and ministry as He sends three more “miracle-bombs” into Jerusalem just prior to His final entry into Jerusalem. As I wrote in last week’s email:
In the final months of His life and ministry Jesus had the overwhelming support of the people throughout Israel. However, that meant little compared to the support of the Sanhedrin, Israel’s ruling council, which resided in the capital city of Jerusalem. Although He had faced hostility from many influential leaders in that city in the past, He was now going to provide them with more and more evidence supporting His identity as the Jewish Messiah. As armies bomb their adversaries into submission, Jesus was about to launch several powerful “miracle-bombs” into Jerusalem to compel Israel’s leadership to recognize Him as their divine King.
Last Sunday we saw Jesus launch this first “miracle-bomb” from Bethany, just a couple miles from Jerusalem, where He raised Lazarus from the dead. The impact caused a huge number of people to believe Him to be the nation’s Messiah. After He launches three more “miracle-bombs” He will make His final attempt to get the rulers of the nation to acknowledge Him as their King.
When you complete this week’s reading in Section 192 (page 182), the Man Who has now raised at least three people from the dead will have less than four days to live.
Attached below is a THE LATEST TIMELINE/CHART which you may print out which displays the key events of the last 3-4 months of His ministry. If you print out this chart it will be very helpful to you.
In order for you to be prepared for this coming Sunday’s discussion please pre-read Section 173 (page 161) through Section 192 (page 182).
This week’s lesson title will be: Jesus “Miracle Bombs” Jerusalem Into Believing, Part 2– Sections 173 – 192.
Here is a review of the lesson titles we have used in previous weeks:
- Jesus Begins His Ministry With A “Bang” – Sections 27-42
- What Began With A “Bang” Begins To Have “Bumps” – Sections 43-56
- The “Bumps” Become A “Brouhaha”: The Sabbath Controversies – Sections 57-62
- The “Brouhaha” Becomes A Verbal “Barrage” – Sections 63-72
- Jesus’ “Barrage” Is Answered With A “Bomb” – Sections 73-92
- Their “Bomb” Causes Jesus To “Bifurcate” His Ministry – Sections 93-108
- Jesus “Begins” His “Break” With Contemporary Judaism – Sections 109 – 111
- Jesus “Broadens” His “Break With Contemporary Judaism – Sections 112 – 123
- Jesus “Brings” Their “Belligerence” To Jerusalem – Sections 124 – 129
- Jesus “Brings” Their “Belligerence” To Jerusalem, Part 2 – Sections 130 – 143
- Jesus “Beaconing” Becomes Even More “Blunt” – Sections 144 – 152
- Jerusalem Is Brought To The Boiling Point – Sections 153 – 164
- Jesus “Miracle-Bombs” Jerusalem Into Believing – Sections 165 – 172
Here is this week’s Table Discussion Question, which addresses our partaking in communion:
What do you think about when you take the Lord’s Supper?
