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Life As It Was Meant To Be Part 11: Praying To Win! By Louie Marsh, 8-22-2021   4 Pics – last one race.   I Need To Pray For:   1) Myself – that I help spread GOD'S WORD.   “1Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you,” (2 Thessalonians 3:1, ESV)   In Myself – GROWTH In Others - EVANGELISM   2) Christ's STRENGTH.   “3But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you...” (2 Thessalonians 3:3a, ESV)   3) Christ's PROTECTION.   “3But the Lord is faithful. He will…guard you against the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3, ESV)   4) CONFIDENCE in Christ.   “4And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command.” (2 Thessalonians 3:4, ESV)   5) God's LOVE.   “5May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God...” (2 Thessalonians 3:5a, ESV)   Remember this is God's TOUGH   “6Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6–12, ESV)   6) Christ's PERSERVANCE.   “5May the Lord direct your hearts … to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5, ESV)   “13As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 14If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. 15Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13–15, ESV)   7) Complete PEACE.   “16Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16, ESV)   May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you! 2 Thes. 3:16 (Mes)   8) God's GRACE.   “17I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:17–18, ESV)  

Go and make disciples… the privilege of Gardening with God: Matthew 28: cultivating, planting, tending, reaping: making disciples. The soils of souls Mark 4:1- Salvation - grace through faith - this is God's work Ephesians 2:5-10“...it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Here's where God's effort and our effort walk in stride Phil 2:12-13 “...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” He's made and is making His effort, doing the work, works, good works - now it is ours to join Him in “making every effort” (2Pe 1:5): - Working with God - this was God's intention for the beginning - tending, working His garden - me, you, me and you together, us - the Church - is, now, the Garden in and for which we work (Rom 12-16; 1Cor 12-14) - Genesis 2:5-9 “5Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground…” - Hired hands and servants, ambassadors and priests Sanctification - ongoing tending to and of the garden God's role - purification - Isaiah 6 Our role - cleanse ourselves, choosing righteousness by denying ourselves - our flesh's desires - 2Tim 3 And tap into God's Spirit - Galatians 5:13-14,16-18 “13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Aid one another in growth and holiness Galatians 6:1-5 1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5for each one should carry their own load.

Go and make disciples… the privilege of Gardening with God: Matthew 28: cultivating, planting, tending, reaping: making disciples. The soils of souls Mark 4:1- Salvation - grace through faith - this is God's work Ephesians 2:5-10“...it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Here's where God's effort and our effort walk in stride Phil 2:12-13 “...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” He's made and is making His effort, doing the work, works, good works - now it is ours to join Him in “making every effort” (2Pe 1:5): - Working with God - this was God's intention for the beginning - tending, working His garden - me, you, me and you together, us - the Church - is, now, the Garden in and for which we work (Rom 12-16; 1Cor 12-14) - Genesis 2:5-9 “5Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground…” - Hired hands and servants, ambassadors and priests Sanctification - ongoing tending to and of the garden God's role - purification - Isaiah 6 Our role - cleanse ourselves, choosing righteousness by denying ourselves - our flesh's desires - 2Tim 3 And tap into God's Spirit - Galatians 5:13-14,16-18 “13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Aid one another in growth and holiness Galatians 6:1-5 1Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5for each one should carry their own load.

Today I speak with Asthton Tate on how your health affects your business. To get his free book follow this link https://glory-to-glory-fitness.mykajabi.com/the-f-o-r-m-method-bookTo contact him on by FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/ashton.tate.10For my previous podcast click here.Bootstrapping is better than...Get your free 1/2 hour consultation by using our contact page.Join the O'Connor Bootstrap Podcast FB group by clicking HEREThanks for listening to the O'Connor Bootstrap podcast, an Atheoz business solutions podcast.You can reach out to me at Isaiah@ballongeventbyraa.com If you find value in my podcasts please subscribe and share.Or if you would like to support my work you can buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/bootstrapPay Pal paypal.me/IocPodOur sponsors:Short courses for busy people Listenable.com Get your 30% discount by using code isaiahoconnor at checkout. Learning made easy for the busy entrepreneur, www.Audible.com /BootstrapTravel in style with Tilley Or if you need to monetize your content check out AWINUntil next time, I have been,Your Friendly Neighborhood Entrepreneur, Isaiah O'Connor

Life As It Was Meant To Be Part 3: Love As It Was Meant To Be Louie Marsh, 6-22-2021 The Critical Command:  LIVE a Life WORTHY of God!   “12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12, ESV)   “4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, ESV)  By saying they are approved Paul seems to be saying he's living worthy – but how is this possible??  “10so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:10, ESV)   As you can see this is a common command in the Bible!   Worthy - “the measure or weight that balances the scale.”   Imagine a big scale, on the one side is everything God has done and is – Christ's death on the cross, His Grace, Love, forgiveness, etc.  Now what about my end??  How is it possible to do this ??? By getting to the heart of the command!   What is at the heart of this command? –   37And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the great and first commandment. 39And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”” (Matthew 22:37–40, ESV)   Love is the heart of the Christian life and is the only way I can even come close to living worthy of God! All the Scriptures hang on this!   “1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1–2, ESV)   Without love it doesn't matter what else you do – LOVE is the only way to live like God wants you too – so let's look at how we can love like God wants us too.   Four Steps In Living Worthy of God:   1) LOOK to Christ as my source of love.   “1For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.” (1 Thessalonians 2:1–2, ESV)   Paul had a rough time in Phillippi – he was persecuted, jailed, and eventually ran out of town! What did he do?  Take time off to heal his wounded spirit, get depressed because he was over stressed? Nope! He took right off, went over the mountains to Thessalonica to preach the Gospel there!! How did he do that??   “13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, ESV)   Paul looked to Christ as the source of His love!!  He didn't depend on love from others to keep him going – although it doesn't hurt either!!  But bottom line for Paul – Christ was his source of the love that matters!   This Means: I don't BROOD over past suffering. I don't HARDEN MY HEART to protect myself. I don't RELY on people's love & acceptance to keep going.   2) MAKE God be my audience of one.   “4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel…6Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, 6, ESV)   “10For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10, ESV)   I must live to PLEASE God alone!   We've talked a lot about this – but it's so important – if you live for an Audience of one – your life will be so much more peaceful and happy!   This frees me from being a PEOPLE PLEASER.   Here's the truth – remember this – YOU CAN'T REALLY LOVE PEOPLE AS LONG AS WE NEED THEM!!  The truth is when a lot of us say I love you what we really mean is I need you!!  That needy, clinging, controlling, confining spirit so many people think of as love isn't!!           Once I'm free of need, I'm really free to give myself to others!   It allows me to have REAL, HEALTHY relationships.   Now I relate to you on a healthy basis – not on the basis of what you do for me or what I do for you!   3) LIBERATE myself from impure motives.   5For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. (1 Thessalonians 2:5, ESV)   To do this I must… LIVE by the standards in God's word.   You DON'T use your standards – they will either be too high or low, and you DON'T go by your feelings!!   LISTEN to others who are wise and mature.   People can help you – and often see things about yourself you can't!   RELY on God's help!   DO NOT try and do this yourself – you will go crazy!!  Why did I think that, what were my motives, and why am I asking why?  AHHHHHHH!!!!   “23Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24, ESV)   grievous way = way of an idol.   “39then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),” (1 Kings 8:39, ESV)   Only God knows your heart – so go to Him!!   “11For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11, ESV)   4) LEARN to give my soul to others in Christ.   “7But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”…“11For you know how, like a father with his children, 12we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8,11–12, ESV)   The word for self or lives here is the word Psyche, soul!  Real love is giving the deepest part of you to others.   This Requires:   A personal and long lasting COMMITMENT to others. The willingness to be OPEN to others.

Dads and their tools, but which is better, to be a tool (pun alert!) or to be an operator of that tool? Pastor uses the tool/operator question to help unpack 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, a passage that tells us more than our longing to be in heaven, but how we get there, and what should be our worldview until we arrive there. 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 Now we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal home in heaven, which is not made by human hands. 2In fact, the reason we groan is that we long to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven. 3If we do indeed put it on, we will certainly not be found naked. 4To be sure, while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as the down payment. 6Therefore we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8But we are confident and would much prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9And for this reason we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home or away. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he did while in the body, whether good or bad.

God is watching over His Word! Why is that truth important to you? Does that truth change what you do and how you react to delayed victories? It was a revelation that God gave to Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, to help him fulfil his assignment. Without the confidence in that revelation. You need to grip this reality to help you fulfill your assignment too! Do you have some prayers that have not seen answered? Do you have a prodigal that you are desperate to see their life turned around? Searching for answers that you just can't turn loose of because your heart just won't let you? Do you have verses that you've clung to, but the enemy has whispered in your ear, “What's the use?” Me too! I've had some things on my heart that I am absolutely desperate to see happen. But I'm telling you, I have some things that are just too precious to abandon. Do you have some things like that on your heart? Sometimes there's just no words that describe how desperately you want to see God intervene in the situation you are facing. That's just one reason I am so thankful that God has given me a prayer language. I just run out of words. Lately I've been hearing God whisper, don't you love His whispers. Oh, there are times His whisper corrects me, challenges me or even redirects me. But this whisper has been so encouraging.  "I watch over my word to perform it." He has whispered it so many times that I realized it was time to unpack the revelation, so I could to understand what He was saying. I found the verse in Jeremiah chapter 1 11The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. Jeremiah 1:12The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” How do you plant seeds of Gods Word? Isaiah 55:10 10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven and do not return without watering the earth, making it bud and sprout, and providing seed to sow and food to eat, 11so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it. What happens when you don't plant the seeds? Nothing grows, but weeds. James 1:2 NIV Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.  

Want to be closer to God? This message teaches us what it looks like to have a heart after God. We'll learn five ways to get closer to God through David's life journey.There are some challenging questions in this message that could help you grow in your relationship with God: Does God hold first place in your heart? Are you as obedient as you think you are to God? Dive in and know that God is already on your side. The battles you are facing are his, and he never loses.Through this series, you'll learn how to live well & enjoy God's promises. You are loved by God; He knows your name. He has a plan for your life. Get helpful advice, encouragement, and hope for a life well lived in 2021 and beyond.Are you walking in faith and victory? Set your eyes on the promises of God. You only have one life journey; say yes to Jesus. Like the parables of the buried treasure and the valuable pearl, stop at nothing to gain your entry into the kingdom of heaven.See full notes and suggested praise and worship here: https://agfaithchapel.org/sermons-messages/how-to-be-like-king-david-with-a-heart-for-god-life-is-a-journey-part-10For more sermons and resources, visit www.agfaithchapel.org/sermons. Please consider supporting this ministry at www.agfaithchapel.org/give.This is brought to you by Faith Chapel church in Pleasanton, CA. Learn more at www.agfaithchapel.org.If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review? It's quick and very appreciated!

CELEBRATE THE SURE HOPE DECLARED BY THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST (Romans 4:20-5:11) THE WORD OF GOD WAS NOT WRITTEN TO YOU, BUT IT WAS WRITTEN FOR YOU, SO YOU CAN PUT YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST! Romans 4:20–25 (ESV) — 20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. - It was counted to Abraham - It was written for you to put your faith in Christ o Faith in the death & resurrection of Christ THE SACRIFICIAL DEATH & VICTORIOUS RESURRECTION OF CHRIST, GIVES A SURE HOPE! Romans 5:1–2 (ESV) — 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. - The results of justification by faith in Christ o Peace with God o Standing in Grace o Joy in the hope of Glory EVEN IN SUFFERING THE SURE HOPE OF CHRIST DOESN'T BRING US SHAME Romans 5:3–5 (ESV) — 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. - The results of justification by faith in Christ o Joy even in current suffering o Current suffering produces… hope o Hope that does leave us in shame BECAUSE OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST, YOU CAN HAVE HOPE WHERE YOU ARE, AND SURE HOPE IN WHERE YOU WILL BE Romans 5:6–11 (ESV) — 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. - The unbelievable love of Christ that reconciles o Hope for weak, ungodly, sinners & enemies of God o Hope to be reconciled in the death and life of Christ!

He poured out His Soul unto Death In John’s Gospel Chapter 10, Jesus declared that He is the Good Shepherd, and the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  If we look closely at the word life here, it means soul life.  It is the word that is used for soul.  Jesus, who was in the form of God, Philippians 2, lowered himself and took on Himself the form of man.  What is the form of man, a living soul according to the Apostle Paul.  “The first man Adam was made a living soul.”  So, Christ became a living soul, and as a soul or living being, he poured out his life unto death.     This is prophesied in Isaiah 53 verse 10, “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.”    Then we can see this again in the book of Psalms 16 “10For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. 11Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is fulness of joy; In thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”   Christ did not see corruption.  We are joined to His person; His being is our salvation.  His soul was poured out to death for us.  He became the offering for sin, not just His flesh that hung upon the tree, but the entirety of His person was offered for us.  He then was raised from the dead, and in this resurrection, we have newness of life.  We have His Life in us.  This One, this Holy One Living in us.  Glory to God.  

Join Fr Rob as he reflects on the Sunday Gospel readings and how we can apply these reflections to our lives today. 2nd Sunday of LentGospel: Mark 9:2-10For a longer explanation and reflection on this Gospel reading, check out the Catholic Influencers Podcast (Season 5, Episode 3)

Disciple Up # 195 Dealing with Failure By Louie Marsh, 1-20-2021   Websites I found helpful for this episode:   http://www.bridgetothebible.com/What%20does%20Bible%20say/11%20Coping%20with%20Failure.htm   https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/widows-guide-healing/201606/5-ways-cope-failure   https://www.biblesprout.com/articles/christian-life/overcome-failure/   “2For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” (James 3:2, ESV)   “16for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity. 17Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles, 18lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and turn away his anger from him.” (Proverbs 24:16–18, ESV)   “14The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14, ESV)   How to respond to failure?   Examine the truth. This burns and isn't fun; yet, healing and recovery generally start when the truth is exposed. Lies keep you in the dark and however you try to spin your situation the bottom line is that the truth matters. Too often people attempt to dilute the situation with fancy words or a cute story, but this only delays the pain. And delaying the pain can cause more conflict.   For example, if you see your recent financial decision causes a decrease in the weekly household income, be truthful about this.   Become transparent with yourself. Transparency is necessary. When mistake occur, there is emphasis on forgiving others, including yourself. However, you can't forgive yourself for that which you are not transparent with. And you can't fully forgive yourself as long as you minimize the error. This doesn't mean that you are overly critical of yourself, but it means being honest. Instead of telling yourself that your business is closing because one manager made poor decisions, be truthful and examine your role in this situation. Ask yourself: Did you look the other way when there was business conflict? Were you overly harsh in meetings so that it made communication difficult?   Give yourself permission to feel the pain. After a failure occurs, the immediate mode for many is moving onward because very few desire to be present with pain. This is why when pain exists people often use a substance to dilute the intensity of the hurt. Some people use work to avoid the pain. However, learning to be present with the pain is critical in healing. This is not a sign of weakness.   Commit to being open to the bigger lessons. This is when being willing to be a student of life is so important. When you think you are certain of everything and that life has nothing to teach you, then you will repeat your mistakes. Learning a new way to see situations can be the very key to your next success.   Learning is a humbling experience. You become aware of all that you didn't know. When you see the deficits in your knowledge base, use this as an opportunity to grow and change. “12Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12–13, ESV)   “9Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10, ESV)  

Contemplate continually all things coming to pass by change, and accustom yourself to think that the nature of the universe loves nothing so much as to change what is and to create new things in their likeness. For everything that exists is, in a way, the seed of what will come out of it, whereas you imagine seeds to be only those which are cast into the earth or into the womb. But that is very unscientific (or “is a very vulgar notion”). ----------Rambam – Moreh 3:8All bodies subject to generation and corruption are subject to corruption only because of their matter; with regard to their form and with respect to the latter's essence, they are not subject to corruption, but are permanent. Do you not see that all the specific forms are perpetual and permanent? Corruption occurs to the form only by accident, I mean because of its being joined to matter. The nature and true reality of matter is such that it never ceases to be joined to privation; hence no form remains constantly in it, for it perpetually casts off one form and takes on another. How extraordinary is what Shlomo said in his wisdom when likening matter to a promiscuous wife, for matter is in no way found without form and is consequently like a promiscuous wife, who is never separated from a man, and is never free. However, since she is a promiscuous wife, she never ceases to seek for another man to substitute for her husband, and she deceives and draws him on in every way until he obtains from her what her husband used to obtain. This is the state of matter. For whatever form is found in it does but prepare it to receive another form; and the selfsame state obtains after that other form has been obtained in actuality. It has then become clear that all passing-away and corruption or deficiency are due solely to matter.Rambam – Moreh 3:10For this reason the book that has illuminated the darkness of the world has clearly stated the following proclamation: “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold! – it was very good” (Bereishis 1:31). Even the existence of this inferior matter, whose manner of being it is to be inherently connected with privation entailing death and all evils, all this is also “good” in view of the perpetuity of generation and the permanence of being through succession. For this reason Rebbi Meir interpreted the words: “And behold! it was very good” as “and behold! – death was good” – according to the notion to which we have drawn attention.----------Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweissBlog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com

View the Bulletin for Sunday January 10, 2021View the Children’s Bulletin for Sunday January 10, 2021Service Times: 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.In-person Bible Study: 9:15 a.m.In-person Sunday School: 9:20 a.m.All are welcome.Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.SPECIAL WORSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Saturday morning service (10:00 a.m.) Participant number will be limited to a total of TWENTY FIVE (23 worshippers, 1 elder, pastor). Saturday’s readings and sermon will be the same as the following Sunday’s (these services are currently different from one another). REGISTER FOR SATURDAY.Old Testament Reading – Genesis 1:1–5In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.Epistle Reading -- Romans 6:1–11What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Hebrews 2-5-18 -ESV--5For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. -6It has been testified somewhere, -What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him- -7You made him for a little while lower than the angels- you have crowned him with glory and honor, -8putting everything in subjection under his feet.- Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. -9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. -10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. -11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, -12saying, -I will tell of your name to my brothers- in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.- -13And again, -I will put my trust in him.- And again, -Behold, I and the children God has given me.- -14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, -15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. -16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. -17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that

Advancing Thru Adversity, Pt. 3 Move Thru It! By Louie Marsh, 12-6-2020   1) These aren’t steps but part of an ongoing CYCLE.   “12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” (Philippians 3:12, ESV)   “15The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy 1:15–16, ESV)   2) TRUST that God has a way for me.   “8“ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8, ESV)   Remember God is the WAY MAKER.   “7“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.” (Revelation 3:7, ESV)   3) REMEMBER:  my weaknesses can’t stop God’s plan.   “11I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” (Revelation 3:11–12, ESV)   “11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11–13, ESV)   God wants to WORK THRU my weaknesses.   “8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.   9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”   Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8–10, ESV)

Advancing Thru Adversity Pt. 2 Submit It! By Louie Marsh, 11-29-2020     1) Submit VS. COMMIT   “7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7, ESV)   “7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.” (Romans 8:7, NLT)   2) I must submit what I ADMIT.   “17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’” (Luke 15:17–19, ESV)   3) Submitting it means…   I truly understand & accept this is   “13The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13, ESV)   “17do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.”” (Zechariah 8:17, ESV)   I’m WILLING to be very specific.   “5I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (Psalm 32:5, ESV)   I’m deeply SORRY for this sin.   “9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9–10, ESV)   I’m ready & willing to give up   “10“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”” (Psalm 46:10, NASB95)   4) Submitting it is working the LORDSHIP of Jesus deeper into my soul.   “38Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:38–42, ESV)

Speaker or Performer: Pastor Grover Cleveland Scripture Passage(s): Psalm 95:1-11 Date of Delivery: November 26, 2020 Worship and GratitudePsalm 95:1-111 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.2Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.3For the Lord is the great God,And the great King above all gods.4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;The heights of the hills are His also.5The sea is His, for He made it;And His hands formed the dry land.6Oh come, let us worship and bow down;Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.7For He is our God,And we are the people of His pasture,And the sheep of His hand.Today, if you will hear His voice:8“Do not harden your hearts, as in the]rebellion,As in the day of trial in the wilderness,9When your fathers tested Me;They tried Me, though they saw My work.10For forty years I was]grieved with that generation,And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,And they do not know My ways.’11So I swore in My wrath,‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”

Disciple Up # 187 What About Repentance, Works & Salvation? By Louie Marsh, 11-25-2020   Intro. Happy Thanksgiving!   An E-mail comes in:   Hello louie this is josh again and I have been struggling to understand this topic that I have came apon concerning ones salvation. The topic is a few questions, are we saved in just believing in christ or Is repentance required for salvation? Roman's 10:9-13. In this passage Paul does not mention repentance as a need for salvation. Is believing enough or is there more we need to do to be saved? What got me thinking about this was this video I watched on this topic, which I would like for you to watch and see if what his is saying is right   Mike, holdingfirmly channel on YouTube If You Do Well Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOAdqrvjUn0&feature=youtu.be   “The Great deception among most Professed Christians is they refuse to recognize that Patient Continuance in Doing Well is the determining factor on whether or not they will enter the Kingdom of God. They think Salvation is a Package deal, that once they 'receive Jesus forgiveness of past, present and future sins is assured and nothing they do or don't do from that point forward has any bearing on the outcome of their inheritance of eternal life. Under the 'not of works', collective reasoning 'doing well' may be a by-product of Faith, but its never a necessity in that 'NOT doing well will disqualify them form the Kingdom.”   Mistakes – “he told Cain to do well which he wouldn't have done if he had a sin nature.” BUT Jesus regularly told people who were fallen to “go and sin not.” Plus later he says the whole structure of the Scriptures is God telling us to do well, but that contradicts which said about Cain.   “God expects an increase of His grace.”  What does that even mean? How can you or I increase God's grace since that comes from him and is a part of him?   This is based on a misunderstanding of the Old Testament Covenants (yes, there were more than one) and the New Testament covenant of Jesus.   He only quotes part of this passage and then concludes that the disciples were able to deal with sin –   “21And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”” (Matthew 20:21–23, ESV)   - when the passage proves the opposite! Great example of Is eisegesis – forming an opinion and then forcing it upon the text.   This man cannot properly interpret Scripture.   He either doesn't know about or ignores one of the primary rules of interpretation of Scripture which is: You interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. Not the other way around, which is what he does.   He points out that in the OT you had to work to be saved or in the kingdom, then he quotes Jesus to support this (mangling His words as seen above) and then concludes he's right. He forgets or ignores that Jesus lived under the Old Covenant and spoke to people who lived under it too!   It's not till He rises from the grave that the New Covenant takes effect.   They FAILED when they betrayed Christ!   I'm not saying he's bad or evil or is deliberately trying to mislead. I am saying he's wrong, woefully wrong and in a way that anyone who's taken even ONE class on how to interpret the Bible ought to be able to see.   Josh's Questions:   Are we saved in just believing in Christ or Is repentance required for salvation? Roman's 10:9-13. In this passage Paul does not mention repentance as a need for salvation. Is believing enough or is there more we need to do to be saved?   Does God expect an increase of his grace? Can you be saved in your sin by faith alone? Are there deeds required in faithfulness.   Watch out for Proof Texting   A proof text is a passage of scripture presented as proof for a theological doctrine, belief, or principle.  Proof texting (sometimes "proof-texting" or "proof texting") is the practice of using isolated, out-of-context quotations from a document to establish a proposition in eisegesis (introducing one's own presuppositions, agendas, or biases). Such quotes may not accurately reflect the original intent of the author, and a document quoted in such a manner, when read as a whole, may not support the proposition for which it was cited. The term has currency primarily in theological and exegetical circles.   “8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”” (Romans 10:8–11, ESV)   Notice that this doesn't mention repentance. So is it really necessary? Proof texters would say this proves it's not important! But they taking the wrong approach. You need to look at all the verses on this subject and see what they say. Note that this verse doesn't say you have to ask God to forgive your sins either.   Is that now something we don't do?       Repentance is one of the things we do, along with believing, confessing and being baptized, that we do when we make Jesus the Lord of our lives.   Does God expect an increase of his grace?   Honestly and sincerely I don't know what this means.   “20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” (Romans 5:20, ESV)   “15For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15, ESV)   “6which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,” (Colossians 1:6, ESV)   Can you be saved in your sin by faith alone?   I already answered this.   Are there deeds required in faithfulness.   “14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:14–19, ESV)   “26For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” (James 2:26, ESV)   You aren't saved by works, but your works prove your faith. That's it and that's all.   This guys “Doing Well” stuff has another fatal flaw in it that I've save for now – HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'VE DONE WELL ENOUGH TO BE SAVED?   He gives no standard for us to look too. There's nothing about that in the Bible. So you are left up on your own never being sure if you are accepted by God or not.   You don't have to have read much of the NT to see that this kind of insecurity isn't typical of the language used about salvation. If he's right then no one can ever know they are saved since they cannot know if they done well enough.

Advancing Thru Adversity Pt. 2 Admit It! By Louie Marsh, 11-22-2020   Intro – Admit It pics -   1) Admit that I need JESUS.   “20And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.” (Matthew 9:20–22, ESV)   2) Admit that I’ve got a PROBLEM.   “2Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah” (Psalm 32:2–5, ESV)   3) Admit that I can’t solve it WITHOUT JESUS.   “5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”” (Genesis 3:5, ESV)   “4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” (John 15:4–6, ESV)   “15For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (Romans 7:15–18, ESV)   4) Admit that this healing isn’t going to be EASY.   “13“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13–14, ESV)   “28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”” (Matthew 11:28–30, ESV)   The rabbis used yoke for school as many pupils find it now a yoke. The English word “school” is Greek for leisure (σχολη [scholē]). But Jesus offers refreshment (ἀναπαυσιν [anapausin]) in his school and promises to make the burden light, for he is a meek and humble teacher. Humility was not a virtue among the ancients. It was ranked with servility. Jesus has made a virtue of this vice. He has glorified this attitude so that Paul urges it (Phil. 2:3), “in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself.” In portions of Europe today people place yokes on the shoulders to make the burden easier to carry. Jesus promises that we shall find the yoke kindly and the burden lightened by his help. “Easy” is a poor translation of χρηστος [chrēstos]. Moffatt puts it “kindly.” That is the meaning in the Septuagint for persons. We have no adjective that quite carries the notion of kind and good. The yoke of Christ is useful, good, and kindly. - [1] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Mt 11:29). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.   5) Admit that God has a PURPOSE for my life.   “28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV)   “10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)   “9who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,” (2 Timothy 1:9, ESV)  

BUY THE GO CREATOR GO BOOK & JOURNAL:www.antoinebeane.comhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GV2DK1Vhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GVJ6MP5FOLLOW GO CREATOR GO & TRIUMPH MEDIAWORKS:Facebook & IG: @gogreatorgo & @triumphmediaworksTwitter: @gcreatorgwww.triumphmediaworks.com___________________________________SCRIPTURES CONCERNING IDENTIGenesis 1:27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.Jeremiah 1:5Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.1 Corinthians 1:30And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.1 Corinthians 12:27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.1 Corinthians 6:17But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.1 John 3:1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.1 Samuel 12:22For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.1 Samuel 16:7But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.Colossians 2:10And you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.Colossians 3:12Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.Ephesians 1:1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.Ephesians 1:11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.Ephesians 1:13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.Ephesians 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.Ephesians 1:4Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love.Ephesians 1:5He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will.Ephesians 1:7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.Ephesians 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Ephesians 2:13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.Ephesians 2:19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.Ephesians 2:6And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.Ephesians 2:8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.Ephesians 4:24And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.Ephesians 5:8For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.Galatians 3:28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.Genesis 2:7Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.Isaiah 43:1But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”Isaiah 49:16Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.Isaiah 64:8But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.John 1:12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.John 15:16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.John 15:5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.Matthew 5:48You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.Matthew 6:26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?Philippians 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,Philippians 4:19And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.Psalm 100:3Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Psalm 139:14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.Romans 5:1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 6:6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.Romans 8:15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”Romans 8:17And if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Disciple Up # 186 Greater Than, Part 4 Jesus Suffered & Understands Our Suffering; Hebrews 2:5-18 By Louie Marsh, 11-18-2020   Intro.   Angels Won't Rule the World - Hebrews 2:5-8   “5For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. 6It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, 8putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” (Hebrews 2:5–8, ESV)   The words “put in subjection” are the translation of hupotasso (ὑποτασσο), a military term used of arranging soldiers in order under the commanding general. The word speaks of an economy, a system of administration.  -  Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 10, p. 54). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. This speaks to the order that God always brings to things. Even when we can't see it or understand it, it's there. Which is why Paul says that God is not a God of confusion but of peace. – 1 Corinthians 14:33 We still marvel at the way nature works to this very day. We marvel at how human creativity works, at how things often seem to come together. This is why people say ignorant things like, “The universe brings this to me.”  NO, it's not the universe – the universe is just an inanimate created thing. IT's God's creation and the order He built into the universe that does all these things. Give Him the glory NOT the things He created! This isn't the usual word for world we see – Kosmos. Kosmos means a world system or what we call culture. But this word means…   The word “world” is the translation of oikoumene (οἰκουμενε), literally, “the inhabited earth,” - Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 10, p. 54). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. So he's really talking about people here. In the world to come – Millennial Kingdom, whatever, Angels won't be ruling over people. God and His people will rule.   6It has been testified somewhere… (Hebrews 2:6a)   I love this!  He doesn't have the reference in mind but correctly quotes the verses anyway! Here's the reference from Psalm 8   “4what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,” (Psalm 8:4–6, ESV) But this isn't happening right now. …Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him.” (Hebrews 2:8b, ESV)   This is another example of the realism of the Bible. Obviously this world isn't under subjection to God and the Bible makes no attempt to pretend that it is. But someday it will be and that's what this passage is talking about.   The Incarnation:   “9But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9, ESV) Note here how the incarnation and Christ's work on the cross is described:   Lower than the angels for a little while. Crowned with glory and honor because he suffered and died He died for everyone   “10For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 13And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”” (Hebrews 2:10–13, ESV) Why is it fitting that Jesus had to suffer? For it was fitting for him, on account of whom (are) all the (existing) things and through whom (are) all the (existing) things, that he as bringing many sons to glory make the Author of their salvation complete by means of suffering. In the case of the Messiah suffering is so far from being an outrageous idea that in the accomplishment of God's grace, that of bringing many sons to glory, it positively accorded with his own nature and his relation to all things to make the Author of their salvation the Author that he is by means of suffering. Nothing else would have befitted God, all Jewish and all human preconceptions to the contrary notwithstanding. The writer does not speak of necessity although one might say that what is fitting and proper for God is, therefore, also necessary for him, for God cannot act in a manner that is unbefitting him. The fact that αὐτῷ refers to God and not to Jesus needs no proof. God is the agent of the passive participles used in v. 9 as he is the agent also of this new sentence. To aid us in understanding his thought the writer does not merely say that “it is fitting for God” but that it is fitting “for him on account of whom all the (existing) things (are) and through whom all the (existing) things (are),” τὰ πάντα as in v. 8. The two διά clauses declare that all the things that exist and occur do so “because of him” and “through him”: they are on God's account, for his sake (i. e., for his glory), as they are also due to his agency (his hand being involved in them all.) - Lenski, R. C. H. (1938). The interpretation of the Epistle to the Hebrews and of the Epistle of James (pp. 79–80). Columbus, OH: Lutheran Book Concern. So Lenski is saying that it's fitting because it's connected with God's nature and His relationships with His created beings to bring about salvation thru suffering. Man brought sin into the world, sin brings suffering, God suffers to free us from sin and suffering. One source? The words “of one” are literally, “out of one.” We have the ablative of source here. That is, the Lord Jesus and the saints, are all out of one source. Because the Lord Jesus and the saints are all out of one source, the writer says that He is not ashamed to call the saints His brethren. The Greek word for brother (adelphos (ἀδελφος)) means “from the same womb.” That one source is God the Father - Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Vol. 10, p. 61). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. How Redemption Works: “14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14–18, ESV) The Devil is destroyed Vs. 14   He destroys the devil by first of all removing his authority over death and hell. That now belongs to Jesus thanks to His death, burial and resurrection.  “18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18, ESV) Our Fear of Death is Removed Vs. 15-16   Once we come to Christ we no longer have to fear death. This doesn't mean many of us don't, just that we have no reason too thanks to the finished work of Christ on the Cross.   He also circles back to his earlier theme of the angels when he mentions Jesus isn't doing this for the angels.   To Fully Redeem He Had to Be Fully Human- Vs. 17   Propitiation – removing God's wrath from those who have sinned. Jesus did this by suffering, bleeding and dying on the cross as a man.   Because He is both God and Man He Understands Our Suffering. – Vs. 18   Now – because He has suffered – He can completely understand our suffering, whatever that suffering may be.  

Pastor Joe Suozzo, teaching from Paul's letter to the Ephesian Church, explains how God uses the church to show the world His plan for salvation.Text: Ephesians 3:7-10For more information, please visit https:/ibcnj.org

A Study in 2nd CorinthiansContemplation of New Life2 Corinthians 5:1-10 (NLT) 1For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.1 Corinthians 15:17 (NLT) 17And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.John 5:25-29 (ESV) 25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.Acts 24:15 (NLT) 15I have the same hope in God that these men have, that he will raise both the righteous and the unrighteous.Eight Judgments (Past or in the Future)1.     There is the judgment which Jesus Christ bore on the crossJohn 5:24 (ESV) 24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.2.     There is self-judgment1 Corinthians 11:31 (ESV) 31But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.3.     There is the chastisement of God for the believerHebrews 12:6 (ESV) 6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”4.     The works of the believer are to be judged5.     The Israel nation is to be judged6.     The Gentile nations are to be judged7.     Fallen angels are to be judged8.     There is the judgment of the Great White Throne1 Corinthians 15:49 (NLT) 49Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man.

Speaker or Performer: Pastor Grover Cleveland Scripture Passage(s): Ephesians 2:1-10 Date of Delivery: November 8, 2020 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Disciple Up # 182 No Place for Repentance? By Louie Marsh, 10-21-2020   Intro. Episode on change is going to be a ways off.   Today's episode wasn't planned or wanted actually, but here it is and I feel like we have to deal with it like it or not. We've talked about this in episodes 93, 96 and at least one before 93 but I'm not sure which one.   Also see episodes 97, 98, 99 – Wounded by the Church   “1When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!” (1 Corinthians 6:1–8, ESV)   Links Used:   https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/november-web-only/james-macdonald-harvest-bible-chapel-suing-our-critics-bibl.html   https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/october/james-macdonald-harvest-walk-word-million-arbitration.html   https://harvestbiblechapel.org/2020/10/14/october-14-2020-elder-update/   https://jamesmacdonaldministries.org/reconnecting-with-our-partners/   https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/september/ravi-zacharias-sexual-harassment-rzim-spa-massage-investiga.html   https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/september/ravi-zacharias-sexual-harassment-rzim-spa-massage-investiga.html   Verses on Repentance:   “38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38, ESV)   “31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31, ESV)   “4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4, ESV)   “9As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. 10For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9–10, ESV)   “24And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,” (2 Timothy 2:24–25, ESV)  

Everything that could've been thrown on the fire has been thrown on the fire.We’ve been thrust into this plot twist by COVID, a complicated political environment, and basically everything in our day-to-day lives changing. This has disrupted a lot of our routines, including those pertaining to our health, business, and relationships.And when things are out of control, we need to be more mindful.Listen now How to be more productive based on your enneagram type I love sharing all the enneagram types in these episodes because while it’s important to know yourself, it’s also important to know the people you love, lead, and parent.If you’re helping people grow—whether you’re raising them, leading them or loving them—you should know how to best motivate them to be more productive. How core desires relate to productivity Core desires have a lot to do with how we can all be more productive. If you can speak to someone’s core desire or core motive, you get a lot more out of them, their chances of being more productive are better, and they’ll actually be able to do more. This applies to you as well.Why productivity?Being productive is an important life skill to master. Especially when we’re trying to balance work life and home life—and now doing it remotely from our homes—productivity is more important than ever. The sweet spot isn’t being busy, it’s being more efficient, effective, and productive. That way, you’re able to actually enjoy the present moment!Quotes:1:23Everything that could be thrown on the fire has been thrown onto the fire and that disrupts a lot of routines.2:44If you are leading, loving, parenting yourself or somebody else, knowing their core desire has a lot to do with how they can be productive. 9:55For a 1, aim for 90% and know that the other 10% is going to be okay.11:47For type 2’s to be more productive, limit your people time.14:58For a 3, build a thoroughness of process into your task completion.17:504’s, here is a huge productivity tip for you is to actually make a commitment.20:41For type 5’s, seek out new possibilities.23:01For type 6, it’s really important to have your core people.26:10For 7’s, creating a limited time and space for new ideas will be important so you can stay on task.28:48If you’re a type 8, especially if you’re an entrepreneur, build some time into your schedule where you feel like you have some freedom and you’re not being controlled by it.32:029’s, really finding your voice and knowing that your voice matters and your opinion matters and start exercising that muscle a little bit will help build your confidence.

1 Peter 3:8-12 NLT8Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. 10For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 11Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. 12The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

We've made it to “S” in this series, “P.U.R.S.U.E. Unity”. In this podcast, we focus on 2 main areas. The first is the importance of the words we Speak (hint: Be careful little mouth what you say) and what role they play regarding our destiny. The other subject we explore is what exactly it is that Separates us to begin with... (hint: it's Sin!!). Separation from God the Father came as aresult of Sin.... all the way back from that fateful day in the garden. But praise be to GOD! The good news of Salvation is that Jesus paid it all and bought us (ALL OF HUMANITY) back, so we could be reconciled to God and enjoy perfect unity with the Father!!...Various Scripture from the episode:Ephesians 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Romans 12:1 (NKJV)I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.2 Corinthians 10:5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (the first half of this verse is the one I was blanking on during the show! Of course, I remembered it driving home!)Romans 10:9-10If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”Follow me on social media:FB: https://www.facebook.com/whenlifethrowsyouacurve32IG: @whenlifethrowsyouacurve32 or @katiehamilton32

Be sure to catch the Conscious Spirit Fest October 18 2020 Arizona Bell is the co-founder and CEO of Spirit Guides Media—a growing media network that's dedicated to truth and driven by Spirit—and the host of the podcast A Matter of Life and Death with Arizona Bell. A grief coach and afterlife expert, Arizona is an inspirational speaker with the message that examining death and what happens to us after death is the absolute best way to live our richest, most meaningful lives here on Earth. A rising voice in the spiritual community, she appeared as a panelist on George Noory’s afterlife expert panel at the Afterlife Research and Education Institute Symposium in 2018 and speaks regularly at various conferences and events. Arizona’s book “Soul Magic: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Mystics” is available now. Arizona stopped by on Spiritual Dope as we covered all types of things: What exactly is it about examing death that can inspire you to live your best life? How do you transition from writing for medical journals to spirituality? Different ways to pray & what exactly is OG meditation? Make sure you check out everything Arizona has going on! Catch up with Arizona on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDblWL1H2IZ/ https://www.instagram.com/p/B-rjRW5oCOi/ brandon handley00:014321 Hey there, Spiritual Dope. This is Brandon Handley on with another outstanding guest Arizona bell, and she is the co founder and CEO of Spirit Guides Media 00:15A growing media network that's dedicated to truth and driven by spirit and the host of the podcast, a matter of life and death with Arizona bell 00:23A grief coach and afterlife expert Arizona is an inspirational speaker with the message that examine that. And what happened was, after death is the absolute best way to live our richest, most meaningful lives here on her. 00:35Arising voice in a spiritual community, she appeared as a panelist on great George Norris afterlife expert panel at the afterlife. Research Institute education Institute's symposium in 2018 00:47And speaks regularly at various conferences and events Arizona's book sold magic ancient wisdom from the modern mystics is available now or is. Oh, thank you so much for popping out today, how are you Spirit Guides00:59Hey, thanks for having me. Brandon, I'm doing really well, actually, uh, you know, you never know in 2020 with ups and downs of of everything. But today I'm doing great. I'm feeling good. How about you. brandon handley01:09I love it. Right, like 2020 if ever there was a a year where you seize the day right you take it for all that you can get out of it because you don't know what's around the corner right Spirit Guides01:20And absolutely, if you're not. If not now, when right brandon handley01:26I love 2024 for what is actually kind of brought brought to us right arm. I think there's opportunity to 01:32Do what you and I are doing on really kind of dig deep and live our authentic lives because you don't know what's around the corner. Really presented itself in 2020 that's my honest opinion. Spirit Guides01:43Absolutely. And just, I'll just riff here for a minute, in my personal life. That's how it worked out. 01:48You know i i hit rock bottom and hit a period of grief in my life. And next thing you know, I'm like, Okay. Life's too short. And it really put the fire under my butt. And I got to step in and live in my purpose. And I think on a collective level that's what's happening with 2020 brandon handley02:03Is what it looks like right a lot. There's a lot of raw files on 02:06A lot bombs and and not to laugh, but it's again just giving us the opportunity to bounce back. And so our spiritual resilience and what that but that kind of shine. 02:15But they kind of shy so I like to start these off with, like, you know, the idea is that the creator speaks through us right and 02:25Universe energies, energy, whatever speaking through us today and it's delivering a message to one of our listeners that can only come through this instance right so what is that message that you would deliver to that person today. Spirit Guides02:40This is man, this is interesting because right before this, I got on. And I do this typically 02:45Every once in a while. I forget, but it's kind of my routine to get to 02:48Get into meditated mode. Before I go on, either my podcast or somebody else's and say, 02:54Let's let the message come through that needs to be heard the most that helps the most amount of people 02:59You know, it's interesting. I've never been asked to to pick what that message is. So you put me on the spot, but um you know i i think that maybe the messages. What you kind of 03:12You said spiritual resilience. I think that that's the message of this year. And that's the message, maybe of this podcast, because that's where we started going right away. And I think just 03:24The fact of the idea that human hearts are so resilient were built in Phoenix's were born to burn and we're born to rise. And I think that it's really 03:33Really important to remember that right now, when everything is burning down metaphorically or literally, you know. So I think it's really important that we remember how resilient. We actually are. brandon handley03:46Built in Phoenix is built on Phoenix's and Spirit Guides03:49I don't know where that came from. That was 03:52That was like our archangel brandon handley03:54Was it right that's it 100% you open yourself up to it and just allowed to kind of kind of come through. 04:02And that's exactly what it is. So, whoever's out there. Just know that you have this built in Phoenix, whatever is kind of sparking you right now. You can kind of fan that and rise up out of the ashes into something more boys than you ever were before. Right. 04:18Totally. Um, so let's let them give some background, right, who is Arizona bell 04:26Yeah, are you 04:27Doing here. Um, you know, give us the lowdown Spirit Guides04:30That's literally what I've been asking myself all year. Who am I, why am I here. No, you know, I 04:37I would have said, you know, for most of my life. Arizona bell is a writer, like, that was my identity that's that's who I showed up as and then a little, little bit over five years ago, about five and a half years ago. 04:50My mother passed away. She was my best friend. 04:53She was 59 when she passed away. I was 30 so that's pretty young, relatively speaking for both of us. And we were very, very close in it. It ripped my world apart. And that was my burned down moment and 05:05And eventually became my Phoenix moment, and it gave me, like I said, the fire under my butt to really step into my full 05:14Purpose and alignment, whereas before I was just sort of dabbling, you know, I was like dabbling one foot into my spiritual purpose and the other into really messing around, and not really committing to anything and 05:27You know, just that kind of stuff. And so, you know, after my mom passed. I did the grieving thing for her, you know, I'm still doing the grieving thing, but I did that pretty hardcore. And then I woke up one day and I said okay like 05:39I'm going to do this, I'm going to do what Spirit wants me to do. So I basically surrendered to that to spirit to source to God to divine energy, whatever you want to call it. I said, All right, listen. 05:52I get that I'm here for a reason. Show me what that reason is. Bring it to me every day and I'll do it. So you know I stepped into service mode. Basically, which I wasn't able to do before I hit rock bottom. And with that. 06:05Came the starting of my company, which originally. Like I said, my background. 06:09Background was in writing. So I started a little digital magazine called spirit guides magazine, because I 06:15I was young, relatively young in the spiritual world and I saw that there was a huge void of spirituality being targeted to younger generations and therefore there's a huge disconnect because 06:26People my age millennials and younger weren't really connecting with 06:31The kinds of websites and graphics and conferences and kind of that that were sort of felt a little bit outdated, but we were hungering for spiritual knowledge so that was kind of the reason I started it. 06:42And that little Instagram magazine has now evolved to a media company we're called spirit guides media and within it. We have podcasts. We're starting a radio station books. 06:54Everything courses and thrown a festival with my good friend from conscious living PR Mona. So we just got everything going on. So that's kind of a hope I answered the question. I don't, I don't know how to fully say who I am or why I'm here. But that's a star, I guess. brandon handley07:09Sure how that that it's a lot for us to work with. Right. So, that is how you and I connected we connected through Mona, Lauren, who was one of the first guest on this podcast. 07:20And you know so super glad that we were able to get connected through her 07:25Checked out spirit. Guys, you've got a lot going on there. Looks like it's kind of a community right of built up around spirituality and. Is that what the intention is just kind of a community for, like, you know, will say for a younger generation. Is that what you're saying. Spirit Guides07:43You know, absolutely. The intention was to build a spiritual community. And even though we are gearing towards gearing it more towards 07:52Visually towards younger people. I mean, spirituality is for everybody. So I have people across the board, you know, but we did. We did kind of dominate that you know 08:0318 to 34 demographic. I mean, that's, that is what our demographic is. And of course there's outliers and the young at heart, and all that. But we did want to make it fresh and hip, you know, and that that was an intention and definitely 08:17The spiritual community aspect of because for me. My personal story is, I was the lone wolf on the spiritual path. I didn't have, you know, I wasn't raised religious I didn't have a spiritual community, as in the spiritual closet, to be frank, so 08:30I did this year I did the spirituality thing by myself. And so I really did want to create a community. 08:37For those that might be feeling the same way. And luckily, with the world that we're living in with technology. It's easier to do that, you know, like we're doing this on zoom right now and and so I'm able to hold courses and 08:49workshops and the festival, even now online and as membership community, so it's it's all able to be done online and it's it's absolutely to have a spiritual community in such a weird time brandon handley09:03And there's no no better time for us so funny you mentioned your demographics, because you're pulling off is right where I started on my demographics. Right. 09:12Right on. And that's and that's simply because I speak to my generation, right. So you're speaking to your generation, you know the language you know on the spiritual connection. 09:21From that perspective. Right. And that's not to say, like you said, there's gonna be there's gonna be people. There's going to be the outliers that you attract but like you're able really well able to speak to that specific group. Spirit Guides09:33Right but but it ends there because I don't do Tick tock. So I don't know. 09:37I don't know how much younger. I can get that brandon handley09:40Tick tock. Tick tock. Some is Spirit Guides09:43For sure. brandon handley09:44Somebody platforms right I'm and I'm doing I'm doing what I do. 09:49Exactly. 09:50So, so I get it, I get it. 09:53When you know I want to give also this kind of premise of what you were into before you got into the spiritual realm, who and what type of content. Were you writing before you got in the conscious 10:08Conscious right Spirit Guides10:09Sure. You know, I think, well, I was doing a couple things. There was what I was doing for work. I was very fortunate to get paid to be a writer. I know a lot of people in the writing world. 10:21seek that out. And what that I was writing for what pays. I was writing for medical journals and medical magazines and medical medical medical I was writing for universities, things like that. 10:34But the big bucks were in the medical field. I was the editorial director at a magazine for physicians and an assistant assistant editor at a magazine an international magazine for doctors and dentists so 10:49And, you know, with my mom passing away, she had cancer. So I was all up in the medical industry going through it with her and I just found myself writing things that I didn't agree with. And so, it hit me. 11:01For a while, I mean, I don't want to get to the specifics, but 11:06Yeah, just 11:09Just the sick, I would call the sickness industry of the of the medical industry and just a lot of things that there were ignoring about actually keeping people healthy and I had to start to believe that maybe there was a an ulterior motive to keep people sick. 11:26So I and I was publishing stuff like that, you know, and that's all up for a matter of opinion, but from what I saw firsthand. 11:35In the medical world with my mom and the unfairness. I will call it of that world I it wasn't jiving for me on a soul level to be writing those things anymore. So there was a there was a pick on my soul that was like, ding, ding, ding, like, hey, you can't 11:49This doesn't feel right and you care about integrity. Don't forget that you care about integrity. Now, on, on the flip side, in my own personal selves. I was always drawn towards I guess soul centered content. 12:03I called it love I called it like I was thinking more romantic love than spiritual, but I, I was always wanting to write about love and like 12:11That kind of stuff. And like relationships and things like that, but um I so I was doing that on the side as well. I was writing for literary magazines and things like that. brandon handley12:21That's fun. That's fun. But I'll tell you what I can. I know what you're talking about with that little prick in the soul resonates with me real hard. I was in the insurance industry. 12:32For a little bit. Right. And I was like, well, you know, you would you do demographics and you would do. 12:40Do a risk assessment on the group as a whole. Right. And there's a sick person or two in there. 12:45You're rich got jacked up with this doesn't make much sense you know these people need the insurance. We're going to raise the rates on them because they need it because they are sick because they are going to use it. 12:53Or industry codes right same thing happens with industry codes. If they're in of, you know, riskier business type 13:00Their insurance rates are going to go up because they've got the they're going to get the most well this person's gone in here. So we're gonna have to race, the race to cover that. So, um, I left, I left. 13:10For very same thing. I was like, for a couple reasons. Actually, one was because of that soul prick right to was because and nothing wrong with people getting off on work every day you know into an office, but I couldn't stand it. I was in my 20s and watching people that were zombies. 13:27Right. What are these these these a tweet covered offices, you know, walk right. I was like, I was like, if this is gonna be my toys. Spirit Guides13:35Yep. Oh, I completely relate to that. Yeah. I mean, look at me, I'm like, 13:40There's no way I can sit in an office. I mean, 13:42I gave it my go you know I gave it my best go but somehow every job i got i ended up 13:48And again, I told you this before. My mom was German. So I was raised with good work ethic. I know how to work hard and so I'd like work hard, prove myself, and then I'd be like, Listen, I gotta start working from home like this isn't working for me. 13:59You know, and somehow I always talk them into it. I guess that's a skill I have but 14:04But yeah, I wasn't meant for that either. I totally hear what you're saying and you know that that unfairness. As I said in that you as you just so eloquently described in the insurance industry. It goes, it goes in every, you know, it's like in the banking industry like brandon handley14:17Somebody who Spirit Guides14:17More like living paycheck to paycheck has to pay the fee to like have a bank account and then you know somebody who has loads of money doesn't have to pay a fee doesn't make sense that brandon handley14:28You know, you know it does. In the end, right, like, but you know we're not going to get into it. Right. 14:34But it's like, Come on, man. Um, so, so you're writing for like medical journals and all this other stuff. You have this kind of bent 14:45You go through this and they jump into the spirituality, his face. I want to want to share with kind of 14:51Peoples. And what was it like for you to begin to lead with spirituality. After what you've been doing your entire life and the Jeff overcoming fears deal with anybody was like, What are you thinking that type of thing. Spirit Guides15:05Oh, big time. Yeah. As far as overcoming fears. So I'll just say a couple things I had the idea for spirit guides 15:14In my head tagline AND EVERYTHING FOR YEARS. YEARS. YEARS. YEARS BEFORE. My mom passed away years I knew I wanted to do it and not even that I wanted to. It was like it was just implanted in my mind my spirits like you're gonna you're going to need to do this. 15:28And I started to get worried when the because i'm a i'm an idea person. So I get lots of ideas. I was starting to get worried when the idea didn't go away because 15:35It doesn't go away. Dang, it's meant for you, you know, brandon handley15:38So, Spirit Guides15:39But I was too scared I was making pretty good money to be creative, you know, who am I to do this. And also, like I mentioned, I'm in the spiritual closet. Okay, I'm a party girl. 15:50On one on one hand, and then I'm a spiritual girl when I go home like it. I did not have spiritual friends. You know what I'm saying. 15:58So there's a lot of fears to overcome. But again, when I got that asked my ass kicked by grief and loss and seeing death firsthand. It was like, all right, you got to live your life and you got to do this. So I basically like 16:13I just kind of like came out of the closet and like didn't like I didn't even make a thing of it like I just was like one day I owned a spiritual media company. 16:22And, you know, some people were like, what are you getting up to these days, you know, but it was it was a leap that I took private privately and probably shocked. Some people when I did it, but I didn't want to go around having to explain myself to a bunch of people so brandon handley16:37That makes a lot of sense. Um, and you're a lot of different types of coaching business Christians question spiritual around to like you know don't have to go share your ideas with others. I'm just go do it right again. Good. 16:51And that was Spirit Guides16:51That was what I chose to do in that moment, because it honestly it made the most sense. brandon handley16:56Of it and then so 16:59You start, you know, I don't know how somebody just goes to earning a 17:04media company, right. So what was that process like did you have to get investors or she is fired off like 17:10On to the Instagram bit or did you find some people to back you, that type of thing. Spirit Guides17:15Now it was completely driven by spirit. And again, I was in surrender mode by that point. So I was like, 17:22I had an arrangement with spirit is like if you want me to do it. You got to bring it to me because I'm not going to go around. 17:28Chasing after all this stuff. So I'm very fortunate that my brother and business partner is a tech developer. So I had that 17:37And I basically called up one of my friends who was a another co founder who became another co founder with us, who I knew was into spirituality and could handle you know some of the things like social media all this stuff. And we just got together as a trio and and literally it was 17:54You know, like guerrilla style startup and 17:58And now the third party left, and it's just me and my brother and we're still we're still running it in that way. And I like that way. I mean, I wish I could sit here and tell you that I had some 18:08Big plan, you know, I, my German mom would have wanted me to have a better laid out plan. But I went with it. You know, I just, we just started on Instagram and started hyping it up because that's where all the kids were and we were trying to, you know, 18:24That's where the kids Billy says where they used to hang out with. So that's where we were talking to, at that time, and 18:30We started to get a following. And then we just launched and and honestly all all I had in mind was to launch a digital magazine. 18:39And because I was a writer. That's all I wanted. You know, and I eventually wanted to write books and stuff. But from that is like all this stuff because I made that arrangement with spirit. 18:48Now I'm like podcast Aston radio station and festival. All these things were like, not my ideas are now they've overrun the thing. So now it's like it's got a mind of its own. brandon handley19:00Reminds me of the Michael singer. Yeah, sort of experiment right um 19:07So talk about what is surrender. Spirit Guides19:11What is surrender mode. Well, I think there's two kinds of surrender mode. There's a surrender mode where we think we're surrendering 19:19Where we say we're surrendering which was me a lot. I mean, I was 19:23I've always been drawn towards spiritual and esoteric stuff so I knew I was writing before my mom that I was writing you know happiness is surrender. That's where you find happiness, but I wasn't doing it. 19:34I wasn't doing it fully. And I only realized that when I did it fully in that was when I had to when I had to fall to my knees. 19:43Because there was nothing else there and, you know, Marianne Williamson, I'm probably going to butcher the, quote, but she says something along the lines of 19:51There's a certain desperation that's required before you're ready to face God and something like that. And that's how I felt. And so to me, that is surrender mode where it's 20:02I am here to serve. 20:05Your like basically I'm using my free will to serve your will spirit. 20:12So it's 20:13To me, that's true. Surrender mode, not just like, Oh, it's okay. Let it go. That bad thing, you know, but actually surrendering to a will, that's greater than your own that's greater than your own ego as well and showing up for it every day reliably brandon handley20:29How do you show up for every day, right, like so. I get it. I love this. I love that. I love the idea of 20:36You know surrender. And it's really kind of how we started the podcast right now less fear talk through you to the listener. Right. And then that Phoenix between now and then there's a. It's kind of like the let go and let God right 20:50Right. brandon handley20:51But to actually, you know, to say it's one thing Spirit Guides20:54How to do it. brandon handley20:55How to do it without freaking out, man. Right, without freaking out because Spirit Guides21:00I never said I didn't freak out. brandon handley21:03I love it. So, um, Spirit Guides21:04But I will say this, I will say this. I mean I I wake up every morning and I meditate and I pray, basically I do that combo and and part of my prayer in my meditation is to say 21:19You know, use me how you want to use me today. 21:22And so that's a way for me that's like a action point for me every morning to state my intention which matters a lot that I'm here to be used for spirits will basically. And so whatever shows up for me that day. 21:38I'm going to do it. brandon handley21:40Yeah assessments. Nice. Right. Um, and then the other part two is 21:50Just the idea that these things keep opening up for you. And I mentioned kind of the surrender experiment from 21:56Michael singer. And the reason I mention it because once you kind of open yourself up to it to be used to be used in service through this universal power. 22:05And I love how you said you know I'm not going for it. It's going to have to come to me right 22:11You said you know what you want. This is what I want. But you know what, I surrender for you to show me the way type of thing, you know, talk a little bit about that because I think that that's 22:21That's very important. Right. I'm a big fan of the idea is like its first of all, most people won't like you said, you know what you want it right you know what you want to do you want to be a writer. 22:31You wanted to start this media company and dig into it, but you didn't know how, but now you got it. Is it fair to say Spirit Guides22:39Yeah, definitely. brandon handley22:40And so this is the point that I'm trying to drive home is that you don't have to know how, but you do have to make the decision that that's what you want a life and that's what I feel like you've done Spirit Guides22:51Right. But I agree with you. You don't have to know how I am living proof of that. You do have to know what what I will say is that asked 23:00For what, when I sit in prayer and meditation every day. I mean, I feel like that's a crucial point 23:07Because we're 23:09I had to. I had to. I didn't know that I always wanted to be a writer because I have that God given skill. 23:16You know, so that's a, that's a natural way for me to go but 23:22I didn't know. I didn't even know what necessarily either. I had to listen in meditation, like I didn't know that I was going to start a media company. 23:30Or a you know that I was gonna, I didn't even know was going to do a podcast. I didn't know the podcast was going to turn into a an internet radio station. I've got those downloads and meditation and prayer. You know what I'm saying. 23:42So, but, and I will, I will circle back to the one thing that I did know is I knew I wanted to be a writer, and I knew that starting this digital magazine basically 23:53would grant, grant me a following. And I knew that in the publishing world today because I had been told this by writers by published writers that you have to have a following to even get looked at basically 24:04Well, and the magic numbers like 10,000, you know. So what we hit 10,000 and then it just kept expanding and expanding and expanding and I was so damn busy. Next thing you know, we're at 50,000 followers and I'm saying to spirit, listen. 24:20I still haven't written the book actually haven't even written 24:23So I'm not going to go around chasing a book deal if you want me to write a book you bring it to me. Now that sounds absurd. 24:29But three months later I had an email in my inbox, saying, hey, we have this book. It's already sold to this major publisher and we think you're great to write it, do you, what do you think brandon handley24:40So they have the concept of the book. 24:42Yeah works on a writer and they needed a writer. 24:45And you read it. Yeah. Spirit Guides24:47And that's the thing these days, they already sell the concept of books, but you know now that sets me up to write the book that I want to write to write the books that I really want to write, you know what I'm saying. So 24:56It's a pause for a second, though, because you know brandon handley25:00There's also the again. 25:04There's, there's the idea of, you know, feeling a little bit of a law of attraction space, making the demand was fear, right, or like the idea of you asking it is given and just let it come to you. 25:17Right right hand to me right if I'm coming from a law of attraction space. I'm like, Hey, I'm here, how to end up here. You're living example of this right and or of 25:28Trusting the universe is another right as like your benefactor, you're like hey universe. This is what I like. You can just go ahead and have that show up. I'm not going to go chasing it 25:40But then it shows up, and you're like, Well, what's next. Spirit Guides25:43Right. And that, that means that means it's for you because you you can go out there and say hey universe. This is what I want. 25:52I'm not going to chase it bring it to me and you're not, you might not get it. 25:57Because it's not meant for you. brandon handley25:58And that's great too. Right. Like I make the lines of, you know, if I would have had a lot of money. When I was younger, or like an open like have liked it. Like, I felt like I wanted, I probably would have died. 26:11Like, I mean, right, it would have been a bad. So the universe is like no 26:16No, no bad idea, right, you're not ready for that. Sorry. 26:20Yeah, and or we don't want you right now, right, you've got more things to do. And that's, that's another thing that I kind of look at this as like if you made it this far in your life and like you're 26:28Still kind of wandering around. I like you know for the for the person that is 26:33So meaningful life, you know, perhaps there is and you know you guys start figuring that out because there's no reason for you still be here. 26:40One 400 what a trillion to be born and make it through like not get hit by a car or a bus eaten all that crazy crappy thing that G and just in some of whatever we know what you're doing out there. Right. But you've lived 26:52And and and and so you've got a purpose and to live it. So one of the purposes that you found is by going through, you know, kind of hitting this rock bottom right, I want to just 27:03dive off dependency the grief coach and afterlife expert aspect of it because we haven't yet. Um, let's talk about how you ends up even there. Spirit Guides27:12Sure. I mean, it's kind of a wild story, um, 27:17Because I, I didn't want to end up there that wasn't I joke. I never thought in my life. I want to be a grief and afterlife expert. 27:26Can can promise you that. But, you know, after my mom passed away. And after I did the really hardcore grieving for for a while. 27:36I just, I think, you know, I had already started spirit guides and I was like, you know, 27:41Like, I want to go train to be a grief coach and it just kind of came to me and I was like, all right, I'll start looking into programs and I did and I found one. And I went and I liked it and i and i just got trained. You know, I just did it, but 27:55But, and I wasn't even 27:57I didn't even know what I was going to do with it. I just felt intuitively intuitively nudge there. So I did it. And then shortly very shortly after I had a medium ship reading 28:09And the medium. Then in the middle, in the middle of it. She's like, and she's a very, very, I had to wait a year to get a meeting with her. She's a very, very popular medium and 28:23In the middle of that she's like, What are you doing, I need to 28:27And she's like, I'm so I'm not gonna take up your time of your reading. But after this. I need to talk to you what you're doing. Like my spirit guides are telling me I need to talk to you. 28:34So we end up having a chat and she's like, Oh, I told her about spirit guides, like I've been trying to reach younger people, and she's like you and then a week later I got an email from her. And she said, I want to invite you to be to speak at this afterlife conference. 28:49And I was like, 28:51I'm not 28:54Know that, like, I'm not qualified to be here and she wrote back, I'll never forget it. And she's like, Arizona, my dear, I have been told that you are going to be a very profound afterlife researcher and you need to be at this event. And I was like, what 29:07So I went to this event to and I sat on a panel talking about spirituality, like in younger generations and my mind blew way open because I didn't know much about the afterlife, other than 29:21My mom had died. I hope she was still alive and I went to a medium to find out, you know, 29:26So I guess the, the, that's the long answer. The short answer is, like, Spirit just drove me there and And ever since that first conference, it was just so obvious that that's what I was going to be doing that I had a place in that world for whatever reason. brandon handley29:43So along with being a CEO media company you're also doing like this grief coach. Is that right, Spirit Guides29:51Yeah, you know, and you know, I hadn't dove into the coaching part as much as I wanted to. Originally, just because I have been so busy now with 30:03And and people grieving everything because grief, you know, grief, there's a misconception. That's grief, just for 30:11a loved one who's passed away grief is for any change dramatic change in your world, which we are collectively experiencing like all of the changes right now, so I am 30:24Drawing more back into that coaching aspect and I'm starting to get some things lined up in that way because I think it's so important and and I've been basically advised by all of my spiritual advisors that that's something that I need to get going on right now too, so brandon handley30:40I love it. Right. So just a little bit about what it means right to 30:45Examine death and use this kind of as a catalyst to live our riches, the most meaningful lives. Spirit Guides30:53Sure. So what people don't know is that there's so much afterlife research out there. 30:59It's not mainstream so we don't hear about it or you know it's not it's doesn't get MAJOR FUNDING so we don't hear about it, but there's so much independent afterlife research outfit out there and there's so much documentation that to me proves that consciousness exists beyond 31:18beyond physical death right i totally spaced out your question, though. I'm gonna go go off on a tangent 31:24Oh, Spirit Guides31:27I get into my afterlife brain. And I'm like, Okay. brandon handley31:30So before I let you go into the next piece of what would it so somebody wants to go buy some information for themselves in the afterlife research. Where's the first place that you would direct them. Spirit Guides31:43So there's an. There's an organization called the afterlife. Research and Education Institute AR e AI and they are great starting off point. 31:53I feel bad because I didn't fully answer your last question, but my mind. brandon handley31:56Told me Spirit Guides31:58But, uh, anyway. So that's a great place to start off at 32:02And they, you know, they are doing research, their funding researchers, all kinds of stuff and and they're just signing up on their newsletter. There's also 32:11There's a newsletter that is run by a couple in Australia. That's really famous. It's called the Friday afterlife report and every Friday, they send out a newsletter of all this afterlife research that's either 32:23From the past or that's come up in the past week there's tons of it out there. So those are the two places I would start the afterlife report. It's with Victor and Wendy's dammit, and then AR e AI afterlife. Research and Education Institute or brandon handley32:38So the question we had was, um, how's examining death. And what happened was the absolute best way to move on. Spirit Guides32:48So, yes, yes, yes, yes. See, now that's a very important question. That's why I was having a hard time letting it go. Um, it's so important because of all the research that's out there, which is what I was getting into. 33:02It proves beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind, from what I've seen. And what I've learned and what I've experienced and what I've researched that 33:10our physical bodies dies die, but our souls. Do not that we continue to live in the afterlife. Okay, so with that being said, the information that our loved ones that spirit guides 33:23That Spirit Guides33:25That arc angels, all of these beings and entities that are in on the other side, the information that can be channeled through them is so vital. 33:37To how we live our best lives. So it's, it's an interesting paradox because we don't tend to think about death or the afterlife until we're faced with it because we're so busy thinking about life and 33:47How we can live our best lives, but from what I've learned is that we can learn a lot about living our best lives from that wisdom that comes through the other side. 34:00And it's a shame that people I feel it's a shame that people my age don't get to do that very often because I'm the youngest one at these events. Okay, like 34:09I still don't know many people that have lost their primary you know parent or something like that, that in my age group, and my peer group so they feel like they are 34:19getting robbed of that wisdom because they're not going to go looking into the death or the afterlife. So I do kind of feel like 34:26It's my job to sort of bridge that gap because there's so much knowledge about how we can best live our lives that comes from looking at those more taboo topics. brandon handley34:37You know what's funny to me is just this morning I was listening to a song, ya know which one I listened to so many um I got a Swami the chain. I'm the 34:49But the idea is that, like, there's one in 1000 that's capable of kind of taking this information right that the what you got. Right, so 35:00You're kind of the light is lighting all those around you, as it were, with what you do. So I think that that's kind of the challenge, no matter what age group is 35:09Right when you when you kind of stumble across this you know it's like you're saying you're like everybody needs to know that you can live this magnificent way. Let's follow me. We're gonna sneak in and and 35:20Rightfully nobody's like I was like, no. 35:23Um, but what I want to hit on though is that, you know, when you experienced this grief when you experienced though your mother's passing 35:36I guess like ripping the veil right between you and the spirit world and 35:42Would you, would you explain it like that. Would you describe it like that. And would you 35:47Would you describe your experience with trying to share this information with other people is being challenging and not being able to accept it. Spirit Guides35:56Um, 35:59Yeah there it was totally an unveiling will say brought me so much closer. I mean, it was even the night, my mom passed away I her apparition came to me and I was awake, like, and she came and hugged me so the veil yeah it thinned an immensely immediately. 36:20Has the information been hard for me to get out and for people to accept. 36:27I want the answer to be that it's been really difficult. Like for dramatic effect, but it hasn't it hasn't. And I think that's because 36:37I'm attracting the people that want it. I'm not, I'm not trying to go out there and be a missionary or 36:44Or an evangelical about anything, you know, and I have zero religious ties or affiliation, which is interesting with afterlife. I mean, every, every 36:53Every serious spiritual or I'm sorry, every spirit serious religion has believed in the afterlife and has after life. 37:01Philosophy and I think that, you know, obviously, a lot of people thrown out religion in their lives. And I think that was kind of like we threw the baby out with the bathwater, kind of thing. 37:10So I'm not, I'm not attached to any religion or anything like that. So I don't think that I come off as missionary. I just think I, I tried to share my authentic experience and people who are looking for. 37:23Some answers to their own grief. They find me and it's so far the. The result has been one of comforting for them, rather than 37:34You know, combative or I don't believe what you're saying. So I maybe I'm fortunate in that but you know it hasn't it hasn't been too difficult. It's actually been very rewarding. I think brandon handley37:44I can see that, especially online. What about a person Spirit Guides37:48Well in person. It's like I'm 37:49Preaching the choir, you know, I'm going to 37:52But I will say this, I will say, even in my because I told you about my history as a, you know, being in the spiritual closet and everything, even the people in my life who like my family who's known me forever and 38:02You know weren't into these things at all. They just by osmosis have 38:07By coming to my events by hearing my podcast, things like that. And now they're there, you know, exploring their own stuff and their own afterlife. And now they've 38:16Had certain people passed away and they're reaching out to mediums and investigating like oh yeah I remember Arizona said this, so let me invest it on my own. So it's kind of like planting the seeds, you know, brandon handley38:27Not 100% i think that what you've done is, is by your by leading by example you've given them permission. Right. 38:33Yeah, showing them that you can step into the space without going on claims. 38:39Right, right. That is a good that it can be a good thing. Um, I like that you kind of touched on, you know, kind of these religions and throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and 38:51As far as I can tell right religions are kind of like this. 38:56Again, just like one of the thousands going to kind of understand this information right and then my kind of wants to do this just the whole 39:03You know, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear right and then does you like Panda hated that lines real 39:11Quick. Um, but the thing. And I think that's the attraction of some of the Eastern philosophies right because they've been so the console like 39:19Christianity bad, you know, the pope did this and you know those priests did that and all these things so that like they just won't accept it, even though, like the exact same thing as being in 99% of the same 39:30thing over here and like these Eastern religions and they're all if you got a contract is out, man. Look what I found, like 39:36You know, so I think that it really gives us people the opportunity to framework right for for their space. 39:43And for everybody else is kind of rejected if there's people like yourself, and I don't like, well, there's this other space. We can hang out into what's been said and all these other places, but you just want to have this different same conversation. Let's do it. 39:54Right, right, right. Um, 39:56Let's talk about 39:57The fest coming up. So this is podcast, I'm probably you know this weekend, which will I know the dates are like 928 or something like that. 40:09But you know what's the festival. Let's talk about what you got a Spirit Guides40:12Spiritual brandon handley40:13On 2020 Spirit Guides40:14Cool. Yeah. So it's the conscious spirit fest. It's a collaboration between myself. 40:20And my company spirit guides media and Mona Loring and her company conscious living PR and so it's conscious spirit fest. It's on October 10 or no, it's not. It's on October 18 I was thinking 10 for October is on October 18 2020 40:36It's a Sunday, and it's basically it's an all day online virtual festival, because that's what we're doing now virtual all day long and 40:45We're so excited about it. We basically curated the event that we wanted to have right now. 40:51You know we are lonely and isolated and we do need spiritual community, one way or another right now. And so we wanted to build something for people to 41:02Unite and people who who are want to focus on Unity right now in this crazy polarized role. And so we've. We have everything from yoga in the morning to guided meditations to sound healing to breath work. And then we have amazing speakers that are talking about everything from 41:21How to deal with this pandemic burnout to energy protection for light workers, we're going to have a medium come and do live medium ship readings and we our keynote speaker is column Adele, who's an astrologer, and he's going to be talking about 41:38You know the astrology coming up, you know, for 20 2021 and all that. And in astrology in these uncertain times and what what what we might have to look forward to, you know, the good, the bad, and the ugly or whatever. 41:51So, so, yeah. It's basically a day for everybody to come together and do all things mystical and create a spiritual community and 41:58And hang out together. So we're really, really excited about it. brandon handley42:02Now this sounds exciting. Like I said, you know, I think I saw Mona's paying off on Instagram. I saw start following it, and it seems like you know 42:10I love what you guys are putting together their talk to me a little bit about the astrologer, I think he's got like a little bit of a baton. What's his What's his Spirit Guides42:17So called Collins handle on Instagram is queer cosmos. And so he has he's he's and he is 42:24He's an amazing gay man and he started doing astrology for the queer community and which is was novel at the time, you know, and but more than that. I mean, he is 42:35He's one of my favorite guests have on my podcast. I'll say that right now. He's so enjoyable. He's brilliant. I mean IQ off the charts and he's he's so fun. So anytime that he's around. It's a good time. And I definitely recommend following him on Instagram at clear cosmos. He's great. brandon handley42:55So yeah, I remember that you're seeing them and chocolate. 42:59Yeah. brandon handley43:00Funny Guy when I grew up. I grew up, like in the gay community, you know, was out in San Francisco, San Francisco in the 80s right and and the one thing that happened out there was like my mom was an altercation with 43:16Her significant other, at the time, and he ended up by children and stuff. And so I ran across it, you know, the neighborhood and got these guys on the bed and they came. I can't rescue my mom so 43:28Oh wow, for the rest of my life, you know, gay guys have a 43:30Have a soft spot in my heart. Right. And it's just been in that community. It's, it's fun, right. Like, I mean, Spirit Guides43:36Oh, there's no doubt about that. brandon handley43:37So it's always a good time. 43:39See on 43:40Where, you know, should I send people to come check out more actually know what before I do that, 43:45I've done this for a minute, just because you know so the idea to have spiritual though. 43:48Is that you get this kind of you for high thru spirituality. Right. And that's like on the on the take us a spiritual dope is about that and then like 43:58You know, what's your spiritual hit right like and it talks about meditation, but when you when you're connected to source where, what does that look like Spirit Guides44:08Whoo. Yeah, there's, there's two for me. So definitely meditation. I'm a avid meditation or 44:15But their original Oh gee, writing, man. That's my space. That's my timelessness, that's the 44:20One place where I don't care if I haven't eaten and that's saying a lot. I love to eat. You know what I'm saying. Like that's that's the time where time flies and I just 44:30I'm in so much joy and I'm so inspired. I'm in spirit. You know that's that's where it is for me is when I'm writing. And so this man I'm preaching to myself right now. I got to clear it more time in my schedule to do it. 44:43But yeah, that's my spiritual dope for sure is is being in that creative zone. 44:50I love that question. brandon handley44:52Thank you. So the idea that too is like i mean i would i would i would say that 45:00You know, create you are creators right 45:03Yeah. And then when you surrender to that creativity. That's 45:08within you, right, that is source flowing through you. Is that fair to say Spirit Guides45:13Oh yeah 100%. I mean, we would we call God the Creator. And if you look at metaphysical principles as above, so below. We are here to create 45:26You know, and that's why that nine to five working somebody else's dream and fluorescent lit room didn't work for me because I felt that called to be creative. I felt, what am I doing here, if I'm not creating brandon handley45:37Something Spirit Guides45:38And now you can be creative, creative doesn't mean writing or painting all the time, creative can mean coming up with a scientific cure for cancer or whatever, you know, using your creative brain. You're in passionate about it. And so I absolutely agree with you. brandon handley45:52I love that you hit on life because 45:55People don't always recognize that they feel like creativity has to be writing painting singing, dancing. Spirit Guides46:02Brain, the arts. brandon handley46:03The classical arts 46:05Yeah, right. But 46:08And I know as somebody one day. 46:11You just got it. What is it that you'd like to create and I'm like, Well, I'm not very creative like 46:14You know you're raising kids are doing this that the other than your training things right, you're making moments, you're creating moments I mean creativity is more than, you know, put a pretty picture right so I love that you hit on that. Thanks for hanging on that. 46:29Yeah, what type of meditation do you do it, you Spirit Guides46:34Got just you didn't do not asked me that question. 46:37I am I am not. 46:39Trained in meditation at all. I'm self taught and 46:44For whatever reason, I'm pretty good at it. I just I lay down you can see my bed back there. I lay down horizontally. I don't sit in lotus position or anything I lay down on my bed. 46:54I play some Native American flute music and I go in 46:57Los brandon handley46:59That's great to write in terms of meditation or a feeling it's got to be done a certain way or like, yeah, I did a really shitty meditation this morning. Spirit Guides47:09I i think 47:11I think I you know it's the keep it simple, stupid like that's that's been my philosophy for 47:17My spiritual path and it's what's worked out for me. Like I and I you know in my company I've seen it all. I promote people that do it all. I'm talking like all the all the modalities and the 47:29Divination tactics and all this stuff and I'm Oh gee prayer and meditation and you know we all just got to do what works for us. brandon handley47:38To so they 47:40Just show us what your prayer. Looks like I always say this because I think of this Norman Vincent feel kind of skip 47:49It's not as good. It's like when he's doing his own in power positive thinking thing. 47:53And talks about this lady testing because you when you pray you don't like out there like a beggar. 47:59You know, you're like oh please give me all these things would you like you demand you know much very somewhere, come what you're talking about, like, 48:07I'm not going after it. It's got to come to me like these are things I want you know. So what's your, what's your prayer look like. Just out of curiosity, Spirit Guides48:13Yeah, I mean it's it. That is a good point it start, the only it starts always with gratitude. 48:20Always with gratitude and and then I do go into my demands. I do feeling that I've, I've had the shift from beggar to 48:30You know, this is, this is what I this is what is going to be brought to me and I, and I've learned that over time through spiritual mentors, saying, you know, you 48:38This is yours for the taking. You can you demand that so I start with gratitude and and I pray for you know what I need. In most of the time that's to take away my 48:50Worries and stresses and concerns because that's the only thing in my way. So I do pray for that to be taken and I pray for the people that I love and I pray that 49:02You know that love walks before me wherever I go. And then I pray to be used, how spirit needs me. And then I say, thank you. 49:11Yeah. brandon handley49:12Um, this will be like my last question. 49:17So when you. I like the idea of writing when you write 49:24With a pen in hand right or doesn't have to be. But I feel like that's what I'm most connected. I like to call it cosmic record player. This is my cosmic needle right 49:36You know, do you have a preference of writing by hand or typing. Spirit Guides49:41I'm 49:43I'm right differently. I write, I write both ways. And I write for different reasons I I write. I typically write 49:52Pen in Hand in my journal when I'm writing for myself and nobody else if that makes sense. And for my own clarity and my own as you say connection. 50:03But it's all about the computer for everything else. 50:07My hand hurts too much. brandon handley50:10Out of out of curiosity, right, like yourself. Once Spirit Guides50:13I do agree with you though there's there's different 50:16A whole different vibe. When you got the pen in your hand. Right, right. brandon handley50:20Now, and look, I mean, it takes a lot to to write Tom by paper. 50:27Pretty fast, man. Spirit Guides50:28Yeah, exactly. brandon handley50:31Okay, so where we're gonna need to go a couple places or warm place. So we're gonna go to find you and the spirit fast. Spirit Guides50:39Sure, I'm okay. Ultimately, you can go to spirit guides media.com for everything that I do. And on top of the navigation. 50:48At spirit guides media com you will see a link that says festival and that is where you can learn more about it. You can see the lineup. The full lineup. I didn't touch on everything. 50:58And also purchase tickets and we are offering a sliding scale pay what you can because times are tough and that is 51:05I feel the responsible thing to do. So we have that offered and other than that, you can find me on instagram at spirit guides media or my personal one is at underscore Arizona bell. I think that covers everything brandon handley51:20No. 51:22Um, well, this event view digitally after the past Spirit Guides51:28Great question. Can't believe I forgot to say that. Absolutely. So if you are able to catch none of it live or half of it live or all of it live and want to watch it again. We will send out a replay of the entire day video. So you'll get to see it all. brandon handley51:43Awesome, Arizona. Thank you so much for stopping by. Spirit Guides51:45Thanks, Brandon. It's been a joy and a pleasure.

YOUR REPENTANCE- FAKE OR REAL----- -9Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. -10For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted- but the sorrow of the world produces death. -11For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner- What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication-- In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.--2 CORINTHIANS 7-9-11---- Paul was speaking to --------------------------- Paul talked about two ------------------------ -verse 10----- Paul affirmed that we can -------------------------------- -verse 11---o Diligence- very eager to do the right thing---o Clearing of yourselves- speaking-doing what is right to prove your commitment to God's will and show that you are for real---o Indignation- angry with yourself because of the terrible thing you have done---o Fear- fear God and offending Him---o Vehement desire- yearn deeply for to be restored to God and to be holy like Him---o Zeal- not indifferent or apathetic, but full of fervor and devotion.---o Vindication- real commitment do see justice done and wrong rectified-PHARAOH--https---www.youtube.com-watch-v-o4eLe5N6rwY-list-PLgETZJJFvtOCK7JEa5F55YC0Sv9PFhiN2-index-4

—Sermon text:Luke 23:44–49 Download the discussion guide for this sermon here.—Additional Resources—Worship PlaylistBelow, we are including a playlist of songs specifically selected by our worship leaders for this week’s sermon topic:—Supplemental Scripture Readings—Revelation / Call to WorshipPsalm 138I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth,and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD.For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life;you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.—AdorationColossians 1:15–20He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.—ExpiationHebrews 10:4–7; 9–10For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”[…] then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.—DedicationThe Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 1 - Question 1Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?A. That we are not our own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all our sins with his precious blood, and has set us free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over us in such a way that not a hair can fall from our head without the will of our Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for our salvation. Because we belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures us of eternal life and makes us wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

—Sermon text:Luke 23:44–49 Download the discussion guide for this sermon here.—Additional Resources—Worship PlaylistBelow, we are including a playlist of songs specifically selected by our worship leaders for this week’s sermon topic:—Supplemental Scripture Readings—Revelation / Call to WorshipPsalm 138I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise;I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth,and they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD.For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life;you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.—AdorationColossians 1:15–20He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.—ExpiationHebrews 10:4–7; 9–10For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”[…] then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.—DedicationThe Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 1 - Question 1Q. What is your only comfort in life and death?A. That we are not our own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all our sins with his precious blood, and has set us free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over us in such a way that not a hair can fall from our head without the will of our Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for our salvation. Because we belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures us of eternal life and makes us wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

Pastor Matt shares about the relationship between goodness and discipline.Hebrews 12:3-11 3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,nor be weary when reproved by him.6For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,and chastises every son whom he receives.”7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Season 2, Episode 1ArtsNW Panel: All Thing Big Band with Jill Townsend, Chris Berner and Casey Thomas-BurnsWelcome back to the ArtsNW podcast! In this episode, our Summer Music Programmer Casey Thomas-Burns sits down with Jill Townsend and Christopher Berner to discuss all things big band. For more Jill: https://jilltownsend.ca/ jtownsend@telus.net For more Chris: https://www.instagram.com/berning.in.the.forest/https://www.facebook.com/chris.berner.10For more Casey: http://www.caseythomasburns.ca/https://www.instagram.com/casey.tb/Stay tuned after the credits to listen to the full tracks of April and Amet IslandThis podcast was recorded on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories belonging to the Qayqayt First Nation; in a socially-distanced recording space in the Gallery at Queen’s Park.Since 2015, the Music by the River Festival has taken place on Thursday evenings in Westminster Pier Park. However, due to COVID-19 Pandemic and the need for social-distancing, it is presented this year as a podcast series.Season 2 of the ArtsNW podcast is produced by the Arts Council of New Westminster, and brought to you by the Government of Canada, Province of British Columbia, the BC Arts Council, and the City of New Westminster. The theme music for this season is composed and recorded by Benjamin Millman.To donate to this podcast and the Arts Council of New West, go to http://acnw.ca/donate See all episodes at http://artsnw.ca and wherever podcasts are found.#ArtsNWThank you for listening!

Jeremiah 1:5“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”Joshua 1:9Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”2 Corinthians 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.1 John 1:9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.Ephesians 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Luke 12:7Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.Isaiah 41:10Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.Zephaniah 3:17The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.Galatians 2:20I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.Philippians 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,Ephesians 2:22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.1 Corinthians 12:27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.Psalm 27:10For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in1 Peter 5:6-7Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.Ephesians 2:19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,Ephesians 1:3-6Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,Romans 5:8But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.Philippians 4:13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.Ephesians 2:8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,Romans 8:31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.Ephesians 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.Isaiah 43:4Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.Romans 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.Acts 1:8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”Psalm 139:1-24To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. ...1 John 4:10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.1 John 3:1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.1 Peter 5:6-76 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.2 Thessalonians 3:3But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.Philippians 4:19And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.1 Corinthians 15:57But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 8:38-39For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.2 Timothy 1:7For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.2 Corinthians 5:21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.1 Corinthians 6:19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,Romans 8:37-39No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 5:1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Matthew 5:14“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.Isaiah 53:5But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.Psalm 86:15But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.Deuteronomy 7:9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,Revelation 3:20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.1 John 4:16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.John 1:12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,Luke 1:37For nothing will be impossible with God.”Isaiah 26:3You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.Psalm 138:3On the day I called, you answered me; my strength of soul you increased.Psalm 136:26Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.Exodus 15:2The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.1 John 3:1-3See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.2 Peter 1:3His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,Colossians 3:12Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.Ephesians 5:8For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of lightEphesians 4:24And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.Isaiah 12:2“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.Psalm 118:6The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake youRevelation 21:3-4And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”The Lord bless you(A)‘and keep you;(B)25 the Lord make his face shine on you(C)and be gracious to you;(D)26 the Lord turn his face(E) toward youand give you peace.asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.6 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.I pray that you would be surrounded by and filled with and located in and anchored to our Savior Jesus Christ Christ above you that you may walk in wisdom and rest in his love. Christ below you that you may never stumble or fall Christ on your right in your strength Christ on your left and your weakness Christ going before you to prepare the way for you And Christ walking behind you to clean up all your messes. Christ within you filling you to overflowing today, tomorrow and forever AMEN.

Speaker or Performer: Pastor Grover Cleveland Scripture Passage(s): Hosea 4:1-10 Date of Delivery: July 5, 2020 Hosea 4:1-101Hear the word of the Lord,You children of Israel,For the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:“There is no truth or mercyOr knowledge of God in the land.2By swearing and lying,Killing and stealing and committing adultery,They break all restraint,With bloodshed upon bloodshed.3Therefore the land will mourn;And everyone who dwells there will waste awayWith the beasts of the fieldAnd the birds of the air;Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.4“Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;For your people are like those who contend with the priest.5Therefore you shall stumble in the day;The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;And I will destroy your mother.6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.Because you have rejected knowledge,I also will reject you from being priest for Me;Because you have forgotten the law of your God,I also will forget your children.7“The more they increased,The more they sinned against Me;I will change their glory into shame.8They eat up the sin of My people;They set their heart on their iniquity.9And it shall be: like people, like priest.So I will punish them for their ways,And reward them for their deeds.10For they shall eat, but not have enough;They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;Because they have ceased obeying the Lord.

Ep. 83 Welcome Topics - Support request Pray Donate Subscribe & Share 866-988-8311 info@republickeeper.com Those who don’t learn: I’m a little bit torqued off. CHAZ exists It exists because of the help of locals Jay doesn’t know Free food & healthcare Reminded me of a street fair with no vendors.   Today is part sermon: 2 Thess:8nor did we eat anyone’s bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, 9not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us. 10For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 11For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. 12Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. The Pilgrims were basically a commune The Pilgrims’ early settlement, by today’s standards, was essentially a socialist commune. The settlers received their clothing, food, and supplies from the colony’s “common stock,” all farmland was collectively owned, and each family received provisions according to their needs, with the profits of labor being divided equally rather than by what was earned through hard work. This system quickly led to discontent: The healthy and able-bodied colonists who worked in the fields all day began to resent the colonists who claimed to be ill, frustrated that they received the same amount of food and supplies as those who performed zero labor. The socialist system was also harmful to the health of the Pilgrims: Nearly half of the colonists died of starvation during their first winter in the New World, unable to feed themselves and stay healthy with the colony’s shrinking harvest sizes. After about two years of famine and disaffection, the Pilgrims finally had a meeting amongst themselves and chose to abandon the socialist system for all of the suffering it had caused. The colony’s new system required each family to take care of themselves, and made the settlers personally responsible for their own means of survival. Colonists were encouraged to grow their own food knowing that there was no “common stock” to provide for them. This led to the entire colony becoming more prosperous—those who earlier claimed to be infirm became motivated and industrious, with men, women, and youth alike working in the fields eager to reap the benefits of their labor. Interestingly, the settlers in the Jamestown colony went through the same experience and passed a rule: “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” The Communards – 1871 The working class of Paris were feeling ostracized after the decadence of the Second Empire and the Franco-Prussian War. The Prussians besieged Paris in September 1870, causing suffering among Parisians. The poor ate cat or rat meat or went hungry. Out of resentment from this situation grew radical and socialist political clubs and newspapers. While Paris was occupied, socialist groups tried twice to overthrow the provisional government.[1] In January 1871, Otto von Bismarck and the French minister of foreign affairs, Jules Favre, decided that France would hold national elections. Adolphe Thiers, who had been loyal to the Second Empire, was elected head of the newly monarchist republic. During the war, the capital had moved from Paris to Bordeaux. When the war ended, the government declined to move back to Paris and instead moved to Versailles. In the early morning of March 18, the government stationed in Versailles sent military forces into Paris to collect a reserve of cannons and machine guns. The detachment was still gathering the munitions when the Parisians awoke, and soon the soldiers were surrounded. In the chaos that followed, the soldiers killed two of their own, and by the end of the day, they were mainly sided with the Parisians. Insurgents now controlled the city, and they declared a new government called the Paris Commune, which lasted from March 18 to May 28, 1871.[2] Thiers refused to bargain with the Communards, despite their attempts to do so. He taught newly released French soldiers the "evils" of the Communards as the government prepared for a battle. Starting on May 21 and continuing through May 28, soldiers chased the National Guard members who sided with the Communards through the streets. Around 18,000 Parisians were killed, 25,000 were imprisoned, and thousands more were later executed. The violence of Bloody Week became a rallying cry for the working classes; politicians would later proudly brag about their participation with the Commune. After Bloody Week, the government asked for an inquest into the causes of the uprising. The inquest concluded that the main cause of the insurrection was a lack of belief in God, and that this problem had to be corrected immediately.[4] It was decided that a moral revival was needed Demands of the Mob Given the historical moment, we’ll begin with our demands pertaining to the Justice System. The Seattle Police Department and attached court system are beyond reform. We do not request reform, we demand abolition. We demand that the Seattle Council and the Mayor defund and abolish the Seattle Police Department and the attached Criminal Justice Apparatus. This means 100% of funding, including existing pensions for Seattle Police. At an equal level of priority we also demand that the city disallow the operations of ICE in the city of Seattle. In the transitionary period between now and the dismantlement of the Seattle Police Department, we demand that the use of armed force be banned entirely. No guns, no batons, no riot shields, no chemical weapons, especially against those exercising their First Amendment right as Americans to protest. We demand an end to the school-to-prison pipeline and the abolition of youth jails. Get kids out of prison, get cops out of schools. We also demand that the new youth prison being built in Seattle currently be repurposed. We demand that not the City government, nor the State government, but that the Federal government launch a full-scale investigation into past and current cases of police brutality in Seattle and Washington, as well as the re-opening of all closed cases reported to the Office of Police Accountability. In particular, we demand that cases particular to Seattle and Washington be reopened where no justice has been served, namely the cases of Iosia Faletogo, Damarius Butts, Isaiah Obet, Tommy Le, Shaun Fuhr, and Charleena Lyles. We demand reparations for victims of police brutality, in a form to be determined. We demand that the City of Seattle make the names of officers involved in police brutality a matter of public record. Anonymity should not even be a privilege in public service. We demand a retrial of all People in Color currently serving a prison sentence for violent crime, by a jury of their peers in their community. We demand decriminalization of the acts of protest, and amnesty for protestors generally, but specifically those involved in what has been termed “The George Floyd Rebellion” against the terrorist cell that previously occupied this area known as the Seattle Police Department. This includes the immediate release of all protestors currently being held in prison after the arrests made at 11th and Pine on Sunday night and early Saturday morning June 7th and 8th, and any other protesters arrested in the past two weeks of the uprising, the name Evan Hreha in particular comes to mind who filmed Seattle police macing a young girl and is now in jail. We demand that the City of Seattle and the State Government release any prisoner currently serving time for a marijuana-related offense and expunge the related conviction. We demand the City of Seattle and State Government release any prisoner currently serving time just for resisting arrest if there are no other related charges, and that those convictions should also be expunged. We demand that prisoners currently serving time be given the full and unrestricted right to vote, and for Washington State to pass legislation specifically breaking from Federal law that prevents felons from being able to vote. We demand an end to prosecutorial immunity for police officers in the time between now and the dissolution of the SPD and extant justice system. We demand the abolition of imprisonment, generally speaking, but especially the abolition of both youth prisons and privately-owned, for-profit prisons. We demand in replacement of the current criminal justice system the creation of restorative/transformative accountability programs as a replacement for imprisonment. We demand autonomy be given to the people to create localized anti-crime systems. We demand that the Seattle Police Department, between now and the time of its abolition in the near future, empty its “lost and found” and return property owned by denizens of the city. We demand justice for those who have been sexually harassed or abused by the Seattle Police Department or prison guards in the state of Washington. We demand that between now and the abolition of the SPD that each and every SPD officer turn on their body cameras, and that the body camera video of all Seattle police should be a matter of easily accessible public record. We demand that the funding previously used for Seattle Police be redirected into: A) Socialized Health and Medicine for the City of Seattle. B) Free public housing, because housing is a right, not a privilege. C) Public education, to decrease the average class size in city schools and increase teacher salary. D) Naturalization services for immigrants to the United States living here undocumented. (We demand they be called “undocumented” because no person is illegal.) E) General community development. Parks, etc. We also have economic demands that must be addressed. We demand the de-gentrification of Seattle, starting with rent control. We demand the restoration of city funding for arts and culture to re-establish the once-rich local cultural identity of Seattle. We demand free college for the people of the state of Washington, due to the overwhelming effect that education has on economic success, and the correlated overwhelming impact of poverty on people of color, as a form of reparations for the treatment of Black people in this state and country. We demand that between now and the abolition of the SPD that Seattle Police be prohibited from performing “homeless sweeps” that displace and disturb our homeless neighbors, and on equal footing we demand an end to all evictions. We demand a decentralized election process to give the citizens of Seattle a greater ability to select candidates for public office such that we are not forced to choose at the poll between equally undesirable options. There are multiple systems and policies in place which make it impractical at best for working-class people to run for public office, all of which must go, starting with any fees associated with applying to run for public office. Related to economic demands, we also have demands pertaining to what we would formally call “Health and Human Services.” We demand the hospitals and care facilities of Seattle employ black doctors and nurses specifically to help care for black patients. We demand the people of Seattle seek out and proudly support Black-owned businesses. Your money is our power and sustainability. We demand that the city create an entirely separate system staffed by mental health experts to respond to 911 calls pertaining to mental health crises, and insist that all involved in such a program be put through thorough, rigorous training in conflict de-escalation. Finally, let us now address our demands regarding the education system in the City of Seattle and State of Washington. We demand that the history of Black and Native Americans be given a significantly greater focus in the Washington State education curriculum. We demand that thorough anti-bias training become a legal requirement for all jobs in the education system, as well as in the medical profession and in mass media. We demand the City of Seattle and State of Washington remove any and all monuments dedicated to historical figures of the Confederacy, whose treasonous attempts to build an America with slavery as a permanent fixture were an affront to the human race.

False Teachers and True Contentment--Teach and urge these things. 3If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the soundb words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 6But godliness with contentment is great gain, 7for we brought nothing into the world, andc we cannot take anything out of the world. 8But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. 1 Timothy 6-2-10---If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul-l Is anything worth more than your soul- 27For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. Matthew 16-24-28

Are you looking for an Owensboro Church you can believe in? During this episode of the HIS Church Youtube Sermon Series Pastor Brian Gibson teaches us about how to Think Blessed. Full YouTube Service | https://youtu.be/XHSzg9YaPgs Sermon YouTube | https://youtu.be/ol6vkcNIisk Galatians 3:9-14 9So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. 10For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. 13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Genesis 12:1-3 1Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. Learn more about HIS Church today by visiting http://www.hischurch.cc/ or by calling us today at 270-926-6009.   HIS Church Owensboro Campus 4810 Frederica Street Owensboro, KY 42301   HIS Church Amarillo Campus 6300 Arden Rd Amarillo, TX 79109   HIS Church Dumas Campus 10 Elm Ave Dumas, TX 79029   HIS Church Henderson Campus Preston Fine Arts Center 2660 S. Green Street Henderson, KY 42420          

Welcome to episode 9 of Source Of Uncertainty! In this episode Robert and Kyle each patch with the Northern Light Modular h series modules. Then they talk to the people that made the system, Marc Borri & Sascha Haber.  Show notes:Hello: 0:00Robert's patch with the Northern Light Modular h system: 16:25Kyle's patch with the Northern Light Modular h system: 40:25Interview with Sascha Haber and Marc Borri: 59:01Goodbye: 2:03:10For more information and to purchase Northern Light Modular modules visit: https://northernlightmodular.com/Listen and subscribe to Podular Modcast: https://podularmodcast.fireside.fm/Listen and subscribe to Esoteric Modulation: https://www.esotericmodulation.com/subscribe-to-podcastSubscribe to Waveform Magazine: https://www.waveformmagazine.com/Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sourceofuncertaintyFind us on Instagram @sourceofuncertainty And at sourceofuncertainty.audio

James 2:1-5 (NIV) 1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here's a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? James 2:7-13 (NIV) 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

James 2:1-5 (NIV) 1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here's a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? James 2:7-13 (NIV) 7Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? 8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker. 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

This week we're joined by Colchester United player coach Jamal Campbell-Ryce and he talks about being a professional footballer for 20 years, what he's learned, managers he played under and enjoyed playing for them, managers he's not so much enjoyed playing for, playing for Jamaica and more! We also talk Tottenham and Jode Mourinho, where it went wrong with Poch and more!Like, Share and Subscribe on Youtube, Soudcloud, Acast, iTunes and all other podcast platforms.HOSTS:DapsTwitter: @DapoCeoInstagram: @DapoCeoSpenceInstagram: @Spence2118Twitter: @Mike_Spence2118LaminInstagram: @LaminOjoTwitter: @LaminOjoGUEST:Jamal Campbell-RyceTwitter: @JCRyceInstagram: @jamalcr_10For all questions, topics you want to hear discussed or for anything else:Email: onthecounterattack@outlook.comTwitter: @OnTheCounterSayInstagram: @CounterAttackPod See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sign up for the 31-day marriage prayer challenge for FREEhttps://marriageprayerchallenge.com I was reading in Psalms 37, and there was a line that says “For the Lord loves justice”… and I thought how cool is it that the word directly told us what God loves.I thought it would be fun and instructive for us to find out if there are any more places in the bible that tell us directly what God loves.If God loves it, maybe we should too. And we know from Psalm 107 that God's steadfast love endures forever. It never ends or changes so he must still love today those things he said he loves back then.Psalm 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!THE WORLD John 3:1616 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.The world, meaning the people he created in His image. Mankind1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.If God loves the people he created, then I think we must do the same.Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.CHEERFUL GIVER 2 Corinthians 9:7Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.JUSTICE Psalm 37:28For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.It was God’s justice that put Jesus to death. Because the only way we could be Justified is if the penalty for our transgressions were paid for. The requirement of the law must be fulfilled. And it was in Jesus.Listen to what we will pay if we do not receive this amazing free gift from God.2 Thessalonians 1:8-9dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,So we should love that God is just. He doesn't just let the sin go undealt with. If he did he would be unjust. He is even going to justly deal with all the wicked things of this world.Revelation 21:4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”RIGHTEOUSNESS Psalm 11:7For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.Ephesians 2:10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.Proverbs 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he loves him who pursues righteousness.Psalm 146:8 “The Lord loves the righteous”The Jewish Nation Hosea 3:1And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.”We should love the jews. God chose them to be the people to receive the Law and to bring us the messiah.Jesus was a jew.All of the apostles where jews.Let’s be praying for those who have not received Jesus as their messiah. Let’s pray for revival.The disciples John 16:27for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.God loved the disciples.God Loves Jesus John 10:17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.God loves His Son He always has and He always will john 15:9As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.God loves Jesus PrayerDear Lord,Thank you for your steadfast love. Thank you for loving us even yet while we were sinners. Thank you for showing us in your word what you love. We pray that we would abide in your love every day. We pray your love would manifest in our hearts and pour out into our relationships with others. May your love change us and transform us. May your love radically impact our marriages by the way we love our spouse. Help us to understand even more deeply your love for us and receive it with a humble heart. We pray we would show you our love by obeying your word and keeping it.In Jesus’ name, amen!

COME | Home Album Series | July 26, 2019Matthew 6:6 Message Translation “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.Psalm 73:28 “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, That I may tell of all Your works.”Psalm 16:8 “I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”Psalm 119:151 “You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.”Jeremiah 23:23 “‘Am I a God who is near,’ declares the LORD, ‘And not a God far off?’”Acts 17:27 “...that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;”Hebrews 10:22 “let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."WHEN JESUS COMES HOME WITH YOU: Jesus And Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-10 NLT1Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich. 3He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way. 5When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” 6Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. 8Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”1. Nothing Matters Except Jesus's Opinion Of You. You Stop Caring What Other People Think. You're Free!2. You Can Invite A Sinner To Dinner.If Jesus Wants To Come Home With ME... Then He'll Go Home With Anybody.Every Sinner is Welcome In My Home And At My Table.3. You're No Longer Satisfied With What You Can Get From People. You Want To Give More Than You Get... And You Don't Keep Score.4. You Admit That You Really Do Need To Be In God's Family.5. Coming Down From Your Tree, Lifts You To Up Where You Want To Be.

In this episode of Beneath the Subsurface we introduce our Geoscience and Data & Analytics intern teams for our summer internship program. Erica kicks off the episode with Jason and Sri talking about how the programs have come about and changed overtime here at TGS, how they select and recruit for the program, and the scope of the projects that the internships tackle this summer. Erica then spends time with both teams of interns discussing the experience in the program, what they’ve learned, and everything they’ll be taking away and applying back to their studies and upcoming careers. TABLE OF CONTENTS00:00 - Intro00:50 - Team Leader Segment with Jason and Sri01:09 - The Geoscience Internship Program04:42 - The Data & Analytics Internship Program07:29 - Advice for Program Applicants11:54 - Data & Analytics Intern Team Introductions13:32 - The D&A Summer Projects15:18 - Lessons Learned Pt. 117:20 - The TGS Internship Experience Pt. 120:24 - Future Careers21:41 - Advice for Future Interns & Reasons to Apply Pt. 124:34 - Valuable Take Aways Pt. 126:01 - Geoscience Intern Team Introductions28:36 - The Geoscience Summer Projects31:33 - Lessons Learned Pt. 233:14 - The TGS Internship Experience Pt. 234:12 - Advice for Future Interns & Reasons to Apply Pt. 239:28 - Valuable Take Aways Pt. 2EXPLORE MORE FROM THE EPISODEARLASSALT NET TGS DATA LIBRARYEPISODE TRANSCRIPTErica Conedera:00:12Hello and welcome to Beneath the Subsurface a podcast that explores the intersection of geoscience and technology. From the Software Development Department here at TGS, I'm your host, Erica Conedera. This time around, we'll be chatting with our newest batch of intrepid students in TGS' dynamic and immersive internship program. As you will hear, they are a diverse group of future innovators from around the world. They bring with them a wide range of skills and interests and work together to collaborate on exciting real world projects. We'll start our conversation today with a quick introduction from the leaders of our internship program. I'm here with Sri Kainkarayam, the data science lead and Jason Kegel with the geoscience team who heads up the geoscience intern program. And we're going to talk a little bit about the internship programs. Jason, how has this program changed in the last five years?Jason Kegel:01:09When we first started the program, I want to say 2013, 2014, it was out of the Calgary office in Canada. The interns there were mainly from some of our Calgary schools nearby. And then it started to grow 2014, 2015 to include some of our Texas schools, UT, Baylor, University of Houston. As it's grown, we've decided to add more projects and more sort of interesting work to the projects. We've also been able to bring on some of our original interns into roles within the company. So over the last five years, I'd say the biggest thing that's grown is the, the number of interns. So in Calgary, when this first started we had one intern and then that same intern came back a second year and we brought another one on. And then we got one in Houston. And then as that grew, we had a couple in Houston and a couple in Calgary.Jason: 02:09And then the past couple of years we've had four each year. So we had four last year and four this year. So we've really been able to sort of guide new projects around that to where we can really include their schoolwork and what they're doing in their university work with what we're doing here at TGS and hopefully build a sort of cohesive project for them to work on. And that's sort of the struggle with a lot of internship projects that we've done over the past years is to incorporate what they want to do as students and as interns and as their career grows, with what we'd like to see them do and encourage them to do within TGS.Erica:02:49Does that go into the consideration of which interns you end up picking, what their specialties are or what they're looking to do with what you need?Jason:02:58No, not necessarily, a lot of the times the interns, so for example, last year we were working very closely with a couple of schools that we wanted to bring data into. So some of our production data our Longbow group into with the University of Lafayette. So we were working really closely with a few professors out of that school and a few professors with UH. So we had recommendations from the professors themselves with students that they thought might work nicely with us with - in terms of their knowledge of data already and their knowledge of well log use and seismic, so they can kind of jump in running without having to learn too much in the beginning, without too much of a learning curve. So in aspects of that, and that's, that's more that we look for. So the, the professors we're working with, along with how long it will take them to, to get up and running with things.Jason:03:51Our current group of students is sort of a more advanced set of students who are working on their PhDs or in their later years of their master's degrees. So they've already seen a lot of these areas and worked with a lot of the data. So we do look for sort of more advanced students now, whereas when we first started the program, we were, we were happy to get anybody, some people that were not sure if they were going to be geoscientists, but you know, we're in the geoscience program with their bachelor's and that was okay too. I think we still got a lot out of having them here, working with us. but as we've grown, we've been putting them on more and more advanced projects and they've really been able to help out.Erica:04:29Cool, sounds like they've added a lot of value.Jason:04:30They definitely do. And it's nice to have sort of fresh faces around in the summertime and, and it really, really fills in for everybody that goes on vacation in the summer.Erica:04:39(Laughter) Right? Awesome.Jason:04:39The office doesn't seem so empty.Erica:04:42Awesome. So for the data analytics team, the internship program is new. I think this is your first batch of interns, correct Sri?Sri Kainkaryam:04:57Yes. So the data science team started sometime around November, 2017 so this is, although this has been our second summer, this is our first batch of interns that are projects, both, trying to test out novel algorithms, novel approaches, also try and apply ideas from high performance computing to building workflows, and also try and build sort of, user interfaces or ability to, deploy these for various users. So, there are broadly three buckets in which these projects fall into. And, it's an, it's, it was an interesting time looking for an intern because data science as, as a domain is, sits at the intersection of sort of three, broadly non intersecting sets, right? So geoscience, computing as well as machine learning or deep learning and folks having adequate background in all three of them, they sort of fit the -the mold of a good intern.Sri:06:02So it was in some sense was a little hard initially to try and find an intern. So I think we have a talented group of interns working on two of the broad offerings that we have right now. One of them is Salt Net, that is trying to interpret salt bodies from seismic images, and one is called ARLAS that is curve completion and aspects of petrophysics that can be done on, on wells that are available in an entire basin. So, it's, it's been four weeks into the internship program and the interns, the interns are pretty smart. They're motivated and it's been a fun experience so far.Erica:06:43Is it a 12 week program in total?Sri:06:46It's around a 12 week program. Some of them I think are here for a little longer than that. So, one of them is, trying to build a tensorflow port of our salt network flow because tensorflow community comes with a bunch of advantages such as, like, ability to deploy, it also comes with a JavaScript library called tensorflow JS that that makes it easy to do machine learning in the browser. So we want to make use of that infrastructure and the community built infrastructure. And that's one of the reasons why, one of the interns is spending time trying to build, trying to put our workflow in onto tensorflow.Erica:07:29So if you guys had some advice to give to people looking to get into the internship program, would you have anything you'd want to let them know?Sri:07:37So from the perspective of data science internships, given that how fast the field is moving, especially for students looking for data science internships in, in the space of oil and gas, the first and foremost thing is having an ability to understand various aspects, various various sources of data or aspects of data in the upstream domain. Because, just to give you an example, somebody who's worked on deep learning of natural images throughout, the moment you try and apply similar algorithms onto seismic images, it's a completely different domain. So, what are the, what are some of the assumptions that you can make? And that's where having a strong domain background really helps.Sri:08:30And I think the second thing that is, that's becoming very important in the marketplace right now is, is with, with platforms like GitHub or, you know, various open source projects. You can actually showcase your code. So pick a problem, learn a few, learn some approaches or try out some novel approaches, and put out the code out there. Put that on your resume because that adds a lot of weight, in your, in your ability to make a case for an internship rather than somebody who hasn't, who says, oh, I have, I have a strong programming background, but there's no way for somebody who's evaluating the person to see the code. So that these days has become a really strong advantage for, for a lot of students. So a couple of the students that are working with us this summer, they actually have active GitHub profiles where they've posted code, they've contributed code, various projects and so on. And as a consequence, like we looked at their profiles and backgrounds and like, oh, this is an obvious fit to our group and this person also has a background. A couple of them were like Ph.D students in geophysics, so it's an obvious fit for our team. So it was, it was all, it was a no-brainer for us to get them to come work with us this summer,Erica:09:53Jason?Jason:09:53On the geoscience side, it's, it's quite a bit different really. A lot of the students that are in university going for, for geoscience and wanting to go into the oil and gas industry have mainly just academic experience. So we really just want somebody that can sort of get up to speed quickly with sort of what an explorationist in an oil and gas company would do is look at essentially what we're bringing them in to do is what a sort of a mini, really quick exploration studies on basins where they don't have to go full on to drill a well, but they still need to have the ideas behind it where they can use the data, they have to evaluate an area and come up to speed quickly with, with getting those presentations out. So having really good presentation skills and having just a background enough to be able to learn on their own and pick up concepts quickly really helps. We see that a lot with, since we do get a lot of our interns through their advisors at different universities, that that really helps. But it also doesn't hinder it. We've also had lots of students that have applied, that have came from different universities where we don't know the advisors and it's just a matter of them going through the interview process and showcasing that they're, they're able to get to speed quickly. So, anybody can really go, go and do this type of work if they have the, the ability to learn.Erica:11:14Awesome.Sri:11:14I think that's an interesting point that Jason brought up. The ability to learn things fast and, sort of the ability to, appreciate various data sets and trying to understand and bring them together. I think that's a huge advantage for, for students. And based on my interaction with students in our group as well as Jason's group, I think TGS this summer has a fabulous group of interns.Erica:11:43Okay. Well thank you guys for talking to us about the internship program and we're very happy to talk to your respective groups and see what they have to say. Thank you.Sri:11:52Thank very much.Jason:11:53Thank you.Erica:11:56I'm sitting here with our first group of interns from the data and analytics group. To my left, we have Michael Turek from Florida State University. His major is computer science. He has a B.S. In computer science as an Undergrad. What are your career goals? What are you working towards?Michael Turek:12:15Yes. So part of me taking an internship here at TGS was to help figure that out. And so, well, you know, my interests rely mostly in machine learning and things like this. So something pretty, along those lines.Erica:12:31Awesome. Well we hope you, we'll help you figure that out. While you're here. Going around the table, we have Lingxiao Jia from the University of Wyoming. Your major is geophysics and you're working towards your PhD studying seismic imaging, migration and inversion. What kind of career are you working towards?Lingxiao Jia:12:50I plan to work as a Geoscientist in the oil and gas industry.Erica:12:56Awesome.Lingxiao:12:56Yeah, I like to do programming, so mostly on that.Erica:13:06Cool. All right. And then to my right, we had Deepthi Sen, from Texas A&M, majoring in petroleum engineering, working towards your PhD, studying reservoir engineering. What's your career goal, Ms. Deepthi?Deepthi Sen:13:21I'd like to, get a full time employment in the oil industry, preferably working on something related to machine learning in reservoir engineering. So yeah, that's why one of the reasons why I'm here too.Erica:13:33Awesome. Yeah. Oh, we're glad all of you are here. So can you guys describe for us, the projects you're working on? I'm not sure if you guys are all working on the same project or if you're working on different projects.Deepthi:13:45We are working on different projects. So right now I'm working on something which, involves clustering well logs, into good and bad, sections.Deepthi:13:57I use machine learning and a few algorithms that I use for my graduate research too.Erica:14:04Very cool. What's a bad section?Deepthi:14:07A bad section as in, there are certain depths at which, certain well logs behave erratically so we want, do not want to use that data, so we have to cluster it out. So, in order to do that manually for, you know, thousands of wells, it's impossible. So that's where machine learning comes into play.Erica:14:27Very cool. Very useful too. Lingxiao?Lingxiao:14:32I'll be working on using machine learning to do the recognition of geoscience features. For example, there could be faults, it could be picking horizons, could be recognizing salt domes, something like that.Erica:14:48Wow. Very complex and over my head. (Laughter) I'm sure it's very important though. And you, sir?Michael:14:57Yeah, so I'm working on translating the models that TGS' data analytics team uses to predict salt patches in the earth. So they use, they use models written in a module called Pi Torch and I'm converting that to tensorflow 2.0Erica:15:17Cool. Very cool. So what have you guys learned along the way so far? I know this is kind of the beginning for you, but-Michael:15:28Yeah, so it's, it's somewhat difficult to- so much, is kind of the answer to that question. But a lot of what I've learned boils down to more of the theory side of machine learning. Coming into the internship I didn't know a whole lot about the backend of machine learning, mostly just applying it. So learning how all these models work and why they work and things like that in terms of, the actual actually applying machine learning. That's what I've learned. I've also learned though, perhaps more importantly, working with a team and collaborating and things like that, which has been-Erica:16:10So hands on, real-world experience. What do you guys say to that? Ladies, I should say (Laughter) to my right.Deepthi:16:17So as I said, the research that I do is again, on machine learning. So I get to use similar algorithms to another, I would say facet of oil and gas. So I worked in reservoir engineering back in Grad school. Here I'm working on, petrophysics, so I kind of see how the same algorithms and same concepts can be applied in two different, areas, which is quite eye opening. Yeah. And apart from that I'm learning new algorithms and learning new math, which, I would think that's very important for, for my Grad school too, so, one good thing about TGS is that, they are quite, you know, they don't mind, publishing. So as a PhD student, that's very important to me. So that's one thing I look forward to too.Erica:17:08Yeah. Awesome.Lingxiao:17:10For me, it has helped me get a deeper understanding of how much, how machine learning works and how it could be applied to the field of Geo Sciences.Erica:17:20Cool. So talking about TGS more broadly, like as a culture, how would you say it's like working here, if someone were to ask you from school, what's it like working at TGS? What's that company like? What would you say?Deephti:17:36It's a very friendly atmosphere and, it is different from Grad School, in the sense that, I think Grad School, hours are more flexible than in an industry environment. But then, the focus is different and this is more, you know, I would think this more social than Grad school and, you know, being here, this is my first internship in the US, the environment is very friendly and you know, people look out for each other it's great.Erica:18:15Cool.Lingxiao:18:15Yeah. People here are so helpful and the, I have had a great time. I really enjoy this internship by far. Yeah.Erica:18:26Awesome.Michael:18:26It's wonderful. You're working in small teams and so you get to know everyone pretty well. It's very tight knit and those people are smart and very helpful kind people. It's, it's, it's wonderful.Erica:18:37Cool. Any surprises along the way? Anything you weren't expecting?Michael:18:44So, no, I wouldn't say there's anything that surprised me. I mean apart from the environment I had a much more perhaps rigid definition of, you know, you go to work and do your job and that's kind of that, but it's much more relaxed and that was, I guess, somewhat surprising.Erica:19:01Okay. I like that. Yeah. How bad the drive was maybe?Deepthi:19:06Yeah, I stay close by.Erica:19:09That's good. That's the way to do it. (Laughter) Yeah. What are you guys looking forward to for the remainder of your internships?Michael:19:17Yeah, so I'm looking forward since I'm rewriting these, these models and an interface for them, it'll be exciting to see them, how they perform and also to actually see the data and analytics team using them and hopefully finding them useful.Erica:19:31Yeah to see value for what you're working on. Absolutely.Deepthi:19:34So I'm about to finish the first part of my project, so I would like to wrap it up, you know, produce some good results and maybe get a publication out of it. And after that, yeah, I have a plan for what is to be done next, regarding the same, using the same similar approach but in a different setting. Yeah. So I'm looking forward to that.Erica:19:59Can you tell us what the different setting is or is that classified?Deepthi:20:03I'm not sure. (Laughter)Erica:20:05Right. We'll leave that one alone.Lingxiao:20:08So doing an internship here at TGS is an amazing adventure. I learn and discover new things everyday and I feel time passes very quickly, and everything is moving at a timely manner. So it's pretty good.Erica:20:24Nice. So I think we kind of touched upon how you guys are going to apply what you've learned here, at your careers as you go forward. Is there any particular job title that you guys think you're going to go towards?Deepthi:20:44Yeah. I probably will be going for a data scientist role, or I can say because of my background in reservoir engineering, I can go both on the data and science roles or the reservoir engineering roles. But yeah, from my experience here, I would, I think I would prefer to go to the data and data science roles because, there are like lots of opportunities out there and, the experience that I've gained here, I, I think it's going to be very helpful finding a full time position later on. Yeah.Lingxiao:21:18I could consider becoming a Geoscientist in the oil and gas or becoming a structural engineer because I have a programming background.Michael:21:32Yeah. I wouldn't say I have any career title I'm, I'm seeking out, but perhaps data scientist, but I'm not sure.Erica:21:41So what advice would you give to the interns who are going to be coming behind you?Michael:21:46Yeah. So probably to just build strong relationships with the team that you're in. Learn as much as you can, as deeply as you can.Deepthi:21:58Yeah. I would suggest that before coming in, you can go through, or if they have a set plan for you. In my case they did. So I had read up and you know, known what I'm going to work on so you can, you know, straight away start working on the project you have a rather than, you know, spend a lot of time, reading up those things that can happen before you start the internship. And yes, once you're here, it's, very important to like keep in touch, you know, meet the mentors every day or you know, update them so you have a clear path that you need to, yeah.Erica:22:44Lingxiao?Lingxiao:22:44I would suggest to go talk with people and you see what everyone is working on.Erica:22:51So learn, learn what other people are doing as well.Lingxiao:22:55Yeah.Erica:22:55That, yeah, that makes good sense. So why did you guys apply for the internships here?Michael:23:05So I applied, cause I was just looking for an internship and I had heard that, well I had heard that, (Laughter)Erica:23:14Honest.Michael:23:14(Laughter) I had heard good reviews from people who I respect and and I knew that they had a new data and analytics team doing machine learning, doing things with machine learning. That piqued my interest. And so I told them I was interested.Erica:23:28So kind of diverge off of that. So what programs are you guys using? Like actual hands on programs?Michael:23:36Yeah. So, programs for me are pretty, pretty simple. I use, a coding ID, visual Studio Code, and an Internet browser.Erica:23:43Whoa, okay.Michael:23:46I do that to do my work.Erica:23:47Google and a calculator, alright.Michael:23:49Yeah, pretty much.Erica:23:52Deepthi?Deepthi:23:52Uh, what was the question again?Erica:23:56What programs do you guys use?Deepthi:23:59Again, I guess we are in the process of making a program, so what I use is just Jupyter, it's very basic.Erica:23:59It's built on Python correct?Deepthi:23:59Yes, it is Python, I use Jupyter ID, and I'm in the process of making something useful from scratch.Erica:24:22So lastly, would you guys recommend a TGS internship to your fellow students?All:24:27Yes, definitely. Yes. Yes, yes. Yeah. Awesome. Yes.Erica:24:34Okay. So open question to the table. What are you going to take back to your program that you learned from your internship here? Starting with Michael to the left?Michael:24:42Yeah, so I'm learning a lot about machine learning and so in computer science that's obviously going to be a direct parallel. I can take that back. But I really think that what I'm learning most here that I'll take back is just how to collaborate with people, how to talk with people in a team and work in that way. I think that'll -Erica:25:05Life skills.Michael:25:11Yes.Erica:25:11Lingxiao?Lingxiao:25:11So, since machine learning in such a hot topic. Now, the work that I did here could be really extended into a project in my PhD research. So, yeah I'm currently working on that.Erica:25:28Awesome. Deepthi?Deepthi:25:29So right now we're working on a clustering of time series data. So my, one of the projects that I'm working, at my Grad school is also on time series data, and I think I might be able to, you know, use the insights that I gained from, from TGS, directly to my, research. So that's something that I'm looking forward to.Erica:25:52Awesome. Okay, well thank you guys for talking with us today and I guess we'll let you get back to work now.Michael:25:59Thank you for having us.Deepthi:26:00Thank you.Lingxiao:26:01Thank you.Erica:26:01And now our last group for this episode, the geoscience interns.Erica:26:08Going around the table clockwise, we have Sean Romito. You're from the University of Houston, majoring in geology. You are working towards your PhD and you are studying magnetic basement structure of the Caribbean plate, tectonostratigraphy of South Gabon and Camamu-Almada conjugate basins. I totally know what all of that means. What career are you working towards?Sean Romito:26:35Oh, hello. Thank you for having me. Definitely exploration Geoscientist, this is kind of where I've been propelling my career, ever since I started with a bachelor's and I've just kinda been stepping towards that goal.Erica:26:51Awesome. All right. Now we have Geoff Jackson from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Majoring in petroleum geology. Your program is a master's degree and you graduated last spring. Congratulations!Geoff Jackson:27:07Thank you!Erica:27:07You studied a prospect lead off of a salt dome in southern Louisiana, and you cannot give us any more details than that.Geoff:27:14Unfortunately yes.Erica:27:14Very mysterious. So what, what are your career goals?Geoff:27:19Uh, similar to Sean's I was going to say, I can probably speak for the group here, but we're all just trying to be geologists and getting on with an operator, going to say probably best case scenario.Erica:27:28Awesome. Next we have Hualing Zhang, from the University of Houston, majoring in geology, working towards a PhD. And you're studying structural analysis and gravity modeling in the Permian Basin in West Texas. And you are originally from Urumqi, Northwest China and you got interested in geology about traveling around. That is so cool. So is your career goal the same?Hualing:27:53Yeah, basically similar, I'm working towards a career goal in the oil industry. Yeah. Since, like, my dad is also a geologist. Yeah. He works in PetroChina. So yeah, that's also my career goal.Erica:28:08Awesome. Yeah. Awesome. All right. And lastly, Cahill Kelleghan from Colorado School of Mines, majoring in geology. You're working towards a Masters of science and geology, and you're studying sedimentology and basin analysis / modeling with your thesis being in the Delaware Basin. So career goals?Cahill:28:28I'm pretty similar. I like to be in exploration geology and I really like sedimentology. So yeah, just applied geo science.Erica:28:36Awesome. Cool. So can you describe for us the projects that you guys are working on this summer? Same project or different project?Sean:28:46TGS has kind of tasked us with, I'm putting together some potential prospects or ideas of places we can look and most of that's going to be happening, well, we think it'd be North America and North American basins. And so we've kind of gotten access to some of their pretty amazing software, access to a lot of different databases and kind of putting that all together for a big picture of something useful that they can hopefully use from our projects. So I don't know if you guys want to add anything.Geoff:29:15Yeah, I mean, for one thing with these projects that's been very helpful to leverage the software that TGS has, specifically Longbow and access to their wealth of onshore well data that they have there. So we've been kind of bringing all of that together to generate these areas where we think that we should move further into as a company.Hualing:29:40Yeah. Also the first two weeks we're like working separately. We each have a study area and it's just a information gathering and doing researches and moving forward. Right now we are working in pairs. So, me and Geoff, we are working on similar location and to do like a research in a more detailed way. Yeah.Erica:30:05So you guys mentioned the software programs you're using. So aside from Longbow, what other programs do you use?Cahill:30:14Um, a lot, a lot of work in Kingdom. But Longbow yeah. Longbow and Kingdom. I'd say probably the big two. Yeah. yeah.Sean:30:25Any, I mean, any time you talk about geology, Arc Gis is going to come up. So we've definitely been using that a lot as well.Erica:30:32Okay. And is that different than what you were familiar with, from school or is this the same training that you had?Sean:30:39Well, Longbow is completely different. You know, even looking at production data is not something that I, you know, geoscientists when we ever, we go through academia, we even get exposed to. We use Kingdom. But I think it's, it's more of on a limited basis. I've, I've really been able to work a lot with, the, the well interpretation suites here at TGS that I hadn't worked with before.Erica:31:03Cool. How do you, do you find that challenging or kind of a natural extension of what you are already working with?Sean:31:11I mean, I, yeah, challenging, interesting, different. The team here, the geoscience team here has been very helpful, with the different, features. I'd say there are bugs. Some people might say they're features with the Kingdom software. (Laughter) but I'd say challenging. Yeah, but, but in a good way, not, not as a, you know, wringing out your hands kind of way.Erica:31:33So what else have you guys learned besides Longbow?Geoff:31:37I think for me is just kind of seeing just like what a day-in and day-out sort of process is like. So like having worked in the field, I never walked, I've never worked in a corporate environment before, but just kind of seeing how teams integrate and work together, it's going to say I've never seen that portion before. And so for me it's been fun, you know, going from classroom and then getting the actual hands on application of what we learned in the classroom. That's what's been fun for me so far.Erica:32:01Anyone else agree? Agree, disagree?Sean:32:03I agree. Yeah. No, I mean another thing that I feel a lot of us, especially me and with my Phd projects, they're very wide scale. I'm not talking about basins, I'm talking about plates. And so it's been very rewarding to kind of zoom in. Even if we are still basin scale, that's a lot smaller than I'm used to. So I'm able to kind of get lost in the details more than I would in a very large scale study.Hualing:32:28I think also a good thing is we learn from each other. Like where were you working together? Yeah, we're getting familiar with the software and if any of us found something and others will get around and see what we found. And I think that's very important for us to learn.Erica:32:48Yeah, absolutely.Cahill:32:50Yeah, I think kind of going off that as well and we obviously us for come from different backgrounds in Geo Science and what we've worked in and we kinda bring those backgrounds and each of our own projects and we kind of can come together and help each other out in different areas that we might not be more experienced with, like certain, well log interpretations or mapping things, stuff like that. So, so yeah, it's, it is helpful to have a team.Geoff:33:14Good overlap.Erica:33:14What's it like working at TGS, culture wise? The people, the food?Sean:33:22(Laughter) well they treat us well hereGeoff:33:24I was gonna say no complaints there. Yeah, I mean getting started in know there's always a learning curve, but I mean I guess as much of a learning curve as there could be, you know, everyone around here has been as helpful as possibly could be, you know, to help make that climb that much less steep, if that's a good way of wording it. But that's kind of what I would think.Cahill: 33:43The food is definitely good. Healthy. I like it.Sean:33:45Can't complain about free lunches.Cahill:33:47Yeah. But, but I mean I think the culture here is really, everyone's been extremely nice and even just within the geoscience team, a lot of nice guys; Cian and Alex, they've been so helpful with any questions we have, whether it be geology related or software related, and we've had company outings already. Going on Top Golf is super fun. Everyone's very open to meeting different branches and whatnot. So that was really fun.Erica:34:12Why did you apply? Did it, for TGS' internship program in particular?Sean:34:17Well. Yeah. So, our professor, me and Hualing, we have the same, advisor at the University of Houston. Dr. Paul Mann. And he was actually the one that reached out to us because, James, the head of the Geoscience Department here, had reached out to him looking for good candidates. and he had asked us if we wanted to, to join up. We, we kind of, you know, we researched it. We, I was, I talked to James on the phone and it just seemed like something, so different from what I was doing at the moment that I felt like it was a great opportunity to jump back. And it, I have absolutely no regrets.Erica:34:54Awesome.Geoff:34:54Yeah, my story is pretty much the same thing. My thesis advisor was, was good friends with James K and so he reached out to me and saying, pretty much the same deal as him. Looked into you guys, obviously cause say Jason, I met you before. So that, and also, the interns from last year, I was going to say I was good friends with them too. So I knew what they did. And so, here I am.Erica:35:17Any surprises along the way? Anything that you weren't expecting that you've encountered during your time here?Cahill:35:25I guess one thing is, it shouldn't be surprising, but I'd always is that I'm working with really big data sets. There's always lots of errors you have to put up with. And even with the amazing technology we have, there's always, there's always a human aspect to it, that's always interesting, that we've dealt with in our data at least so far.Hualing:35:44I think for me it's the flexible working time and my, yeah, he didn't request a specific time to be here or like a specific time to leave. So that's like really helpful for my schedule that I can make adjustment along and try to see by what time range works best for me. Yeah.Geoff:36:08Yeah, that's definitely been nice. I feel, like you said having to commute from Spring. I was going to say, getting to come in maybe later or earlier as need be. It's always definitely nice to dodge that traffic.Erica:36:22What are you guys looking forward to working on for the remainder of your internship here?Geoff:36:27Well, I'm really excited to see the end product of what we're doing, especially because, we're going to be presenting it to upper management, and presenting it to our, our geoscience team as well. I think that's really going to help bringing it all together. Cause right now we know we're all working on our separate areas as well. I mean, we're still two teams in a certain area, but it's still very much our own work. And so that, that finish line I think is going to be where it all comes together and I see more bigger, I see a bigger picture than maybe I'm seeing right now.Geoff:36:57Yeah. I think one aspect that I like about is, it's not just busy work. You know, we're actually adding value to the company with an end result. Kind of like what Sean said.Erica: 37:06No making coffee?All:37:08(Laughter) Danggit. For ourselves, we make coffee for ourselves.Erica:37:14Um, what advice would you give to other students wanting to intern here?Cahill:37:20Say like, don't be afraid to get into anything that you're not experienced with. Whether it's geology or software related. Since coming here, I feel like you can learn a lot from a lot of different people and there's a lot of different backgrounds here and people are all open to helping you or talking about their passion and their little branch of geology or geoscience. And so I would say don't be afraid to ask questions and go up to random people and say, hey, what do you do here? And what are you into? Because chances are they're happy or passionate about their job and you can probably learn something from it.Geoff:37:54Yeah. Maybe to add onto those, don't feel like you have to know everything beforehand coming in. Cause I mean you're not, no one's gonna know everything. Kind of like what Cahill said, there's plenty of resources around. You don't feel afraid to ask. No. Everyone out here is more than willing to give their time to help you out for what you might have a problem with. And we've had that reiterated to us time and time again. So, I mean, it's been nice to know.Sean:38:17Hmm. And, I don't know if before we talked about how we got the internship, and I feel personal connections are the biggest, you know, it's not about going on a website and clicking apply. It's about going to the conferences and meeting people from TGS and they're extremely friendly. We've all seen that firsthand. So I'd definitely recommend, and I, I would recommend it as well that you would get an internship with TGS, but just go up and see them during conferences, talk to them, ask them about opportunities, say, Hey, what are you guys doing? Be interested. and even if you don't get something out of it, that's fine. You're still gonna make connection, connections and learn about where the industry's heading.Hualing:38:53Yeah, I definitely agree with Sean, cause I met Alex on with, the person, our geoscience group, we met during the AAPG meeting at San Antonio and I talked to him and, he talked to me about his project and what I may be expecting for my interns. I think that definitely helped. And yeah, when I first day, when I came here, I saw him as, hey, yeah, that's, yeah. I feel like familiar and yeah, I'm more easy to get along. Yeah.Erica:39:28What have you gained during your time here at TGS that you're gonna take with you as you continue your studies and your career?Sean:39:36Everything we just talked about. Yeah, no, I mean that, that's a good sum up question. So the, the connections we've made with all the people here, not just in the Geo science team, every, every other team that there has that there is at this company. All the skills that we're learning with these different programs, the different perspectives we're getting because we're looking at, again, not just geological data, we're looking at, these problems more holistically. All that and above, I think is what we're going to take with us.Cahill:40:02Yeah. I think, you pretty much nailed it on the head. It's seeing the, the geoscience in an actual industry application in its own way. It's a lot of different moving parts coming together for an end product that's ultimately valuable and generates business. And then seeing how that works, you know, if on a fundamental level that's, that's pretty interesting and being able to be a part of, it's pretty cool. So.Erica:40:27Well, awesome. Well, thank you guys for being here. Thank you for talking with us today, and we'll let you get back to work.

Made Alive with Christ 1Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.~ Exodus 20:16 (ESV)No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continuebefore my eyes.~ Psalm 101:7 (ESV)Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.~ Proverbs 12:22 (ESV)Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor,for we are members one of another.~ Ephesians 4:25 (ESV)You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was amurderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth inhim. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.~ John 8:44 (ESV)Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Fatherexcept through me.~ John 14:6 (ESV)O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walksblamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 3 who does not slanderwith his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;4in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord;who swears to his own hurt and does not change; 5 who does not put out his money atinterest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shallnever be moved.~ Psalm 15 (ESV)Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.2I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nogood apart from you.” 3 As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whomis all my delight. 4 The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; theirdrink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips. 5 The Lord is mychosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. 6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasantplaces; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. 7I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in thenight also my heart instructs me. 8I have set the Lord always before me; because he is atmy right hand, I shall not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my wholebeing rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. 10For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, orlet your holy one see corruption. 11 You make known to me the path of life; in yourpresence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.~ Psalm 16 (ESV)

The best thing that could happen for you this year is that your love for the Lord would grow. To have a “whole-souled” love for God. It is the best thing that could happen for you, your marriage, your family. Last week: God’s word itself is good Perfect, sure, right, pure, clean, enduring, true & righteous, desired, sweet God’s word has a good influence on us Gives us life, wisdom, joy, & light Today: last week’s last point: God’s word illuminates. It “turns on the lights.” • It instructs us • It reveals our thoughts and desires • It exposes the deceitfulness of sin God’s word instructs The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. (Ps 119:130) When God's word enters the heart of a person, it gives light and understanding. It teaches us the right way to live. How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. (Ps 119:9) I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Ps 119:11) It teaches us what to value in life. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. (Ps 119:18) Turn my eye from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. (Ps 119:37) God’s word reveals our thoughts and desires. 12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13) V 12. “living” When a prophet spoke in God’s name, something happed. God’s speech was itself an event. God’s word is effective, “active” with power to accomplish whatever God intends. 10For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. (Isa 55:10-11) “It is sharper than a sword,” penetrating, cutting. It “divides soul and spirit and joints & marrow.” Nothing can be hidden from the revealing nature of God’s word. Our soul and spirit and revealed by God’s word. God’s word judges – or “discerns” or determines what is good or bad about – our thoughts and intentions; between what we think and what we want. v. 13. The subject changes to God himself. Nothing and everything: “Nothing (no creature) can be hidden God.” “Everything is exposed to him.” We are exposed, lit. uncovered, to his eyes. The one to whom we must give an account sees all of us, nothing is hidden. He knows it all and judges and what is good and what is bad. God’s word exposes the deceitfulness of sin God’s promises and the warnings of his judgment are sharp enough and living enough and active enough to penetrate to the bottom of my heart and show me that the lies of sin are indeed lies. Abortion will not create a wonderful future for me. Neither will cheating, or dressing provocatively, or throwing away my sexual purity, or keeping quiet about dishonesty at work, or divorce, or vengeance. And what rescues me from this deception is the word of God. The promise of the word of God is like throwing open a great window of bright morning sunlight on the roaches of sin masquerading as satisfying pleasures in our hearts. God has given you his good news, his promises, his word to protect you from the deep deceptions of sin that try to harden your heart and lure it away from God and lead it to destruction. Because the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, it will penetrate deeper than any deception of sin has ever gone and reveal what is truly valuable and what is truly worth trusting and loving. – John Piper

Find us online at: AdventNYC.orgEmail us at: Podcast@AdventNYC.orgTalk with us at: Advent Sermons & Conversations on FacebookCome to a service and hear the sermons live and in person Sunday morning 9am and 11am in English and 12:30pm in Spanish at 93rd and Broadway.Readings for This Week:First Reading: Daniel 12:1-3The book of Daniel is an example of apocalyptic literature, which is full of strange visions and symbolism. Arising during times of great persecution, apocalyptic literature is concerned with God’s revelation about the end time and the coming kingdom of God, when God will vindicate the righteous who have been persecuted.1“At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”Psalm: Psalm 16My heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body shall rest in hope. (Ps. 16:9)1Protect me, O God, for I take ref- | uge in you;  I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good a- | bove all other.” 2All my delight is in the godly that are | in the land,  upon those who are noble a- | mong the people. 3But those who run after | other gods  shall have their troubles | multiplied. 4I will not pour out drink offerings | to such gods,  never take their names up- | on my lips. R 5O Lord, you are my portion | and my cup;  it is you who up- | hold my lot. 6My boundaries enclose a | pleasant land;  indeed, I have a | rich inheritance. 7I will bless the Lord who | gives me counsel;  my heart teaches me night | after night. 8I have set the Lord al- | ways before me;  because God is at my right hand, I shall | not be shaken. R 9My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spir- | it rejoices;  my body also shall | rest in hope. 10For you will not abandon me | to the grave,  nor let your holy one | see the pit. 11You will show me the | path of life;  in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for- | evermore. RSecond Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14 [15-18] 19-25Images of worship and sacrifice are used throughout Hebrews to highlight what Christ has uniquely accomplished through his death. Because we have received forgiveness through Christ’s death, we live with sincere hearts by trusting in God’s promises and encouraging love and good works from each other.11Every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” 13and since then has been waiting “until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet.” 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. [15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying, 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them  after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts,  and I will write them on their minds,”17he also adds,  “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.]   19Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.Gospel: Mark 13:1-8In the last week of his life, Jesus warned his disciples concerning trials that were to come upon them and upon the world. He exhorts the listener: Do not be alarmed.1As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”  3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”

Let me ask you all a question. How much weapons-grade nuclear material do you think it would take to level a city the size of San Francisco? How many of you think it would be an amount about the size of this suitcase? OK. And how about this minibus?0:33All right. Well actually, under the right circumstances, an amount of highly enriched uranium about the size of your morning latte would be enough to kill 100,000 people instantly. Hundreds of thousands of others would become horribly ill, and parts of the city would be uninhabitable for years, if not for decades.0:56But you can forget that nuclear latte, because today&`&s nuclear weapons are hundreds of times more powerful even than those we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And even a limited nuclear war involving, say, tens of nuclear weapons, could lead to the end of all life on the planet.1:20So it&`&s really important that you know that right now we have over 15,000 nuclear weapons in the hands of nine nations. And if you live in a city or near a military facility, one is likely pointed right at you. In fact, if you live in any of the rural areas where nuclear weapons are stored globally, one is likely pointed at you.About 1,800 of these weapons are on high alert, which means they can be launched within 15 minutes of a presidential command.1:59So I know this is a bummer of an issue, and maybe you have that -- what was it? -- psychic fatigue that we heard about a little bit earlier. So I&`&m going to switch gears for just a second, and I&`&m going to talk about my imaginary friend, who I like to think of as Jasmine, just for a moment.2:16Jasmine, at the age of 25, is part of a generation that is more politically and socially engaged than anything we&`&ve seen in 50 years. She and her friends think of themselves as change agents and leaders and activists. I think of them as Generation Possible. They regularly protest about the issues they care about, but nuclear weapons are not one of them, which makes sense, because Jasmine was born in 1991, at the end of the Cold War. So she didn&`&t grow up hearing a lot about nuclear weapons. She never had to duck and cover under her desk at school. For Jasmine, a fallout shelter is an app in the Android store. Nuclear weapons help win games. And that is really a shame, because right now, we need Generation Possible to help us make some really important decisions about nuclear weapons.3:10For instance, will we further reduce our nuclear arsenals globally, or will we spend billions, maybe a trillion dollars, to modernize them so they last throughout the 21st century, so that by the time Jasmine is my age, she&`&s talking to her children and maybe even her grandchildren about the threat of nuclear holocaust? And if you&`&re paying any attention at all to cyberthreats, or, for instance, if you&`&ve read about the Stuxnet virus or, for God&`&s sake, if you&`&ve ever had an email account or a Yahoo account or a phone hacked, you can imagine the whole new world of hurt that could be triggered by modernization in a period of cyberwarfare.3:54Now, if you&`&re paying attention to the money, a trillion dollars could go a long way to feeding and educating and employing people, all of which could reduce the threat of nuclear war to begin with. So --4:08(Applause)4:11This is really crucial right now, because nuclear weapons -- they&`&re vulnerable. We have solid evidencethat terrorists are trying to get ahold of them. Just this last spring, when four retirees and two taxi drivers were arrested in the Republic of Georgia for trying to sell nuclear materials for 200 million dollars, they demonstrated that the black market for this stuff is alive and well. And it&`&s really important, because there have been dozens of accidents involving nuclear weapons, and I bet most of us have never heard anything about them.4:48Just here in the United States, we&`&ve dropped nuclear weapons on the Carolinas twice. In one case, one of the bombs, which fell out of an Air Force plane, didn&`&t detonate because the nuclear core was stored somewhere else on the plane. In another case, the weapon did arm when it hit the ground, and five of the switches designed to keep it from detonating failed. Luckily, the sixth one didn&`&t. But if that&`&s not enough to get your attention, there was the 1995 Black Brant incident. That&`&s when Russian radar technicians saw what they thought was a US nuclear missile streaking towards Russian airspace. It later turned out to be a Norwegian rocket collecting data about the northern lights. But at that time, Russian President Boris Yeltsin came within five minutes of launching a full-scale retaliatory nuclear attack against the United States.5:47So, most of the world&`&s nuclear nations have committed to getting rid of these weapons of mass destruction. But consider this: the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which is the most widely adopted arms control treaty in history with 190 signatories, sets no specific date by which the world&`&s nuclear-armed nations will get rid of their nuclear weapons.6:16Now, when John F. Kennedy sent a man to the moon and decided to bring him back, or decided to do both those things, he didn&`&t say, "Hey, whenever you guys get to it." He gave us a deadline. He gave us a challenge that would have been incredible just a few years earlier. And with that challenge, he inspired scientists and marketers, astronauts and schoolteachers. He gave us a vision. But along with that vision,he also tried to give us -- and most people don&`&t know this, either -- he tried to give us a partner in the form of our fiercest Cold War rival, the Soviet Union. Because part of Kennedy&`&s vision for the Apollo program was that it be a cooperation, not a competition, with the Soviets. And apparently, Nikita Khrushchev, the Soviet Premier, agreed. But before that cooperation could be realized, Kennedy was assassinated, and that part of the vision was deferred.7:15But the promise of joint innovation between these two nuclear superpowers wasn&`&t totally extinguished.Because in 1991, which is the year that Jasmine was born and the Soviet Union fell, these two nations engaged in a project that genuinely does seem incredible today in the truest sense of that word, which is that the US sent cash to the Russians when they needed it most, to secure loose nuclear materials and to employ out-of-work nuclear scientists. They worked alongside American scientists to convert weapons-grade uranium into the type of fuel that can be used for nuclear power instead. They called it, "Megatons to Megawatts." So the result is that for over 20 years, our two nations had a program that meant that one in 10 lightbulbs in the United States was essentially fueled by former Russian warheads.8:18So, together these two nations did something truly audacious. But the good news is, the global community has the chance to do something just as audacious today. To get rid of nuclear weapons and to end the supply of the materials required to produce them, some experts tell me would take 30 years. It would take a renaissance of sorts, the kinds of innovation that, for better or worse, underpinned both the Manhattan Project, which gave rise to nuclear weapons, and the Megatons to Megawatts program. It would take design constraints. These are fundamental to creativity, things like a platform for international collaboration; a date certain, which is a forcing mechanism; and a positive vision that inspires action. It would take us to 2045.9:15Now, 2045 happens to be the 100th anniversary of the birth of nuclear weapons in the New Mexico desert. But it&`&s also an important date for another reason. It&`&s predicted to be the advent of the singularity, a new moment in human development, where the lines between artificial intelligence and human intelligence blur, where computing and consciousness become almost indistinguishable and advanced technologies help us solve the 21st century&`&s greatest problems: hunger, energy, poverty,ushering in an era of abundance. And we all get to go to space on our way to becoming a multi-planetary species.10:03Now, the people who really believe this vision are the first to say they don&`&t yet know precisely how we&`&re going to get there. But the values behind their vision and the willingness to ask "How might we?" have inspired a generation of innovators. They&`&re working backward from the outcomes they want, using the creative problem-solving methods of collaborative design. They&`&re busting through obstacles. They&`&re redefining what we all consider possible.10:34But here&`&s the thing: that vision of abundance isn&`&t compatible with a world that still relies on a 20th-century nuclear doctrine called "mutually assured destruction." It has to be about building the foundations for the 22nd century. It has to be about strategies for mutually assured prosperity or, at the very least, mutually assured survival.11:08Now, every day, I get to meet people who are real pioneers in the field of nuclear threats. As you can see, many of them are young women, and they&`&re doing fiercely interesting stuff, like Mareena Robinson Snowden here, who is developing new ways, better ways, to detect nuclear warheads, which will help us overcome a critical hurdle to international disarmament. Or Melissa Hanham, who is using satellite imaging to make sense of what&`&s going on around far-flung nuclear sites. Or we have Beatrice Fihn in Europe, who has been campaigning to make nuclear weapons illegal in international courts of law, and just won a big victory at the UN last week.11:52(Applause)11:55And yet, and yet, with all of our talk in this culture about moon shots, too few members of Generation Possible and those of us who mentor them are taking on nuclear weapons. It&`&s as if there&`&s a taboo. But I remember something Kennedy said that has really stuck with me, and that is something to the effect that humans can be as big as the solutions to all the problems we&`&ve created. No problem of human destiny, he said, is beyond human beings. I believe that. And I bet a lot of you here believe that, too. And I know Generation Possible believes it.12:39So it&`&s time to commit to a date. Let&`&s end the nuclear weapons chapter on the 100th anniversary of its inception. After all, by 2045, we will have held billions of people hostage to the threat of nuclear annihilation. Surely, 100 years will have been enough. Surely, a century of economic development and the development of military strategy will have given us better ways to manage global conflict. Surely, if ever there was a global moon shot worth supporting, this is it.13:20Now, in the face of real threats -- for instance, North Korea&`&s recent nuclear weapons tests, which fly in the face of sanctions -- reasonable people disagree about whether we should maintain some number of nuclear weapons to deter aggression. But the question is: What&`&s the magic number? Is it a thousand? Is it a hundred? Ten? And then we have to ask: Who should be responsible for them? I think we can agree, however, that having 15,000 of them represents a greater global threat to Jasmine&`&s generation than a promise.14:00So it&`&s time we make a promise of a world in which we&`&ve broken the stranglehold that nuclear weapons have on our imaginations; in which we invest in the creative solutions that come from working backward from the future we desperately want, rather than plodding forward from a present that brings all of the mental models and biases of the past with it. It&`&s time we pledge our resources as leaders across the spectrum to work on this old problem in new ways, to ask, "How might we?" How might we make good on a promise of greater security for Jasmine&`&s generation in a world beyond nuclear weapons? I truly hope you will join us.14:48Thank you.14:49(Applause)14:53Thank you.14:54(App

I Shouldn’t Be Alive (TV Show) - Skydiver stranded in middle of ocean should he stay on the log or try to swim to shore  Happiness Now, and Forever [22:15] If anyone thinks that GOD cannot support him in this life and in the Hereafter, let him turn completely to (his Creator in) heaven, and sever (his dependence on anyone else). He will then see that this plan eliminates anything that bothers him. Baby umbilical cord  Sometimes have to make the decision to throw it down Moses Staff [20:17] "What is this in your right hand, Moses?" [20:18] He said, "This is my staff. I lean on it, herd my sheep with it, and I use it for other purposes." [20:19] He said, "Throw it down, Moses." [20:20] He threw it down, whereupon it turned into a moving serpent. [20:21] He said, "Pick it up; do not be afraid. We will return it to its original state. Moses Mom throw him into the river [20:38] "When we revealed to your mother what we revealed. [20:39] "Saying: 'Throw him into the box, then throw him into the river. The river will throw him onto the shore, to be picked up by an enemy of Mine and an enemy of his.' I showered you with love from Me, and I had you made before My watchful eye. Sometimes God has us thrown down because He knows what is best for us Joseph was thrown into well Joseph's Fate Already Decided by God*  [12:9] "Let us kill Joseph, or banish him, that you may get some attention from your father. Afterwards, you can be righteous people." [12:10] One of them said, "Do not kill Joseph; let us throw him into the abyss of the well. Perhaps some caravan can pick him up, if this is what you decide to do.” Believers are Blessed with God's Assurances  [12:15] When they went away with him, and unanimously decided to throw him into the abyss of the well, we inspired him: "Some day, you will tell them about all this, while they have no idea." Joseph was thrown into prison  [12:32] She said, "This is the one you blamed me for falling in love with. I did indeed try to seduce him, and he refused. Unless he does what I command him to do, he will surely go to prison, and will be debased." [12:33] He said, "My Lord, the prison is better than giving in to them. Unless You divert their scheming from me, I may desire them and behave like the ignorant ones." [12:34] His Lord answered his prayer and diverted their scheming from him. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient. [12:35] Later, they saw to it, despite the clear proofs, that they should imprison him for awhile. Jonah was thrown overboard /Jonah thrown to the shore  Jonah  [37:139] Jonah was one of the messengers. [37:140] He escaped to the loaded ship. [37:141] He rebelled and thus, he joined the losers. [37:142] Consequently, the fish swallowed him, and he was the one to blame. [37:143] If it were not that he resorted to meditation (on God), [37:144] he would have stayed in its belly until the Day of Resurrection. [37:145] We had him thrown up into the desert, exhausted. [37:146] We had a tree of edible fruit grown for him. [37:147] Then we sent him to a hundred thousand, or more. [37:148] They did believe, and we let them enjoy this life.   Disbelievers Throw - When we throw for the wrong reasons we will be disappointed  Moses & Magicians [7:112] "Let them summon every experienced magician." [7:113] The magicians came to Pharaoh and said, "Do we get paid if we are the winners?" [7:114] He said, "Yes indeed; you will even become close to me." [7:115] They said, "O Moses, either you throw, or we are throwing." [7:116] He said, "You throw." When they threw, they tricked the people's eyes, intimidated them, and produced a great magic. [7:117] We then inspired Moses: "Throw down your staff," whereupon it swallowed whatever they fabricated. Golden Calf [20:86] Moses returned to his people, angry and disappointed, saying, "O my people, did your Lord not promise you a good promise? Could you not wait? Did you want to incur wrath from your Lord? Is this why you broke your agreement with me?" [20:87] They said, "We did not break our agreement with you on purpose. But we were loaded down with jewelry, and decided to throw our loads in. This is what the Samarian suggested." [20:88] He produced for them a sculpted calf, complete with a calf's sound. They said, "This is your god, and the god of Moses." Thus, he forgot. [20:95] He said, "What is the matter with you, O Samarian?" [20:96] He said, "I saw what they could not see. I grabbed a fistful (of dust) from the place where the messenger stood, and used it (to mix into the golden calf). This is what my mind inspired me to do.” [20:97] He said, "Then go, and, throughout your life, do not even come close. You have an appointed time (for your final judgment) that you can never evade. Look at your god that you used to worship; we will burn it and throw it into the sea, to stay down there forever." Pharaoh and his troops [28:39] Thus, he and his troops continued to commit arrogance on earth, without any right, and thought that they would not be returned to us. [28:40] Consequently, we punished him and his troops, by throwing them into the sea. Note the consequences for the transgressors. [28:41] We made them imams who led their people to Hell. Furthermore, on the Day of Resurrection, they will have no help. Thrown in Hell [41:40] Surely, those who distort our revelations are not hidden from us. Is one who gets thrown into Hell better, or one who comes secure on the Day of Resurrection? Do whatever you wish; He is Seer of everything you do. [50:24] Throw into Gehenna every stubborn disbeliever. How do we know if we should throw How do you determine if you are testing God because you believe God will protect you so you take excessive risk  Luke 4: 9Then the devil led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are God’s chosen,” he said, “throw Yourself down from here. 10For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You carefully; 11and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’c” 12But Jesus declared, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’d” 13When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time. [2:195] You shall spend in the cause of GOD; do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction. You shall be charitable; GOD loves the charitable. We do not go to war with a feather, God has a system and we do not go against that system [12:67] And he said, "O my sons, do not enter from one door; enter through separate doors. However, I cannot save you from anything that is predetermined by GOD. To GOD belongs all judgments. I trust in Him, and in Him shall all the trusters put their trust.” The Messenger's Kindness [3:159]…Once you make a decision, carry out your plan, and trust in GOD. GOD loves those who trust in Him. Are you breaking another one of God’s commandments in your decision? [35:8] Note the one whose evil work is adorned in his eyes, until he thinks that it is righteous. GOD thus sends astray whoever wills (to go astray), and He guides whoever wills (to be guided). Therefore, do not grieve over them. GOD is fully aware of everything they do. Are you giving power to other than God? [18:39] No one possesses power except GOD (Lã Quwwata Ellã Bellãh). Are you fearing other than God? [3:173] When the people say to them, "People have mobilized against you; you should fear them," this only strengthens their faith and they say, "GOD suffices us; He is the best Protector." [3:174] They have deserved GOD's blessings and grace. No harm ever touches them, for they have attained GOD's approval. GOD possesses infinite grace. Fear: The Devil's Tool [3:175] It is the devil's system to instill fear into his subjects. Do not fear them and fear Me instead, if you are believers. [5:54] O you who believe, if you revert from your religion, then GOD will substitute in your place people whom He loves and who love Him. They will be kind with the believers, stern with the disbelievers, and will strive in the cause of GOD without fear of any blame. Such is GOD's blessing; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. GOD is Bounteous, Omniscient.

Worship audio from February 25, 2018. Bulletin PDF or below:Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any questions or concerns.Lord Jesus, you alone sought us out, forgave us, bought us, made us your own. You promised a cross for all who follow you. Lead me to see your cross, that I may find joy in the cross you have given me; AMEN.Consolation & Comfort through Faith:In other words, sin terrifies consciences. This happens through the Law, which shows God’s wrath against sin. But we gain the victory through Christ. How? Through faith, when we comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. ... God’s wrath cannot be appeased if we set our own works against it. For Christ has been set forth as an Atoning Sacrifice so, that for His sake, the Father may be reconciled to us. But Christ is not received as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. Likewise, Paul says in Romans 5:2, “Through Him we have also obtained access” and adds, “by faith.” Therefore, we are reconciled to the Father and receive forgiveness of sins when we are comforted with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 5 (Concordia p. 130)Because He Knew:Jesus knew the cross that awaited him; he knew the resurrection afterward. He had told this to his disciples numerous times – and now, as the day draws nearer, Jesus prepared his disciples for a cross.What is our cross, and how may we carry it?SUNDAY SCHOOL: ”Friend, I’m Sorry”LITURGY: CW p. 38 Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, you see that we have no power to defend ourselves. Guard and keep us both outwardly and inwardly from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Genesis 28:10-17The merciful presence of God is certain, because of grace alone: 10Jacob set out from Beersheba and traveled toward Haran. 11He came to a certain place and decided to spend the night there, because the sun had set. He took one of the stones from that place, put it under his head, and lay down to sleep in that place. 12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway set up on the earth with its top reaching to heaven. There were angels of God ascending and descending on it. 13There at the top stood the LORD, who said, “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you are lying, I give to you and to your descendants. 14Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. In you and in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed. 15Now, I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back again into this land. Indeed, I will not leave you, until I have done what I have promised to you.” 16Jacob woke up from his sleep, and he said, “Certainly the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17He was afraid and he said, “How awe-inspiring is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate to heaven.” PSALM OF THE DAY: 73, CW p. 94SECOND READING: Romans 5:1-11The miracle of Lent – Christ the innocent, suffering for sinners and in their place makes them innocent in God’s sight:Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we also have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice confidently on the basis of our hope for the glory of God. 3Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, 4and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. 5And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. 6For at the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7It is rare indeed that someone will die for a righteous person. Perhaps someone might actually go so far as to die for a person who has been good to him. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by his blood, it is even more certain that we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, it is even more certain that, since we have been reconciled, we will be saved by his life. 11And not only is this so, but we also go on rejoicing confidently in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received this reconciliation. THEME VERSE: Philippians 2:8Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Thanks be to God.GOSPEL READING: Mark 8:31-38The Cross:31Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the experts in the law; be killed; and after three days rise again. 32He was speaking plainly to them. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But after turning around and looking at his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have your mind set on the things of God, but the things of men.” 34He called the crowd and his disciples together and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36After all, what good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38In fact, whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 434 – Lord, You I Love with All My HeartSERMON based on Mark 8: Preparation for the CrossCONFESSION OF FAITH: Apostles’ Creed, CW p. 41OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCH: CW p. 42Please rise.CLOSING PRAYER: CW p. 43CLOSING HYMN: 355 – Take the World, But Give Me JesusNOTESBowling today at 3 PM – see the sign-up sheet at the back lectern.Midweek Lenten services continue - 6 PM meal, 7 PM worship.Looking Ahead to Next Sunday:Theme Lent 3 – Because He Knew: He Put His House in OrderColor PurpleLiturgy Common Service, CW p. 15Hymns 401, 456, 532, 530; CWS Psalm 69Readings from John 2, Exodus 20, Romans 8Verse of the Day John 3:14-15THIS WEEKToday 1 Samuel 26 9:30 AM - Second Sunday of Lent 10:45 AM – Sunday School. Bible Class: The FloodMonday 1 Samuel 27Tuesday 1 Samuel 28 7 PM - CAPWednesday 1 Samuel 29 5-6 PM – Small Catechism Class 6 PM - Lenten Supper 7 PM - Ash Wednesday WorshipThursday 1 Samuel 30Friday 1 Samuel 31Saturday 2 Samuel 1Sunday 2 Samuel 2 9:30 AM - Lent 3 Worship with Holy Communion 10:45 AM – Bible class & Sunday SchoolGreen Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572 iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app. Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine. Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.    

This week on "State of Wonder," exclusive sessions with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter and the epic band Typhoon, new ideas to preserve Portland's arts spaces, musician Laura Veirs branches into podcasting and children's books, and more.City Council Seeks to Preserve Arts Spaces with New ProposalsSo many Oregon cities are going through catalytic change because of rising real estate costs, and the front-line casualties include galleries, stages, clubs and artist studios. Most recently, Artists Repertory Theatre in Portland proposed selling half its building. At a work session this week, Portland City Council showed signs it may be ready to take action with a list of about two dozen recommendations for preserving arts and creative space, ranging from creating a new zoning category for creative spaces to an arts concierge in City Hall and giving arts groups priority pick of surplus city real estate.Former RACC Director Eloise Damrosch on the Future of Portland Arts - 4:19In the seventeen years that Eloise Damrosch was at the helm of the Regional Arts and Culture Council, she had a 10,000-foot view of the seismic changes in the city’s arts scene. She retired in 2017, paving the way for an executive search, now in its eighth month. It’s clear that the task ahead for the next generation of arts leaders is a heavy lift. Damrosch joined us this week to talk about her time at RACC and about this list of ideas on preserving creative space from commissioners Nick Fish and Chloe Eudaly.Live opbmusic Session with Typhoon - 11:49The band Typhoon is back this week with "Offerings," another record of songs made with finesse and ferocity. But this new release finds frontman and songwriter Kyle Morton going to strange and dark places, as it imagines one man’s descent into memory loss and madness. With as many as eleven musicians, this band has never lacked for ambition, but the high-concept music in “Offerings” raises the bar. The Silent Film Classic "The Passion of Joan of Arc" Gets a Soaring Live Soundtrack - 25:10For years, one of the worlds greatest films was thought lost, only to be discovered in a custodial closet in Norway. Carl Dreyer’s 1928 silent film, “The Passion of Joan of Arc,” will be screened at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Jan. 26 in a most unique way: Portland Youth Philharmonic’s chamber orchestra will perform Richard Einhorn’s oratorio “Voices of Light” live to accompany the film, along with a slew of soloists and vocal ensembles including the female vocal ensemble In Mulieribus and three Portland State University choirs. We spoke with the composer Richard Einhorn and PYP's musical director David Hattner, who conducted a similar production in New York City in 2006 to glowing reviews. The "New York Times" asked whether it was Einhorn's "Voices of Light" that accompanied the film, or the film that accompanied the music?Musician Laura Veirs on Her Children's Book and New Podcast - 35:08In 2018, Portland singer-songwriter Laura Veirs puts down her guitar and picks up the interview mike for a new podcast, "Midnight Lightning," where she talks to musician moms, charting all the insane things they do to keep their careers and families on track. From rootsy pickers to funk rockers, there’s one thing they all have in common, she says: “Guilt. That was the main thing everyone said. They feel guilty. Especially the touring moms. And then gratitude. ‘I’m grateful I get to do this.’” Veirs also tells us about the children’s book she just published about an early folk singer, “Libba: The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten.”Josh Ritter Plays Sisters - 44:46Singer-songwriter Josh Ritter is coming to Central Oregon for a concert at the Sisters Folk Festival Winter Concert Series on Jan. 23. The Idaho native’s a big get for them. In addition to his accomplishments as a musician, Ritter also wrote a "New York Times" best-selling novel in 2011, "Bright’s Passage," about a farm boy caught up in World War I. We listen back to a conversation and performance on OPB’s Think Out Loud the year the book came out.

This is the 20th class on the book of Hebrews. This Bible class was taught at the Pilot Point Church in Pilot Point Texas. The following is the outline of the class. Preservation of the Saints Hebrews chapter 10:19-12:29 Hebrews chapter 11 0ne point, have faith in God and be patience and He will give you all that He has promised. A persevering faith is always rewarded VS. 1-40 Hebrews 11 The first and second verses and the sixth verse, taken together, help define faith for us. Here we see the ingredients of faith: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. (Hebrews 11:1-2 RSV) And without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 RSV) Hebrews 11(NASB) 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction ofthings not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval. THE HEART OF BIBLICAL FAITH CONVICTION Hebrews 11 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith he is still speaking. (Hebrews 11:4 RSV) Cain believe a lie. – That one way is as good as another Abel believed God and came the way God had outlined Hebrews 11 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith. (Hebrews 11:7 RSV)             Three distinctive descriptions of Abraham Abraham was called God's friend. James 2:23(KJV) 23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 2. Abraham is the father of all who believes Romans 4:11-12  11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 3. Abraham is a figure of true faith. Hebrews 11:8 -12, 17 through 19 Hebrews 11 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.  Genesis 12 (NIV)  12 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2“ I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.[a] 3I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”[b] 4So Abram went, as the LORD had told him 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18it was he to whom it was said, “IN ISAAC YOUR [n]DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.” 19 [o]He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back [p]as a type 20By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. 21By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones. 23By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26considering the reproach of [q]Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 27By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen. 28By faith he [r]kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were [s]drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies [t]in peace. 32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their [u]release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36and others [v]experienced mockings and scourging’s, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawn in two, [w]they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy),wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes [x]in the ground. 39And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect. Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}{YouTube}

This is the 20th class on the book of Hebrews. This Bible class was taught at the Pilot Point Church in Pilot Point Texas. The following is the outline of the class. Do Not Throw Away Your Confidence, Which Has A Great Reward Preservation of the Saints Hebrews chapter 10:19-12:29 Hebrews 10 32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions James 1 2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [h]without reproach, and it will be given to him. Hebrews 10 32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you endured in a great conflict full of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions 35Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10 37For, “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.”[38And, “But my righteous one will live by faith. And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” 39But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved. Hebrews 11 0ne point, have faith in God and be patience and He will give you all that He has promised. A persevering faith is always rewarded VS. 1-40 Things that are called faith but are not. Faith, is not positive thinking 2. Faith is not a hunch that is followed. 3. Faith is not hoping for the best, hoping that everything will turn out all right. 4. Faith is not a feeling of optimism Hebrews 11 The first and second verses and the sixth verse, taken together, help define faith for us. Here we see the ingredients of faith: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old received divine approval. (Hebrews 11:1-2 RSV) And without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 RSV) Definition of faith in God Faith commences with "things hoped for," that is, it starts with a sense of discontent. 2. Then comes "the conviction of things not seen" aware that we are surrounded by an invisible spirit kingdom, that which is seen is not the whole explanation of life, 3. "He that comes to God must believe that he is, that God exists." There are some who say, "That's the hard part, that's what is difficult." No, it is not. 4. "The assurance of things hoped for." achieved by acting on the revelation of the things unseen. 5. By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear. (Hebrews 11:3 RSV) The amazing deductions & implications and of Biblical faith By faith, we understand that the world was created by the word of God so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear. (Hebrews 11:3 RSV)--- That statement was made in the first century. • Biblical faith puts us immediately in touch with reality. Faith is a way of piercing the illusion that tends to distract us and lead us into chasing rabbits of thought all over the pasture and bring us right to the point, to show us things as they really are. Do not laugh at faith. Faith is dealing with facts. Faith grounds one immediately on reality. Grounds one immediately in reality. What science can't tell us, faith can. How human history is going to end, but by faith, I know. 2. Science cannot tell me what is wrong with human life, what is the reason why I act the way I do, and you act the way you do but by faith I know. 3. Cannot tell me what lies beyond the door of death. Even to the scientists, it is an enigma, a mystery, but by faith, I know what lies beyond. Mystery, but by faith I know what lies beyond. 4. Cannot explain the mysteries of my own makeup, and tell me how to fulfill my manhood, how to realize my dreams, but faith can. Hebrews 11(NASB) 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2For by it the men of old gained approval. THE HEART OF BIBLICAL FAITH CONVICTION Hebrews 11 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was attested as having pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5 RSV) Genesis 5:21-24 (NIV) 21When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.22After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more because God took him away. Jude (NIV) 14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Hebrews 11 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he received approval as righteous, God bearing witness by accepting his gifts; he died, but through his faith, he is still speaking. (Hebrews 11:4 RSV) Cain believes a lie. – That one way is as good as another Abel believed God and came the way God had outlined Hebrews 11 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, took heed and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; by this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness which comes by faith. 8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. The 9by faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}{YouTube}

Luke 19:1-10: "He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. 4So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. 5And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today." 6So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. 7And when they saw it, they all grumbled, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." 8And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." 9And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.""

James 2:1-13 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. Did you have a sibling who was mom's favorite? A teacher who loved the suck up in the class? How about a boss that picked favorites in meetings and at lunch? What about a church that showed partiality to the rich while the poor were passed over? There must have been a serious problem in the surrounding churches for James to be so adamant in his words. Simply put, copy God and God has no favorites. So why and how do we fall into this so often? Join us as we get to the heart of God's love for his children.

James 2:1-13 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. Did you have a sibling who was mom's favorite? A teacher who loved the suck up in the class? How about a boss that picked favorites in meetings and at lunch? What about a church that showed partiality to the rich while the poor were passed over? There must have been a serious problem in the surrounding churches for James to be so adamant in his words. Simply put, copy God and God has no favorites. So why and how do we fall into this so often? Join us as we get to the heart of God's love for his children.

This is the sixth class on the book of Hebrews. This Bible class was taught at the Pilot Point Church in Pilot Point Texas. This podcast ends two of us the greatest chapters in the Bible. The following is the outline of the class. Jesus is greater than the Angels Chapter 1:4-2:18 Comparing Jesus with the angels Jesus Only begotten Son • Direct lineage to God • Worship Him • Sits on the throne • God the father calls Him God Angels They're not • They never • Never worshipped • They serve • Ministering spirits Keep this in mind Not only did Jesus become flesh • Not only did Jesus live in the flesh • Not only  die  in  the flesh • But  He was raised in the flesh • He ascended  in the flesh-He is  still  a man, He kept  His humanity  Outline for chapter 2:5-18 Another problem associated with angels In the first chapter the writer emphasizes the Son’s deity now, he emphasizes  Jesus humanity to complete the picture of why the Son is greater than the angels. • Not only God but man and He can bridge a gap that the angelic host could not 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.”  In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present, e do not see everything subject to them. 9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet. The Jews spoke of 3 worlds The world that was = the world before Mt Sinai 2. The world that is = as a Jewish nation 3. The world to come = when the Messiah comes Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified:  “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.  In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them .9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Philippians 2 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Romans 8 New (NIV) 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 23Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. 9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Suffering and death for God’s violated law 1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. 11Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” 13And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” To defeat the most powerful angel Lucifer 14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Romans 8 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  To defeat the most powerful angel Lucifer 14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 16For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. • 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Relating to the 2 different offices of Jesus LORD Work • Obedience • Service • Always relating to His Lordship HIGH PRIEST Sin • Forgiveness • Grace • That’s where we relate to His Priesthood 17For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. He rules the universe and angels and will send one to help me • I have one of my kind raised from the dead in a glorified body assured me I can be in heaven with him • I know he understands and identifies with me • He has rendered powerless my enemy Satan • He's freed me from the fear of death so I don't have to live in that bondage • He's a faithful and merciful High Priest always ready to serve my every need • He has entered into heaven waiting for the day that the father says it's time to go get our people That's the message of the first two chapters of Hebrew Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}

This is the fifth class on the book of Hebrews. This Bible class was taught at the Pilot Point Church in Pilot Point Texas. The following is the outline of the class. Son versus the prophets Hbr 1:1-2 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by [His] Son Hebrews 1:2-3 He appointed heir of all things 2. He made the worlds 3. He is brightness of God’s glory 4. The express image of God 5. Upholding all things by the word of his power 6. Purged our sins 7. Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high  Jesus is greater than the Angels Chapter 1:4-2:18 Angels God has used angels to carry messages from Himself to man. communicate with us outside our five senses • God has used angels to arrange blessings for humans. • God has used angels to deliver us from harm. • God has used angels to answer prayer • God will use angels to escort me to Heaven when I die. Comparing Jesus with the angels  Jesus: • Only  begotten Son • Direct lineage to God • Worship Him • Sits on the throne • God the father calls Him God Angels: • They're not • They never • Never worshipped • They serve • Ministering spirits Hebrews 2 1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Drift also Leak Out Acts 13:52…. filled with joy • Ephesians 5:18… filled with the Holy Spirit • 2 Corinthians 7:4…filled with comfort • Matthew 5:6… Hunger and thirst • Romans 15… filled with knowledge Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Hebrews 10  (NIV) 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will? Outline for chapter 2:5-18 Another problem associated with angels In the first chapter the writer  emphasizes the Son’s deity now, he emphasizes  Jesus humanity to complete the picture of why the Son is greater than the angels. • Not only God but man and He can bridge a gap that the angelic host could not. 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: • “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet.” • In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present, we do not see everything subject to them. •[9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.10In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, Not only did Jesus become flesh • Not only did Jesus live in the flesh • Not only die in the flesh • But He was raised in the flesh • He assended in the flesh-He is still a man, He kept His humanity Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: • “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet. SIDE STUDY ON THE DESTINY OF CHRISTIANS James 2: 26 for as the body without the spirit is dead, Philippians 1:21-24 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.22But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me, and I do not know which to choose. 23But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. To depart and be with Christ for that is very much better. YOUR RESURRECTED GLORIFIED HUMAN BODY - God’s extreme makeover. Resurrection of mortal body Romans 8:10-11 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Resurrection Mar 12:24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 1Cor 15:12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? The scope of our redemption demands it. The Biblical view of man. (Gen. 1:12, 18 &25) 2. Death - the enemy of God. (I Cor. 15:26) 3. Salvation means, literally, to be made whole. Heb.10:39   Salvation of soul. 1Cor. 5:5    Salvation of Spirit. Rom 8:23   The redemption of our bodies. Our destiny demands it. God became a man with a body. (John1:1, 14) 2. Jesus’ destiny is our destiny. (Rom. 8:17) 1Cr 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits of them that slept.3. He promised we would never die. (John 11:25-26) Our new environment demands it. 1. “New heavens and new earth” (II Pet. 3:13 - Heb. 1:12) 2. Powerful unimaginable changes. The ultimate makeover (I Cor. 15:37) 1Cr 15:35-38 But someone will say, "How are the dead raised? And with what kind of body do they come? “You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies; and that which you sow, you do not sow the body which is to be, but a bare grain, perhaps of wheat or of something else. But God gives it a body just as He wished, and to each of the seeds a body of its own Incredible Change Our new environment demands it. Powerful unimaginable changes. Actual changes no digestive system - (I Cor. 6:13) no sexual relationship - (Mt. 22:30) no aging - (I Cor. 15) glorious - (I Cor. 15) powerful - no handicaps - (I Cor. 15) perfectly fitted for our new home - (I Cor. 15) I John 3: 1-3 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-4  Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile, we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-17 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, Romans 8:17-18  17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. IT WILL HAPPEN AT THE 2ND COMING OF CHRIST There will be 3 great signs. (I Thess. 4:14-18) 1. The last great trumpet. 2. The shout of Michael. 3. The appearance of Jesus with all the spirits of the saved who have died. Then the resurrection of dead Christian bodies & then the changing of all our bodies. All in the blink of an eye Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: • “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet. The Jews spoke of 3 worlds The world that was = the world before Mt Sinai 2. The world that is = as the Jewish nation 3. The world to come = when the Messiah comes Hebrews 2 (NKJV) 5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place where someone has testified: “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him? 7You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor 8 and put everything under their feet. In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present, we do not see everything subject to them 9But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10For it was fitting for Him, for who are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Amos Chapter 3Viewing the Standard King James Version..1Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying,2You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.3Can two walk together, except they be agreed?4Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing?5Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all?6Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?7Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.8The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?9Publish in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof.10For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.11Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled.12Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.13Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts,

Speaker or Performer: John Mathis Scripture Passage(s): Ezekiel 11:14-25 Date of Delivery: December 29, 2013 I. IntroductionChristmas has come and gone again, and the Lord continues to begracious to each one of us. In the hustle and bustle of buying gifts andvisiting family and friends, I pray you all had time to quietly reflect on theunspeakable gift given to us by God in His one and only Son. Today’smessage is not a “Christmas sermon” per se; I will not be examining anyof the texts related to our Lord’s birth nor his early earthly life. What I dowant to do this morning, Lord willing, is expound from this text thecovenant mercy and faithfulness of God toward us- His blood-boughtpeople. I want to show you also from this text God’s righteousness indealing justly with rebels who scorn His covenant and mock His grace. So I hope to show you today both the preserving love of God and Hisjustice. May God help me in this enterprise.II. Background- First, I want to take a few moments to give you somebackground and context for this text.A. When Where?The events our text take place in a vision of Jerusalem, not manyyears after the first deportation of Israelites to Babylon- around theyear 592 B.C.. As God had promised through His prophets, theChaldeans, led by King Nebuchadnezzar, laid siege to Israel’s cities,taking thousands captive and killing many more. This vast judgmentcame upon Israel because of its rank idolatry and because of itsrefusal to abide by the Law of God. It is in this period that God sendssome of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament: Jeremiah,Daniel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah , and the writer of this morning’s text,the prophet Ezekiel.B. Who was Ezekiel?Ezekiel, son of Buzi, was born about 622 B.C., into the priestlyline of Aaron’s son Ithamar. He grew up during the reign of thereformer King Josiah, one of the rare godly kings in the long line ofwicked rulers of Judah. In fact, just about a year before Ezekiel’sbirth, Hilkiah the priest had found the lost book of God’s Law- theLaw that caused Josiah to tear his clothes in righteous fear andthat caused him to publicly renew Israel’s covenant with God. This brought about a brief era of national repentance, especially inJerusalem, but it was not to last. When Ezekiel was about fourteen,King Josiah was killed in battle, and the king of Egypt installed Jehoiakim as king over Judah and Jerusalem, and in his elevenyear reign he “did evil in the site of LORD” and returned the peopleto their former abominations.When Ezekiel is twenty-four and a priest in Jerusalem, KingJehoiakim dies, and his evil son Jehoiachin becomes king inJudah. This is a time of great wickedness in Judah generally, andin Jerusalem in particular. The Word of God tells us that even thepriests and higher officials defiled the Temple with idols and otherdetestable things. The next year, King Nebuchadnezzar returnedand took 10,000 more captives, including Ezekiel and his wife,back to Babylon. It is in Babylon that God gives Ezekiel visions of Jerusalem’s utter destruction and restoration, and that brings usback to our text. I want to concentrate now on three major truthsfrom this passage.II. First, even in the midst of exile, God is the “Sanctuary” of His covenantpeople (vv.14-16):A. Look back at the beginning of chapter 11, to the beginning of thisvision given to Ezekiel:1 Moreover, theSpirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gateof theLord’shouse which faced eastward. And behold,thereweretwenty-five men at the entrance of the gate, and among themI saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur andPelatiah son of Benaiah,leaders of the people.2He said to me, “Son of man, these are themen who devise iniquity andgive evil advice in this city,3who say,‘The timeis not near to build houses.Thiscityis the pot and weare the flesh.’4Therefore,prophesy against them, son of man,prophesy!”On the eve of destruction, these foolish rulers had convincedthemselves and the people that they were safe in the midst of God’sjudgment of Jerusalem. In their arrogance, they pictured themselves aspieces of flesh floating safely inside the brass walls of a caldron, and inthis protective pot they would continue their idol worship, their law-breaking, and their mockery of God’s prophetic Word.The parallel to our own time is not hard to find. Even within what callsitself the “church,” we see all too regularly those who have convincedthemselves they are safe with their idolatrous beliefs, their calling whatis evil good and what is good evil, and their scorn for God’s Word. Just as the inhabitants of Jerusalem were encouraged in their wickednessby false prophets and blind guides, so too are millions of people whocall themselves Christians. And just as those doomed citizens ofJerusalem, they have made for themselves gods to their own liking-gods who wink at their peccadillos and close their eyes to theirsinfulness. But God is not mocked. Look at verse five:5Then the Spirit of theLordfell upon me, and He said to me, “Say,‘Thus says theLord, “So you think, house of Israel, forIknowyour thoughts.6You havemultiplied your slain in this city,filling its streets withthem.”7Therefore, thus says the LordGod,“Yourslain whom you have laid in the midst ofthe city are the fleshand thiscityis the pot; butI willbring you out of it.8You havefeared a sword; so I willbring a sword upon you,” theLordGoddeclares.9“And I will bring you out of the midst of thecity and deliver you into the hands ofstrangers andexecutejudgments against you.10You willfall by the sword. I will judge youto theborder of Israel; so you shall know that I amtheLord.11Thiscitywillnot be a pot for you, nor will you be flesh inthe midst of it,butI will judge you to the border of Israel.12Thusyou will know that I am theLord; for you have not walked in Mystatutes nor have youexecuted My ordinances, but have actedaccording to the ordinances of the nations around you.”’”At this point you may be asking yourself, “I thought he was going toshow us how God is a sanctuary to his people in exile?” I’m getting to it- bear with me. Look at verse 13:13Now it came about as I prophesied, thatPelatiah son of Benaiahdied. Then I fell on my face and cried out with a loud voice andsaid, “Alas, LordGod! Will You bring the remnant of Israel to acomplete end?”So while Ezekiel is prophesying about the soon judgment of Jerusalem,one of its leaders, Pelatiah, dies. This is the same Pelatiah that Godindicted earlier in the chapter as a deviser of iniquity and an evil adviser. Ezekiel is obviously distressed by his death, falling to the ground andcrying out to God. But why? Why would the death of this wicked leadercause Ezekiel to ask God if He was going to destroy even the remnantof Israel? We get a hint in the next verse; look at verse 14:14Then the word of theLordcame to me, saying,15“Son of man,your brothers, yourrelatives,your fellow exiles and the wholehouse of Israel, all of them,are thoseto whom the inhabitants ofJerusalem have said, ‘Go far from theLord; this land has beengivenus as a possession.’So those in Jerusalem not only had convinced themselves that theywere safe within their pot- within the walls of the city, but also theydeceived themselves into believing that the reason so many were takeninto exile was to show that God had given the land to those whoremained! At some point, Ezekiel- the same Ezekiel who had seen thevisions of God’s glory and who was sent to comfort his fellow exiles and warn those in Jerusalem- even he was deceived by this lie. If evenPetaliah, a leader of Jerusalem, died under God’s judgment, what hopewas there for the remnant? If God had not spared one who ruled in thecity where God’s temple stood, would He spare the Israelites exiled in Babylon?Is this not the way we often think? We see churches, particularly in thiscountry in doctrinal freefall. Heresies long ago condemned are taughtopenly from pulpits with the greatest of pride. We see churches allaround us capitulating to the world’s redefinition of marriage, and on,and on, and on. Are we not tempted to doubt that God is still about the business of preserving His exiles and bringing glory to His name? So how does God reply to this doubt? (read v.16)Thus says the LordGod, “Though I had removed them far away among the nations and though I had scattered them among thecountries, yet I was asanctuary for them a little while in thecountries where they had gone.”The answer to Ezekiel’s impassioned question is “No”! God will notmake a “complete end” of His remnant. On the contrary; God removedthem from Jerusalem to SAVE them from the impending calamities. Thewicked people of Jerusalem had it backwards; they were left in the cityto be destroyed- not to inherit the land. Once the land was cleansed oftheir abominations, the REMNANT would be brought back to possess the land and the city.And even more than this, God says that He was the remnant’sSANCTUARY during its captivity. When we read the word“sanctuary” we often think of safe place- a place where we can escapeharm- a REFUGE. This what God was to His people in their exile. Jerusalem had the Temple, with all its grandeur, but it was doomed tosoon destruction. The exiles had something infinitely better- the actualpresence of God among them. His glory would soon leave the Temple,but He did not leave His remnant; He was their SANCTUARY.Brothers and sisters, we are but a small flock. We are having services ina store front, and we are thinking of moving to a house. As we see themega-churches and the grand cathedrals, we may be tempted towonder why it is not so for us. We may even wonder if this church will survive, or if we will slowly dwindle and eventually disband. Let this textremind us not to judge by outward appearance. As long as God is ourrefuge, our SANCTUARY, it does not matter where we meet. Godknows how to preserve His remnant in exile, and He does it by beingtheir sanctuary.III. The second truth I want you to see in this text is that God will gather His exiled covenant people. Verse 17:Therefore say, ‘Thus says the LordGod, “I willgather you from thepeoples and assemble you out of the countries among which youhave been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”First, notice Who is at work here. God says He will gather and assembleHis remnant out of the peoples. God had scattered them among thenations, and He would unscatter them. The same God that haddelivered His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand would deliver Hisexiles out of captivity in Babylon.Also notice that this promise was unconditional. God does not here sayif the exiles do such and such, I will gather them. No; it is by His grace that He will gather them. God is under no compulsion to gather them;they had done nothing to deserve God’s favor. So why then does Hegather them? Though we are not told explicitly here, God makes itabundantly clear later in this book. Listen as I read from chapter 36,starting in verse 22:22“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the LordGod, “It isnot for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but forMy holy name, which you have profaned among the nations whereyou went.23I willvindicate the holiness of My great name which hasbeen profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in theirmidst. Then thenations will know that I am theLord,” declares theLordGod, “when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight.24ForI willtake you from the nations, gather you from all the lands andbring you into your own land.God does not gather His people because of their deeds; He gathersthem IN SPITE of their deeds. They- and yes, WE- have profaned Hisholy name among the nations, but yet in His grace He gathers us. Hedoes this to bring glory to Himself.One glorious day, God will gather ALL the His people scattered abroad. With the voice of the arch angel and the trump of God, the mighty Lordwill call forth all those He has redeemed by the sacrifice of His Son. Hewill start with dead in Christ, and then He will gather those who are aliveand remain. No good work of ours will compel Him to do this; He will do itof His own free grace, and He will do it to bring glory to His holy name.As if this not enough, God pours grace upon grace. Not only does Hegather the exiles from their captivity, but He also GIVES them the land ofIsrael. Again, they had done nothing to deserve this. They werecovenant breakers just like those haughty souls left in Jerusalem. Theyhad done the very things that God had warned them would cause themto lose possession of Israel. Yet God, in His loving kindness for Hisexiles, gives them back what they deserved to lose. This leads us to thefinal truth I want you to see in this text: God will restore His exiledcovenant people.IV. God will restore His exiled covenant peopleLook back at verses 18 through 20:18When they come there, they willremove all itsdetestable thingsand all its abominations from it.19And I willgive them one heart, andput a new spirit withinthem. And I will take theheart of stone out oftheir flesh and give them aheart of flesh,20that they maywalk in Mystatutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will beMypeople, and I shall be their God.What kind of restoration will this be? It will not be a return to the sinsthat led to the exile in the first place. When His remnant returns to theland, they will put away the idols and the graven images. No more willthey offer their children as sacrifices to false gods. No more will theyworship them in the high places. God will use His returned exiles tocleanse the land of these abominations. They will have “no other godsbefore Him.” Again their confession will be, “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh isour God! Yahweh is One!”God foretells how He will accomplish this feat- how He will transformthese covenant-breaking, idolatrous Israelites into faithful servants whowill keep His Law and cleanse the land. The language is all too familiarto us- at least it should be. He will give them a heart transplant. God willremove the dead, stony heart that is at enmity with Him and His Law,and He will replace it with a living heart- one that loves God and HisLaw. He will change their very nature. He will not force them to obeyHis Law against their will, but He will change their disposition so thatthey willingly obey. They will be “willing in the day of His power.”God gives them the ability, through this heart transplant, to do His will. By giving them new, living hearts, God frees them from their slavery tosin. Notice again that it is God ALONE at work here. None of the exileswill change the disposition of his own heart. This must be accomplishedby God Himself. He will change their nature, and THEN they will walk inHis statutes and keep His ordinances. He will not save them because ofgood works, but He will save them TO DO good works.8 Forby grace you have been savedthrough faith; andthat not ofyourselves,it isthe gift of God;9not as a result of works, so thatnoone may boast.10For we are His workmanship,created inChristJesus forgood works, which Godprepared beforehand so that wewouldwalk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NASB)At the end of this promise, God declares “THEN they will be my people,and I will be their God.” But wait a minute; weren’t they already Hispeople? I mean, these were Israelites- the physical fruit of God’scovenant with Abraham. How were they not His people?For they are not all Israel who aredescended from Israel;nor arethey all childrenbecause they are Abraham’s descendants…. (Romans 9:6-7 NASB)Outwardly, these exiles were Jews- they were the beneficiaries of God’scovenant promises. But inwardly, they were still rebels, kicking againstthe goads and at war with the God who preserved them. But this willchange when God circumcises their hearts. THEN, and only then, willthey truly be His people, both outwardly and in the inner parts. THENthey will be truly restored.As wondrous as this restoration is, God has something even moreglorious prepared for us in the New Covenant. Just as the exiles, we toohave been given a new heart to serve God. God has raised us to newlife in Christ, but we still have the old nature. Though we are “bornagain” by God’s Spirit, our flesh still wars against the new spirit. But Godwill grant us restoration. When Christ returns in glory, we will betransformed into His image. The fallen image we inherited from Adamwill be done away with forever. The work God began in our hearts, Hewill finish when He totally conforms us to the likeness of His dear Son.THAT is complete restoration, and it is ours by grace, through faith inChrist Jesus.V. ConclusionAs I close, I want to leave you with a warning and a challenge. First thewarning. Look at verse 21:21But as for those whose hearts go after theirdetestable things andabominations, I willbring their conduct down on their heads,” declaresthe LordGod.The promise of restoration is not for those who continue in their sin. For them, the only promise God gives is judgment.26For if we go onsinning willfully after receivingthe knowledge ofthe truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,27but aterrifying expectation ofjudgment andthe fury of a fire which willconsume the adversaries.28Anyone who has set aside the Law ofMoses dies without mercy onthe testimony of two or threewitnesses.29How much severer punishment do you think he willdeservewho has trampled under foot the Son of God, and hasregarded as uncleanthe blood of the covenantby which he wassanctified, and hasinsulted the Spirit of grace?30For we know Himwho said, “Vengeance is Mine, Iwill repay.” And again, “The Lordwill judge His people.”31It is aterrifying thing to fall into the handsof theliving God. (Hebrews 10:26-31 NASB)Finally, I would challenge you, if God has spoken to you through thistext, do what Ezekiel did! Proclaim it to your fellow exiles! (vv.24-25)24And theSpirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by theSpirit of God to the exilesin Chaldea. So the vision that I hadseenleft me.25Then Itold the exiles all the things thattheLordhad shown me.

New American Standard Bible (©1995) "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. International Standard Version (©2008) The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have rivers of living water flowing from his heart." The Bible declares that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, then we would be saved. It is a promise and covenant between God and His people. Did you know that Jesus Christ died on the Cross at Calvary so that you and I might have eternal life? Have you opened up your mouth and declared that Jesus is Lord? Do you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord? "...If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame" (Romans 10:9 – 11, NIV).

Romans 5:1-11 (English Standard Version) Romans 5 Peace with God Through Faith  1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.  6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

My hope for us above everything else is that we’ll have a vibrant, dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ. Individually and corporately that we’ll be caught up in loving and pursuing Him. The best way to be in relationship with God is through connecting and communicating with Him. God communicates with us by the Holy Spirit and His Word. We communicate with Him through prayer. A vibrant, dynamic relationship can only happen through vibrant, dynamic life in the Word and in prayer. But I know that for most of us a deep, consistent prayer life has been difficult. No matter if you’ve walked with the Lord for a month or 60 years, it’s been difficult to sustain the prayer life that brings a vibrant relationship with God. For some of you it’s because you want to pick and choose the parts of your life that you give to Christ. You have created what Tim Keller calls a Stepford God. He cannot confront you or correct you. You do whatever you want. That relationship is dead – you’ve cut the real, living God out. For others, you’re caught up in thinking that somehow you blew it in the past and that God does not hear you or want to hear from you. You misunderstand your own religion. You keep yourself away from a God who desires to accept you and draw near to you in deep relationship. The Gospel message is that God forgives sinners through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – and we’re all sinners. For the rest of us, it’s not that we don’t know that we ought to pray or even how to pray, but it’s a heart issue and a misunderstanding about prayer. We misunderstand a tension in the truths of the Bible. Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Isaiah 46:10-11 10 I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. 11 From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do. Jeremiah 10:23 23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps. God reigns over all. He is sovereign. He does whatever He pleases. If that‘s true, why pray? Why pray if He’s determined the outcome? Here’s the tension: God is sovereign, and in the Bible, His people ask him for things and He listens and moves and acts according to their prayer. Exodus 32:9-10 v. 10 God planned on destroying the Israelites. Exodus 32:11-14 v. 14 the Lord relented. In His prefect holiness, His anger burned against the Israelites to punish their sins. But His desire in His mercy was to show them grace. By Moses’ prayer, the wrath of God was turned away (propitiation). That’s the tension. Is God sovereign or can He be moved by our prayers? YES! Moses is a foreshadowing of another who would turn away God’s wrath from guilty people. Moses said in Deuteronomy 18 that God would raise another prophet like Him. Moses is a shadow of the greater prophet, Jesus Christ who would turn away the wrath of God. It was God’s desire to show mercy and He answered Moses’ prayer to do it. What about salvation? John 6:65 He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." Who enables us to come to Christ? God does. If preaching and sharing your faith doesn’t open people’s hearts to the Gospel, why do it? Because God’s appointed means for achieving His appointed purpose is the preaching, teaching, and proclamation of His Word. The same is true of prayer. Prayer is the means by which the purposes of God are carried out. The Lord gives to askers. Luke 11:9-13 9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" The Lord answers prayers of faith. Matthew 21:22 21Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." The Lord answers prayers when we abide with Him. John 15:7 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. The Lord answers prayers made in Jesus’ name. John 14:13-14 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Prayer is the means by which the purposes of God are carried out. You thought God is going to do what He’s going to do. But He limits himself and determines to answer the prayers of His people to accomplish His purpose. Pray. You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2-3 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’" Luke 4:9-11 (NIV)

Why did Christ die? So sins could be forgiven. Yes, but even more… 1 Peter 3:18 18For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit. “for sins” – Christ was the sin offering for atonement – He satisfied the wrath of God for our sins. “once for all” – a contrast with the OT yearly sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. And declares the complete sufficiency of Christ’s death. “righteous for the unrighteous” – Christ as the righteous one was uniquely qualified to die as the substitute for us. “to bring you to God” – The divine purpose for Christ’s sacrificial death was man’s reconciliation to God. Ephesians 2:17-18 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. “far away…near” – Paul is talking about how Jesus brought the Gentiles and Jews together. The Gentiles were far off from God and His covenants with Israel. Now they are united in Christ. “access” – Greek word is “approach”. The “privilege of approach” to a person of high rank. Romans 5:9-11 9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. “justified” – declared righteous (“not guilty”, “but righteous”) “saved” – from God’s wrath “reconciled” – restored fellowship

Suffering That Leads to Blessing1 Peter 3:8-12 (English Standard Version)  8Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. 10For    "Whoever desires to love life   and see good days,let him keep his tongue from evil   and his lips from speaking deceit; 11let him turn away from evil and do good;   let him seek peace and pursue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,   and his ears are open to their prayer.But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

click here Visit the Recover In Christ web site. Romans 10 1Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. 19But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. 20But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. 21But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.