Scripture

“Didn’t we tell you never again to preach about this JESUS,” the high priest demanded, “and instead you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring the blame of this man’s death on us.”

~Acts 5:28, LNT

Quote

Among a people generally corrupt, liberty cannot long exist.

~Edmund Burke

There are many things about the history of the early church that fascinate me. One is the honey moon the infant church enjoyed after the crucifixion of Jesus and the day of Pentecost. The last two verses in chapter 2 read like this in the LNT…They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for communion and shared their meals with great joy and thanksgiving, praising God. The whole city was favorable to them and each day God added to their number all who were being saved. Wow, the disciples and their followers used the Temple as a meeting place. The Temple was controlled by the high priest, his relatives and the corrupt Sadducees. Although Caiaphas had replaced Annas officially, Annas still ran things. Similar to Pat Dye at Auburn, he may not be the coach but he still run things. Annas had five sons and Caiaphas was his son-in-law and all had a powerful influence. The temple was a business to these corrupt Sadducees who were lovers of power and wealth. They profited from everything from the sale of sacrificial animals to the exchange of money. All the vendors who sat up shop in the temple area had to pay the Sadducees to do so. The fact that the early believers had Christian services in the Temple is amazing.

Do you remember the climate after 9-11, we had a few months where political correctness was thrown out the door but it didn’t last. After the crucifixion of Jesus, there must have been a lull in the hostility toward the followers of Christ because they were using the temple as a meeting place, eventually [Acts 5:17] the Sadducees have a violent reaction to what the Apostles are doing in the Temple. They were having healing services and teaching and preaching in the name of Jesus and they were drawing crowds. These crowds were getting bigger by the day and there was a buzz in Jerusalem and it all centered around this man Jesus who the Sadducees thought they had eliminated.

The Sadducees were key players in the crucifixion. Pilate and the Roman had no intention of crucifying Jesus; it was the Sadducees who pushed the envelop. Of course the Romans carried out the actual execution and now the Sadducees are claiming innocence in the matter of Jesus death. These same fellows were recorded as saying, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!” {Matthew 27:25} I imagine their children have wished a million times that they had never made such a foolish statement. Two millenniums later, not much has changed: the Pharisees are alive and well. They have even invaded the Baptist church but the Sadducees are also present in this day and age. I am speaking of the Caiaphas and Annas types–rich powerful Jews who use their wealth and influence to undermine any thing that is connected to Christ. You don’t know them by name because they stay in the shadows. They are glad to give someone else, a Pilate for example, credit for the evil they orchestrate.

• I rejoice to report that my cousin Karen got moved to Athens Hospital Wednesday evening and I got to visit with her and David yesterday. I want to PRAISE THE LORD for an answer to prayer. She still has a long way to go but she is making progress.
• I love Holidays and MEMORIAL DAY is one of my favorites. I have no desire to go to the beach or the lake but I do look forward to an extra day of rest and maybe catch a couple of war movies. I have noticed lately, that my son prays like his granddaddy, he always remembers the military. I’ve been a little lax lately in praying for our President. This weekend is a good time to pray for President Trump.
• Josie and company won the county championship last night at Priceville in a thrilling 9-5 come back victory. We were down 5-3 going into the home half of the 5th. Gi Gi hit two legitimate 2-run homers, back to back. The second almost cleared the fence. I’m not talking about a “Mother home run,” where there is routine ground ball and 4 errors, I am talking deep, deep fly ball over everyone’s head. Josie also made a running over the shoulder catch on a fly ball and doubled up the runner who thought it was a hit for sure.

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