POPULARITY
Categories
108 episodes with 1cor
80 episodes with 1cor
69 episodes with 1cor
83 episodes with 1cor
69 episodes with 1cor
158 episodes with 1cor
81 episodes with 1cor
93 episodes with 1cor
64 episodes with 1cor
110 episodes with 1cor
78 episodes with 1cor
60 episodes with 1cor
48 episodes with 1cor
54 episodes with 1cor
77 episodes with 1cor
54 episodes with 1cor
75 episodes with 1cor
56 episodes with 1cor
39 episodes with 1cor
42 episodes with 1cor
41 episodes with 1cor
48 episodes with 1cor
33 episodes with 1cor
35 episodes with 1cor
86 episodes with 1cor
30 episodes with 1cor
55 episodes with 1cor
30 episodes with 1cor
35 episodes with 1cor
28 episodes with 1cor
28 episodes with 1cor
27 episodes with 1cor
27 episodes with 1cor
19 episodes with 1cor
29 episodes with 1cor
49 episodes with 1cor
28 episodes with 1cor
35 episodes with 1cor
90 episodes with 1cor
25 episodes with 1cor
28 episodes with 1cor
24 episodes with 1cor
40 episodes with 1cor
19 episodes with 1cor
26 episodes with 1cor
31 episodes with 1cor
21 episodes with 1cor
36 episodes with 1cor
28 episodes with 1cor
28 episodes with 1cor
12 episodes with 1cor
29 episodes with 1cor
40 episodes with 1cor
40 episodes with 1cor
“Quando eu era criança, falava como criança, sentia como criança e pensava como criança. Agora que sou adulto, parei de agir como criança.”1Coríntios 13:11 Seus comportamentos diante das suas necessidades são de um adulto ou de uma criança ?Toda a criança passa pela fase do choro, como meio de conseguir o que quer e na hora que quer.Com o passar do tempo a criança aprende que o choro e o lamento não trará o que se quer, para isso ela necessita andar e se comunicar. Ser adulto é adquirir experiência e saber que o choro, embora às vezes necessário, o paralisa e o dificulta a enxergar as soluções preparadas por Deus..Deixe para trás as coisas de menino e seja um homem que sabe exatamente o que quer e tem no Senhor a força e o incentivo necessário para a conquista.Pensamento do dia:Quais são as coisas de menino que você necessita deixar para trás?Oração: Senhor nos ajude a ter a maturidade de não usar o lamento como forma de conquistar o que queremos, que possamos deixar para trás as coisas de menino.Em nome de Jesus, Amém !Que você tenha um dia abençoado!Por Ubiratan Paggio#devocionaisdiarios#deusfalacomigo#Maturidade#deixandoascoisasdemenino #ubiratanpaggio@ubiratanpaggio@ubiratan.paggio
Brian Allbutt shares our 'inspire' message, "Five Heavenly Crowns". Why are these heavenly crowns awarded? How are they achieved? What can get in the way? Are you wearing your crowns? What shall we do with them? Today's passages: 1Cor 9: 24-27, 2Tin 4: 6-8, 2Cor 4: 3-4, 1Peter 5: 8, 1Peter 5: 1-4, 1Thes 2: 19-20, James 1: 12, Rev 2: 10, Rev 4: 9-11 Date: 10.06.2026 Please send prayer requests to prayer@bridgeman.org.au or on our website: www.bridgeman.org.au/prayer/ To contact Bridgeman Baptist Community Church please email hello@bridgeman.org.au If you would like to give at Bridgeman Baptist Community Church please go to www.bridgeman.org.au/giving/ Please view our Sermon List if you would like to order from our back catalogue, please email bridgemedia@bridgeman.org.au
We keep trying to “improve” Christianity by stapling our cultural values onto Jesus and calling it wisdom. That's how the prosperity gospel turns blessing into comfort, how progressive Christianity can shrink the kingdom into a political mirror, and how conservative Christianity can blend holiness with power, nationalism, and scripts that look more like capitalism and individualism than the Sermon on the Mount.We walk through those distortions without pretending the underlying desires are all bad. God does want to bless. Jesus does liberate. God does call us to holiness. The question is whether we're arriving there by the way of King Jesus or by the shortcuts of our age. The turning point is the wisdom of the cross: when Jesus defines blessing, it includes betrayal, scarcity, and suffering held inside God's faithfulness. That wisdom “harbors no additions” because it is revelation, not projection. It's God showing us what God is like in Christ.From 1 Corinthians 2 we talk about the Holy Spirit as God's gift, freely given, granting access to the mind of Christ. Not as spiritual trivia or a way to win arguments, but as practical wisdom for Christian living, spiritual formation, and decision-making under pressure. We also face the painful question of why some hearts stay closed and what our role really is. The answer is both humbling and freeing: we are witnesses, not saviors, judges, or attorneys. We testify with words and with lives shaped by love, and we pray, “Come, Holy Spirit.”If you've been stuck in performance pressure, shame, or anxiety loops, listen through the end and try the simple practice we name: “I have the mind of Christ.” If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.Support the show
Sermon TextGenesis 2:15–25; Song of Solomon 4:1–7; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 (ESV)The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,This at last is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;she shall be called Woman,because she was taken out of Man.Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats leaping down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost its young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built in rows of stone; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, that graze among the lilies. Until the day breathes and the shadows flee, I will go away to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense. You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.Genesis 2:24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.1 Corinthians 6:15–17Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, The two will become one flesh. But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.Proverbs 5:18–19Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.2) Mat.19:29 -- And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.3) Luk.9:23,24 -- And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.4) Mat.9:37,38 -- Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.5) Mat.22:14 -- Many are called, but few are chosen.6) Mat.6:24 -- No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.7) Acts 2:44,45 -- And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.8) Jn.13:35 -- By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.9) Jn.8:31,32 -- Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.10) Jn.15:8 -- Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be My disciples.11) Jn.15:16 -- Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.12) 1Cor.6:20 -- For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.==========#==========#==========#==========13) A disciple is one who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.14) A disciple forsakes everything, walks with Jesus, follows Jesus and lives with Jesus! This is the difference between mere Christians and disciples.15) You will never know the fullness of the joy of serving God to the utmost until you have forsaken all to follow Jesus Christ.16) If God is worth serving at all, He's worth serving fulltime and all the way!17) If the Devil can't keep you from being a Christian, he'll try to keep you from being a revolutionary Christian!18) Time and time again, Jesus' acid test for His prospective disciples was if they were willing to forsake all, drop everything, leave it all behind and follow Him!19) This is always the greatest witness to others: When you really give up everything and forsake all to follow Jesus and devote your full time in service to Him!20) Jesus bought and paid for us, we're His property, we belong to Him now! You don't just belong to yourself anymore, and you can't just do as you please!21) You either work for God, or you're going to have to work for the Devil!--The choice is yours!22) If you want to follow Jesus one hundred percent, you've got to forsake all and preach the Gospel!23) If you choose God's way, when you see Jesus and the results, you're going to know it was worth it all! Giving your life to His service is an eternal investment that will pay dividends in Heaven and souls for ever and ever and ever!24) "Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation" that might lead you astray from the straight and narrow way which leads to the highest crown and greatest reward! (Mt.26:41; 7:13,14; Ph.3:13,14).25) "Only one life, 'twill soon be past! Only what's done for Christ will last!" What are you doing?--For whom?--Will it last forever for Jesus and others?26) "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose!" It's better to die for something than to live--and die--for nothing! Start living TODAY!--There's only ONE WAY!--For JESUS!
This is the third sermon in Pastor Christopher's new sermon series: 'Getting to Know God: A Series Exploring the Doctrine of the Trinity'. Does the Bible's teaching change from the Old Testament to the New Testament in reference to one true God? In this sermon, Pastor Christopher talks about Jesus' affirmation of the Old Testament, and what the foremost commandment is. He breaks down the controversy Paul was speaking on in regards to the church of Corinth, and how we need to base our lives on one ultimate allegiance. Finally, he talks about the importance of maintaining peace within our relationships, as long as it doesn't cause us to sin. Thanks for Listening...LAKEVIEW MISSIONARY CHURCH810 S. Evergreen Dr.Moses Lake, WA 98837509-765-5270www.LakeviewMissionaryChurch.comPastor Christopher sends a weekly update to our church every Wednesday with an encouraging article, prayer requests, and announcements. Subscribe here, http://eepurl.com/hC7SHDScripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
07 June 26 Andy Hayes 1 Cor 6 1-11 Why not be Wronged
Pr. Marcos Perin - Pregação realizada na manhã do dia 31/05/2026, na Igreja Batista Regular da Pituba, localizada à Rua das Hortências, 536, Pituba, Salvador - Bahia.
Solenidade do Santíssimo Corpo e Sangue de Cristo - Ano A | Corpus ChristiPrimeira Leitura: Dt 8, 2-3,14-16a | Salmo: Sl 147(147B),12-13.14-15.19-20 (R. 12) | 1Cor 10, 16-17 | Evangelho: Jo 6,51-58Compartilhe com amigos e familiares. Baixe nosso APP com conteúdos católicos: orações, reflexões, homilias e muito mais.Conheça nosso canal youtube/voxcatolicawww.voxcatolica.com.brNarração: Sonia Abreu
Power is getting cheaper, faster, and more automated, and that should make us uneasy. We start with a surprising bridge between AI fears and ancient Scripture: if an AI system can pursue a “good” goal in a destructive way, what does that reveal about the way humans chase wisdom and control? From there we step into 1 Corinthians and let Paul draw a bright line between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God revealed in Christ crucified.We talk about why the cross sounded like nonsense in the first century, why it still confronts our instincts today, and how it refuses to stay in a small “religion” compartment of life. We also wrestle with the kind of people God calls, why early critics mocked the church as unimpressive, and what it means when modern church attendance trends toward the educated and socially stable while the poor and overlooked are missing. That tension forces an honest question: are we building a comfortable club, or living a gospel that is genuinely good news to the oppressed?We end with Paul's own confession about preaching in weakness, not relying on superior speech but on a demonstration of the Spirit's power. The invitation is simple but demanding: stop patching Jesus onto a scattered life and receive a coherent way of being shaped by the cross, where boasting fades and grace becomes real. If this challenged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review with the line that hit you hardest.Support the show
Gifts For The Good - 1 Cor. 12:1-11 Micah Caswell
Thank you for listening. We continue in our “Ratchet & Righteous” series in 1 Corinthians. Date: 5/31/26 Speaker: Pastor Will Broadus Passage: 1 Cor 12:12-31 Please visit our website at reconcilecc.org for any questions. Thank you for supporting our mission to Preach The Gospel. Produce Disciples. Pursue Justice.
Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears, on May 31, 2026.
Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears, on May 31, 2026.
Pastor Josh talks about how Christ holds us all together and gives us a common ground to submit ourselves. Phil 2:1-8; Rom. 15:5-7; 1Cor. 1:10; 2Cor. 13:11; Col. 3:12-15
Yes you are in! Meet the ThursDudesPM! A bunch of flawed dudes getting real and pursuing Truth. If you are in a Bible Study or looking to start one, check out how Brother Ish masterfully initiates and facilitates it. Note the 'No Forced Agenda/Set of Questions'. Going with the flow with the Holy Spirit Guide and letting the group breath and reflect. I notice too many groups forcing a set amount of questons. Not these Dudes. You'll observe how they get washed in the Word.
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.2) Mat.19:29 -- And everyone that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.3) Luk.9:23,24 -- And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.4) Mat.9:37,38 -- Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.5) Mat.22:14 -- Many are called, but few are chosen.6) Mat.6:24 -- No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.7) Acts 2:44,45 -- And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.8) Jn.13:35 -- By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.9) Jn.8:31,32 -- Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.10) Jn.15:8 -- Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be My disciples.11) Jn.15:16 -- Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.12) 1Cor.6:20 -- For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.==========#==========#==========#==========13) A disciple is one who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.14) A disciple forsakes everything, walks with Jesus, follows Jesus and lives with Jesus! This is the difference between mere Christians and disciples.15) You will never know the fullness of the joy of serving God to the utmost until you have forsaken all to follow Jesus Christ.16) If God is worth serving at all, He's worth serving fulltime and all the way!17) If the Devil can't keep you from being a Christian, he'll try to keep you from being a revolutionary Christian!18) Time and time again, Jesus' acid test for His prospective disciples was if they were willing to forsake all, drop everything, leave it all behind and follow Him!19) This is always the greatest witness to others: When you really give up everything and forsake all to follow Jesus and devote your full time in service to Him!20) Jesus bought and paid for us, we're His property, we belong to Him now! You don't just belong to yourself anymore, and you can't just do as you please!21) You either work for God, or you're going to have to work for the Devil!--The choice is yours!22) If you want to follow Jesus one hundred percent, you've got to forsake all and preach the Gospel!23) If you choose God's way, when you see Jesus and the results, you're going to know it was worth it all! Giving your life to His service is an eternal investment that will pay dividends in Heaven and souls for ever and ever and ever!24) "Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation" that might lead you astray from the straight and narrow way which leads to the highest crown and greatest reward! (Mt.26:41; 7:13,14; Ph.3:13,14).25) "Only one life, 'twill soon be past! Only what's done for Christ will last!" What are you doing?--For whom?--Will it last forever for Jesus and others?26) "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose!" It's better to die for something than to live--and die--for nothing! Start living TODAY!--There's only ONE WAY!--For JESUS!
Marcelo França - O Espírito que capacita (1 Coríntios 12) by Igreja Batista Zona Sul
Em 1 Coríntios 3, Paulo confronta a igreja de Corinto com uma verdade dura, mas necessária: não basta frequentar a igreja, possuir dons espirituais ou afirmar seguir a Cristo; é preciso crescer em maturidade espiritual. O apóstolo chama aqueles irmãos de “carnais” não porque acreditasse existir uma categoria aceitável de “crente mundano”, mas justamente porque eles estavam vivendo de maneira incoerente com o evangelho que professavam. Havia ciúmes, divisões, idolatria de líderes e comportamentos moldados pelos padrões humanos. Eles estavam olhando para a igreja, para a vida e até para os ministros com uma mentalidade secularizada. Paulo mostra que a verdadeira espiritualidade não é medida apenas por emoção, experiências ou linguagem religiosa, mas por uma vida moldada pelo Espírito Santo. O Espírito não foi derramado sobre a igreja apenas para produzir manifestações exteriores, mas para formar um povo que enxerga o mundo pela ótica de Cristo. Um povo que cresce, amadurece e abandona os padrões da presente era. O problema não era terem começado como crianças espirituais. Todo cristão começa assim. O problema era permanecerem imaturos. O crescimento espiritual é uma exigência do Novo Testamento. Quem foi alcançado pela graça é chamado a crescer em santidade, em discernimento e em amor pela verdade. No fim, Paulo lembra algo glorioso e assustador ao mesmo tempo: a igreja é o templo de Deus. O Espírito habita no meio do seu povo. Por isso, divisões, facções e carnalidade não são coisas pequenas. Deus leva sua igreja a sério. O evangelho nos chama não apenas a “frequentar” a fé, mas a sermos transformados por ela. __ #FAMÍLIADOSQUECREEM #SÉRIEEMCRISTONOMUNDO Visite nosso site: https://fdqc.org Contribua financeiramente: https://fdqc.org/contribuir Ouça nossas músicas: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aPdiaGuHcyDVGzvZV4LHy Siga-nos no Instagram: http://instagram.com/familiadosquecreem Curta-nos no Facebook: http://facebook.com/familiadosquecreem Siga-nos no Twitter: http://twitter.com/familiadqc
Paul, a called apostle of Jesus Christ, through the will of God, and Sosthenes the brother,1COR.1:2 to the assembly of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all those calling upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place - both theirs and ours:1COR.1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!1COR.1:4 I give thanks to my God always concerning you for the grace of God that was given to you in Christ Jesus,1COR.1:5 that in every thing ye were enriched in him, in all discourse and all knowledge,1COR.1:6 according as the testimony of the Christ was confirmed in you,1COR.1:7 so that ye are not behind in any gift, waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,1COR.1:8 who also shall confirm you unto the end - unblamable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ;1COR.1:9 faithful [is] God, through whom ye were called to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.1COR.1:10 And I call upon you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that the same thing ye may all say, and there may not be divisions among you, and ye may be perfected in the same mind, and in the same judgment,1COR.1:11 for it was signified to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe, that contentions are among you;1COR.1:12 and I say this, that each one of you saith, ‘I, indeed, am of Paul' - ‘and I of Apollos,' - ‘and I of Cephas,' - ‘and I of Christ.'1COR.1:13 Hath the Christ been divided? was Paul crucified for you? or to the name of Paul were ye baptized;1COR.1:14 I give thanks to God that no one of you did I baptize, except Crispus and Gaius -1COR.1:15 that no one may say that to my own name I did baptize;1COR.1:16 and I did baptize also Stephanas' household - further, I have not known if I did baptize any other.1COR.1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but - to proclaim good news; not in wisdom of discourse, that the cross of the Christ may not be made of none effect;1COR.1:18 for the word of the cross to those indeed perishing is foolishness, and to us - those being saved - it is the power of God,1COR.1:19 for it hath been written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will bring to nought;'1COR.1:20 where [is] the wise? where the scribe? where a disputer of this age? did not God make foolish the wisdom of this world?1COR.1:21 for, seeing in the wisdom of God the world through the wisdom knew not God, it did please God through the foolishness of the preaching to save those believing.PAYPAL:spiritforce01@gmail.comBITCOIN:3H4Z2X22DuVUjWPsXKPEsWZmT9c4hDmYvyVENMO:@faithbucksCASHAPP:$spiritforcebucksZelle:faithbucks@proton.mePATREON:Michael BashamHOME BASE SITE:faithbucks.com
Thank you for listening to this episode. We continue in our “Ratchet & Righteous” series in 1 Corinthians. Date: 5/24/26 Speaker: Pastor Will Broadus Passage: 1 Cor 12:1-11 Please visit our website at reconcilecc.org for any questions. Thank you for helping support our mission to Preach The Gospel. Produce Disciples. Pursue Justice.
Rightly Ordered Communion - 1 Cor. 11:17-34 Micah Caswell
Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears, on May 24, 2026.
Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears, on May 24, 2026.
Marriage, Divorce and Fornication (1) (audio) David Eells, 5/24/26 Scriptural Marriage and Divorce David Eells I know this can be a real can of worms and such a touchy subject when dealing with people who love each other, but we owe it to the brethren to speak the truth concerning their eternal life. We must consider scripture rather than human reasoning, which has gotten a lot of people in trouble and they don't know why they are there. Here are some basic things the Lord has shown from scripture on divorce and remarriage: Jesus' commands superseded the Jews' permission for divorce by His statements, so we cannot go to the law to justify divorce. (Mat.19:8) He said to them, Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. Once again religion is wrong. Hardened hearts cannot be turned easily but in respecting scripture there is safety. There is only one reason for divorce. (9) And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication (Numeric) and marries another woman commits adultery.” If a spouse commits fornication, whether outside of the first marriage or by illegal remarriage, the other is free to remarry because the first spouse broke the marriage bond. Being legally able to remarry does not mean this is God's will for you. God loves to restore. If your mate repents and asks your forgiveness, then forgive as Christ forgave you. Also, spiritual fornication of the heart is not an excuse, for the scripture speaks of physical fornication of the body. You may be concerned, thinking, “What can I do if I got married before I came to the Lord?” Don't worry about that, because everything we did before we came to the Lord was sin, and we can't go back and do anything about it. After you're saved, you are now a new creation in the Lord, and your sins are washed clean by the blood of Christ. The disciples admitted this was a hard statement, and many think so today, but it is better to obey than to bring yourselves under a curse that many endure. (Mat.19:10) The disciples said to Him, “If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.” Even in the Old Testament, it was fornication for a believer to be married to an unbeliever but hear me out... (Ezr.9:2) For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the peoples of the lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass. ... (Ezr.10:10) And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have trespassed, and have married foreign women, to increase the guilt of Israel. (11) Now therefore make confession unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers, and do his pleasure; and separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the foreign women. Don't act here without reading on. And so it is in the New Covenant: (1Co.7:39) A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. Notice we are to marry “only in the Lord”. (1Co.9:5) Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer. Notice the condition, the wife must be a believer.. (2Co.6:14) Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? (15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? (If one becomes one with an unbeliever to some extent they are leavening themselves.)(16) And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (17) Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you. Better not even to date an unbeliever, saints. You don't want to go there because it will bring you a lot of heartache and curses in the future. However, God makes a concession in the New Testament when a person comes to the Lord with an unbelieving spouse because the unbelieving spouse might eventually be saved through their faith. (1Co.7:12) But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. (13) And the woman that hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. (14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. If that spouse, as an unbeliever, departs, you can remarry. (15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases]... Even if you are remarried illegally many times before coming to the Lord, the commands are to Christians and are not retroactive to the old life, for we are a new creation, cleansed of all past sins. Also, Christians can do things in ignorance that are under the blood, for knowledge precedes sin in the New Testament, as before the Law. (Rom.5:13) for until the law sin was in the world; but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (Rom.7:8)... for apart from the law sin [is] dead. (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (Joh.15:22) If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin. This is not an excuse for someone to falsely claim ignorance because God looks on the heart and knows all; He knows what you understand and what you do not. Judgment is sure for fornicators and adulterers. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators (Basically illegal sexual actions), nor idolaters, nor adulterers (Sometimes this is marrying someone who is already married and not scripturally divorced), nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. Marriage and divorce can be a very convoluted problem. If, after diligently searching into all that the New Covenant teaches on this subject and asking elders with no satisfaction, remember what Moses did. (Exo.18:25) And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (26) And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves. God told Moses that he would be as God to Israel. For some things, we need to get a word from our Lord. But be careful that you don't receive a flesh pleasing answer from your own mind. Samson kept choosing women for looks rather than staying with scripture and it got him killed. Let's look at what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about marriage. (1Co.7:1) Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (2) But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (3) Let the husband render unto the wife her due: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. (4) The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife. (5) Defraud ye not one the other, except it be by consent for a season, that ye may give yourselves unto prayer, and may be together again, that Satan tempt you not because of your incontinency. (6) But this I say by way of concession, not of commandment. (7) Yet I would that all men were even as I myself. Howbeit each man hath his own gift from God, one after this manner, and another after that. (If you're not married, then you won't be distracted, but not everybody has this gift to be celibate, and we're told, (Pro.18:22) Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favor of the Lord.) (8) But I say to the unmarried and to widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. (9) But if they have not continency, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. (10) But unto the married I give charge, [yea] not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband (11) (but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife. (I know there are circumstances where a believing or unbelieving husband can be very obnoxious, very overbearing, very sinful, and that's very crucifying to the wife, but that's not an excuse to leave. In most cases, unless he is asking the wife to willfully sin, there can be submission on her part. However, no one should stay in a situation where their life or the lives of their children are in physical danger. We have permission in such a case to flee (Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; etc.). (12) But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. (13) And the woman that hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband. (14) For the unbelieving husband is sanctified in the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified in the brother: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. Sanctified here means that the influence of you Christian life can save them and also your faith can stand in for them. (15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases]: but God hath called us in peace. (Just know that in the New Testament, being married to an unbeliever is not grounds to leave them; again, only if they leave you, are you free. In the Old Testament, however, if a believer married a non-believer, they demanded a divorce over that because for Jews to be married to non-Jews was fornication (Nehemiah 13:23-30; Ezra chapters 9 and 10). (Neh.13:26) Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin. (27) Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women? Back to (1Cor.7:16) For how knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? Or how knowest thou, O husband, whether thou shalt save thy wife? …(25) Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: but I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be trustworthy. (26) I think therefore that this is good by reason of the distress that is upon us, [namely,] that it is good for a man to be as he is. (27) Art thou bound unto a wife? Seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? Seek not a wife. (28) But shouldest thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Yet such shall have tribulation in the flesh: and I would spare you. (29) But this I say, brethren, the time is shortened, that henceforth both those that have wives may be as though they had none; (In other words don't let this distract from your service to God.) (30) and those that weep, as though they wept not; and those that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and those that buy, as though they possessed not; (31) and those that use the world, as not using it to the full: for the fashion of this world passeth away. (32) But I would have you to be free from cares. He that is unmarried is careful for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; (In other words, they're not divided in their attention. However, people don't have to be divided in their attention; they can be celibate or they can always put the Lord first.) (33) but he that is married is careful for the things of the world, how he may please his wife, (Well, if a man is married, it's necessary for him to please his wife, but not to the extent that he lets her be the head of the house; that's bad, very bad. That's like Jezebel and Ahab and I'll share more on that later.) (34) and is divided. [So] also the woman that is unmarried and the virgin is careful for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married is careful for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (Is this a bad thing? No, it's commanded, as a matter of fact. It's not a bad thing; it's just that your ability to have your total attention on the Lord without being distracted by family situations is going to be limited. God created the family, so He's not against families. He's against families where they're not married, obviously. What Paul is saying is that if a woman is married, she has to please her husband.) (35) And this I say for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is seemly, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction. (36) But if any man thinketh that he behaveth himself unseemly toward his virgin [daughter], if she be past the flower of her age, and if need so requireth, let him do what he will; he sinneth not; let them marry. (You have to understand that a woman was under the authority of her father until she married.)(37) But he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power as touching in his own heart, to keep his own virgin [daughter], shall do well. (38) So then both he that giveth his own virgin [daughter] in marriage doeth well; and he that giveth her not in marriage shall do better. (39) A wife is bound for so long time as her husband liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is free to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord. (40) But she is happier if she abide as she is, after my judgment: and I think that I also have the Spirit of God. Polygamy in the Church? Question from a sister: Someone told me that polygamy is allowed by God! I don't believe this, but I had no way to refute this claim. I tried finding some scriptures, but to no avail. When I looked this subject up on the internet, I actually found a “Christian” website promoting polygamy. What will they think of next? Can you share some scriptures that refute this claim? My answer: Under the Law, they were permitted to have more than one wife and divorce their wives because of their “hardness of heart” but under grace, there is no such permission. Jesus said a man could have one wife and “the two shall become one flesh.” (Mat.19:5-8) and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement, and to put [her] away? He saith unto them, Moses for your hardness of heart suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it hath not been so. From the beginning, God gave Adam, the Son of God, one wife. It appears his righteous seed through Seth were monogamous also. Cain's evil descendant, Lamech, was the first to take two wives. (Gen.4:19) And Lamech took unto him two wives. In order that a line of Israel not be extinct, the next of kin was permitted to raise up seed to a dead man's wife. But the seed of New Testament spiritual Israel is passed on through the Word (seed or sperma) of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Although they disobeyed God, the Kings of Israel were forbidden to multiply wives. (Deu.17:17-19) Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of [that which is] before the priests the Levites: and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them. The Apostles had one wife. (1Co.9:5) Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? All of God's people must be upright, but Paul required elders to be “without reproach” and “blameless” in that they were to be the “husband of one wife.” This is definitely one wife at a time because fornication is a legal ground for divorce and remarriage (1 Corinthians 7), and the death of a spouse is a legal ground to remarry. (1Ti.3:2) The bishop therefore must be without reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, orderly, given to hospitality, apt to teach. (12) Let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling [their] children and their own houses well. (Tit.1:6,7) if any man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children that believe, who are not accused of riot or unruly. For the bishop must be blameless, as God's steward... If the elders or the mature in the Lord need to be upright in having one wife, all need to be this way to be mature. The husband is the head of one wife as Christ is the head of one church. (Eph.5:23-33) For the husband is the head of the wife (not wives), as Christ also is the head of the church, [being] himself the saviour of the body. (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; (26) that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, (27) that he might present the church to himself a glorious [church], not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (28) Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself: (29) for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church; (30) because we are members of his body. (31) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife (not wives); and the two shall become one flesh. (32) This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church. (33) Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and [let] the wife [see] that she fear her husband. Now, I want to share this, too. Men, do not appease a Jezebel spirit; it's going to seduce you and lead you astray. This is our command from God. (Eph.5:22) Wives, [be in subjection] unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (The Lord, not I, said this, but those who have a Jezebel spirit will still get angry, although this is the truth. We have to obey God's Word, or we can't call ourselves “disciples.”) (23) For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, (Just as much as Jesus is Head of the Church, the husband is the head of the wife.), [being] himself the saviour of the body. (If a wife does not obey her husband, she is not going to get saved.) (24) But as the church is subject to Christ, so [let] the wives also [be] to their husbands in everything. (To make this possible for the wife, we are then told,) (25) Husbands, love your wives (Feeling unloved isn't an excuse for a wife to disobey her husband, but love makes it easier for the wife to obey her husband.), even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it. Men, loving your wife does not include giving in to a Jezebel spirit. Giving in means you are putting yourself under a demon spirit and taking yourself and your family out from under God. If you do that, you will pay the price. On the other hand, do not judge the lost wife. God insists on Christ the Word being your Head. Don't judge her, but don't allow her to be your Head. If Jesus is not your Head, then you are following a false god. It's very plain. (Mat.12:30) He that is not with me is against me… If, because of your stand for Christ, your wife leaves you, then suffer for Christ's sake. We all have to suffer in one way or another, but do not follow a false god. The Bible says, (1Co.7:15) Yet if the unbelieving departeth, let him depart: the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such [cases:] but God hath called us in peace If your spouse leaves because you follow Jesus, then so be it. You are not bound in such a case; God never really wants you to be married to an unbeliever anyway. He says to stay married to them only if they are content to dwell with you, because they can be saved through your witness. Amen! The wife who has an unbelieving husband should obey him up to, but not including, moral sin. (1Pe.3:1) In like manner, ye wives, [be] in subjection to your own husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives. (Read our book on our site, Word Woman and Authority.) If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you have to follow the Word. If you want to be a “Christian” and not be a disciple of Jesus, you are not going to be saved. It's that simple. The word “Christian” is a very loose term in our day, meaning almost nothing. In the early days, people were called “Christians” because they followed Christ Jesus and did His works. Today, the word “Christian” should mean more, but, sadly, it doesn't mean much to people. Jesus told us, (Mat.10:34) Think not that I came to send peace on the earth (You might think, “Peace between me and my wife is the most important. I have to do whatever I have to do.” No, you don't. Jesus did not come to send peace on the earth.): I came not to send peace, but a sword. (And that “sword” is to divide those who are loyal to God's Word from those who are not.) (35) For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law (Now, there are many more relationships. He's just making a point.): (36) and a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household. When you come to God, and they have not, you have no communion there. The Bible says, (2Co.6:14) Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness? If you follow the Lord, they can be converted by your witness. If you don't follow the Lord, you have no favor from God, and in that event, don't expect your family to be saved. For your family to be saved, the most important thing for you to do is follow the Lord as a disciple of Jesus Christ and have favor from God. He will save your family if you believe Him for it. (Mat.10:37) He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. You can love people more than you love the Word. The Lord and Word are the same. If you love someone or something more than the Word, you are going to be deceived. It's possible to pity demon-possessed people and then, through demons manipulating that pity, to be deceived and fall right into their situation. Don't believe that all those who call themselves “Christian” are going to be saved, because (Mat.10:38) And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. (We are to die on our “cross” in order to gain our higher life, the life of the born-again man.) (39) He that findeth his life (This is the old psuche life.) shall lose it; (39) and he that loseth his life (Again, this is the old psuche life, the carnal self.) for my sake shall find it. Let me share with you a testimony we have on our site called: Marriage Lost and Found William and Jamie Leek - 02/09/2010 My wife and I have been separated and near divorce twice since the year 2000 because we loved “our sin”, plain and simple. The first separation was in 2002 and 2003. This separation wasn't as bad as the second, but there were a lot of lies and deceit practiced by both parties during the first separation. We got back together in 2003, where our “Mother in the Lord” renewed our vows. The only problem with this is that we were still mocking God in our walks with Him and still “playing church.” We had made a “confession” of Jesus Christ, but we were not being taught the “whole counsel of God,” so we thought the Lord forgave our sin at the cross, and we were “Covered in the Blood.” According to Matthew 12:43-45, when we confessed Christ and His blood cleansed us from our sin and the curse, we allowed that sin to remain in our lives. The demons, which plagued us, brought seven more back with them, stronger than the first. Thus, we were worse off than ever before. We thank the Lord for His mercy, grace, and long-suffering with us. In 2004 came the second separation. This time, the Lord had given us both over to the desires of our very own wicked hearts and allowed us to sink to levels of darkness that we never knew we had in us. During our second separation, the Lord allowed us to see just how sick the human heart, will, and emotions really are (Jeremiah 17:9). During this time of separation, we both fled at top speed back into the world, and we returned to our old ways. I began to smoke pot again (all day EVERYDAY), and she began to drink more than she ever did. We both began to sleep around with other people outside of our marriage. We were separated for nine months, and the combined number of people the two of us slept with was 16. The Lord really allowed us to fall to the bottom of the depths of the sea of sin, which our lives had become. We were going to a little Pentecostal church at the time when these separations took place. It was here we met a woman I considered to be like a mother in the Lord. She loved my wife and family with all her heart. She took time to come to our home and share the scriptures with us once a week for an extended period of time. She believed with her whole heart that we were “called” to the ministry. She would call me in the middle of the night and say, “I woke up in tears, praying in tongues because I just had such a burden for your family.” The Lord would end up using this mighty woman of God and her fervent prayer life to reconcile our marriage and heal our family. She also told me during the 2004 separation that the Lord gave her a dream where He showed her my family living together in a home happier than we had ever been. This, of course, did not matter to me at the time because my heart was full of rage and hatred. I don't believe in accidents; I believe in the sovereign God written about in the scriptures. In January of 2005, I took a trip to Florida with a woman with whom I had been committing adultery. We drove down together, but for some reason at the end of the trip I made her get on a plane, and I drove home alone. On the trip home, my wife and I started to talk again. The Lord also began to really convict me of my sin. Even though, at the time, I did not understand the meaning of “conviction of sin.” All I knew was that I had an overwhelming feeling of guilt for what I was doing. I knew that a change had to come. In April of 2005, my wife and I really started to talk again on a regular basis. At the beginning of May, we had been together for the entire weekend when we received a phone call from a lady with whom we had gone to church. This lady had news that would shake my wife and me to the very core of our being. She told me that my Mother in the Lord, Shirley Summers, was dying of cancer. Well, this is where we know the Lord began to heal our marriage. When the woman shared this news with me on the phone, I began to weep. With tears streaming down my face, I shared the news with my wife, and we shared tears together. She looked at me and said, “I am going to my parents' house, and I'm getting my things, and I am coming home.” That was on May 4, 2005. The next day, my mom called me on the phone and told me that Shirley had gone on to glory. The reason this stands out as one of the most important events in our marriage is that this woman prayed for us fervently (James 5:16). She never stopped believing in our call to the ministry, and she stood in faith for our marriage when we couldn't. Also, the number “5” in the scriptures signifies “GRACE,” and we didn't realize that until a year later, that our Mother in the Lord had died on 5/05/05, a number and day of GRACE. The Lord was very long-suffering with my wife and me. It was not until after we reconciled that we ran across a website where we began to hear the “full Gospel” being preached. We had never heard all the important doctrines taught throughout the scriptures. We had not been taught about repentance, obedience, holiness, or real Bible faith. We also realized that neither one of us was truly saved, as spoken of in the Bible. The scariest thing of all is that we realized that if the Lord would have called our numbers, we would have gone to HELL! It has been a long journey for both of us, as we got rid of the leaven in our lives after leaving the organized church. Over the years, we have had to learn what it means to repent and to truly come to the Lord, believing who He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. We thank the Lord for UBM for standing for the “TRUE GOSPEL”! Deuteronomy 4:30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. Matthew 3:3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Now, what about common law marriage? Is that biblical? Most states in America have abolished common law marriage, and only a few states recognize it as a legal marriage between two people who have not purchased a marriage license or had their marriage solemnized by a ceremony. The few states that do recognize it have conditional statutes. Scripture is clear that marriage is a binding commitment before witnesses and God; a public, covenantal relationship. It is a commitment agreement until death. When Christians marry, they commit to loving each other just as Christ loved the church. If you are not married, you are living in fornication. Heterosexual and Homosexual Fornication Letter from a friend: Hi! I have a neighbor friend with whom I've been having sort of an ongoing “discussion/argument” about whether sex outside of marriage is OK, according to the Bible. I know in my heart it is not, but he wants me to prove it to him with scripture. I haven't studied it extensively, but what I've read doesn't say it precisely enough to prove my point. There is one passage about two unwed people being found in the act and having to marry. Since the Ten Commandments do not say, thou shalt not have sex outside of marriage, he thinks it is ok. (LOL) Of course, the real issue is that he's not a born-again believer. But he asked me to prove it to him, so I'm going to try to do it. I don't know much about the Hebrew meanings of the words, etc. Can you help when you have time? :-) Thanks! My reply: Fornication is the broad term that covers all sex outside of heterosexual marriage. Adultery, homosexuality, whoremonger, bestiality, and masturbation all fall under this category. The Greek word for fornication is “porneia”, from which we get pornography. Many commit fornication with pornography in print or on any visual screen, TV, social media sites, movies, etc. (Mat.5:28) but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. The same is true for any other illicit sexual desire. Repentance and faith deliver from these sins. Heterosexual Fornication Everyone who has sex out of marriage is a fornicator. (1Co.7:1) Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (7:2) But, because of fornications, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. All fornicators must repent or face eternal damnation. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. (15) Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? shall I then take away the members of Christ, and make them members of a harlot? God forbid. (16) Or know ye not that he that is joined to a harlot is one body? for, The twain, saith he, shall become one flesh. (17) But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (18) Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (1Co.10:8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. (Gal.5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness (License to “go beyond the things that are written”), (21) envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. (Rev.22:14) Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right [to come] to the tree of life, and my enter in by the gates into the city (the bride). (15) Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. (1Co.7:9) But if they have not continency (self-control of sexual appetites), let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. (1Ti.5:14) I desire therefore that the younger [widows] marry, bear children, rule the household, give no occasion to the adversary for reviling: (15) for already some are turned aside after Satan. (Job.31:1) I made a covenant with mine eyes; How then should I look upon a virgin? (9) If my heart hath been enticed unto a woman, And I have laid wait at my neighbor's door; (10) Then let my wife grind unto another, And let others bow down upon her. (11) For that were a heinous crime; Yea, it were an iniquity to be punished by the judges: (12) For it is a fire that consumeth unto Destruction, And would root out all mine increase. (Pro.2:16) To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words; (17) That forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God: (18) For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead; (19) None that go unto her return again, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life: (Exo.22:16) And if a man entice a virgin that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely pay a dowry for her to be his wife. (17) If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. (Deu.22:28) If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; (29) then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty [shekels] of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days. Do you believe that because you are “saved” that you can get away with this willful disobedience? (Jer.7:9) Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, (10) and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations? (11) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah. (12) But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. (13) And now, because ye have done all these works, saith Jehovah, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not: (14) therefore will I do unto the house which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. (15) And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. That is just the Old Testament, you say? In any place that we are willfully disobedient, we need the fear of God. Sins of ignorance (Rom.5:13; 7:8,9) and sins of failure (Rom.7:19-25) are under the blood when we repent. However, we cannot claim the sacrificial benefits if we willfully walk in premeditated sin. (Heb.10:26) For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment... Jesus bore all sin; He also bore the penalty for all sin, except willful disobedience. Notice that there is “no more a sacrifice” for that sin. We would have “a certain fearful expectation of judgment.” Many of us have been lied to about the cleansing of the blood. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. The blood cleanses the one who walks in the light of the Word, not in the darkness of willful disobedience. For willful disobedience, we are promised certain judgment. We pay the penalty for this sin here and now, as in the following verses: (Mat.18:34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors (demons), till he should pay all that was due. (35) So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts. God will use the demons to make us pay for a sin of the will. (Mat.5:25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge (God), and the judge deliver thee to the officer (demon), and thou be cast into prison. (26) Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing. The prison here is spiritual bondage to sin and the curse, administered by the demons. Jesus came “...to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening [of the prison] to them that are bound” (Isa.61:1). Willful disobedience throws us back into the prison that Jesus delivered us from. David sinned willfully with Bathsheba. When he repented, Nathan the prophet said, “The Lord also hath put away thy sin”, but he also said, “The sword shall never depart from thy house.” In other words, I forgive you, but you will have to pay the penalty. This proved true, for David lost three sons and many people. His own son Absalom won the sympathy of the people and usurped the kingdom. David had to flee for his life. As parents we do not spank our children for failure or mistakes, but for willful disobedience. Paul said, “For the good which I would I do not: but the evil which I would not (willed not), that I practice. But if what I would not (willed not), that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwelleth in me” (Rom.7:19,20). Paul was failing God in a sin that his will was against. Notice that he hated the sin and was not accounted guilty; the old sin nature was guilty. When we are against the sin, God takes our side against the sin. He takes the side of the spiritual man against the old man. In this state, Paul cried out to the Lord. (24) Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? Then he accepted God's promise of deliverance by faith. (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus bore the curse of the sin for a person who, like Paul, is repentant. The curse of death is upon the one who will not save themselves for marriage. (Deu.22:13) If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,(14) and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of virginity; …(20) But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel; (21) then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house: so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee. Only repentance and faith in the sacrifice of Jesus removes this curse. (22) If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband,(Adultery) then they shall both of them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away the evil from Israel. (23) If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; (24) then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them to death with stones; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife: so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee. (25) But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man force her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die: (26) but unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbor, and slayeth him, even so is this matter; (27) for he found her in the field, the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her. Homosexual Fornication (Jude 1:7) Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, having in like manner with these given themselves over to fornication and gone after strange flesh (Men with men/women with women), are set forth as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire. (2Pe.2:6) and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; (7) and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (8) (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] lawless deeds): (9) the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (10) but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. We have seen many people who fell into faction and ultimately into fornication of many kinds, and God reprobated them. Let me share a portion of a dream from Reynaldo Portela: In this dream, an angel put me in a room where a group of men was practicing homosexuality, and the angel told me, “The man who has sex with another man is going to regret it. God hates the practice of that sin.” (David: In the spiritual, we are reborn with Christ's spirit. Therefore, we should only sow Christ's spirit in our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions. If we receive the spiritual seed of “men”, we often lose our first love and become reprobate.) (Rom.1:24) Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: (25) for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. (26) For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature: (27) and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due. (28) And even as they refused to have God in [their] knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting (32) who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them. In an open vision, I, David, saw a factious group, and one of them that I knew left them and went behind a wall. The Lord said, “Follow him,” so I did. What I saw behind the wall was this man committing sodomy on 3 of his friends. Over the next day or two, I went to this man and told him my vision, and his eyes widened, and Michael and I both saw he was guilty. He didn't deny it, but later he threatened me. The factious leader told me about three times that he spoke with them during a certain time period, when he was supposed to be with us, and then he fell away three times. I told him he could not associate with them according to the Word. Eve Brast had a dream where they had captured her, and they were bisexual. Other factious leaders had the same problem and were also bisexual. They all have sexual perversion. Satan demands perversion from his servants. The DS are satanists also and are bisexual. They have the same spirits. God is always willing to deliver anyone like this if there is repentance. (Gal.5:19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (21) ...they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (1Co.6:9) Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, (10) ... shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. (Deu.23:17) There shall be no prostitute of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel. (18) Thou shalt not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of Jehovah thy God for any vow: for even both these are an abomination unto Jehovah thy God. (Rev.21:7) He that overcometh shall inherit these things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [shall be] in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. (Rev.22:14) Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right [to come] to the tree of life, and my enter in by the gates into the city. (15) Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. Sodomite Crossdressers -(1Ki.14:24) and there were also sodomites in the land: they did according to all the abominations of the nations which Jehovah drove out before the children of Israel. (1Ki.15:11) And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, as did David his father. (12) And he put away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. (Deu.22:5) A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah thy God. (Lev.18:22) Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. (Lev.20:13) And if a man lie with mankind, as with womankind, both of them have committed abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Bestiality (Exo.22:19) Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death. (Lev.18:23) And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto: it is confusion. (Lev.20:15) And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast. (16) And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. (Deu.27:21) Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen. Masturbation (Gen.38:8) And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother. (9) And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. (10) And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also. Remember I said that through repentance and faith in Jesus and His sacrifice for us, there is deliverance from these sins and its curses. Now God knows that you did not necessarily choose this life, and some of you think you had this from birth, which is not true. A lot of you already know that you were molested at some point in your life, and you became a sinner. Well, these demons entered in then. Now the Good News of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ bore this sin upon Himself for you, and He is offering you grace to repent and be delivered from it so you will never have these wrong desires and emotions again. He took away the sin nature of homosexuality and any sin of fornication. He wants you to repent and surrender your life to Him. Confess your sins as the Bible says in 1Jo.1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. God will give you a new, clean spirit and a new nature, this free gift of His salvation! Let's pray. Father, we thank You, and we ask You, Lord, to reach out and touch the people out there who are in bondage to sin, homosexual, heterosexual, or any kind of sin, and we ask You, Lord, to reach out and touch them with Your convicting power. Father, we ask You to show them that Your word is true. We ask You to reveal Yourself to them, and to show them the Real True Good News that Jesus has already delivered them from this; He's already borne their sin on the cross, and they don't have to bear it any longer. Father, we ask it in the name of Jesus that You go forth right now and deliver those who are listening to us who believe what's been shared here. Please, Lord, go forth and deliver them now in the name of Jesus. We rebuke these demons from your life in the name of Jesus Christ! O Lord, we thank You for Your mighty power going forth to restore those that You have loved from the foundation of the world. Thank you, Father. Now, friends, if you agreed and prayed this with us, you need to go and start reading your New Testament and believe what it says and know that the Lord is working in you both to will and do of His good pleasure. It's not by your works, it's His working in you! Now, I want to share a published article on a study done that proves there is freedom from homosexuality. 'Groundbreaking' study shows 'gays' can change Posted: September 15, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2007 WorldNetDaily.com In the first longitudinal, peer-reviewed, scientific study of its kind, researchers have concluded that some homosexuals can change their “orientation” through religiously mediated guidance. Researchers Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse released the results of a three-year study on Thursday during an address at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference. Their conclusions contradict the claims of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, which contend that such a change in sexual orientation is impossible and attempting to pursue it likely will cause depression, anxiety, or self-destructive behavior. The new study concluded such changes do not cause psychological harm to the patient. Nicholas A. Cummings, former American Psychological Association president, praised the research. “This study has broken new ground in its adherence to objectivity and a scientific precision that can be replicated and expanded, and it opens new horizons for investigation”, he said. Exodus International, the world's largest Christian ministry to homosexuals, said it funded the research because of the absence of any scientific, peer-reviewed research on the topic. The major findings are reported in a book to be released by the evangelical Christian publisher InterVarsity Press, “Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation.” A homosexual-activist group called Truth Wins Out warned news organizations “to be highly skeptical of a biased 'ex-gay' sham study.” The homosexual group said, “Caution should be taken in prematurely critiquing the study until the full methodology is available. However, based on unconfirmed reports, there is great concern that these notorious anti-gay researchers did little more than professional ex-gay lobbyists and ministers from Exodus International, and ask them if they had 'changed.'” Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International and a former homosexual, said, “Finally, there is now scientific evidence to prove what we as former homosexuals have known all along - that those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attraction can experience freedom from it.” “For years, opponents of choice have said otherwise, and this body of research is critical in advancing the national dialogue on this issue”, he said. Chambers said, “the life-changing process of leaving homosexuality behind” is not easy, but “for thousands of us, the journey has been well worth it, and we are grateful that these study findings give credence to our existence as men and women whose lives have been transformed by Jesus Christ.” Jones, a provost and professor at Wheaton College, an evangelical school in Wheaton, Ill., told CitizenLink magazine in an interview he was prompted to do the study because of the “ever-increasing pessimism expressed in the professional world that sexual orientation could ever be changed.” “This was in contrast to the fact that I occasionally met individuals in Christian circles who claim to have experienced precisely such change”, he said. “When the mental-health field actually began to say that change is impossible - that sexual orientation cannot be changed - it formed the perfect scientific hypothesis to be able to conduct a study.” Jones noted there have been dozens of studies conducted suggesting change is possible for some people, but “the research is not of the highest quality and has been deeply and highly criticized.” After studying the criticisms of those studies, Jones and Yarhouse concluded the proper methodology would need to be both “prospective and longitudinal.” “Prospective means that you catch people before they begin the change process and follow them through the process, while longitudinal means that you're actually following people over time to see if the change is stable”, Jones explained to CitizenLink. “The scientific characteristics of the study are unique, in that no one has ever started early and then followed people over a long period of time like we did.” Jones said they found that, by following the subjects over time, “not everyone is successful, not even a majority is successful, but a very substantial group of people report fairly dramatic change.” “We found that 15 percent of our sample of about 100 claimed to actually have changed from homosexuality to heterosexuality”, he said. “These people experienced significant enough change that they really felt like they had left one sexual orientation to shift into another.” He acknowledged “life is still complicated for these people, and some still have some residuals of their homosexual attractions.” “However, they are people who report being able to function as heterosexuals, they're happy with their marriages, and they feel that their lives have changed dramatically”, he said. The other type of success he found - in almost a quarter of the subjects - was “people who left the homosexual lifestyle and experienced very substantial reductions in homosexual attraction by embracing the Christian discipline of chastity, not acting on their sexual impulses.” “These were people who felt like they were free now to orient their lives not on their sexual, erotic desires and needs, but on their relationship with God and on healthy, nonsexual intimacy with other people”, Jones said. The two groups together, those who converted and those who experienced chastity, made up about 38 percent of the sample. “We feel these changes observed over this substantial period of time provide a clear indication that the opinions of the secular mental-health field that change is impossible are simply wrong”, Jones said. The second area of the research focused on the secular mental-health community's claims that the attempt to change is harmful. Jones and Yarhouse administered a standard psychological inventory that measures psychological distress to subjects at every point along the way. “We found that there was essentially no change in their psychological distress over time”, Jones said. “On that basis, we feel that there is no evidence that the change attempt is harmful, and we found evidence that change is possible for some people.” He added, however, the research does not prove that anybody can change or that no one has ever been harmed from the attempt to change. “It just suggests that the forceful way in which the secular mental-health community is saying change is impossible and harmful is just not well-advised”, he said. Jones pointed out that the American Psychological Association has a blue-ribbon panel right now examining the question of how it should formulate its policies on the subject of attempts to change sexual orientation. Certain members, Jones noted, have already said publicly that change is impossible and harmful. Jones said he hopes “there will be enough of an open mind on the part of the secular mental-health community that they will not continue the movement towards banning these kinds of attempts to change sexual orientation, harassing them out of existence and labeling as unethical any professional person who cooperates with them.” “There is a need to respect the autonomy of individuals who are distressed about what they have experienced sexually and for religious or moral reasons want to try the attempt to change”, Jones told CitizenLink. “Those people first need to be fully informed about just how complex and difficult that process is, and then they should have the right as individuals, as an exercise of personal and religious freedom, to seek support in their attempt to change sexual orientation.” Printer-friendly version
Pastor Ian Graham begins our study on 1 Corinthians.Support the show
Orderly Worship - 1 Cor. 11:2-16 Micah Caswell
Thank you for listening. We continue in our “Ratchet & Righteous” series in 1 Corinthians. Date: 5/17/26 Speaker: Pastor Will Broadus Passage: 1 Cor 11:17-34 Highlights from the sermon: - A culturally considerate diverse church community highlights the gospel. - Righteousness and justice must happen in the church before it can happen through the church. - We have to be a model community before we can be a “prophetic” community. Please visit our website at reconcilecc.org for any questions. Thank you for supporting our mission to Preach The Gospel. Produce Disciples. Pursue Justice.
Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears on May 17, 2026.
Preached by Lead Pastor, Rev. Aubrey Spears on May 17, 2026.
Send us a text. If you would like a response, please send us an email to bcoc@suddenlinkmail.com.Jim Laws
Message from Jared Raby on May 17, 2026
Thank you for listening to this sermon. We continue in our Ratchet & Righteous series in 1 Corinthians. Date: 5/10/26 Speaker: Pastor Will Broadus Passage: 1 Cor 11:2-16 Please visit our website at reconcilecc.org for any questions. Thank you for helping support our mission to Preach The Gospel. Produce Disciples. Pursue Justice.
What if the greatest threat to the church isn't culture, politics, or persecution… but Christians themselves?In this episode of The Corinth Conversations, Dr. T. Michael W. Halcomb and Dr. Fredrick J. Long dive into 1 Corinthians 1:10–11, where Paul confronts a deeply divided church—not one under attack from the outside, but one fracturing from within.They explore:- What Paul really means by “unity”- The difference between unity vs. uniformity- When division is actually necessary- How rivalry, pride, and identity fracture the church- Why a false version of Jesus leads to confusion and compromise“Are we actually under attack… or are we just attacking each other?”This passage is just as relevant today as it was in Corinth.
Weston & Jenny Brock // May 10, 2026
Message from Derek Griz on May 10, 2026
Visite nosso site: https://fdqc.org Contribua financeiramente: https://fdqc.org/contribuir Ouça nossas músicas: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aPdiaGuHcyDVGzvZV4LHy Siga-nos no Instagram: http://instagram.com/familiadosquecreem Curta-nos no Facebook: http://facebook.com/familiadosquecreem Siga-nos no Twitter: http://twitter.com/familiadqc
As we continue our series, “Cultivating a Healthy Marriage and Family", Pastor John will guide us in a thoughtful and biblical discussion of “God's Good Gift of Sex.” Join us as we consider God's design for sexuality within the covenant of marriage.
Sermons Shaped by the Westminster Shorter Catechism
Thank you for listening to this sermon. We continue in our “Ratchet & Righteous” series in 1 Corinthians. Date: 5/3/26 Speaker: Pastor Will Broadus Passage: 1 Cor. 10:1-22 Please visit our website at reconcilecc.org for any questions. Thank you for helping support our mission to Preach The Gospel. Produce Disciples. Pursue Justice.
Honoring Leadership Authority (1) (audio) David Eells, 5/3/26 Father, it says in Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge… Help us to know how to cooperate with You in these days to come. We make our own future because You tell us that we reap what we sow. Lord, we would like to cooperate with You and be led by Your Spirit. Please, Lord, open our understanding and give us wisdom how to cooperate with You. Please help us to avoid the great tribulations that are going to come upon those who have been rebellious historically. We see that this cycle is about to start again, and we see that Your people once again are rebellious to Your Word, and in ways that we are rebellious to Your Word, it brings tribulation upon us. And we're asking You, Father, to please have mercy upon us and open our eyes and give us Your grace. We ask it all in the name of Jesus. Thank You, Father. Well, I've been thinking about this, and I feel like the Lord is showing me that what I'm going to share with you today could save some lives in the days to come. I just ask you to be patient with me and let me share this with you. I'm going to start in Romans 13. There's a thing going around in the patriot movement that preachers in the end times are working for the government, the beast government, and are going to be preaching Romans 13. Well, I was preaching Romans 13 before they ever thought about that, and I don't believe we should depart from anything that the Word has to say. I don't care who's doing it wrong out there. Romans 13 is in the Bible, and it comes from God Almighty, and now I'm not working for the government. In fact, I don't even think they like me. But at any rate, I think we need to obey this, because if we don't, it promises judgment. Let's read it. Rom.13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. Now, the people who don't believe in the sovereignty of God believe that there's good and there's bad. God's got the good, the devil's got the bad. But that's not biblical at all. God works all things after the counsel of His own will. (Eph.1:11) And He is even over the devil. If you read the Book of Job, you'll see that the devil had no free will. He was only permitted to try to tribulate God's people with God's express permission. God permits this if His people go astray or walk out from under the blood. The devil is there, as I say, like a mad dog, ready to give them a reason to get back under the blood. And the curse is out there to chasten God's people and bring them to the place of repentance to receive God's blessing. Jesus became a curse for us; He bore the curse on Himself. (Gal.3:13) But if you're out there doing your own thing, then you're under a curse. Well, He's telling us here, and He warns us that there's no power that's not of God on this earth. God claims the power over vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. And I'll just point out to you one place in Daniel chapter 4. Listen to this now because some of you don't believe or obey this. Daniel chapter 4 says the same exact statement three times. When God does that in a text, believe me, He wants you to get the point. Well, the first one was spoken by a holy one, who came down out of heaven and spoke it to Nebuchadnezzar, and it's in Dan.4:17 The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the lowest of men. 25 … and seven times shall pass over thee; till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And then it's stated a third time, A voice came out of heaven and spoke it in Dan.4:31 … there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken:… 32 … thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen; and seven times shall pass over thee; until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. So God said three times in Daniel 4 The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And we just read in Romans 13 that there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained of God. For that reason we respect these authorities. Rom.13:2 Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. See, when you rebel against the powers that be, whoever they are, you rebel against the ordinance of God. And He says, ‘They that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment.' Now, I'm going to tell you, a lot of Christians are going to come under judgment because they don't understand this principle. It's very, very important. First, He says, there's no power but of God. Now, you need to realize who these people in power were back in those days. They were Herod and Pilate and Caesar and, even in later days, the Hitlers and the Mussolini's and the Stalin's and the Idi Amins and people like that. God is saying that He's still in control of all that. As a matter of fact, He raised up every beast empire that ever ruled over God's people, and God took credit for it in the Scriptures every time. And now we're coming to another beast empire, and God's people don't know this principle that we're looking at here, which is absolutely and totally important if you want to escape this judgment that's coming. Let's look at Act.4:25 who by the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David thy servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain things? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed: How many of you know that in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, those who are filled with the Holy Spirit are also called God's anointed. Christos is the word there. We are the anointed of God when we are saved and filled with His Spirit. Now, where it's spoken here in the Book of Acts, this is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was God's Anointed. The body of Christ is still on the earth, and we, being anointed, are vessels through whom He can continue to do His work. That's the way it was planned from the beginning. I want to read on in Act.4:27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, (two vessels of dishonor that ruled at that time. I'll point out to you that Jesus wasn't even disrespectful to the leadership He met at the time of His trial. You understand?) both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, 28 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to pass. So, even the crucifixion of Jesus was totally foreordained of God, and He used Herod, and Pontius Pilate, and the Gentiles, and the people of Israel to bring to pass the crucifixion of the body of Christ. Now, this was spoken by the Holy Spirit out of the mouth of David. And Jesus was the David of His day, the son of David. Once again, this is going to happen in our day because it's a repetition of history. History keeps on repeating. So we're looking at this on a larger scale in our day. We're looking at ‘the people's imagining a vain thing, the kings of the earth setting themselves in array, the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against His anointed.' The same thing is going to happen. This is one of those prophecies that's fulfilled repeatedly. And the Lord foreordained this. Well, at this time, Jesus, Who didn't sin and took our sacrifice, became our sacrifice; His body took the punishment, He was crucified for us. But He also told us we have to take up our cross and follow Him. The fact that the church is rebellious doesn't mean that Jesus could have taken all the punishment. The reason is that the Bible says Heb.10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. So, when you walk in rebellion to God's Word, there is still crucifixion. There is still judgment upon the body of Christ, that is, the outer man, the man that's in rebellion. The Lord told us that we have to take up our cross and follow Him if we want to be His disciples. And that cross is for the crucifixion of the old self-life. And so God is about to do the same thing again. He's raising up the nations of the world, the kings and presidents of the world, to come against Him and to come against His anointed. And He foreordained this to come to pass. Now, in Romans 8, we can see that it is indeed going to happen. Rom.8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth; 34 who is he that condemneth? It is Christ Jesus that died, yea rather, that was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? God loves us. He saw us from the foundation of the world as a finished product. And we're actually in creation mode now. It's that we cannot take this old flesh, that old man with us. And there is a crucifixion foreordained. Rom.8:36 Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Why are we conquerors, in some cases, by being slaughtered? How could that be? For one thing, one of our enemies is this old man, this old life. It is an enmity with God, meaning the flesh is the enemy of God, according to the Scriptures. So, we're conquering this old man. Jesus conquered, in a type for us, the body of Christ. He conquered it on that cross, right? He went to the cross, He overcame, He was victorious. And we, too, in a spiritual way, have to take up our cross in order to be victorious. And God has created this world to cooperate with us in this process. But we go through many things we don't have to. And that's what I want to talk about today. Rom.8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Don't think that because you end up in a crucifixion that God doesn't love you. It is because He loves you that you're going through that. He is preparing you for another Kingdom, a Kingdom in which this old flesh cannot rule, cannot reign. I want to go back to Romans 13 and reiterate what was said here, Rom.13:1 … for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: (If we resist the power that God has put in place, again, this was spoken about in the time of Herod, and Pilate, and at the time of Caesar, and so forth. If you rebel against the laws that be and the leaders that be, when there's no need for it whatsoever, then God says, You're going to receive judgment. Why are judgments coming? I believe many of God's people are going to rebel and won't obey. And I'll point out to you what the Scripture has to say about that. But we need to totally respect the authority of what we call the beast government. In fact, reading on it says, and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. Okay, this is an important point here. Rom.13.3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: Now, how do we determine what is evil works? Well, for one thing, an evil work is when you do not respect the authority whom God put in position, and we're going to look at that. When I was younger even those of a different party spoke respectfully to the president, or about him, calling him “Mr. President” even if they disagreed with him. We saw what Daniel said. There is nobody in a position of authority who wasn't put there by God. Even Nebuchadnezzar, who was what? The king of the great eagle of Babylon. The head of the nation. Sounds familiar? God put that man in there. Daniel chapter 4 said this three times. Well, didn't Nebuchadnezzar conquer the people of God, kill many of them, take them away captive, into bondage? Exactly. And God still told them that He put this man in authority. They were to submit. And if they didn't, they were going to receive judgment. Why does God promote a beast kingdom over God's people? It's because God's people are in rebellion. God gave authority to the beast kingdom to crucify Jesus Christ. Was it because of His own sins? No, because He bore our sins. What was God crucifying there? Our rebellion was being crucified there, you see. We were crucified with Christ, the Bible says. Rom13.3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Now, we have to let the Scriptures tell us what is an evil work, right? And some people are already rebelling because they don't believe what the Scriptures are saying here in chapter 13, verses 1-3. Even now, they're rebelling against them. And the reason is that they're rebelling against them because they don't know how to cooperate with God. They don't know God's purpose. If you knew God's purpose, you would see a perfectly good reason for obeying this and respecting the leader. I just saw 4 leaders of the MAGA movement rail and revile (sins) President Trump because in their pride they disagreed with him but no one voted for them. And I can assure you they are headed for a spanking. Even if he was wrong, none of them have made the great changes he has at the threat of his life. They are giving the enemy ammunition. But people make God captive to their own mind and their own understanding. Listen, we don't know anything that God knows or even the president knows. And so, if we have to understand something before we'll obey it, that's just rebellion against God. God made the rules, so we're just here to obey Him. And we know that if we obey Him, we will see the good fruit of it, and we will ultimately understand. Rom13.3 … And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, (In other words, do that which is good in God's eyes, even according to this. That's a God-ordained law to be subject to the higher powers.) and thou shalt have praise from the same: 4 for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. (In other words, for conscience of God, you should obey what the word of God says concerning rulers, concerning presidents. You should obey.) Let's go now to Tit.3:1 Put them in mind to be in subjection to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready unto every good work, 2 to speak evil of no man, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all meekness toward all men. Again, this is addressing the same thing that Romans 13 says. But he carries us a little further. He wants us to even speak evil of no man and be meek towards all men. If the Lord wants us to be this way towards the rulers of this world, and we're antagonistic towards them, or insolent and rebellious against them, then we're rebelling against God. Why is it that we should have this attitude towards rulers who may not even know God? Well, for one thing, in 1 Corinthians 5, we're commanded of the Lord not to judge those who are without. He said, Do not ye judge those that are within, but those that are without, God judges. (1Cor 5:12) So, God doesn't want us ever to judge the lost. They don't have any choice because they haven't received grace from God to grant them repentance, to grant them the faith that they need to walk in His Kingdom. By the grace of God, He's given us a new nature, and we desire to do the things that are pleasing unto Him. If they don't have that grace of God, we certainly can't judge them. We'd be judging ourselves. We're forbidden to judge those who are without, to be angry, to be critical, as though they could be something other than what they are. They are what they are, and they do what they are. We want grace from God, so we give grace to everyone else, right? We want unmerited favor of God, so we do not judge what He commands us not to judge. We don't see that spirit of judgment in the scriptures of holy men towards even pagan government rulers, evil government rulers, and I'm going to point this out to you in just a few places here. Let me now look at 1Pe.2:13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: (People say, well, maybe it's not an ordinance, maybe it's a law. They're trying to get out of it. But actually the word here is ‘every creation of man.') whether to the king, as supreme; (God is telling us to submit to a king as supreme in judgments concerning the natural earth.) 14 or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: (In other words, if we submit to the rulers, we will give honor to God in the earth. We will show people that we are law-abiding people, and that we keep His laws. God's laws, as we can see over and over, are to submit to man's laws. I know there is a condition to that, and we'll get to that too. 1Pe.2:16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men. (Even wicked men, we don't have to treat them insolently or contrary. The Bible even says, ‘Love your enemies.' We don't have to treat them insolently, or arrogantly, or rebelliously, or speak evil things. He says, Honor all men.) Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (Listen to this. Honor the king? You know, he didn't say, ‘worship the king' He said, ‘Honor the king.' And the translators believed this not to be the King of kings. We know we're supposed to honor Jesus as the King of kings. This means we're not to be insolent or arrogant, we're not to speak evil of the natural king or president. We are to submit and be respectful. And if we disagree, we must do it respectfully.) I'm going to read Exo.22:28 Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse a ruler of thy people. (Some are calling him Hitler and antichrist. And as we've seen, this is not just talking about a religious ruler, somebody who's right, or honorable, somebody who is Christian; He says, ‘honor the king.' How many kings do you know of on planet Earth who are born-again Christian people? So, He's talking about the ‘king over you', whether he be a president or a king. Honestly, I think where we're going... that the president will eventually be a king. There just isn't going to be any difference, and anyway, it's somebody who is in a position of rulership, and we're supposed to honor them. Let me share what the apostle Paul said in Act.23:1 And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? (That was a good point he made, but he called this ruler a whited wall.) 4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest? (Paul was right in what he was saying, but this was not permissible, according to what we've just read.) Act.23:5 And Paul said, I knew not, brethren, that he was high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler (not any particular ruler, but just a ruler) of thy people. So, Paul repented here. He spoke evil of a ruler. It may seem like he had a pretty good reason to do so, but we know the rules. We've read the rules. We know what God has told us already. And he wanted to be seen as respectful by those who are without, because they questioned him. Why would you say this to God's high priest? You're supposed to be seen as respectful to God's high priest. And so Paul knew that he should not give a bad name to Christians, and to not have people revile his God, he backed up and basically said, Okay, I repent. The word says, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people. And when Paul was basically being interrogated, like in chapters 26 and 24, we read he was always totally respectful to these, what we would all recognize as evil rulers. Why does God do this? Because God doesn't want us to give Him a bad name, or to give Christianity a bad name. He wants us to be seen by ignorant people in the world as somebody who is totally respectful to authority and submissive, not as rebels. Act.26:24 And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad. 25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; (They were used to speaking respectfully to rulers, even evil rulers,) but speak forth words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. 28 And Agrippa said unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian. 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, (meaning, a Christian) except these bonds. In other words, he was showing compassion for their souls, even these evil rulers. He wanted a good witness to go across to them, and he wanted them to have a chance to be saved. We should be the same way. The Bible says, ‘Know no man after the flesh.' We're supposed to see people through the light of the gospel, so every man is given his opportunity to be saved, right? And we want to be a good witness of Christ to every man, to love our enemies, not make enemies. Even as we're going to see people who are recognized as people who have killed multitudes of God's people. Act.26:30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: 31 and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. (Would they have said this if he had insulted them?) 32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar. So, his humble representation of Jesus Christ in front of them said that the guy's not guilty and wanted to turn him loose. I think that is a good example of what the apostle Paul did to respect rulers, even evil rulers, even the kind of rulers that crucified Jesus Christ. And as Jesus Himself was respectful to leaders and rulers because He did not want to cause a stumbling block, right? Let me give you another example in Jude 1:8 Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, (Notice that) and rail at dignities. (If we had translated that in modern-day English, it would be dignitaries. This is talking about somebody who should be respected. Like a leader high up in government, or in religion, somebody of authority. And then he gives what I think would be an extreme example here:) 9 But Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil (He picked the very worst; if it's true of the devil, it would be true with anybody else we ran into, right? So he's making an extreme example here to prove his point.) he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing judgment, (So he didn't bring a railing judgment against the devil. Should we bring a railing judgment against anyone? Or should we bring a railing judgment against a leader, or a ruler, or somebody that the Lord tells us we should be submitting to? We don't find anywhere in the scripture of any respectful person railing at authorities. But there are Christians who do it today. And I'm telling you, in some cases, this railing against the government is going to cost them their life because they're in rebellion against God's word, and He said in Romans 13 it would cost them their life. It would bring judgment upon their head. So even Michael, somebody who is a high dignitary himself, the leading warrior angel for God Himself, somebody of no little position. But yet, he didn't even bring a railing accusation against the devil when the devil was contending for the body of Moses.) but said, The Lord rebuke thee. (Michael didn't take the authority to do it. He let the Lord do it.) 10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. (Some people rail at dignities today. People who aren't nearly as lowly as the devil. And they rail at them and speak evil of them. And God is saying here, “Be very careful, because they don't understand that the authority of God is behind this person.” God is the One Who puts anybody in a place of power, according to what we've read in Romans 13, as a minister of His. That's what it says there, a minister. In fact, the word there is diakonos, a deacon. They are a deacon of God. He sent them to do this job. Does that mean they're holy? No, because God's got vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. You have to respect the vessels that He sends to you, who have been given authority over you, even if they're vessels of dishonor. That's the example we see in the Scripture, repeatedly, by every holy man of God. Notice, … these rail at whatsoever things they know not. They don't understand the sovereignty of God in promoting this man over them. The Lord promoted the beast kingdom over His people in every instance. And when people like Mordecai, Daniel, and Joseph were under these people, who in some cases had slaughtered their own brethren, there was total respect in every case because they knew that God had put this person there. 10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. Wow! They're destroyed! So, this is a really dangerous thing to do, especially at the time we're coming to right now. Now let's go to 2Pe.2:9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment; (Now, we've been reading about judgment and punishment. And this is going to come upon people because they rebel against the constituted authority that God brought forth.) 10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. (What dominion have we been talking about? He's talking about the worldly rulers that He's put over people, even in the case of Satan, despise dominion.) Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: (Now, why would we tremble? Because God stands behind this person. If He's put them into a position of power over us, and He has, He tells you to submit. Why? Because He's bringing us to our cross. We have to submit. There'll be a day when we will have authority over all of them, but right now, He tells us to submit.) 2Pe.2:11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord. (Those holy angels that are around us who are totally submitted to God, couldn't they bring an accusation against us, just like we try to bring one against some other dignitary? God says this is foolishness. Do you see its foolishness?) 12 But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, (Wow, those who scoff at dominion that God has put over them, He says they are going to be taken and destroyed like animals, like beasts. You want to know why a lot of destruction is going to come to a bunch of what we loosely call ‘Christians' in these coming days? This is one of the reasons right now.) railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed, (So, they're ignorant of the fact that God put this person over them and to submit to them.) Well, what about Jesus? Jesus went to His cross. He submitted the whole way, and He didn't give us any reason to rebel or to fight or to take up the sword. He forbade all of that. He said that ‘He that takes the sword, shall die by the sword.' He wouldn't let his disciples take up a sword to defend Him. (Mat.26:52) And when He was before those evil rulers, He didn't resist. He understood this principle of submitting to authority, even the dishonorable. We still represent the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ upon this earth to all mankind. And they need to see us as people who are humble, submissive, people who do not seek our own will but who seek the good of all around us, including the lost people. Even as Paul was very humble towards those kings, to desire their souls to be saved. And we should be that way even with the most reprobate of leaders that we know of in this country or in any other. We should always have their soul in mind. Today, people take their own authority. They want to rail and fight against the government, thinking that in this way they can stop something from happening that the Bible says is going to happen, which is ridiculous, you know? God Himself is the One Who prophesies that this will happen. And He never tells us that this is against His will. It's a repetition of history. It's happened already before. Railers have caused evil men to shoot at the president. Don't you know that He can change government if a man is put in there that is totally contrary to godliness and if he's totally immoral? God still put him in there. Let God do what He wants to do, put the man in, take the man out. According to Daniel, He's the only One that does that. Shouldn't we leave that up to God? People are saying today, ‘We're going to take this country back.' You know what? That's rebellion against God. You want to take the country back? Go out and preach the gospel. That's God's method. Let God handle the government. We've been commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ to go out and do the Great Commission. You want to take it back, but you're never going to get it back by self will. Now, while you're out there fighting with the government, doing your self-will thing, who's going to be doing what we've been called to do, to actually save people of this system? The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes it. (Rom1:16) That's our job. That's what we need to do. We can give scriptural advice humbley. Let God take care of the government. Let Him rule through the government, and let Him raise up the biggest beast the world has ever seen, because that's what He said He was going to do. Let's just leave that up to God, and we'll just take care of what He told us to do, right? Let's get out of His business, take care of what He told us to do. God bless you, saints. I hope this is helping you understand. So let's look again at 1Pe.2:13 Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: (God wants us to reflect the life of Christ-likeness. People need to see Jesus in us. He wants the wicked to know that we are law-keepers.) 16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. We're trusting God and His sovereignty through rulers by submitting to them. So, how far should we go, and what examples do we have? We have the example in the Book of Esther. The people of God had been conquered and were under the authority of the Persian Empire, being ruled over by this pagan king. But they wanted their own nation and be ruled by their own people, but they got there because of rebellion. In fact, every time they were conquered by a foreign nation, it was because they had rebelled against the word of the Lord. And today, we're coming into just such a time. So we need to learn our lesson and submit to the word of the Lord. Est.2:21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, (the King's Gate is a place of government, and Mordecai was a part of the government. He probably was a representative for the nation of Israel, which was being ruled by Ahasuerus at the time. The King's Gate was also a place of judgment and of counselors.) two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus. 22 And the thing became known to Mordecai, who showed it unto Esther the queen; and Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai's name. 23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king. (Mordecai saved the king's life from Bigthan and Teresh, who were two of the king's chamberlains who were going to lay hold on the king, and he put a stop to it. This is what they would have considered a pagan king who was ruling over them, a worldly king, keeping God's people in bondage. Mordecai honored the king. In all the things that he did in the Book of Esther, Mordecai was never once anything but respectful of the king and of his governor. And in this case, his governor was Haman, a man who really had an ambition to wipe out the people of God.) Est.3:1 After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him. (Now, we're just looking at it in the letter, what actually happened, not spiritually. The king and his governor, and we say, “Well, how far do we go with this honoring the king thing?” Well, I believe we are going to see that next.) 2 And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence. (In other words, dishonoring the king, things go just so far; we cannot worship anybody but the living God. We cannot pledge allegiance to anybody but if we did it would be the living God. You may say, “Well, how come Mordecai served the king?” Because if you don't obey God's word, you won't serve the king. So in serving the king, you're serving the Master. You're serving the King of kings. He said to obey, to submit to, and to serve the king, and to honor the king. Therefore, if you don't do that, you're not serving God. Now, we come to a place where the king is permitted by God to cross his line that he's drawn in the sand. And that is, we're not permitted to worship anybody but the Lord God. And we're not permitted to take the mark of the beast because that's an identification of unification with the beast and being a member of that kingdom, which we're not. We are in the world, but we're not of the world. We don't belong to the world. And so, the example that we get from Mordecai, as he always spoke well of, he always served, he always respected the king and his governors, but he drew a line and would not step over it. He would not bow down, nor pay reverence to Haman in this case. Est.3:3 Then the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's commandment? (He'd always obeyed the king's commandment before, but now he came to a place where he wasn't going to do it. And we can't either. Read Foxes Book of Martyrs; they would not bow and died rather than bow.) 4 Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew. (Meaning, that he can't worship any other god but the true and living God.) 5 And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not down, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. 6 But he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai. (Mordecai believed in the sovereignty of God. He believed he should obey God no matter what the consequences. And the consequences of this were big, I mean, major. He believed that God was in control and that if they submitted to governors and kings, God would be in control. And we should know that. But many teachers of Christianity have destroyed the doctrine of the sovereignty of God. Instead of giving in to willy-nilly Arminianism.) So, that's a really good example. We have another one in Daniel chapter 3. This is Nebuchadnezzar addressing the three Hebrews. And they, along with Daniel, had always been totally polite, submissive, and obedient, and yet this is the first time we read that they are rebelling against the king. They were submissive even in this fiery trial. Dan.3:15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that god that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. (So, one way or the other, we're going to be delivered here. Even if it's through death.) 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated. (Time, times, and a half a time was three and a half years in tribulations, so seven times is seven years, you see. And this is a symbol, in fact, that Nebuchadnezzar here represents the beast. As we saw in the Book of Esther, in a natural way, that was the head of the beast's kingdom. Some people call him the Antichrist, which is false. He is just the head of the body of the image of the Beast. Both of these were images of the Beast. People would say today, “David, are you saying that we should submit to the Beast?” Yes, in every generation that God's people were taken captive, they were expected to submit, commanded of the Lord, and we don't see any place where Daniel or the three Hebrews were not submissive except in this one thing. The same thing that we saw in the Book of Esther, and that is worship, or bowing down to. There's only One Who is above all, and when they want to carry you across that line, there's always the higher order that we have to submit to, right? And so, yeah, we're talking about the beast here. Some people want to make war on the beast when they see him coming. We don't see that example in the scriptures anywhere. No, remember, God is the One Who is sovereign. He is the One Who has ordained the beast to conquer His people. It is coming because His people need a crucifixion. So God has ordained this. If God's ordained it, who are you to fight against God? We don't have any authority to do this in the Scriptures. We have to submit to God's will, even if it means, like the three Hebrews, going to the cross. Even if it means we physically lose our lives, we submit. We're not going to fight. They didn't fight. We don't see any example of that in the Scriptures. We have a good word in Pro.24:21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king; (Fear a pagan king? Yes, because God has put you under His authority. God has given Him power over you. Therefore, we should fear and obey God.) And company not with them that are given to change: (So, anybody that's not going to do this, don't company with them.) 22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; And the destruction from them both, who knoweth it? Pro.16:13 Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love him that speaketh right. 14 The wrath of a king is as messengers of death; But a wise man will pacify it. (We saw how Paul answered the king. It was an unrighteous judgment, but he was humble, submissive, and respectful. He did not rail at the king, as many are doing today.) 15 In the light of the king's countenance is life; (This is God speaking. He's saying that your life is in this man's hand.) And his favor is as a cloud of the latter rain. (That could give you a symbol about what he's really talking about here. In the time of the latter rain, it will be very important to honor the king.)16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! Yea, to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver. I want to share something that happened to me and how it relates to this teaching. On our website, we have many articles, and we made a page that was very unflattering, I would say, to the king. And believe me, presidents these days are becoming more like kings because of all the presidential directives they're taking over more power from the balance of powers. And so, this webpage was very unflattering, looking into the psychological problems of this particular king. And I don't know, I just didn't feel right about it. I felt something was wrong, but I really wasn't connecting this teaching. We generally look at the prophetic significance of presidents, and where they could be leading us, and so on, and I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. So, when I felt nervous about it, and I didn't know why, I asked the Lord to give me a couple of verses. I opened my Bible up, and I just blindly stuck my finger down. And I put my finger down in this very next chapter here of Proverbs 25:6. Remember that number, 25 and 6. And it said, Pro.25:6 Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, (I said, Okay, Lord.) And stand not in the place of great men: 7 For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen. 8 Go not forth hastily to strive, Lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, When thy neighbor hath put thee to shame. A lot of people are going to go forth to strive against the beast government. Because they don't understand what God has ordained it to, or what He's ordained it for. Many, many Christians are going to lose their lives because they will fight. God doesn't want you to do that. If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth. That's what the Lord said. He's got a plan. He wants you to submit. Then, a very interesting thing happened because I asked him to give me another verse. Guess what I got? Another chapter 25 verse 6! Wow, that's significant! What are the chances of that happening? I'd say pretty much a wild chance that that would happen. 2Ki.25:6 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah; and they gave judgment upon him. 7 And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon. (That's very interesting. Zedekiah led a rebellion against the king of Babylon. He was commanded to submit by God Almighty, but he didn't and this happened to him. And he represents Babylon, the modern-day kingdom of the United States, over the rest of the world. And prophetically speaking, Babylon was called in Ezekiel 17, the Great Eagle. And in Daniel, it was the head of the image of the beast, the world empire of that day. It had conquered God's people and brought them into bondage. And Zedekiah was their puppet king that they had set up, and he rebelled. And that's very significant. The whole story there is very significant of the days that we're in. But Zedekiah led a rebellion, and the Bible tells us quite a bit about that rebellion. Jeremiah spoke to Zedekiah in Jer.27:5 I have made the earth, the men and the beasts that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give it unto whom it seemeth right unto me. The Lord is in control. We may want to take control or take political power; we may want to, as some people say, “take America back,” but if God has given the pagans authority over you, and given the rulers of a worldly kingdom authority over you as a Christian, then God's done that. What He's saying is, “I've got authority here, and I've got power, and I give the rulership of this world over to whoever I desire.” And we need to remember that. He raised up the King of Persia to conquer Babylon and to set the people free. Trying to take power doesn't mean God's with us. God waited many years to promote Trump as a type of the Persian, Cyrus, to conquer Babylon DS and to set God's people free. When has God put a Christian in the head office. I only know of once but the people threw him out shortly after. The Jews tried on their own many times to conquer the beast and failed. God wasn't with the Jews, and He's not with the Christians these days to have political power either. If it were, it would have happened, but it hasn't happened. People who have come into power are quite distinct from Christianity. Does that mean we're supposed to honor them? It certainly does. Just think about Mordecai, and Daniel, and others; we read a story about Paul. Just think about these people and who they were submitting to and what they had done. Think about what the king of Babylon had done here. He had conquered Israel, killed many of their people, and took the remainder into bondage. Verse 6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, (The one-world order. And what did he command God's people to do in Daniel chapter 3? Bow down to the image of the beast. And of course they refused, but many others didn't refuse. But God says He gave them into the hand of this beast.) the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field also have I given him to serve him. 7 And all the nations shall serve him, (Beasts are kingdoms. The kingdoms served Nebuchadnezzar and they were a part of the image of the beast.) and his son, and his son's son, until the time of his own land come: and then many nations and great kings shall make him their bondman. (Yes, that is happening for America as a modern-day Babylon. The head of gold that rules over the nations, that has conquered God's people and has brought them into submission. And now our Cyrus is flipping the whole system of Babylon who killed a lot of people. When the people try it on their own they end up like Zedekiah and the people that followed him who lost their lives.) 8 And it shall come to pass, that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith Jehovah, with the sword, and with the famine, and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand. (So God threatened His people that any nation, including them, that didn't serve the king of Babylon, He would use that king to destroy them by the sword, famine, and pestilence. This was because God ordained a cross for His rebellious people and they refused it.) 9 But as for you, hearken ye not to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreams, nor to your soothsayers, nor to your sorcerers, that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: (Zedekiah and his people disobeyed and refused their cross under the beast of Babylon and totally rebelled against God. You're going to hear false dreams, prophecies, and visions from the false prophets. In the next chapter, they said that they weren't going to serve the king of Babylon. Jeremiah said, “Oh, yes, you are, seventy years.” “Oh, no, we'll be free from him in two years,” Hananiah said. Well, these were the same people that were saying they were going to escape the beast and that didn't happen and they didn't fly away either. Here they are, finding themselves in the hands of this beast kingdom, and their prophets are saying, “We're out of here, we're going to be free, we're going to be free from this bondage.” And Jeremiah said, No, it's not going to happen until after 70 years. So, don't listen to your false prophets, who preach a prosperity doctrine that this is not going to happen to you. After the Man-child ministry begins in Revelation 12, the tribulation beast comes in 13 with the mark. A beast killed the flesh of Jesus and it will do the same with His body. Because this is history repeating. 10 for they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. (In other words, God is going to take the side of the beast and use him and His sword, famine and his pestilence to destroy the person that didn't submit, who rebelled against the words that we've already read about submission to the king.) 11 But the nation that shall bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, that nation will I let remain in their own land, saith Jehovah; and they shall till it, and dwell therein. 12 And I spake to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live. 13 Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as Jehovah hath spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon? I believe we're coming to the place where God will very plainly demand that His people submit to the beast kingdom. I didn't say worship it, and I didn't say take the mark of the beast. I didn't say pledge allegiance to it, but they will have to submit. He said this to every nation that would not serve the king of Babylon. Jesus taught His disciples that they could flee but they couldn't fight, even to deliver Jesus the Son of God from the Roman beast. You say, “Well, this is the Antichrist we're talking about.” No, not really. That's a false doctrine. It's not even found in the Scriptures. Let's talk just for a moment about who the Antichrist is. And should we submit to the Antichrist? Let's take the term “the Antichrist” and see exactly what it says. The first thing we find out is that it has nothing to do with what people have been taught through prophecy that it means. 1Jo.4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: (Notice, every spirit, not just a spirit, but every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God.) and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already. (The Antichrist was in the world then. It's in the world now. It has nothing to do with some man coming on the scene now, because it didn't say a spirit. It said every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ. A spirit that does not agree with the Word of God, a spirit that's not renewed by the Word of God. That's the spirit of the corporate Antichrist, every spirit, every lost spirit that's born from beneath is a member of the Antichrist, you see, because their spirit is unregenerate. In the New Testament there is no individual man called the Antichrist.) 1Jo.4:4 Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: (See, there are only two there, those that are serving God and those that are not, Christ and Antichrist. Jesus said, “There are two men in the earth, right? One shall be taken and one shall be left.” (Mat.24:40) It's the body of Christ and the body of Antichrist.) because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. (Antichrist is a spirit that speaks against Christ, (it's ‘anti'-Christ) or in disagreement with Christ, or does not confess, which Greek word means ‘speak the same as' Christ That spirit doesn't confess Christ. How many Christians don't confess Christ? To the extent a Christian speaks things that are contrary, or in other words, they don't “speak the same as”, they don't confess Christ, they speak contrary to Christ. That's antichrist coming out of them. To the extent that what we loosely call “a Christian” is not submitted to the Word of God and does not agree with the Word of God, to that extent, they're antichrist and will probably take his mark. Now, every lost person is antichrist. Are you going to be persecuted by the antichrist? Well, of course. Anybody around you who is carnal, a Christian or not, everybody around you who's lost, is a member of that body. They all submit to the antichrist spirit. They do not agree with Christ. So, therefore, you say, “Well, I can't submit to this guy because he's the Antichrist.” Well, no, he may be just the head of the body of the Antichrist, like Nebuchadnezzar, like Pharaoh, but what did God say in every case? Submit. The antichrist is also mentioned here. 1Jo.2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; (So they heard the same thing. Antichrist is coming, and he's correcting them.) whereby we know that it is the last hour. And John spoke of it here, too, in 2Jo.1:7 For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. (Now, listen, the Bible says, If any man speak, let him speak as an oracle of God. Say what the Bible says. The Bible never says the antichrist is an individual. Never. The antichrist is the whole body. The Bible never says the beast is the individual. Although it says every man is a beast. You see? All of them together make up a beast. And when Daniel spoke of the beast kingdoms, he spoke of multitudes of people that were beasts. You see? So, that doctrine is a false doctrine of the letter and not the Spirit. Now, do you have to deal with the king or the president the way the Bible commands? Yes, of course. If not, you're rebelling against the word of God. And then you're not serving your King, ‘capital K”. We have to serve the “little k” kings in order to serve our King, although we do not have to cross that line of worship, right? So, remember that. I think what Jesus said in John chapter 18 here is significant. Let me read this to you. Joh.18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (So, our kingdom is not of this world, and we can't fight either. You know, when Jesus was taken before Pilate, He was submissive. He didn't fight. He didn't grab a sword. He rebuked Peter for grabbing a sword to try to keep him from doing that. And in Joh.19:10 Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? 11 Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath greater sin. (So, Pilate didn't have any power except what God gave him. Nobody's got any power over you except what God gives them. That's why you can totally rest in this whole situation. We have to submit to the ‘powers that be' because it's commanded of the Lord.) This puts us in a position of weakness, does it not? That we cannot fight with our enemies? God has put them in authority over us, and He tells us to submit to them. Let's read Mat.16:21 From that time began Jesus to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up. 22 And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee. (You know, there are people saying today that none of God's people will go through a crucifixion, or go into the hands of the beast, none of them will have to go to their cross. But we all have to lose our life in order to gain our life. That's what Jesus said. I believe what the Lord has shown me very plainly is that if we will willingly give up our life, meaning our soulish life, we will be spared. And if we don't, we will have to give up our physical life.) 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: (See, who is it that's trying to stop us from going to the cross? It's the devil; okay, notice this.) thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. (Men don't want to give up their life, their psuche, their soulish life, their fallen life, but look at how Jesus responds.) 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Jesus was going to His cross, and He was telling them that they're going to be His followers, they have to do the same thing and they did. We're put here in the hands of people who've been given physical power over us and vastly outnumber us. And in most cases, it means a spiritual cross. We just submit and obey what the word of God says, even though these people who are, in many cases, obnoxious and persecute us, speak against us, do things against us, and take authority over us. You think that's not right to take away our rights, all these kinds of things. But we're like lambs to the slaughter; in most cases, it's that simple. In many cases, it will even come down to a physical, denying the Lord in order to escape physical death or else submitting to our cross to have eternal life. In some cases, it will come down to the physical aspect, especially in the days to come, because we've been warned about that from the scriptures.) 25 For whosoever would save his life (That's the word psuche, soulish life, I'm not talking about physical life.) shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life (that's psuche again) for my sake shall find it. (We're speaking about the higher life, the zoe life. God is going to give us the greater life if we will give up this carnal life, the soulish, or self-life.) 26 For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then shall he render unto every man according to his deeds. (He wants us to take up our cross and follow Him, and if necessary, even to death, like the three Hebrews who were already dead to self so the beast could not kill them.) 1Pe.1:20 who (speaking of Jesus) was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of the times for your sake, 21 who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God. And in 1Pe.2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, (In other words, unjust suffering. The whole world's going to turn against Christianity, turn against the most peaceful people on this earth. And many are going to see it as very wrong, very evil, and they're going to be tempted to react to that. But listen to what the Lord says.) ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21 For hereunto were ye called (We were called to suffer for the name's sake.): because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: (Wow! Well, Jesus went to the cross, gave His life, so that we would be able to give our life. You see, we were crucified with Christ. (Gal.2:20) What was accomplished there was the crucifixion of this old man. But now, it's being manifested as we walk it out. 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: (We're going to have to turn the other cheek and love our enemies, to give a soft answer and give answers that show respect. They need to see Jesus in us, somebody who's not retaliating or fighting. Have you ever seen Christians who like to threaten people? I have; I see them all the time. They're very self-willed, and some of them are very angry. But we're told, Rom.12:19 Avenge not yourselves, beloved, but give place unto the wrath of God: for it is written, Vengeance belongeth unto me; I will recompense, saith the Lord. 1Pe.2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. (So even this sin of self-will, of rebellion against God, if we will repent, if we will confess it, if we will give up our anger, there's forgiveness.) If you don't believe that Christianity has been rebellious against God, you haven't been reading the Bible. The more you read it, the more you accept what it says, the more you're convicted that we have failed God, and we've rebelled against Him. You learn about the crucifixion of the self-will, and you see self-will is a total rebellion against God. God is going to have a holy people. One way He's going to do that is through persecution. The persecution and the tribulation that's coming is going to do a great work in purifying God's people, in delivering God's people, a powerful work. God's people are going to be holy through what we go through, especially if you will submit to the crucifixion, if you will treat the leadership of this world the way we see in the examples we've looked at. We're saved by grace through faith. We should submit and put our faith in God as Jesus did, and let God be the Judge. He is Sovereign. Please read our book Sovereign God for Us and Through Us. It will give you such rest and peace to understand God's plan that He is in control of the nations, the wicked and all the people around you. You can rest in Him. You can put your faith in Him. He is your Savior. He will deliver you through death to self, sanctified, meet for the Masters use. He will give you a fear of the Lord, so that you will respect His Word, so that you will obey His Word, even when your flesh doesn't want that. God bless you.
For most of human history, relationships were entirely local. Studies of medieval church records find that most people lived their whole lives within a 10 to 30 mile radius from where they were born. Friendships were maintained through physical presence, shared meals, and working side-by-side. The internet has changed everything. We can maintain meaningful, instant, on-going contact with one another regardless of distance. Technology is training us to live this kind of disembodied life, separated from other people. Screens connect us while at the same time creating a physical barrier between us. But God did not save us with information. Instead, God became human and made his home among us. Jesus had a body. Just by showing up, paying attention, and engaging one another, we are becoming like Jesus. God is shaping us into a body.
Message from Jared Raby on May 3, 2026
As we continue our series, “Cultivating a Healthy Marriage and Family,” Pastor Zack will explore “How to Have a Flourishing Marriage.” Together, we'll consider what it looks like to move beyond words and make love a consistent, Christ-centered “verb”.
The Problem with Chaotic Worship – 1 Cor 13 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Are we pursuing the presence of God… or the appearance of being spiritual? What if what we call “powerful worship” is actually creating confusion instead of clarity? In this week's episode, we continue from the “love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13 and step into 1 Corinthians 14, where the Apostle Paul addresses a critical issue in the church: misusing spiritual gifts in a way that draws attention to self instead of building others up. Paul makes one thing clear, love must lead, and everything we do in the church must edify others. In this conversation, we unpack: Why spiritual gifts without love create noise, not impact The true purpose of tongues, prophecy, and spiritual expression Why clarity matters more than sounding “spiritual” How disorder in worship can actually push people away from God The balance between freedom in the Spirit and responsibility in the church Why God's presence is marked by peace, not confusion This episode will challenge how you view worship, spiritual gifts, and even your role when the church gathers. Key Truth: God is not a God of chaos. He is a God of peace, clarity, and transformation. If someone walked into your church today… Would they clearly encounter God or walk away confused? Whether you’re a pastor, leader, or believer hungry for deeper understanding, this episode will help you align your worship with God's heart. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to: Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Follow us on Rumble The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now
Visite nosso site: http://familiadosquecreem.com Compre nossos livros e produtos: http://familiadosquecreem.com/loja Contribua financeiramente: http://familiadosquecreem.com.br/contribuir Ouça nossas músicas: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6aPdiaGuHcyDVGzvZV4LHy Siga-nos no Instagram: http://instagram.com/familiadosquecreem Curta-nos no Facebook: http://facebook.com/familiadosquecreem Siga-nos no Twitter: http://twitter.com/familiadqc
© 2020-2026 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
