Lineage Journey

Pentecost to Patmos

Adam Ramdin

01 Pentecost to Patmos

The Crusades & The Crusades of the First Century The believers in the first century were at a crossroads.

Their teacher, rabbi, and leader for the last 3 and a half years had been crucified and had now ascended to heaven.

How would this fledgling new movement do without the leadership and guidance that he provided?

Many expected the disciples to be sorrowful, confused, and defeated, but they returned from Olivet to Jerusalem and there waited for the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

They did not wait idly, but they spent time in the temple praising and blessing God and searching their own hearts.

They did not merely pray for a personal blessing, but that they might be used to bless others.

How did the Bible say that the Lord was going to bless them?

The Bible says in the book of Acts that when the day of Pentecost was come, they were all of 1 accord and in 1 place.' And then it says, And there was a sound from heaven like the sound of a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting.

When Jesus left, He promised them the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and he said they would have more power than if he had stayed.

In this instance the Holy Spirit came in the form of tongues of fire, fire to symbolize the fervency of the work, and tongues to symbolize that they will be able to speak in languages that they had been unable to before.

He was able to speak in languages that were not spoken by the Jews.

At that time there were Jews from every nation there in attendance of the religious festivals that were in progress.

Under normal circumstances, this diversity of languages would have been a great hindrance to the spread of the gospel, but God was able to take something that should have been an obstacle and turn it into a victory.

Imagine standing there and listening to these humble men from Galilee preaching, and those who heard it heard it in their own language.

Even those who were opposed to this message were powerless in the face of this blatant demonstration of the power of God that they were witnessing.

He was a man of great power, and he was a man of great wisdom.

Peter showed that there was a connection between what was happening then and what was prophesied in the book of Joel.

And then he spoke with clarity and power, showing how the 1 so recently crucified was the Prince of life.

No doubt there were some there in attendance who had heard Pilate say the words, whom shall I release unto you?

And had said, His blood be upon us and our children, when Pilate had said, I find no fault in him.

Struck with conviction they then said, What shall we do?

In answer to this age-old question, Peter responded that they needed to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and receive the Holy Ghost.

[♪ music ♪ Some no doubt thought that the work that Jesus started would end with his death, but the scenes witnessed on the day of Pentecost showed that the movement that would become Christianity was just getting started.

The disciples had been trained by the world's greatest teacher for 3 and a half years, and Now they received their final qualification.

They were no longer disconnected, independent workers, but they were of 1 accord.

They no longer wanted worldly greatness, but now they felt their desperate need of The Holy Spirit.

[♪ music ♪ This experience of the believers in the first century gave them the impetus that they needed to go on and change the world.

This baptism of the Holy Spirit was a foretaste of what will happen before the return of Jesus.

This baptism, this experience that they had, was a snapshot, and before Jesus' return there will be an outpouring of the Holy Spirit like has never seen before.

Just like then, the church will need to be of 1 accord.

Strife and divisions need to be put away, and hearts need to be searched.

May we humbly cooperate with God, and may we seek this experience in our lives.

04 Peter: Delivered From Prison

The Greatest Triumphs of the Church Chapter 1 The Greatest Triumphs of the Church Some of The Greatest Triumphs of the Church Some of the greatest triumphs of the church are when victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat, when it seems all hope is lost, and yet God comes through for His people in a remarkable way.

Again and again throughout history God seeks to remind his people that their greatest strength is not in their intellect, their education, or their experience, but in relying on him.

In Acts chapter 12 the church was in its infancy and each leader of the church was extremely important with huge responsibilities.

3 of these early leaders were Peter, James, and John.

[♪ music ♪ At the time there was a king named Herod who was a convert to the Jewish faith and was apparently very zealous in carrying out the ceremonies of the Jewish law as he tried to please and appease those whom he was ruling.

He killed James, the brother of John, which was a huge loss to the church, but seeing how pleased the Jewish leaders were, he went after Peter as well and imprisoned him.

Peter's execution was delayed till after Passover, which gave the church time to pray for a miracle.

[♪ music ♪ In order to ensure that Peter couldn't escape, they were especially cautious with 4 squads of soldiers assigned to watch him.

4 soldiers would watch him at any 1 time, and there were 4 groups who rotated.

2 soldiers would be chained to him, 1 on each arm, and then 2 more would be either side of a locked and bolted door.

God is often dramatic and waits until the very last minute to do something, most likely to ensure that there is no human way to fix the situation.

On the night that Peter was due to be executed, the Bible records that he was sleeping.

This itself is amazing, but the peace that he had comes from having a relationship with Jesus.

The Bible says in Acts chapter 12 and verse 7 that an angel came down and light-filled the prison.

He tells him to put on his outer clothes and his shoes and then his chains fall off.

They walk out the first door past the guards and then out the second door, and then Peter walks through the gate into the city.

For Peter to escape would have been humanly impossible or to rescue him from prison, but God performed a supernatural act for someone who was very dear to him.

Peter, finding himself a free man on an empty street, makes his way to the house where his fellow believers were praying.

After he knocks on the door, a woman named Rhoda comes to it, and recognizing Peter's voice, she's so surprised she leaves him there and goes and tells the other believers that Peter is at the door.

Eventually he is let in and they realize that God has performed yet another miracle.

Peter was not destined to die here in Jerusalem.

God still had a special work for him to do in preaching the gospel.

[♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪� the gospel.

It was Peter who wrote to the church in 1 Peter 4, verse 12, to not think it's strange when fiery trials come upon them.

He knew from personal experience what it was to be delivered, and he writes to encourage us to trust God in our trials.

Whilst on this occasion God chose to deliver in a miraculous way, reminding us that God has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing.

May we trust God in our trials, whether He delivers us or whether He doesn't, remembering the words of 1 Peter 4, verse 13, 4 verse 13, to rejoice inasmuch as You

02 The Stoning of Stephen

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Season 1 Episode 2 The Church of Jesus Christ As the young Christian church was forming and building its structure, some challenges arose, 1 of which was the overburdening of the work on the apostles.

Inevitably, some believers were not getting the attention and service that they needed, and there was some early tension between the Grecian and Hebrew believers, with the Grecian saying that their widows were being neglected.

From a situation that could have splintered and torn the young church apart came a form of structure and organization that strengthened it, providing us with functions and roles that we still have today.

[♪ Music ♪ Rather than the apostles having the responsibility to look after the poor, they could focus all their time to the ministry of the word and prayer.

In order to facilitate this, they chose 7 men of honest report who were full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom.

These 7 men were Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Phaminus, Nicholas, and Stephen.

These men were prayed over, and after this division of the tasks, the Bible says in Acts chapter 6 that the word of God increased and the number of disciples multiplied.

A situation that could have divided the church instead caused it to structure and strengthen.

Of these, the most well-known was Stephen.

Stephen was the most gifted, and when he spoke his adversaries could find no fault of them, so instead they used a charge of blasphemy and brought him before the High Priest.

Here he had an opportunity to answer to his accusers, and he was able to defend his faith.

And in Acts chapter 7 it's basically a transcript of what he said.

He starts with Jewish history from the time of Moses to David to Solomon, and comes all the way down to his day where he says that they killed the Just 1, or the Messiah.

[♪ music ♪ It was at this point that His audience couldn't take it anymore.

They had heard enough, and despite not giving him a fair trial or there being any legal proceedings, he was taken out of the city, and Acts chapter 7 says he was stoned to death.

The first martyr of the Christian faith died a cruel and gruesome death, with no trial, at the hands of an angry mob.

He died like many who came after him would, with a peace in his heart and a love for his attackers, for his last words were a prayer to God where he asked him not to lay the charge of killing him on them.

The Bible then says that he fell asleep, 1 of the clearest places in Scripture where death is likened to sleep.

🎵 In Acts chapter 7 and verse 58, the Bible says that those who stoned Stephen laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

This seemingly small point is not written for no reason.

The fact that Saul is mentioned is important because no doubt the image of Stephen dying with a peace and a calmness on his face was an image that he could not get out of his mind.

Though the ministry of Stephen was probably not long, from the time of his ordination until his death, the impact lived on because his martyrdom was witnessed by the man who would later on be converted a few chapters on in the book of Acts.

Imagine the scene when they meet in heaven, no doubt Stephen rejoicing because he died with a love for his attackers.

The old adage that the blood of Christians is seed to the gospel came true for him personally.

May we have a love, a forbearance, and a patience with other people, especially those who persecute us.

05 Antioch: And They Were Called Christians

Antioch, Syria The City of Antioch the City of Antioch The city of Antioch lies today in the modern-day country of Turkey, though this land has changed hands a few times.

In Bible times it would have been Syria, and it was a wealthy, cultured, and refined city, known as a resort city in beautiful surroundings.

Sometimes referred to as the Queen of the East or Antioch the Beautiful, it was a pivotal point in trade and travel between Persia, Babylon, India, and Europe.

With a population of over 500, 000 and known for their licentiousness, sin, and superstition, once again Paul and the apostles did not pick an easy place to evangelize.

[♪ music ♪ In the first century AD, disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene came here to Antioch preaching the gospel and had great success.

Previously, when the disciples had gone out, they had only preached to the Jews, but here they also preached to the Grecians.

Hearing of the success of the work, the believers in Jerusalem decided to send Barnabas to come and aid the work.

His work here in the city was very successful, and many were added to the believers.

After laboring here for some time, he went to Tarsus where Saul was working and persuaded him to come here to Antioch.

Together they labored in the city for about 1 year and had great success in the gospel ministry.

[♪ music ♪ Their work in this city was characterized by a strong emphasis on the ministry of Jesus.

They preached about Jesus, taught about Jesus, and were known everywhere as those who preached the message of a crucified and risen Savior.

Because of this, the Bible records in Acts 11 verse 26 this famous verse, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Here in Antioch, today in a Muslim country, the name Christian was first used.

This word was used because it aptly described this group of believers in that they were talking about Jesus all the time.

How did the Jews and the Christians get to know each other?

Another significant thing that took place here in Antioch was the ordination of Paul and Barnabas to the gospel ministry through the laying on of hands.

The laying on of hands was significant to anyone of a Jewish background, for this happened when a father blessed his children or when an animal was taken to the temple for sacrifice.

Here in Antioch, the leaders of the church laid their hands on Paul and Barnabas and blessed them for the gospel ministry and dedicated them with prayer.

That Paul and Barnabas, the greatest missionaries the Christian Church has ever known, would work in harmony with what the early church and early believers wanted, is a lesson to all of us.

They came here as the church sent for them, and they went from here in fulfillment of God's calling on their life, but also with the blessing of the church.

[♪ music ♪ The name Christian has been used ever since to describe the body of believers who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

This movement has grown over the years, decades, centuries, and millennia since then, until today it numbers over 2 billion people.

Throughout history many people have used this term to describe themselves, to form their identity, and to define their purpose, and the name Christian started in Antioch.

The question for us today is, does it still apply to us?

If other people were to label us, what would they call us?

May there be a correlation between what we claim about ourselves and what other people call us that I claim to be a Christian is echoed by those who know us.

06 Paul & Silas: Preaching in Philippi

The Macedonian Call Season 2 Episode 3 The Macedonian Call Season 2 Episode 3 The Macedonian Call After standing on the shores of Troas and receiving the Macedonian call, Paul left what is modern-day Turkey today and travelled over the Mediterranean Sea, landing here in the port city of Kavala.

This was the first time he had stepped foot in the continent of Europe, and Europe would never be the same again.

He planted seeds that led to the growth of the Christian Church, and it still continues here to this day.

This was during Paul's second missionary journey, and after landing here he traveled the 10 miles inland to the town of Philippi, some of it along the Via Ignatia.

🎵 music 🎵 It seems that the city of Philippi did not have a synagogue, and the Bible says in Acts chapter 16 that on the Sabbath day they went out of the city and came to the riverside and met with the women who gathered there.

1 of the women was called Lydia, and she came from the city of Thyatira.

The Bible says that she was a businesswoman, a seller of purple cloth.

She readily accepted the message and along with her household was converted and baptized and asked the apostles to make her house their home.

Here, about half a mile out of the city of Philippi by the riverside is the traditional spot where she was converted.

[♪ music ♪ There was another woman who showed interest in Paul and Silas' work, but unfortunately it was not for the same reason.

She was possessed with an evil spirit and followed them around, distracting people from the good work that they were doing.

Eventually Paul cast out the evil spirit from her and she was restored to her right mind, but her masters were not happy.

They received good money from her su-sang, and with this stream of income now taken away, they turned their anger on Paul and Silas.

[♪ music ♪ Paul and Silas were brought before the city rulers and accused of causing trouble in the city.

They were whipped, they were beaten, and then they were thrown into jail.

Here in ancient Philippi they were imprisoned.

They were put in uncomfortable stocks, but despite this injustice and cruel treatment, they were singing hymns and praising God.

Then at midnight an earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, the doors were opened, and their chains were loosed.

[♪ music ♪ This is the traditional site of Paul's prison.

The jailer was awoken by the earthquake in the middle of the night and seeing the prison doors open and assuming the prisoners had fled along with the newly imprisoned Paul and Silas, and fearing the shame of a public execution, he was about to kill himself when Paul cried out, "'Don't harm yourself.

We are all here.'" Not just Paul and Silas, but all the prisoners had no doubt been persuaded by Paul to stick around.

The jailer had never seen anything like this, prisoners who could have escaped but chose not to, and he fell down in front of them and said, What must I do to be saved?

[♪ music ♪ He was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved.

The Bible says that he and his family were baptized.

The next day Paul and Silas were released from prison, and after going to Lydia's house to see the other believers, they left soon after.

Paul's labor here resulted in the establishment of a church.

After seeing Paul's zeal and dedication and his willingness to suffer for the cause of Christ, it left a lasting impression on the converts.

[♪ music ♪ The journey of this church would not be a smooth 1, as evidenced by Paul's letter to the Philippians in chapter 1, verse 29, where he says, "'Unto you it is given on behalf of Christ to not only believe on him but to also suffer for his sake.

And so today with some of us, the path is not always smooth and easy, and like Paul here in Philippi, we may be called to suffer for the cause of Christ.

If that is your lot in life, then may we rejoice in the midst of the struggle as Paul and Silas did.

And remember that as it says in 2 Corinthians 13 verse 8, You

07 Paul & Silas: The Work in Thessaloniki & Berea

The Greatest War of the Middle Ages Chapter 1 The Greatest War of the Middle Ages The Greatest War of the Middle Ages The Greatest War of the Middle Ages After leaving Philippi, Paul traveled west and came here to the city of Thessalonica.

In the 1st century AD, Thessalonica was a wealthy city and had Romans, Greeks, and Jews living here.

In Roman literature it was described as the mother of Macedonia, and this region, along with the cities in the area that Paul visited, were some of the key sites in the known world at the time.

Nearby to Thessalonica is the city of Pella, Greece, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, the ruler of the Greek Empire in its heyday.

Alexander the Great's father, Philip, is also buried not far away in the city of Aegina.

This is an area steeped in history, glory, and mythology.

Paul didn't choose an easy area to evangelize where he was guaranteed results, but he went where the Spirit called him.

[♪ music ♪ Today not much remains of the ancient city, as much of the current city is built on top of it.

When Paul arrived here, his first port of call was to go to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.

Acts chapter 17 says that he went to the synagogue for 3 Sabbaths and was able to persuade some, including a great number of Greeks and leading women.

But like in Philippi, this caused a great uproar and the Jews enlisted the help of some troublemakers and attacked the house of Jason.

Luckily for Paul and Silas, they were not there, but Jason and some others in his house were hauled before the city rulers and held for some time.

[♪ music ♪ The situation was now critical, and Paul and Silas left the city at night.

A church had been established that would continue to grow and facilitate the spread of the gospel throughout Macedonia.

After leaving, they came here to Berea, known today as Verea.

Again here, Paul went to the synagogue when he arrived, looking for honest people, and he found a group of people that the Bible describes as being noble.

In Acts chapter 17 verse 11, the Bible says that they received the word with readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

[♪ music ♪ The Bible records in Acts chapter 17 that many of the Jews and Greeks believed, both men and women, and initially they were well received.

Unfortunately, though, maybe due to the close proximity of where they had just left, their adversaries from Thessalonica caught up with them and stirred up the crowds against them.

Paul was immediately sent away for his safety, but Silas and Timothy would stay here longer to help establish the church.

This was not the last time that Paul would visit, and he would come a second time in AD 57.

[♪ music ♪ The Bereans are an example to countless generations afterwards of how we ought to relate to the instructions of prominent teachers and preachers.

Even though Paul was a great missionary with lots of experience and knowledge, they still diligently checked to see if what he said was accurate and correct.

In so doing, they were described as being noble.

Our beliefs today need to rest on something solid.

May you be diligent in your faith and may you find out why you believe what you believe and not take another person's word for granted.

03 Paul: The Road to Damascus

The Death of Stephen Season 1 Episode 1 The Death of Stephen After the death of Stephen, a persecution began here in Jerusalem that drove the believers outside throughout Judea and Sumeria.

Saul was at the center of much of this persecution and the Christians were punished in the synagogue, some were put in prison and some suffered the same fate as Stephen and were put to death.

As the early church was driven from Jerusalem by persecution, Acts Chapter 8 verse 4 says that they went everywhere preaching the gospel, fulfilling the biblical command to go into all the world and share the good news.

[♪ music ♪ 1 of the places they would go is the city of Damascus, today in neighboring Syria, with Philip and Peter and John all going to this city as a cluster of new believers was formed.

The rise of the church in this city angered Saul, and he went to see the high priest in Jerusalem to ask if he could go and deal with the problem.

He was given permission to go, and with letters of authority in hand, he headed up to Galilee, over the hills, and into Damascus.

A painfully bright light was in his path, and he heard the words, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

He asked who it was and the answer came back, I am Jesus.

Imagine being on your way to persecute the followers of Jesus and Jesus himself comes down to see you.

Jesus knew what a powerful worker he could become if he turned his life around, and so he came down personally to meet with him.

He asked what he should do and he was told to go into the city, but he had lost his sight, and so his companions had to help him get there.

[♪ music ♪ There He stayed in the city for 3 days without food or water, and the Lord appeared to a man called Ananias, telling him to go in search for Saul.

He was initially hesitant, knowing he was the man who had come to persecute the believers, but he agrees and goes and finds him, and through an act of God Saul's eyesight is restored.

After eating and drinking and regaining his strength, he immediately starts to preach in the city.

[♪ music ♪ Saul was an incredibly gifted man, and the force of his reasoning was not something that people could argue with, and realizing that they could not battle him theologically or intellectually, the Jews decided to kill him.

He was helped in his escape from the city by the same believers he had planned to kill, and they lowered him in a basket over the city wall and he returned here to Jerusalem.

As he came to Jerusalem he joined with the Christian believers, but many of them were skeptical because after all, this was the man who would cause so much heartache for the church.

[♪ music ♪ Here was a new believer in the faith, someone who was incredibly gifted and could do great things for the cause, but the church was not sure about his story.

How he is received now is a pivotal point in the future of the church and in Saul's life.

In Acts chapter 9 and verse 27, the Bible says, But Barnabas took him and brought him to the disciples and told them how he had seen the Lord.

Maybe today you need a Barnabas, or you need to be a Barnabas for someone else and be their advocate.

Maybe someone you know is trying to come back to God, to come back to church.

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