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Where Your Treasure Is, There Your Heart Will Also Be! What Do You Treasure? Matthew 6:19 - 21 Treasures in Heaven 19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

John 6:1521 (ESV) 15Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. Jesus Walks on Water 16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20But he said to them, It is I; do not be afraid. 21Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Sermon and special music from our Easter Festival Service: Bell Choir plays "I know that my Redeemer Lives" and "Easter Hymn" and the Festival Choir sings, "Jesus Christ is Risen Today." 1 Corinthians 15:19-20 19If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Click here for more Immanuel Cares sermon podcasts.

Jude 17-23But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.20But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted fleshUnderstanding our time  2 Tim 3:1-5But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,boastful, proud,abusive,disobedient to their parents,ungrateful, unholy,3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,4 treacherous,rash, conceited,lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—5 having a form of godlinessbut denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. Building up the most Holy Faith 1.    Submit yourself through prayer in the Spirit    v.20 build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.   2.    Stay in God’s love21Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 3.    Spare those who doubt22Be merciful to those who doubt; 4.    Snatch those who are lost23snatch others from the fire and save them  5. Show your faithVerse 23, “to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”

Matthew 6:19-24 (NASB95) 19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20But store up for yourselvestreasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;21forwhere your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye isclear, your whole body will be full of light.23But ifyour eye isbad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God andwealth.

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

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

18Now the birth of Jesus Christe took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothedf to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Certainties in an Uncertain WorldLife in the Son: Belief, Obedience, and Love1 John 5:18-21Context1. We know...we are secure, v. 182. We know...we belong to God, v. 193. We know...the true God, v. 20But...be careful, v. 21Westside Chapel | Ken Mitchell

Luke 1 shares 3 core beliefs that are essential to help you keep believing when your prayers doesn’t happen as soon as you want them to happen.   You can download a high resolution .jpg of these 3 core beliefs here. Here's the link.   Elizabeth summed up the meaning of our partnership role of "Blessed" with almost surprising consciseness. I shouldn't be surprised, this story is told with the precision of a doctor, yes, our dear Dr. Luke.   Yet, I don't believe their reunion would fit in a nice little concise box. Any gathering of close female relatives is never quiet or unemotional. Their reunion was filled with warmth, love and lots of emotions. Mary and Elizabeth were cousins. Mary was in her youth  and Elizabeth was very old.   They didn't live close enough to chat regularly, but Elizabeth is where Mary turned in the early days of her pregnancy. Maybe it was because the angel had shared Elizabeth's baby news that prompted her visit--two pregnant women always have lots to talk about, especially when the pregnancies are miracles.   Excited I can almost hear the happy squeals of Mary's voice calling out, "Hello! Elizabeth! Anybody home? Hello?" Greetings that she must have called before she even got to the door.   Elizabeth just knew!   Amidst the happy hugs Elizabeth already knew Mary's news. I'm sorry to interrupt this story, but I want to encourage you to lean in to hear God. Expect God to speak to you. Listen for His voice. It often comes unexpectedly.   Elisabeth blurted out what she knew. Verse 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.   Luke 1:45 CEV The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.   Did you see that? Mary had a role to play in partnering with God. She had to believe. Verse 38Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.   I want to ask you    is there a promise that God has given you that has happened yet? Your promise is a seed in the womb of your spirit. Don't abort it, because it hasn't happened.   Mary didn't have any proof that it would happen. It didn't make sense to her mind. But she believed.   In this chapter, we see Zechariah, the priest encountering the angel as he offered incense to God in the temple.   Verse 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.   14You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,   18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”   19Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”   Let's look back at Mary's encounter with Gabriel. When Gabriel told her she was going to have a baby she questioned him.   34Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”   What was the difference between Zechariah's and Mary's question?   Faith.   Mary believed God. Mary took her eyes off the natural realm and viewed into the unseen realm with the eyes of faith.     This is what God says about Zechariah and Elisabeth: They were descendents of Aaron Righteous in the sight of God Observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly (without fault neither omission or commission purity)   Why do I mention this? Because they walked with God, they obeyed God, they served God but they didn't have what they had been praying for...a son.   It looks like Zechariah had given up.   He misunderstood God's delay for a no answer. So when Zechariah got in God's presence, God resurrected his hope.   When Gabriel told Mary about Elisabeth's pregnancy he said, "For the word of God will never fail." KJV For with God nothing shall be impossible.   It is so important that we know that truth at the very core of our being. Nothing is impossible for God. God is good...all the time. I trust the goodness of God.   When we don't get answers immediately, it doesn't mean God is saying no. (And God can say no sometimes, because He knows more than we do. That's where trust comes in.) But often God is not saying no, it may be that God is saying wait for it...wait for it.   What happened here?   How did Zechariah get his hope renewed so he could partner with God for a miracle? He got in God's presence.   He was offering incense, which is worship.   Worship is the normal response for a believer that knows God. It is a discipline that takes us into His presence. His presence changes us.   It fills us with hope. Keep Believing 3 Keys  You have a role to play in this partnership. Luke 1:45 CEV The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise. Worship. Know…really KNOW Nothing is impossible for God.   A while back I preached a sermon related to this subject called Jehovah is a Gracious Giver. I wanted to share it with you here.   Here's the link: https://youtu.be/2kgMAtQdjvg  

Thank you for joining us today as we start our new sermon series in this advent season, "Because of Bethlehem: Love is Born. Hope is Here." Major Debbie Lum shares her sermon on Hope.Mary's trip to Bethlehem teaches us that God became one of us through Jesus ... He has a Face. At the very 1st Christmas ... Mary gazed into the face of God.Jesus entered our world ... not LIKE a human ... but AS a human. God was with us!Matthew 1:18-25 NIV18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The Gifts of Tongues and Interpretation - November 2, 2019 - Steve MillerAs I was praying about this message some time ago, I felt like the Lord gave me three analogies to illustrate the purpose of speaking or praying in tongues.Lighter fluid – Sometimes conditions aren't ideal for starting a fire. Lighter fluid (or “boy scout water,” as my brother and nephew call it) gives your fire a “supernatural” boost.A key – There's no way to enter through a locked door, but a key is a small but precisely effective way to open the way that was impossible without it.A spark plug – You can have a perfectly designed car, plenty of good fuel, and plenty of air being mixed precisely right, but without the spark plug firing, fuel won't ignite so you've got no power. Spark plugs need to keep firing consistently for your car to keep running powerfully over the long haul.Acts 2:4 - All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 10:44-46 - 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.Acts 19:6 - When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.I want to start out by saying that I believe that at least some form of the gift of tongues is available for every believer. Later in the message, we'll look at distinctions between different varieties of tongues or functions of the gift, and what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 12 when he asks “Do all speak with tongues?” (The implied answer is “no.”) And we do not teach that a person needs to speak in tongues in order to be a true Christian or to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But in the three passages above, it's pretty clear that in these three groups of early believers, all involved received an ability to speak in tongues, not just a selected few. So let's start by looking at the nature and purpose of speaking in tongues, which tends to seem like a strange and ambiguous activity to us in the first place.Did you ever wonder why the Holy Spirit enables believers to speak in tongues and what is going on when we do?When we speak in tongues, who is speaking?We are speaking. The Holy Spirit is speaking. (See the verses above.)It's a cooperative effort. When we speak in tongues, the Holy Spirit is providing words for us to speak, bypassing our cognitive thinking process. Therefore, it's not unreasonable to say that when we speak in tongues we are declaring the Word of God. We are speaking truth. The words we speak are just the right ones, for they come from the Holy Spirit, our Helper.So when we speak in tongues, just what are we speaking?1 Corinthians 14:1-2 - Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. When we speak in tongues, we speak to God. He understands what we are praying even though we don't.Strong's: mustérion (moos-tay'-ree-on): a mystery, secret, of which initiation is necessary; in the NT: the counsels of God, once hidden but now revealed in the Gospel or some fact thereof; the Christian revelation generally; particular truths or details of the Christian revelation. HELPS Word-studies: mystḗrion (the root of the English term, "mystery") – mystery. In the Bible, a "mystery" is not something unknowable. Rather, it is what can only be known through revelation, i.e. because God reveals it. This agrees with what Jesus said about sending the Holy Spirit:John 16:12-15 - 12 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. According to Jesus, one of the Holy Spirit's main purposes is to reveal truth to us. How much? He has all the thoughts and wisdom and powerful Word that belongs to the Father and Jesus! And Jesus promised that the Spirit will take of what is His and declare it to us. That's rich.1 Corinthians 14:13-17 - 13Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. It's reasonable to ask the Spirit to give you interpretation or understanding of the things you pray in tongues. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul makes it clear that an interpretation is necessary if someone gives a prayer or message in tongues in the public meeting. But if we ask, we should expect that the Holy Spirit will give us some interpretation when we pray in tongues privately, especially since Jesus said that communicating revelation from God to us is one of His chief activities.It's definitely prayer, or communication with God.It can be thanksgiving and praise to God.We can be declaring the wonders of God. Acts 2:11 – (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!I believe that this declaration in tongues is not just limited to praising God for the wonders that He has done in the past, although that is powerful. It also includes declaring what He is doing now in the present, as well as what He will do in the future. In this way, we can be making declarations prophetically and speaking life and God's will into situations with His authority, which will bring powerful and transformational results.It can be used in intercession.John Bevere shares a story of a young woman he led into the baptism of the Holy Spirit in college at Purdue University. The Spirit awoke her the next morning and impressed her to pray in tongues. While doing so, she asked the Spirit to give her an idea of what she was praying about, and the impression came that she was praying for an older man in a life-and-death emergency. Later, after feeling a release that she was finished, she soon discovered that she had been praying for her roommate's grandfather who had suffered a heart attack at exactly that time, and that his life had been saved.A parent at our school tells about a dream that she had in which she was praying in tongues about a car crash that happened, and the next day she saw in the news that a similar accident had actually happened during that night, and the parties involved had survived.Ephesians 6:18 - And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. What kinds of speaking or praying in tongues are there? Can any believer potentially have this gift, or just selected ones of us?Now, doesn't 1 Corinthians 12 teach that we all have differing gifts? It asks, "Do all speak in tongues?" The implied answer is "no." But what particular gift of tongues is that referring to? David Pytches, in his book Spiritual Gifts in the Local Church, explains that the Bible shows different types or uses the gift of tongues:"There are apparently three distinct manifestations in the area of 'tongues': The use of tongues where utterance is not understood by the speaker, but overheard by members of the public, and, without interpretation, understood by those whose own language it is.This is tongues used as a sign, like happened in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.Cathy tells about young Mark and Mike Knudsen understanding a word in tongues given in the service here several weeks after they had been adopted from India.John Bevere tells of a woman on his staff who sat near the back of a service while he was preaching, and in a relatively quiet voice, prayed in tongues for him. After the service had ended, the man sitting in front of her turned around and said, “Ma'am, may I say that your French is excellent!” She responded that she didn't speak French. He replied that he was a French teacher, and throughout the service she had been speaking perfect French in a special, very old dialect. In fact, every time she would speak something in French, John would follow by preaching the same idea in English!The use of 'tongues' in public worship. The 'language' used is unknown and should be followed by an interpretation given by the Holy Spirit.The use of 'tongues' in private which needs no interpretation, though apparently this could be asked for. Most of those who use the gift in private have never exercised it in public worship. Public exercise is a distinct anointing, yet a link between the public and private use appears to exist, i.e. any person who exercises the gift of tongues in public almost invariably uses the gift in private."What are the benefits or fruit of praying in tongues?1 Corinthians 14:4 - The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.· Jude 20-21 - 20But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.· You are built up, or edified (as in building a house), when you pray in tongues.· Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so it's not unreasonable to expect that praying in tongues can bring healing, refreshment, rest to our bodies. Busy ministers testify that regular prayer in tongues helps prevent them from burnout.· Joseph Prince shared this testimony: “Doris, a young woman from Singapore, shared how she started to worry when her menstrual cycle stopped. For two years, she believed God for restoration of a regular cycle and described how her journey was like a roller coaster ride with some very low points when it got really difficult to stay in faith.“One day, she watched a sermon I had preached on praying in tongues. In that video, I taught on how tongues was like rivers of living water flowing out of the belly, pushing out defilement, edifying the spirit, and repairing the house of God — our bodies. She remembered how I had shared that the word for “belly” was also the word for “womb,” and she started to pray often in the Spirit every day and to partake of the Holy Communion each morning.“Doris shared, ‘This has become part of my morning routine. Through it, I have grown closer to the Lord in my spirit and I feel such shalom-peace in my heart every day. I also experienced my restoration after more than two years! Praise Jesus!'”· Joseph Prince continues: “Now please don't think that in talking about physical healing, I am downplaying the importance of building up your inner man ... Many times, when it comes to healing, God goes to the root first, removing your deep-seated fears, anxieties, past hurts, and erroneous beliefs — mental strongholds that need to be demolished — before He deals with your physical body. The medical profession has been telling people how chronic stress, worry, fears, and depression can lead to all kinds of physical ailments. So, certainly, take full advantage of praying in the Spirit to fortify your inner man and build yourself up in faith and in the love of God (ref.: Jude 1:20–21). But as you do, be cognisant of the truth that praying in tongues can also repair your physical body. God wants you whole in every way, inside out!”· In her book Chasing the Dragon, Jackie Pullinger tells about how she ministered to heroin addicts in Hong Kong in the 1970's. When these new, Spirit-filled believers experienced the awful withdrawal symptoms, they were told to pray in their prayer language, and as long as they did, the symptoms went away. In this way, they were able to be delivered from heroin addiction.· Praying in tongues seems to be a key for receiving inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that He had much more to say to us, but that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will guide us into all truth. John Bevere talks about how, as he is writing his books, if he gets stuck, he will take time to pray in the Spirit, and as he does, inspired ideas and words will start coming into his mind. He tells a story about a time he was preaching in Mexico, and just before the meeting his host found out about some unexpected trouble from the local authorities. John went outside and prayed in tongues, and the Lord gave him specific direction about what to preach. The authorities who came to break up the meeting ended up getting saved.· John Bevere tells of very busy ministers who testify that regular praying in tongues brings them rest and refreshment that helps them avoid burnout. · Joseph Prince teaches about this rest effect of praying in tongues: “It is not just the daily demands and responsibilities of family and work that are stressing us out. We have an enemy called the devil and one of his objectives is to “wear out the saints of the most High” (Daniel 7:25, KJV). He does this by stirring up storms in our lives (quarrels, crises, stressful situations), planting anxious thoughts in our minds, and invoking in us feelings of inadequacy and panic. Many times, we respond by leaning on our own efforts to manage and solve a hundred and one things! After a while of running around trying to do this and that to make things work, we end up mentally and physically exhausted, ready to just fall apart.“Friend, if I have just described you, I want you to know that God did not design you to live a life of stress but to enjoy a life of rest. He has given you a powerful weapon to counter stress: praying in the Spirit, which is able to rebuild and repair your entire self from the inside out. It costs you nothing, has no bad side effects, and isn't dependent on external factors such as a quiet surrounding with mood lighting and soothing pan flute music. Tranquil environments are great — I myself like to take long walks in the park or along the beach. But what happens when you “come back to reality,” to the sound of blaring car horns, or your kids throwing their toys around and screaming at each other?“You need something that is more robust and goes deeper — God's peace that surpasses understanding. And you can come to this wonderful place of rest and refreshing as you pray in tongues and sense His presence and love. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (ref.: 2 Corinthians 3:17). Let His Spirit free you from stress, worry, and anxiety as you unwind through your heavenly language.“Perhaps you already know how to pray in the Sprit, but for some time now, you have not exercised this wonderful grace gift. Can I encourage you to start doing it again? “Beloved, the Lord beckons you to draw near to Him today as you pray in the Spirit. He invites you to come to Him if your heart is full of labour and heavy with worry, and He Himself will rest you (ref.: Matthew 11:28). Let Him drive out all fear and confusion.”· The edifying effects of speaking in tongues tend to be different from one person to another. Larry Christenson, in his book Speaking in Tongues, wrote: “When you get closer to people who have had this experience, and watch them over a longer period of time, you actually discover great variety in their experiences. Perhaps the working of the gift is something like this: As a person prays in tongues, he is edified – built up – in that part of his life where he most needs building up. This would seem consistent with the working of the Holy Spirit, for He always deals with us as individuals.”· Christensen reports of one woman who experienced a building up of her assurance of salvation, which had previously been an area of struggle. Another man reported that through tongues the Holy Spirit took away some habits that would have been hard to do by himself, such as smoking cigarettes. One evening, after work, he lit up a cigarette. “All at once,” he told, “that cigarette tasted so lousy it made me sick. I thought it was because I had a big cold in my head. I spit it out of my mouth – and I haven't touched one since. I tell you, the Lord just took that habit out of me by the roots. Man, when the Lord cleans you out, He really cleans you out good!”· Cathy and I have both experienced times in our lives when we've been attacked by irrational fears or phobias. At those times, when we have prayed in tongues, we've both experienced calming and peace as we did so.· Christensen again: “The edification which one experiences through the exercise of speaking in tongues is on a highly individual basis. Your own program of sanctification is tailor-made by the Holy Spirit according to your individual need, and according to the place He is preparing you for in the Body of Christ.”· I feel like the gift of tongues is like a box full of wonderful treasures for my own life and for others, and I want to do so more and more with the expectation of wondering what great thing the Holy Spirit wants to do in me, my circumstances, the lives of those I know, and even believers, unbelievers, leaders, and nations around the world that I don't even know!How can I receive my prayer language in tongues or become more fluent in using it?This is Bob Heil's testimony of his struggle to learn to use his prayer language from his book Lessons From the Furnace (p. 39-42). As a Lutheran pastor, Bob had been prayed for by a group of pastors to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and He had felt a strong feeling of faith and even a physical “electricity” sensation at that time from God as a confirmation that he had received it. But he had not started speaking in tongues. That night I was sound asleep at about two o'clock in the morning when the Lord came into the room. Again there was the sensation of electricity going through me – wave after wave of it. I awoke and could hardly breathe. I knew the Lord was standing there. I could not hear Him; I could not see Him or touch Him, but I knew He was there and that He wanted me to pray. I went into the living room in the dark and began to pray. I tried desperately to pray in tongues. There had been an earlier day when I had despised tongues, when I had said, “God, give me the Holy Spirit, but not tongues.” I had thought it was the kookiest thing I had ever heard of. But sudden conviction had come from God, and He had spoken to me.“Who are you to despise My gift?”I said, “Oh, Lord, I am sorry, but it is the least of all Your gifts.”The Lord replied, “Who told you it is the least of My gifts? The Scriptures do not say that. Besides, who are you that you think you deserve more than the least of My gifts?” I repented that instant.Now I was asking God to give me the gift of tongues. I did not want to miss any blessing from God. I knelt there in the dark crying out to God for the gift. I pointed to my mouth, saying, “Ah, ah.” But nothing came. Finally I said, “All right, God, then help me to pray in English. Guide my thoughts and help me to pour out my heart to You, for I must pray.” Suddenly my mind welled forth with thoughts and I poured them out to God.For almost two hours I was there on my knees in the living room. The prayer was in English, but now the Lord guided the thoughts! It was never repetitious, never hum-drum. What a blessing! It was rich and alive – the most powerful prayer session I had ever had.I could have prayed in tongues then, or in any of the weeks and months that followed, but I did not know how. Finally after four months of desperation I cried, “God, I give up. I just give up; I can't wait any longer. I will just make sounds to You. I will dedicate the sounds and you will have to put them together. I don't know how, but I have got to do something.” I began to make sounds and spoke what was about two sentences worth of sounds and stopped. I said, “No, that was only me,” and I did not do it again for several weeks.Again I became so hungry for the blessing. I yearned to pray in tongues, because I wanted every bit of edification I could get my hands on. So once again I decided to pray sounds to God. I began making these utterances and this time I went on for what was perhaps a few paragraphs. Then I stopped. I thought to myself, “Was that me or not?” It was enough to turn me off so that for several weeks I said nothing else in tongues.Finally I was at a regional convention of the Full Gospel Business Men. There was a great sermon that morning and I became so thrilled and happy. During the prayer time afterwards I made up my mind to just keep making sounds until something happened. It took about five minutes, but gradually I began to feel my heart break through. I grew bolder and began to trust more and more new sounds. I stopped worrying whether it was me or not. I had dedicated the language to God. It began to flow more and more and my heart began to rise like a rocket off the launching pad. My praise ascended to God.Ever since that day it has been sweet and beautiful. By dedicating new sounds to my baby prayer language, it quickly blossomed forth full-grown. Then I realized it had been there all along – just waiting for me to use it. Just as I prayed in English, I was to do the praying in tongues. God had not put it in my mind or my throat. He had put it in my spirit. Not only that, but I could use it whenever I wanted. It was God's gift and God does not take back His gifts. He says “His gifts and callings are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). If you have ever had it, you have still got it. Just open your heart and your mouth and pray to God in sounds. Leave the results and any correction up to Him.In teaching the Corinthian church about using tongues in the church meeting, Paul says a couple things that imply that the personal prayer language gift is available to all believers.1 Corinthians 14:5a - 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. 1 Corinthians 14:18 - I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. The Lord promises us that when we sincerely and earnestly ask Him for a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit, He will not disappoint us.Jeremiah 29:13-14a - 13"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity."Luke 11:13 - "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”Basically, to receive the gift of tongues we should sincerely ask for it. It's a good thing, and Jesus is encouraged us to believe confidently that our Father will give us the Holy Spirit and the good gifts that He may bring. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:31: "But earnestly desire the higher gifts," and as we read earlier, 1 Corinthians 14:1 echoes: "earnestly desire the spiritual gifts."If you've never prayed in tongues, what should you expect? Does the Holy Spirit possess you and you start speaking uncontrollably? No, it's generally a cooperative effort. Acts says that "they spoke in tongues as the Spirit enabled them."What should we do? A good word is "yield." John Bevere uses the imagery of wading into a gentle river or creek. You can fight to stand up straight and not be moved by the current, or you can relax, yield to it, and let it carry you along. It seems that a key part of cooperation with the Holy Spirit is surrender or yielding. It is saying "yes" to Him.I have been a believer in Jesus since I was very young, but I was never taught about the baptism of the Holy Spirit until I was a 5th-grader at Family Bible Camp here at COC. I remember that Leslie Barker taught us in the morning kids' lesson in the old fellowship building, and then the kids from here (perhaps Cathy included) gathered around my brother Tim and me and laid hands on us and prayed for us. They said that we should expect to pray in tongues, but I wasn't sure what it would be like or how to do it. I did believe it and expected to receive the gift, though. So during my growing up, I knew I had been baptized with the Spirit, and I prayed in tongues a little, but sometimes had doubts about whether I was really praying in the Spirit or if it was just me. Then, during the summer after I had just graduated from college, I was at summer camp here and Bob Heil had returned to preach at it. That night here in the chapel, he taught about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, sharing his own testimony and struggle about receiving the gift of tongues, and inviting anyone who hadn't ever prayed in tongues or had doubts about it to stay afterward, and he would get us praying in tongues. So a friend and I stayed in the chapel with Bob and others, and I remember kneeling in the back row as he told us to just start believing and yield our mouths to speak. I started speaking in tongues with great confidence, and at the same time I was overtaken by hilarious belly laughter, and so was my friend. I knew that this was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit, not just me being silly. I was full of joy and realized that the Holy Spirit was reaffirming in me a confidence that, yes, He indeed had given me this gift and I should never again doubt it, but use it confidently. Praise the Lord!John 16:7 - 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. Ephesians 6:18 – And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. I sincerely believe that the devil greatly fears a Church who makes good use of the gift of tongues, so it's no wonder that he works in many ways to keep us from believing in it, or receiving it, or making use of it. Let's eagerly desire and pursue this gift in our lives and expectantly see what the Holy Spirit will do with it in our lives, our families, our church, and in the world around us!

Name In Heaven. Overcomer Series - Part 2 Luke 10 (NLT)18“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” WHAT’S IN A NAME?1The Lord now chose seventy-twoa other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.5“Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. 7Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.8“If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. 9Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ 10But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’17When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” 18“Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” 21At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. 22“My Father has entrusted everything to me.

They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10 And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17 And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19 And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 he said to them, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24 So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29 See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

When it was evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.John 20:19-221. WE HAVE BEEN SENT BY GOD TO THE WORLD“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”Matthew 28:19-20But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”Acts 1:82. BEING SENT MEANS BEING THE LIGHT TO THE WORLDWe must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. John 9:4-5You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.Matthew 5:14-163. BEING SENT REQUIRES BEING FILLED BY THE HOLY SPIRITHe also said to them, “This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day, and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” Luke 24:46-49And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly. Acts 4:29-31

Hebrews 6:11-20But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises. Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you greatly and multiply your descendants abundantly.” And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and the oath serves as a confirmation to end all dispute. In the same way God wanted to demonstrate more clearly to the heirs of the promise that his purpose was unchangeable, and so he intervened with an oath, so that we who have found refuge in him may find strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us through two unchangeable things, since it is impossible for God to lie. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and steadfast, which reaches inside behind the curtain, where Jesus our forerunner entered on our behalf, since he became a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.

Bring Me The EphodWhat Is An Ephod?Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD. Exodus 28:30Your Ephod Is Your Way Of Seeking God’s Decision. (1st Brainerd Story)1 Samuel 30:3-8 AMP3When David and his men came to the town, it was burned, and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive. 4Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer]. 5Now David’s two wives had been captured, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. 6Further, David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all of them were embittered, each man for his sons and daughters. But David felt strengthened and encouraged in the Lord his God. 7David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought him the ephod. 8David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this band [of raiders]? Will I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you will certainly overtake them, and you will certainly rescue [the captives].”1 Samuel 22:9,10 9But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, said, “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10And Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.1 Samuel 22:16,18,2016But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelek, you and your whole family.”18So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 20But one son of Ahimelek son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to join David.“Bring Me The Ephod.” “I’ve Had Enough.” “I Won’t Be A Victim.” “I’ll Take God’s Decision.” “Bring Me The Ephod.” A Victim Is A Person Without A Decision From God.10 Signs You Are A Victim:1. You complain rather than act.2. You talk about the same problems.3. You are never able to get to resolution.4. You are always looking to people to save you.5. You don't accept responsibility (always something or someone to blame). | 6. You take more than you give.7. You are uncomfortable with being emotionally well.8. You are in crisis more than not.9. You make people around you tired.10. You tend to harm others rather than show mercy.1 Samuel 23:6,9,15,16 NIV6Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.9When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”15While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life.16And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.2 Samuel 6:14,1514Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 10 Signs You Are A Survivor:1. You are behaviorally a

The Names and Titles of Jesus – The King of Kings Episode 103 This series of the names and titles of Jesus will give us a more in-depth understanding of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is eleventh in the series. Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth Abraham blessed by Melchizedek 7 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” 3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. 4Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people— that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. 6This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. 8In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor Judah Genesis 49:10 “Judah, your brothers will praise you;… The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. Israel Rejects God 1 Samuel 8 (NIV)6But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. 7And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” 1 Samuel 12:12(NIV)… you said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’—even though the LORD your God was your king. The Anointing of King David (1 Sam. 16) David was not “the” king of promise “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah ... For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 33:14-26). “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom ... Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure before me forever” (II Samuel 7:11-16). David was not “the” king of promise Isaiah speaks of the coming son who will shoulder the government “upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom ... from this time forth and for evermore” (9:6-9) Ezekiel says that the Lord “will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David” (34:23). “My servant David shall be king over them ... forever” (Ezekiel 37:24-25). Psalm 45:6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows. Once again their King would be God. God The Son Matthew 1:1-17(NIV) This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham--Jesse the father of King David David --Josiah the father of Jeconiah[and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. 12After the exile to Babylon---16and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. 17Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. 18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”). Luke 1 New International Version (NIV) God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Matthew 2 New International Version (NIV) 2 After Jesus from as born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: 6“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ Matthew 3 The Baptism of Jesus In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.” Jesus reveals himself as the king of the Jews “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” John1:49 Teaching Parable, Parable, Parable, Parable about the kingdom of God Demonstrating His Power as King over—Satan—nature—sickness—time and space—death. Fulfilling Prophecy—Prophecy—Prophecy--Prophecy The Coming of Zion’s King Zechariah 9 9.Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth Hey Vav Hey Yod YHVH . Hebrew language reads right to left. – – Sound, pictographs meaning, and numerical value. Yod = Means extended arm and hand. Hey = Means the breath of God, behold or reveal, Abraham – 5 for Grace, Vav = Means spike or nail. It is also the number 6 in the Hebrew alphabet meaning man and is the exact center of the Torah. Hey = Means the breath of God, behold or reveal, Abraham –or  5 for Grace, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” 18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Hebrews 1 8But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 1 Timothy 6 (NIV) Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. Revelation 3:21 King James Version (KJV) 21To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Revelation 19 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. Psalm 21 Why do the nations conspire[a]and the peoples plot in vain? 2The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, 3“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” 4The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”10 Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. 12Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Takeaways From Psalm 2 Vs. 4-9 We have a King. Greater than all Kings, God says, My King Vs. 1-3 Tells us we, as human beings hate that King. Vs. 11-12 Declares though we who have hated Him we need the King. We will never have blessedness until we serve the King and kiss The King. He is the King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2). He is the King of Israel (John 1:49). He is the King of the nations (Rev. 15:3–4). He is the King of Heaven (Dan. 4:34, 37). He is the King of righteousness (Heb. 7:1–3). He is the King of peace (Heb. 7:1–3). He is the King of glory (Ps. 24:7–8). He is the King of the ages (1 Tim. 1:17). He is the King of all kings (Rev. 10:12, 16). Worship Jesus the King. Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}{YouTube}{Spotify}{CastBox}

Ephesians 4:17—5:2          17Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.          25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27and give no opportunity to the devil. 28Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.          1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Find us online at: AdventNYC.orgEmail us at: Podcast@AdventNYC.orgTalk with us at: Advent Sermons & Conversations on FacebookCome to a service Sunday morning 9am and 11am in English and 12:30pm in Spanish at 93rd and Broadway.Reading for this Week:First Reading2 Kings 4:42-4442A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to [Elisha,] the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.” 43But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and have some left.’ ” 44He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the Lord.PsalmPsalm 145:10-1810All your works shall praise | you, O Lord,  and your faithful | ones shall bless you. 11They shall tell of the glory | of your kingdom  and speak | of your power, 12that all people may know | of your power  and the glorious splendor | of your kingdom. 13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; your dominion endures through- | out all ages.  You, Lord, are faithful in all your words, and loving in | all your works. R 14The Lord upholds all | those who fall  and lifts up those who | are bowed down. 15The eyes of all wait upon | you, O Lord,  and you give them their food | in due season. 16You open | wide your hand  and satisfy the desire of every | living thing. 17You are righteous in | all your ways  and loving in | all your works. 18You are near to all who | call upon you,  to all who call up- | on you faithfully. RSecond ReadingEphesians 3:14-2114For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  20Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.GospelJohn 6:1-211Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. 2A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. 3Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. 4Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. 5When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?” 6He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.” 8One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?” 10Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.” 13So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. 14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”  15When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.  16When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

Audio from Easter Sunday – April 1, 2018. Bulletin here or below.Green Pastures with Jesus is the podcast from Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church of Fairmont, MN. Here you’ll find a variety of segments to lead you to the green pastures of the Word of God, where our Good Shepherd feeds our faith.  Find us online: www.shepherdofthelakes.net or http://facebook.com/shepherdofthelakes Worship is Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM.Bible class & Sunday School follow at 10:40 AM.323 E. 1st St – Fairmont, MNpastorhagen@icloud.com or (507) 236-9572iTunes & iPhone: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/green-pastures-jesus-shepherd/id1183522558?mt=2 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=127180&refid=stprOr simply search for “Green Pastures with Jesus” in your podcast app.Intro & Outro courtesy of Koine - The Church Band. Check them out at www.koinemusic.com, or find them on iTunes & Amazon: Search for Koine.Bible text from Biblegateway.com - EHV.Welcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you conquered sin, death, and Satan through your victorious resurrection. Grant that I always treasure my baptism, in which I have been buried and raised with you. Lead me to find comfort in your resurrection for me; AMEN.Resurrection & Forgiveness:In the forgiveness of sins, the terrors of sin and of eternal death must be overcome in the heart. Paul testifies about this in 1 Corinthians 15:56–57, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, sin terrifies consciences. This happens through the Law, which shows God’s wrath against sin. But we gain the victory through Christ. How? Through faith, when we comfort ourselves by confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake. Therefore, we prove that God’s wrath cannot be appeased if we set our own works against it. For Christ has been set forth as an Atoning Sacrifice so, that for His sake, the Father may be reconciled to us. But Christ is not received as a Mediator except through faith. Therefore, by faith alone we receive forgiveness of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ’s sake.Apology to the Augsburg Confession, Article 4 (Concordia p. 92)Because He Knew: He Rose from the DeadJesus rose from the dead - alleluia!How does the resurrection affect our lives today & forever?OPENING HYMN: 149 – Christ the Lord is Risen Today The children are invited forward during verses 5 & 6 to hang their “Alleluia!” banners on the hooks. CHILDREN’S MESSAGE: Why “Alleluia”?EASTER DIALOGUE: Please stand.M: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.C: Amen!Lord, we confess to you our sinful condition and our sinful behavior. Have mercy on us, Father in heaven. Bless us and keep us.Lord, we realize that we have earned your temporal and eternal punishment.Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus. Make your face shine on us and be gracious to us. Lord, we are not able to make up for our sins, nor can we set ourselves free from the guilt of our sin. You alone must work all good within us. Have mercy on us, Holy Spirit. Turn your face toward us and give us peace. Jesus was delivered over to death for the sake of our sins. In raising him from the dead, God declared you righteous Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! CW 143 v. 1He’s risen, he’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;He opened death’s prison, the incarnate Word.Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song;And earth, sea, and mountain the praises prolong!This is the day which the Lord has made;Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Alleluia!If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!Brothers and sisters, since we have been raised with Christ, let us set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1)For God, who created light to shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. (2 Cor. 4:6)Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Christ is risen!He is risen indeed! Alleluia!CW 143 v. 2 & 3The foe was triumphant when on Calvary;The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer;For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear!But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,And death, hell, and Satan he vanquished, his foes.The conquering Lord lifts his banner on high;He lives, yes, he lives, and will nevermore die!I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed – yet in my flesh, I will see God; I myself will see him, with my own eyes; I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (John 19:25-27)In righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:15) Death has been swallowed up in victory.Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:54-55)CW 143 v. 4Oh, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door!For all our transgressions his blood does atone;Redeemed and forgiven, we now are his own!Fellow Christians, set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:2-3)When Christ appears, then we also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:4) Fellow Christians, may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, in our homes, and in our lives. (Col 3:15)Let us pray: Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ you conquered death and opened the gate to eternal life. Grant that we, who have been raised with him through baptism, may walk in the newness of life and ever rejoice in the hope of sharing his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit be eternal power, dominion, and praise now and forever;To him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be praise and honor, and glory and power, forever and ever! Amen!CW 143 v. 5Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain;Who now sits in glory, and ever shall reign!The WordFIRST READING: Isaiah 25:6-9The shroud of death destroyed forever:6On this mountain the LORD of Armies will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food, a banquet of aged wines, with the best cuts of meat, and the finest wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that covers all peoples, the burial cloth stretched over all nations. 8He has swallowed up death forever! The LORD God will wipe away the tears from every face. He will take away the shame of his people throughout the earth. For the LORD has spoken. 9On that day it will be said, “Look, here is our God! We waited for him, and he saved us! This is the LORD! We waited for him. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”This is the Word of the Lord. Alleluia! Christ is risen!CHORAL ANTHEM: Christ the Lord is Risen Today! Alleluia!(Hymn #150 – The congregation is invited to join vv. 2 & 4)SECOND READING: 1 Corinthians 15:19-26Jesus Christ, the firstfruits from death:19If our hope in Christ applies only to this life, we are the most pitiful people of all. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For since death came by a man, the resurrection of the dead also is going to come by a man. 22For as in Adam they all die, so also in Christ they all will be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ as the firstfruits and then Christ’s people, at his coming. 24Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has done away with every other ruler and every other authority and power. 25For he must reign “until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” 26Death is the last enemy to be done away with. THEME VERSE: Psalm 118:24Alleluia. Alleluia. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia. This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Alleluia!GOSPEL READING: Mark 16:1-8The Resurrection:When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could go and anoint Jesus. 2Very early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3They were saying to each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb for us?” 4When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6He said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” 8They went out and hurried away from the tomb, trembling and perplexed. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 152 - I Know that My Redeemer LivesVerse 1-2 - Everyone Verse 3 - MenVerse 4 - EveryoneVerse 5 - WomenVerse 6 - MenVv. 7-8 - EveryoneSERMON based on 1 Corinthians 15: A Broken Tombstone for a Broken WorldSUNG CONFESSION OF FAITH: Sung to the tune “Ode to Joy”1. I believe in God the Father, Maker of the heav’ns and earth!And in Jesus Christ, our Savior, God’s own Son, of human birth!Virgin-born, the Lord’s incarnate, Whom the Spirit did conceive,Suffered under Pontius Pilate – Our salvation to achieve!2. Crucified, was dead and buried, Down to hell in victory;From the dead he rose the third day; Up to heav’n triumphantly.There at God’s right hand he’s ruling, By his will the world is led.He will come to judge the nations, Both the living and the dead!3. I believe in God the Spirit, In his church, his chosen band.They are joined in close communion, Holy in his sight they stand!I believe in sin forgiven; That the dead will rise again;I believe in life eternal. Amen! And again, Amen!OFFERINGPRAYER OF THE CHURCHPlease rise for prayer.O God of peace, who raised from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the sheep, we thank and praise you for the mercy you have shown us through his glorious resurrection. Grant that on this day believers throughout the world may see the fullness of your grace and peace. Give us a living hope to believe that the grave has no power over us and that we have been made partakers of eternal life.Almighty God, as your Son on this day rose from the dead for us, victorious over sin and the grave, grant that sin may no longer live in our hearts. By the power of his resurrection set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.Encourage our Christian lives of thankfulness, that we may live in our baptismal grace every day of our lives. Rule over the nations of the earth, O Lord, that they may join the hosts of heaven in songs of Christ's victorious triumph. Comfort us through your Sacrament, that our eyes may be fixed more on the life to come than on this world; that our hearts may rest in your promise of preservation, rather than worry. Above all, give us persistence in reading, studying, applying, and sharing your Word of truth.Your Word alone can build your church, and your Word alone proclaims forgiveness, life, and salvation through Jesus Christ. In every adversity and trial preserve us, O Lord. Heal the sick, giving them the hope of a glorious body in the resurrection of the dead. With your Easter victory, remove the fear of death from the hearts of the dying, and the sadness of death from hearts that feel the loss of family and friends. Defend the weak and vulnerable, especially the unborn, the aged, those coping with chronic illness, those who bear extra pain for their faithful confession of your truth, and all who are hungry, homeless, or unemployed.Lead us to daily sorrow and repentance, and nourish our faith through your chosen Means of Grace.We give thanks for all those who have died and now live with Christ in the triumph of Easter, especially our own faithful departed loved ones.Unite us with them in the hope of the resurrection of the dead.Hear us, Lord, as we bring you our private petitions.Silent prayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hall0wed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. The SacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 21DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 265 – This is the Feast of VictorySONG OF SIMEON: CW p. 24CLOSING HYMN: 250 – From All that Dwell Below the SkiesTHIS WEEKToday 1 Kings 6 7:30-9 Easter Breakfast 9:30 - Easter Festival Worship 11:10 - Bible Study: 1 Corinthians 15Monday 1 Kings 7 7 PM - Pre-call Council meetingTuesday 1 Kings 8 No CAP class.Wednesday 1 Kings 9 No catechism class.Thursday 1 Kings 10 6 PM - Lutheran Women Project Hour 7 PM - Devotion & LW Business MeetingFriday 1 Kings 11 3:45-7:30 PM - Family Fun Fair. (Speak with Doris if you can help!)Saturday 1 Kings 12 8 AM - Men’s Bible Breakfast @The Ranch 9:30 AM - Bible Basics Sunday 1 Kings 13 9:30 - Easter 2 Worship 10:45 - Bible Class & Sunday School Pres. Degner will be on hand to lead our Bible study. A voters’ meeting will convene at the conclusion of Bible study.Q: Why does Easter Sunday move around? Some years it’s near the end of March, other years it’s later in April.A: Jesus was crucified during the Jewish Passover. For this reason, the Christian church has always observed Easter at the same time as the Jewish Passover. Passover moves around slightly, as the Jews follow a lunar calendar. Passover always falls on the 14th day of the first Hebrew calendar month, the month of Nisan. The month begins with the first sighting of a lunar crescent, just after a new moon. 14 days after the first sliver of a waxing moon, the moon is a full moon; this is Passover. Passover begins at sundown & continues through sundown the next day. The Passover lamb was slaughtered at dusk on the day of Passover and consumed before sunrise; the leftovers were burned. (See Exodus 12:10.) In Holy Week, Passover began at sundown on Thursday & extended through sundown on Friday. The meal needed to be consumed & leftovers burned before sunrise on Friday. For an interesting sidenote, see John 18:28 and 19:14. The chief priests & Pharisees had delayed in eating the Passover and wanted to convict & crucify Jesus quickly; thus, they waited outside of Pilate’s palace so that they would remain ceremonially clean for eating the Passover meal. Waiting outside delayed the final verdict, with the result that they did not partake in the Passover before sunrise. According to Jewish law, they ought to have been excommunicated from the nation – see Numbers 9:13.The Council of Nicea (AD 325) standardized the celebration of Christ’s resurrection as the first Sunday after the full moon in Vernal Equinox. (The vernal equinox is the astronomical first day of spring, halfway between the winter & summer solstices.) This full moon is also known as the “Paschal full moon” – Paschal, meaning Passover. Thus, by our calendar, Easter is the Sunday following the first full moon after March 20 (March 20, the standardized date for the vernal equinox.) The earliest possible date for Easter is March 22 (last observed in 1818, next observed in 2285.) The latest possible date for Easter is April 25 (last observed in 1943, next observed in 2038.) In recent years, Easter has fallen on March 23, 2008 and April 24, 2011. If Easter is late, the church year includes more Sundays in the season of Epiphany (January-February.) If Easter is early, the church year includes more Sundays in the season of Pentecost (June-October.) Q: When was Jesus crucified?A: Passover is helpful in pinpointing the year & date of Christ’s crucifixion. Historically, Pontius Pilate was governor of Palestine from AD 26-36. Thus, Jesus must have been crucified sometime between 26 & 36. Scripture tells us that Christ ate the Passover with his disciples Thursday evening, and Saturday would be a “great” or “important” Sabbath – as it would be the Sabbath of Passover.Joseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus hasten to bury Jesus before the “Great Sabbath” of the Passover / Unleavened Bread celebration. They need to bury Christ so that they would be able to “keep” the Sabbath by not working. The Sabbath (Saturday) began at sundown. (We count days somewhat differently, with two different & commonly-observed conventions: A new day technically begins at midnight, but we recognize that sunrise also marks a new day.) Since the Sabbath began at sundown, the women observers went home Friday evening but refrained from preparing spices until after sundown on Saturday “in obedience to the Sabbath commandment” (Luke 23:56). The governorship of Pontius Pilate tells us the possible years, AD 26-36.The time of Passover tells us the dates on the Jewish lunar calendar: the 14th day of the lunar month of Nisan. This day, roughly halfway through the lunar cycle, would be a full moon. (Coincidentally, a solar eclipse is impossible during a full moon. The sun actually stopped shining on Good Friday afternoon.)The reference to Sabbath tells us Christ was crucified on Friday of theeight-day Passover/Unleavened Bread celebration. Between the years of AD 26-36, only the years 30 and 33 have a Friday full moon - April 7, AD 30 and April 3, AD 33. These are the two historical options for when the Son of God gave his life for our salvation.  

American Dreams My American Citizenship Is A Stewardship. It Is Temporary. And, I Am Accountable. Daniel 4:4-5 NIV - I , Nebuchadnezzar, was at home in my palace, contented and prosperous. 5I had a dream that made me afraid. As I was lying in bed, the images and visions that passed through my mind terrified me. Daniel 4:17 NIV - “‘The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that THE MOST HIGH IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL THE KINGDOMS ON EARTH AND GIVES THEM TO ANYONE HE WISHES and sets over them the lowliest of people.’ Daniel 4:24-26 NIV - “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you WHEN YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HEAVEN RULES! Daniel 4:29-30 NIV - Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” Daniel 4:31 NIV - Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you.” Daniel 4:32-33 NIV - You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.” 33Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. Daniel 4:34, 37 NIV - At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. 37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. Daniel 5:17-18, 20-24 NIV - Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. 18“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. 22“But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. Daniel Is Saying... “Belshazzar..., Your Grandfather Understood that His

TransformersThis is Rev. Marnie Leinberger’s from Sunday, August 7, 2016. The scripture is Isaiah 1:1, 10-20. In our service we read from the New Revised Standard Version and from The Message, a modern interpretation by Eugene Peterson. We read both with the hope that our understanding will be enriched.This is from The Message:1 The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw regarding Judah and Jerusalem during the times of the kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. 10 “Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God’s revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people. 11“Why this frenzy of sacrifices?” God’s asking. “Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? 12When you come before me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that—all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship? 13“Quit your worship charades. I can’t stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more! 14Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You’ve worn me out! I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. 15When you put on your next prayer-performance, I’ll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I’ll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. 16Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don’t have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. 17Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless. 18“Come. Sit down. Let’s argue this out.” This is God’s Message: “If your sins are blood-red, they’ll be snow-white. If they’re red like crimson, they’ll be like wool. 19If you’ll willingly obey, you’ll feast like kings.20But if you’re willful and stubborn, you’ll die like dogs.” That’s right. God says so.The New Revised Standard Version can be found here.

We go from Robosaurus the car-eating dinorobot to beloved Pope John Paul II, stopping at a couple television shows along the way (one iconic, one terrible).

Click here to listen or download this message.5-23-10, SAM, CLCLifestyle of Victory SeriesLifestyle of the Holy Spirit Lifestyle of VictoryIf we want to walk in Victory, we're going to have to walk in a relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is a gift for us, sent by God. Jesus Himself said us having the Holy Spirit was better for us than even being with Him on the Earth (John 16:7) Acts 1:8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."Acts 1 & 2, they were to wait until He came. He came at just the right time, 50 days after Passover. Jews celebrate Shavout as the time of the giving of the Torah, the 1st 5 books of the Bible, the law. Next big event on Shavout is the giving of the Spirit.He’s here to empower us, to lead us into the victory. He strengthens us, builds us up, if we maintain a relationship with Him.“He came to give us more than a feeling, He came to give us the Victory”1. StrengthGreek word parakletos (par-ak'-lay-tos) also referred to as “Paraclete”a. “'the one who falls down beside us,' that is to say, an individual who upon finding a person collapsed along the road, kneels down beside the victim, cares for his needs, and carries him to safety” b. Ralph M. Riggs says in his book The Spirit Himself: “…Comforter, means more than one who comforts. He is one who walks alongside or is a companion. As Paraclete, the Holy Spirit is one who is ready to provide strength, courage, wisdom, and grace in any form. He supplies all that a loving, capable companion would be asked to supply to satisfy every longing and need of the human heart.”2. Comfort – like an encouraging coach – called alongside to help – Like Coach Nub helping me.If we want strength, we need to do what He said for us to do. If we don’t do those things, we really don’t want the strength they provide.Tongues – edify, build us up – primary way we maintain a relationship with Him – we pray out mysteries.1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a [strange] tongue edifies and improves himself,… (AMP)Romans 8:26 (New American Standard Bible)26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;Jude 1:20 (New American Standard Bible) 20But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,Praying in the Spirit is like putting on special glasses to see things God’s way, like in the Treasure movie with Nicolas Cage. Some seeing Xrays, me seeing that most of life is vanity.Leads us into victory2 Corinthians 2:14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.Things He doesEmpowers usStrengthComfort – like an encouraging coach – called alongside to helpTeach all thingsLead into all truthBring all things to our remembranceGuide us into all truthLead us – into victory“Holy Spirit is the teacher, Bible is the curriculum, life is the test.”Click here to go the the site where you can view the whole sermon outline, listen online, or download to your computer.

19Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Affordable Podcasting $5.99 a month includes Web Hosting Suppport The Classic Blues at Music Maker Visit Recover in Christ Ministries today Visit our 24 hour family friendly radio streaming station Buy Your 50 mp3 classic radio shows for $5.00 inclues shipping Mike Wilhoit praise page Crosswalk3 Matthew 1 1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. Matthew 2 1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. 5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, 6And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. 7Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. 9When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. 13And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.