Calvary Chapel Bakersfield

Ezra 1-2

Easter changes everything. He is RISEN! Happy Easter!

Palm Sunday is the beginning of the last week of Jesus earthly life as He completes His mission, to live a perfect sinless life then go to the Cross in our place securing eternal life for all who come to Him by faith. The last week of Jesus life is known as the Passion week as it deals with Jesus suffering. All that He endured so that you and I might have eternal life. As you study John’s Gospel, half of the Gospel of John is dedicated to the last week of Jesus life. All the Gospel writers placed great emphasis on the last week of Jesus life… We should too. 89 chapters all together in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The book of Ezra is called the Second Exodus but the message of the book is best summed up in a single word, RESTORATION

Jesus + NOTHING = Salvation

No Return to the Law 11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to find Jesus as we study Your Word today, and by Your Holy Spirit show us individually how we can apply what we learn to live our lives proclaiming like the apostle Paul, the life that I live now each day I live by faith in Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me! 4 lessons along the ways It takes faith to live free, and to live by faith takes courage Falling down is inevitable getting up is optional Hypocrisy is contagious To pretend God hasn’t told you something when he has is to live a lie.

Judah is about 20 years from being taken into captivity by the Babylonians so these next kings go in rapid succession as the nation heads towards captivity.

Here in the book of Galatians we are reading a letter written not to a person or a church but a group of churches that the apostle Paul had started on his first missionary journey and now word has got back to him that these churches who were so eager about the gospel, so excited to hear and receive the truth of the Gospel that Jesus Christ, God’s own son had come to earth pay the ultimate price on Calvary’s Cross and purchase our salvation. Jesus came to set the captives free and to set at liberty those who have been oppressed. The churches of Galatia came to Christ, the only way a person can come to Christ, and that is through faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone.

The book of Galatians is a life changing experience for anyone who has tried hard in this life to be good enough on their own to make it to heaven and come to the honest realization we just aren’t good enough no matter how hard we try.

Manasseh will have the longest reign of all the kings but he was also the most wicked king. You might call Manasseh King Ahab 2.0. 55 years compared to his fathers 29 years. Obviously his long reign had nothing to do with his worthiness, its only by God’s grace. He takes the throne at 12 years of age. Not a good age to become king of any thing. So much change is taking place. Manasseh is the prodigal son of the Old Testament. His father is considered the greatest king next to King David. The story of Manasseh in some ways is an encouragement to parents with prodigals.

The book of Galatians is a life changing experience for anyone who has tried hard in this life to be good enough on their own to make it to heaven and come to the honest realization we just aren’t good enough no matter how hard we try.

Whenever revival breaks out you can be sure the devil won’t be far behind. In chapters 29-31 we read about the revival that began under king Hezekiah and now will come under attack here in chapter 32 as Sennacherib, the king of Assyria comes to Judah in an attempt to overthrow Jerusalem.

Judah experiences revival under one of her greatest kings, King Hezekiah, who has reestablished the worship of God and made worship the center of national life.

Are you aware that the number one killer of joy in our lives is worry?