Opened Scriptures Bible Studies

  Good morning to each of our Readers.... Below is a link that will take you to the YouTube channel of Heritage Baptist Church in Smithville, Ohio. There you will find a livestream of the Sunday School lesson that I taught on July 26, 2026. We learned how Jehoshaphat began very well and if his tory stopped there, we would say it was all sunshine and blue skies because so many good things happened. However, his story continued on and what happened next is very perplexing. Jehoshaphat initially strengthened himself against Israel because wicked king Ahab ruled and he feared being attacked. Remember, ten tribes broke away from Judah and Jerusalem, and formed Israel, the northern kingdom.  Judah and Jerusalem continued with kings in the line of David and the Levitical priesthood established by Moses, and were known as the southern kingdom. We learned that from 2 Chronicles 17. However, in the next chapter, we find Jehoshaphat traveling to Samaria after he made and "affinity" with...

Matthew 27:11-14  And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.  12  And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.  13  Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?  14  And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.  We now look at Jesus' more formal trial in front of the Roman governor named Pontius Pilate. Pilate asked Jesus if He was the king of the Jews and Jesus simply said "That is what you say." Chief priests and elders launched baseless accusations against Jesus but our Lord did not respond to them. Isaiah 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Jesus did not respond to those who inte...

Good morning to all of our Readers around the world! It has been a while since I posted a hymn story for you. This hymn has become one of my favorites and it is based upon the words of Isaiah the prophet, about 800 years before Christ was born. The refrain was inspired by the following text from Isaiah. Isaiah 6:1-8  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  2  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.  3  And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.  4  And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.  5  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean ...

More evil actions undertaken by the chief priests and elders. Matthew 27:1-2  When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:  2  And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.  in our last post, we left with Christ in the hands of the chief priests and elders, condemned to die.  They could only threaten Jesus with execution because about two years prior, the Romans took away the Jews right to inflict capital punishment. Since they could put no man to death, they met early in the morning with another council to consider what options they had.  They concluded that Jesus must be sent to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Next, Matthew gives a parenthesis telling us about what happened with Judas Iscariot. The gruesome fate of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus. Matthew 27:3-5  Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw tha...

  In Sunday school, we looked at revival under the son of King Asa, named Jehoshaphat. We learned about the good rules God gave to guide and shape His kings. These rules taught the king how to live in accord with God's Word and how to properly fear the LORD. They helped keep him from pride and from falling into idolatry. They especially taught him to live and govern as dependent upon Jehovah for all things. Wicked King Ahab had been ruling in Israel for three years when Jehoshaphat assumed the throne of Judah. We learned that diligence by God's kings is commended but laziness is condemned. We saw that wicked Ahab violated the good rules God gave. King Jehoshaphat made King David a pattern for his reign and he followed God's good rules. Last, we learned that God is always receptive to those who sincerely seek Him. He will always bless those who trust Him and obey His Word. The link below will take you to the YouTube channel of Heritage Baptist church. I hope the livestream a...

We have come to the betrayal by Judas resulting in the arrest of Jesus. Jesus asked why they were treating Him as if He were a murderer or riotous person, but they were blinded by Satan and did not consider their wicked ways. Matthew 26:57  And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.  58  But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.  This wicked mob seized the Lord Jesus Christ with violent force normally reserved for the worst criminals. Christ who was meek and lowly and who always did all things well, was subjected to physical and verbal abuse. Arresting officers brought Jesus to Caiaphas, the high priest, who previously prophesied that it was expedient that one man should die for all the people (See John 11:47-53; 18:14). The legal proceeding Jesus was subjected to was a sham, for the outcome of His death was...

Matthew 26:36-44  Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.  37  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.  38  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.  39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.  40  And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?  41  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  42  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done....