Men's Bible Study - RLC

We go a little outside the normal plan and learn a ton from a man who asked himself the question, "Why would Gentiles go to the Temple?"

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Matthew 12:31-32Acts 4:18-4:28 - Peter and John are warned to not speak, they declare they must obey God, and they and the other believers pray that God would allow their voices to be heard.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Matthew 6:33Acts 4:1-4:17 - Peter and John (at least) are arrested but then Peter gets to make a defense before the Sanhedrin - good stuff.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: None this weekActs 3:3-3:26 - We dive into Peter's (and John's) healing of a man lame from birth and his speech to the awestruck crowd.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Ephesians 2:14-16 (wall of separation)Acts 2:43-3:2 - We examine the signs through the apostles, communal living, early church culture, and meeting the lame man at the gate.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Exodus 21:22-25 (new perspective)Acts 2:32-42 - We examine the remainder of Peter's speech and the three thousand that join the community - and what that community looks like.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Matthew 7:1-5Acts 2:14-31 - We examine the first portion of Peter's speech to the crowd who were drawn to the noise (Spirit) and seeing and hearing the speaking in other tongues.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Hebrews 6:1-12 (a "both sides" presentation)Acts 2 -

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Philippians 4:13Acts 2:1-13 - We looked at the first festival of Pentecost following Jesus' resurrection.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Jeremiah 29:11Acts 2:1 - Yeah, we didn't actually make it here ;-)

Acts 1:12-26 - A tight knit group of Apostles and others act in one accord to replace Judas with Matthias.

Misinterpreted Scripture Series: Psalm 51:5Acts 1:1-11 - Luke introduces his second book, reminds the reader of the promise of the Holy Spirit, and relates some details of the ascension.

We attempt to decide on this year's main study and discuss and demonstrate how everyone will be participating in teaching one another.

Revelation - We see the throne of God and the Lamb with water flowing from it - watering the tree(s) of life and possibly the whole earth. We see God's light and no darkness. We hear the final encouragement to be of those who wash their robes (obedience, righteousness).

Revelation - We see the Dragon thrown into the Lake of Fire, the final judgment and the unfaithful also in the Lake of Fire, the new heavens, the new earth, and the New Jerusalem. Most importantly, the goal of the whole story - God dwells with man in creation.

Revelation - We look at Messiah's actual second coming with the armies of heaven. They destroy all those who are coming against Him and His city (the great judgment supper) and bind the dragon in chains. The first resurrection and judgment happens to begin the millennial Kingdom. Finally, Satan is released at the end of the Kingdom for one final deception and battle.

Revelation - We looked at the more detailed description of the fall of 'Babylon' and the nations lament (chapter 18) and heavens joyous response followed by the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Revelation - We looked at the seventh bowl, assembling at Armageddon, and the war of Gog and Magog (metaphorically, all nations join with Rome to defeat God/Israel).

Revelation - We are introduced to the seven angels with the seven plagues (i.e. bowls of wrath) - the end of God's wrath. We saw six of the bowls poured out and, though those with the mark of the beast were willing to worship someone or something, they refused to worship God.

Revelation - We see the return of the 144,000 and the final call of the eternal gospel, followed by the harvest of those faithful to the beast instead of God.Genesis -

Revelation - We took a close look at the name and number of the beast and how a first century reader would have understood it.Genesis 35:11-14 - We continued our slow trek through the old testament by examining a short bit from the story of Jacob.

Revelation - We read of the second beast of the earth (false prophet) and our introduction to 'the mark'.Genesis -

Revelation - We examine the Dragon (Satan) giving authority to the first of two beasts and that beast's connections to Daniel 7.Genesis -

Revelation - We continue looking at the vision of the woman (Israel) and the dragon (Satan) and the dragon's subsequent ejection from heaven and his continuing pursuit of the woman.Genesis -

Revelation - We looked at the Woman and the Dragon - recognizing this as a step back in time and identifying the various characters.Genesis -

Revelation: We look at the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the worship that follows, and the mysterious appearance of an ark in the heavenly temple.Genesis:

Revelation - We examine the account of the two witnesses.Genesis -

Revelation - We looked at the many connections to the prophets and Torah in John's measuring of the future Temple and the future trampling by the Gentiles.Genesis 35:6-10 - Jacob builds an altar, buries beloved Deborah, meets God again at Bethel, and God changes his name (again, to the same name).

Revelation - We looked at the many connections to the prophets and Sinai in John's encounter with the little scroll.Genesis 35:1-5 - We examined Jacob's preparations for meeting with God at Bethel.

Revelation - We examined the judgments that come with the fifth and sixth trumpets (more to come on the sixth).Genesis 35 - We're pausing on Genesis until we make up some ground in our Revelation study.

Revelation - We examine the great multitude (martyrs), the seventh seal, and the first four trumpets.

Revelation - We examine the breaking of the 5th and 6th seals on the scroll and narrow down who the 144,000 are.

Revelation - Jesus broke the first four seals of the scroll and we examined the meaning and purpose of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Revelation - We examine the correlations and allusions between the plagues in Egypt (the first redemption) and the upcoming tribulation (the second redemption).

Revelation - In chapter 5, we are allowed to see Jesus' death and resurrection from the other side of the veil.Genesis 34:26-31 - Killing all the men wasn't enough - they plundered the remaining property, flocks, women, and children. Jacob was miffed.

Revelation - In chapter 4, we join into a heavenly worship - specifically the kedusha. WE also see some interesting connections to visions that Isaiah and Ezekiel had.Genesis 34:21-25 - Hamor and Shechem convince the townspeople to 'merge' with Jacob's clan (and being circumcised). Simeon and Levi leverage their weakened state and kill all the men.

Revelation - We review the letter to Laodicea. We examine the meaning of hot, cold, and lukewarm. We also dig a little deeper into some connections to Proverbs 8.

Revelation - We review the letter to Philadelphia. These believers are praised for holding fast to what they'd been taught. Their encouragement is to keep it up (lest they lose their crown???)!

Revelation - We review the letter to Sardis. Even in the midst of serious persecution there were those who only 'played church'. The call was to conquer evil through acts of righteousness and, though it sounds very strange to us, to be worthy.

Revelation - We review the letter to Thyatira - what they did right and what they tolerated. We looked more deeply at 'Jezebel' and 'the deep things of Satan'.

Revelation - We looked into the hidden manna and the white stone with a name on it (from the letter to Pergamum).Genesis 34:11-20 - Shechem adds to what his father had proposed with his own personal plea. Jacob's sons answer deceitfully.

Revelation - We take a closer look at the letter to Pergamum (where Satan's throne is).Genesis 34.1-10 - We begin the story of Dinah at Shechem. We cover the violent assault and Hamor's attempt to 'make a deal'.

Revelation - We examined the 'epistle' to Smyrna and tried to define what a 'Synagogue of Satan' actually is.Genesis 33:17-20 - After Jacob reunites with Esau, he immediately heads in the opposite direction and sets up a home in Succoth and then moves to the outskirts of Shechem.

Revelation - We take a closer look at the Nicolaitans - who were they and why were their deeds and teaching hated?Genesis 33:1-16 - Jacob and Esau finally meet and to everyone's surprise, it goes very well!

Revelation - We examined the first 'letter' to the assemblies, the letter to Ephesus in 2:1-7.

Revelation - We look closely at 'the seven Spirits' who are before the throne. They will play an important part in the upcoming story.Genesis 32:24-32 - We examine Jacob's encounter with a man (angel? God?) - with whom Jacob wrestles until dawn.

Revelation - We look at John's intentional connections back to Daniel's apocalypse (and why John was making them) and some important points concerning angels.Genesis 32:10-23 - We examine Jacob's prayer and Jacob's approach to his brother Esau - waves of gifts.

Revelation - Intro to the book, the genre, the historical context, interpretive approach, etc... (Part 3) Genesis 32:1-9 - Jacob now prepares for meeting Esau. He encounters God, sends messengers to Esau, gets word Esau appears to be prepared for war, splits his camp, and goes to God in prayer.

Revelation - Intro to the book, the genre, the historical context, etc... (Part 2) Genesis 31:43-55 - Laban and Jacob cut a covenant to do each other no harm. Laban disappears from the story after this, but the relationship ends in peace.

Revelation - Intro to the book, the genre, the historical context, etc... Genesis 31:33-42 - We continue the saga of Jacob's departure from Laban with a look at the showdown over the stolen idols. It seemed there was plenty of right and wrong to go around.