THREE BOOKS THAT ARE STUMBLING STONES TO MANY CHRISTIANS.
“ Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, AND A STONE OF STUMBLING, AND A ROCK OF OFFENCE, EVEN TO THEM WHICH STUMBLE AT THE WORD, BEING DISOBEDIENT: whereunto also they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:7-8.
- MATTHEW-
- ACTS-
- HEBREWS-
THESE THREE BOOKS, MATTHEW, ACTS, AND HEBREWS, DEAL WITH THE NATION OF ISRAEL, THEIR KING, AND THE KINGDOM. THESE MAY BE THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD BOOKS IN THE BIBLE. THEIR PURPOSE AND PLACEMENT CAUSE MANY TO MISUNDERSTAND WHY GOD PLACED THEM WHERE THEY ARE. EACH BOOK IS A TRANSITION FROM A MAJOR SECTION TO ANOTHER. THAT IS THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THESE THREE.
MATTHEW- GIVES DETAILS OF THE OFFER OF THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM, AND ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF BOTH, WHILE HE WAS ON EARTH. DURING THIS TRANSITION, NOTHING IS SAID OR KNOWN OF THE CHURCH, WHICH WAS A MYSTERY OR SECRET. “NOW TO HIM THAT IS OF POWER TO STABLISH YOU ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL, AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST, ACCORDING TO THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN,” ROMANS 16:25. THUS, ISRAEL IS WITHOUT EXCUSE. THEY COULD HAVE, AND SHOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE SCRIPTURES AND WORKS OF JESUS THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN WAS AT HAND. MATTHEW MAKES IT CLEAR THAT ISRAEL WAS MOVING FROM THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND THE OFFER OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BY JOHN THE BAPTIST, JESUS, AND HIS DISCIPLES, TO THE TIME OF REPENTANCE AND RECEPTION OF THEIR LONG AWAITED KINGDOM.
ACTS- GIVES AN ACCOUNT OF OUR LORD’S REJECTION BY ISRAEL, AND HIS REJECTION OF THEM. IT DESCRIBES THE CONVERSION AND COMMISSION OF PAUL TO THE GENTILES. THIS PERIOD DOCUMENTS PAUL’S TRAVELS, HIS PREACHING, THE REVEALED GOSPEL WHICH WAS A MYSTERY, AND THE WRITING OF THE CHURCH EPISTLES. JERUSALEM IS NO LONGER THE CENTER OF ACTIVITY. PETER IS SET ASIDE, AND THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN FALLS ON DEAF AND DYING EARS OF A FALLEN AND REJECTED NATION. THE BOOK IS NOT AN ACCOUNT OF THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF THE CHURCH. RATHER, IT IS A RECORD OF HOW AND WHY ISRAEL WAS REJECTED, A NEW APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES WAS CHOSEN, AND A NEW GOSPEL MESSAGE WAS GIVEN TO ALL THE WORLD WITHOUT THE CONVERSION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
HEBREWS-THE BOOK OF HEBREWS TROUGHS A “MONKEY RANCH” IN THE WHOLE MATTER OF RIGHT DIVISION. IT IS HERE THE AVERAGE CHRISTION GOES HAYWIRE. HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THE BOOK OF HEBREWS THROUGH REVELATION IS WRITTEN TO THE JEWS AND MUST BE SEEN AS A DIVIDING POINT FROM THE CHURCH, WHICH IS CHRIST’S BODY, TO THE DAY OF THE LORD. RIGHT DIVISION TAKES ISRAEL THROUGH THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND INTO THEIR ETERNAL KINGDOM. THEREFOR, THE BODY OF CHRIST IS NOT THE SUBJECT OF THESE JEWISH EPISTLES. RIGHT DIVISION WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF RECONCILING HEBREWS WITH THE PAULINE EPISTLES. IT IS A TRANSITION BOOK.
IT IS FUTILE TO ATTEMPT RECONCILIATION OF THE MANY DIVISIONS AND DISPENSATIONS FOUND IN THE WORD OF GOD, UNLESS WE “STUDY TO SHEW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD, A WORKMAN THAT NEEDETH NOT TO BE ASHAMED, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH.” 2 TIMOTHY 2:15. WE CONCLUDE THAT IF THERE IS RIGHT DIVISIONS OF SCRIPTURE, ONE MAY FAIL, AND WRONGLY DIVIDE THEM. NOWHERE IS THAT MORE EVIDENT THAN THE THREE EXAMPLES WE GIVE OF MATTHEW, ACTS, AND HEBREWS. THEY MUST BE AS DESCRIBED ABOVE.

Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.
Shalom,
Pastor , Greetings to you in the majestic name of our Lord Jesus Christ . I pray that this humble,friendly message finds you walking in the favor of God.
God,s minister, God has invested enough message of salvation in you to get out of your country to go all over the world to preach the gospel and win more souls to Christ.
God has called you out of many, chosen you ,anointed you and approved you for his great Job.
Pastor, God has a purpose with you life.He has created you to accomplish the great things for him.
Pastor, this specific task which God has for you and no body else! whether is to plant new churches, to start a bible school or a soup kitchen of the poor,is God,s vision for you.
Pastor,God Has called you and He placed you in a specific congregation or ministry,because He has a specific task that you support to fulfill here.
Pastor , God has a task and a purpose for you.He will be with you and He will accomplish the task through His power.He will equip you and give you the power to do it.
Pastor, He is faithful.if He calls you to a task that is greater than your own abilities,He will also give you the people to support the good work you are doing for Him.
Pastor, God has a plan with your life.yes! even before you were born,He planned you in the finest detail, humble yourself before the Lord He will lift you up[James 4;-10]
Pastor, you are God,s special workmanship.psalm 139,says that God knew you before you were formed in your mother,s womb!
pastor, your greatest blessings began when God said,He created you in his image in Genesis 1;26, everything you put your hands to, is going to prosper.
Pastor, you are so precious to the Lord,silver and gold wasn,t enough.God wanted to purchase you with something more valuable than any precious mental or mineral.so He used the blood of Jesus Christ.
Surely, in everything we do,we believe in positive changing and affecting the lives of people who we are constantly working towards inspiring change.
Pastor, working together is so fruitful growth and maturity in the Lord among us.
My good friend, we are thanking God that we are connected to an anointing servant ,ministry ,who are committed in spreading the
GOOD NEWS of spreading a salvation message and win more souls and many to LOVE Jesus Christ .
We are pray that one day God will open a way you to bring His message to us-here in Africa.
May the Lord be with you, please.plant your work here in Africa,
Thank you,
Pastor Steven Oyaro.