Atlantic Gospel Hour

In the narrative of the book of Acts, we have seen explosive growth of the church.  In a very short period of time, the church expanded from Jerusalem into the the region of Judea and into Samaria.  Within three years of Saul arriving in Damascus, the church there was a growing and vibrant church.
Now the narrative returns briefly to Peter.  In this short passage we see two accounts of Peter performing miraculous works resulting in many people believing in Jesus.  But in both cases, Peter acknowledges that he is not the one performing the work, but Jesus Christ.  In all cases, Peter gave all glory to His Lord and Savior, his focus being on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and ministering to the needs of believers wherever he went, obeying the call of his Lord to, "feed my sheep."
Thank you for listening to this week's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.

When Saul set out from Jerusalem to Damascus, his intention was to break the church in that region; to arrest and bring back Christians to Jerusalem.  But then he encountered the risen Christ, and everything changed.  Rather than persecuting the church, he went into the synagogue proclaiming Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
One amazing aspect, is rather than fearing Saul, the church in Damascus welcomed Saul into their midst, protecting him when a plot against his life by the Jews was discovered.
As we explore this aspect of Saul's life, may you be blessed through the teaching of Gods' Word, and see that when God changes our heart, He changes our purpose and and our family.
Thank you for listening.

The fourth Thursday in November, is set aside in the United States for giving thanks.  In his Thanksgiving proclamation, George Washington pointed the hearts and minds of the new nation to the One greater than all to whom we owe gratitude.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we have much for which to be thankful.  This year, we pause to consider the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of Thanksgiving.
Thank your listening to this weeks lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.

As we return to the book of Acts, we pick up again with Saul's conversion.  In today's lesson, we learn that the risen Christ not only reached out to Saul on the road to Damascus for the purpose of saving Saul; but He also called Saul for a purpose, "to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel," Acts 9:15b (NASB).
As we again consider Saul's conversion, we learn important lessons that apply to us today
Saul is proof that God can save anyone
Saul is proof of the truth of our faith
Jesus is ultimately the only one who can bring true change to a person
As believers, we are God's chosen instrument to bring the Gospel to the world.
Thank you for listening to today's teaching.  May God bless you through the teaching of His Word.

In John 9, when Jesus healed the man born blind, the response from the Jewish leaders was rejection and division.  It is in this setting that the Lord taught those gathered around Him that He is the Good Shepherd.  But instead of recognizing Him as the Good Shepherd, they again rejected His teaching, asserting He had a demon.
In today's teaching, we consider this teaching regarding the Good Shepherd.  Of great importance is the statement from our Lord, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27 NKJV).  The question for us is, do we know the voice of our Shepherd?  How can we learn to distinguish His voice?  And what does it mean for us when He says, "I lay down My life for the sheep."?
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.

Hebrews 1:1-2, "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."  While many argue that God remains virtually silent, Scripture teaches something entirely different.
First we see that God speaks to us through His creation.  Psalm 19:1 tells us, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."  In Romans 1:20, Paul wrote, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made..."
But God has also revealed Himself to us through His Word, a word which alive and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.  In this week's lesson, we examine the Scripture considering:
The Divine Origins of Scripture
The Sufficiency of Scripture
The Clarity of Scripture
The Ultimate Authority of Scripture
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed as we consider the fact that we serve a God who so desires a relationship with us that He has revealed Himself to us through His Word, and through His final word, Jesus Christ.

Jesus asked His disciples two questions.  The first, "Who do men say that I am?"  The answers, of course, ranged from Moses or one of the prophets, or Elijah.  This is a question that is still relevant today.  And the answers are just as varied.  Many will say that Jesus was just a good man; and only a man.  Others say He was a good teacher, or a good example; but again, just a man.
Then the Lord turned it personal for His disciples with a second question, "But who do you say I am?"  This is really is the most important question of all time, the answer to which has eternal consequences.
Continuing our look at the Trinity, today's lesson is a second look at the person of Jesus Christ.  In the first session we examined what Scripture has to say about the humanity of Jesus.  In this session, we dig into what the Bible has to say about the deity of Jesus.  And Scripture has much to say on the topic.
Drawing on both Old Testament writing and their New Testament fulfillment, we see that Scripture ascribes to Jesus attributes that are rightly only ascribed to God.  These include an eternal nature, power over creation, including power over demons, physical infirmities, and the power over death itself.  We also see that Jesus is clearly shown to be equal with God, even sharing the name of God Himself, Yahweh.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May the Word of the Lord bless you as we consider together the person of Jesus Christ and the implications for His deity for us.

The book of Acts records for us the rise of the church in Thessalonica.  Seeking to spread the Word of the Lord in Asia Minor during his second missionary journey, the Holy Spirit made other plans, guiding Paul and Silas, along with Timothy, into Greece.  In Greece, after preaching in Philippi and travelling through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to the capital city of the Macedonian province, Thessalonica.
In Acts 17, we read how, over three Sabbaths in the Jewish synagogue, Paul reasoned with them from the Scriptures, "explaining and giving evidence that the Chris had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.'" (Acts 17:3 NASB).  The result is that many believed, both of the Jews and the God fearing Greeks.  Filled with jealousy, the Jews stirred up the city, effectively driving Paul and his companions away from Thessalonica.
Given these circumstances, Paul sent Timothy from Athens back to Thessalonica to see how the church fared and to encourage them.  His greatest fear was that the "tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain." (1 Thessalonians 3:5b NASB).  But when Timothy returned, the news gave great joy to Paul.  For instead of returning to the former ways of idolatry, the church in Thessalonica stood firm in their faith, becoming an example to the other churches in all of Greece, as well as spreading the Word of God wherever they went.
The result of this report was the letters from Paul to the church of the Thessalonians.  A letter in which Paul, like a concerned father, pours out his heart to this body of believers; expressing both his deep love and concern for, was well as his great joy in, this local church.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be encouraged through Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica.

There is no question among the modern world view that Jesus is human.  Most will acknowledge His historical existence, but relegate Him to the position of a good teacher, or a prophet.  Others say He was just another prophet.  Still other false religions claim He is one among other gods.  Of these, none acknowledge the reality of His divine nature as the Second person of the Trinity.
However, in the earliest history of the church, there was no question regarding Jesus divine nature.  The debate actually centered around His humanity.  Did God actually take upon Himself human flesh?
In today's lesson, we examine Scripture, beginning with the Old Testament to see the fact that Jesus came in human flesh and the implications for us today.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Holy Word.