Jeroboam became for the Jewish historians, the reason for Israel’s failure to abide by their "Covenant" with Yahweh. All the prophets were sent to chastise Jeroboam for abandoning Solomon’s abusage of Yahwehism; particularly, the moral and the priestly codes of the "Covenant." Ultimately, Jeroboam would be blamed for the demise of Israel and Judah. Naturally, Jeroboam defied Judah’s interference.

Paul and Barnabas came to Iconium with joy and with great expectations; however, they nearly escaped with their lives. False Jewish prophets began to follow the messengers of Christ and incited hatred against Jesus’ followers. Paul and Barnabas had to flee to Lystra. And even then, the enemies followed and preceded them. Also, the use of a miracle was being misinterpreted, which added fuel for the opposition. They stoned Paul and left him for dead. Obviously by this time, it became apparent that the Gentiles had no future living among the Jews. Therefore, the Gentiles and the Jews had to go their separate ways.

Solomon was a great lover. And he also was a great spender. He loved women, a thousand of them. Solomon used the women to further his political and his social career. Solomon's golden tongue served him well in poetry and in bits of wisdom that puzzled his followers. At the end, his revenues could not sustain the nation's elaborate religious system and the heavily "militaristic monarchy."

The disciples and the first Christian leaders had no written code to guide them as we have in the New Testament. They depended on what they remembered what Jesus did and on the precedent the Holy Spirit set on Pentecost and with Cornelius in Caesarea (Acts 2; 10). Hence, the "Will of God" for the first Christians was what Jesus did and what Jesus had taught and commanded. The Church was in the world and subject to new interpretation and understanding by the emerging of new leaders. Divisions, disagreements, and temptations were unavoidable. Jesus warned his disciples, not to assume roles of superiority over their fellow believers when decisions have to be made. They were to remember that forgiveness was the fastest way to reach agreements and avoid endless disputing.

Peter began his new journey in Joppa in a prayer room. His experience with Aeneas and Tabitha (Dorcas) had lifted him to his highest spiritual mountain. Peter felt clean and at peace with himself; and therefore, he had determined in his heart to stay up there. He was away from being persecuted and being held the responsible for the flock, because James, the half-brother of the Lord, had secured command over the huge gathering of disciples. At that time, everyone was a disciple and they belonged to the "Way" of Jesus. While Peter was enjoying some serenity, a message, from heaven came about a forbidden people, which disrupted his sleep. Luke recorded this phenomenal meeting of two men from different backgrounds, from different creeds, and from different races. To Peter’s surprise, and without the laying on of his hands, the Holy Spirit settled on all Gentile believers in Cornelius’ household. A second Pentecost had taken place.

In the eyes of God all men are equal! But, --- not so in the eyes of man! The founder of Christianity, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, came to be equal to his followers. And Jesus taught his disciples to be and do as He was and what He did. The disciples did follow the teachings Jesus, but not their descendants. Their descendants, like the children of Israel, strayed away from the teachings of Jesus, which allowed them to be disciples of Jesus. And therefore, they became disciples of men, who set themselves up as the true representatives of Christ and of God. These men turned “baptism” into a magical power of salvation, which could be obtained at a price from one of the duly ordained priests of these divinized leaders. These elevated individual leaders of the Church, and not the world, would become the heartless persecutors of those who did seek to follow the teachings of Christ. These heartless leaders regarded those individuals who believed that they had direct access to Christ, as heretics. Jesus warned against such times, when men would drift from His example and pervert His teachings, very much like the Jewish leaders did in their days. Jesus, Himself, had not come to be served but to serve. And Jesus expected no less from the men He had chosen to emulate Him.

The Jews, who became Christians, plagued the Christians with circumcision as being essential to salvation, but the Jewish council decided against their own tradition (Acts 15). Paul leaned on Moses to hand out this potent argument and decision:

Solomon was a person with two natures or a dual personality. On one hand, he displayed a super consciousness of God and religion --- and on the other hand, he was a slave to his physical passion. Solomon believed that he could and that he did honor Yahweh with the largest "Temple" and with the biggest and the most costly celebrations, sacrifices of animals, and human services performed by the Levites. Solomon could out-pray the priests. And he also convinced the people that he had the backing of their God. And even the Queen of Sheba thought so.

The influx of three thousand new converts into a small group of one hundred and twenty, plus those that were constantly being added, must have created insurmountable problems for the disciples, as well as for the community. In addition to being baptized in pools with sufficient water, they had to be taught, fed, sanitized so they could break bread together, prayed, and expected being transported to Jesus and His mansions in His Father’s world. The problems in managing alone began to multiply when the immediate return to Jesus was delayed. And the people began to have second thoughts about giving up their homes and their properties. Tough sentencing was needed to stop people from starving while they waited for their imminent departure for heaven. At the end, the leaders began to realize that in order for the Church to survive on earth, it first had to be built. Ananias and Sapphira, who had second thoughts, were not that fortunate. The death of Ananias and Sapphira kept Peter’s transport to heaven alive. Jesus specifically prayed, to His Father, not to take his disciples or their future followers out of the world, but to keep them in the world (John 17). Peter and the disciples became tangled up in the managing of the Megachurch. They did not have time for training the other disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Peter had accused Ananias and Sapphira of being in league with the devil, but Peter totally forgot that Jesus saw him doing the same thing (Matthew 16:22-23).

So, how do we prepare to become disciples or priests under duress in a tyrannical world? The disciples of Jesus were regarded as apostates and intruders of the earthly Israel of the Sadducees and Pharisees. These leaders believed that they were the true representatives of Abraham and of God; when indeed, they were the children of the devil (John 8:42-47). Would anyone, in our time, dare to categorize our godless leaders as evil? It will take the “Sermon on the Mount” to guide us through the evil maze we are in right now, and so will the Holy Spirit, who inspired Jesus, to give us the Sermon. I assure you, it was the best way for us during the holocaust. We were like sheep among wolves: