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The authorities are now telling you when to breathe and talk, you must be vaxxd to go to church and what in the world is tarot card christianity?Here are some of the verses I reference today:James 5:13-15Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.Ezekiel 34:3-4The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.Matthew 2534 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.'1 John 3:17But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?--For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12--Thanks for listening!Find Me:Website: churchpublic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChurchPublic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/churchpublicInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/churchpublic/keywords:keepthefaith, church public, churchpublic, church public podcast, church, public, faith, hope, love, Jesus, culture, spiritual, religious, faithandculture, podcast, philosophy, speaker, blogger, christianity, truth, lutheran, theological, seminary, youtube, values, chicago, graduation, new life, living waters, cornerstone, non denominational, progressive, churches, open, minded, small, ltsc, Bible, word, 

Effective Leaders Listen To God And To Others 1 Chronicles 13:1 - 4 1David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of a it b during the reign of Saul.” 4The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

Paul continued in his letter to the Ephesians to reveal what Christ had been teaching him during those years while he was imprisoned, first by Roman deputies in Israel and then finally in Rome under probably Emperor Claudius initially. These doctrines are so necessary for us to know, and the most central teachings are the main focus here such as the Body of Christ and then the many other dimensions of the Sacred Secret revealed to Paul for us Gentiles. We find these truths taught with clarity and power in chapters 2 & 3 of this marvelous letter:Chapter 2:Satan is presented as the Prince of this world: 2:1The depths of sin in our old nature and his pending wrath towards the unsaved: 2:3The heavenly blessings of being in Christ Jesus: 2:5-7Salvation by grace through faith not of works: 2:8-10Access to God and blessing for Gentiles was provided through Christ's shed blood: 2:13-17And, both Jew and Gentile are “one” in Christ in his Body: 2:18-19Chapter 3:The dispensation of the grace of God: 3:1-2The dispensation of the mystery the Christ: 3:3-4The nature of this sacred secret and its essence for Gentiles in particular: 3:5-6Paul, administrator of grace and conveyor of grace truth to the Gentiles: 3:7The eternal purpose of God — to make all see the dispensation - 3:8-11

Why you shouldn't opt-out of the Spiritual War that is going on right now! 1. You have an enemy that wants to kill, steal and destroy you! 2. There are people depending on you, family, friends and neighbors. 3. You were made to win this war! The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Cor 10:4 As believers, we need to understand the war that is raging. The Senators and citizens of Washington DC on July 21, 1861 had no idea what war meant. Have you noticed how some people • are failing to respond to the spiritual war that is going on around us right now? • think they can opt out of Spiritual warfare, because its HARD and costly? • don't see the destruction that is going on around them? • are just hoping everything will be alright. • don't realize there is a war? You have been given authority… not just hope… authority. Stop believing the enemies lies. We've heard the enemy's lies so many times, from so many different places, that even God's blood bought church has believed them. What am I talking about? I've heard people say they aren't spiritual enough to fight. Or that there is nothing they can do. Ephesians 6:12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. You have been given weapons that work 2 Cor 20: 3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Psa 8:2 NLT You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. Ephesians 6: 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Message Notes”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”  - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4The people God uses seem to have very little concern about how much suffering they would endure.Why?  - Because they had a cause worth suffering for and a Savior worth suffering with.Temptation will try to unravel your humanity by convincing you that you are just an appetite that has to be gratified.The place of your struggle becomes the place of anointing God uses to bring his healing to others.This does not mean your suffering is always manageable. It means your suffering is always meaningful.Send questions to email@redeemermn.orgScripture2 Corinthians 1:3-11, Acts 5:41, Acts 9:16, 1 Corinthians 1:3-4, Psalm 23

Have You Ever Argued In A Whisper? Try It, You'll Be Surprised At The Response You Will Get In Return. Proverbs 15:1-4 1A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly. 3The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. 4The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.

First Sunday after Pentecost The Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Old Testament: Isaiah 6:1-8 1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.' 4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!' 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.' 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?' And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!' Psalm: Psalm 29 or Canticle 13 (or Canticle 2) 1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *        ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *        worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;    the God of glory thunders; *        the Lord is upon the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *        the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *        the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *        and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;    the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *        the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *        and strips the forests bare. 9 And in the temple of the Lord *        all are crying, “Glory!” 10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *        the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore. 11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *        the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. or Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *        you are worthy of praise; glory to you. Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *        we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *        on the throne of your majesty, glory to you. Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *        we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. Glory to you, beholding the depths; *        in the high vault of heaven, glory to you. Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *        we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. Epistle: Romans 8:12-17 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba!* Father!' 16it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Gospel: John 3:1-17 1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.' 3Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.' 4Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?' 5Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.' 9Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?' 10Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 ‘Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17 ‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Daily Bread: 1 Corinthians chapter 15: 50-58 & chapter 16:1-4The dead will rise mystery and victory the collections of the SAINTS --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/jesuschristiskingpodcast/support

Acts 26:29 “Paul replied, “Short time or long – I pray to God that not only you, but all who are listening to me today, may become what I am, except for these chains…” The Prayer of Persistence pt 4The past few days, we have been talking about persistent prayer. Yesterday, we were looking at what Jesus was saying in Luke 18:1-8. Let's look at these verses again. “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.  And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.'  For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” We left off yesterday with an understanding of God answering the cries of His people speedily. We were talking about this is not applied to requesting help with your finances or material things. Jesus is emphasizing here that God will speedily answer the cries of His elect as they are being persecuted. That is the emphasis of this parable, not all of the other hyperbole that prosperity preachers and others have put on this scripture. For instance, some people believe this passage of scripture is saying that if we have unsaved loved ones, if we keep praying long enough and hard enough, eventually, we will wear God down to the point that He will answer our prayers just to shut us up. But that is NOT what this verse is implying. Others think these verses talk about God meeting some personal need or financial need. That if they just keep praying long enough and hard enough, we will wear God down and He will rain money down from Heaven just to shut us up. But that is NOT the case either, is it? Jesus is not talking about persistent faith to wear God out so He will answer our prayers. He IS saying, that if believers will be persistent in faith, HOW MUCH MORE will God avenge them as compared to how the unjust judged avenged the widow woman. HOW MUCH MORE. Amen! But, as verse one says, it is the PERSISTENCE of Faith, not the persistence of doubt, that causes God to respond and avenge his elect.  To take scriptures out of context, out of their actual settings and try to apply them to other areas will cause us more harm than good. The main thought of Luke 18 is that men should always pray and not faint – not quit praying.  To quit praying is easy.  To keep praying – even in the face of adversity and persecution, that takes FAITH. Amen! Let's Pray! Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com/ (https://podcastersforchrist.com). And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today. You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2 (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2)

THE WEEK OF EXAUDI - SUNDAYLESSON: JOHN 15:26-16:4The genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:7You have heard me say a great deal about faith. Now you will hear about witnessing to the faith about the cross which accompanies faith. Paul reminded the Romans that a “man believes with his heart and so is justified” (Romans 10:10).The starting point of Christian piety is faith of the heart. This is the beginning of piety, but it is not enough for salvation. One must also lead a truly Christian life and continue therein. Paul also says to the Romans, “Man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved” (Romans 10:10).The two things which save us are faith and the confession of faith. Faith saves from sins, hell, devil, death, and all misfortune. When we have faith, we have enough. Let us then live for God here on earth by extending a helping hand to our neighbor. In this way, God wants His name to be praised and His kingdom extended.Therefore, we must praise God's name here on earth, confess our faith, and encourage others to come to God, so that God's kingdom is enlarged and His name praised. Faith must be practiced, worked at, fortified, and even refined by fire like gold.SL 11:992 (1-2)PRAYER: Equip us with grace, heavenly Father, always to be a clear witness to our faith in service to our neighbor, for Christ's sake. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 3:244-254.

The focal scripture for today is: PSALM 32:1-5 TPT 1What bliss belongs to the one whose rebellion has been forgiven, those whose sins are covered by blood. 2What bliss belongs to those who have confessed their corruption to God! For he wipes their slates clean and removes hypocrisy from their hearts. 3Before I confessed my sins, I kept it all inside; my dishonesty devastated my inner life, causing my life to be filled with frustration, irrepressible anguish, and misery. 4The pain never let up, for your hand of conviction was heavy on my heart. My strength was sapped, my inner life dried up like a spiritual drought within my soul. 5Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said, “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions.” And you forgave me! All at once the guilt of my sin washed away and all my pain disappeared! As read by NailahTee (@nailahtee) #DailyWordBytes #forgiven #nailahtee --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/dailywordbytes/message

The Power of an Overcoming Mindset (A mind that is geared to overcome.) “Your mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except by your permission.” By Pastor George Lehman 2 Corinthians 10: 3-5 (NIV) – 3For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons* of the world. On the contrary*, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up *against the knowledge of God, and we *take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.  (Not just for out there; but for our own minds and thoughts) * Weapons of anger; bitterness; unforgiveness; hate; revenge; spitefulness; grudges *The very opposite is true *It’s those inner thoughts we battle with *We must take our own minds captive first – It all starts in the thoughts. We all have battles and issues in our lives that we either want to overcome or are in the process of overcoming. I truly believe that there is a peace, resilience* and a consistency that comes with an overcoming mentality. (*sterk taai) As a child of God you can’t just daydream your way through life…. 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV) – Be self-controlled and alert. (Why) Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. You cannot drive your motorcycle and daydream – Road safety campaign slogan says: Stay Alert & Stay Alive. WE NEED TO BE ALERT. The devil can’t handle the word of God spoken in Faith – Jesus said to the devil, “It is written” and he left. At His weakest He was strong with the Word living in Him. You have to have your eyes fixed on the prize. Focused ahead on getting through whatever you’re facing.  – Determined to finish strong An overcoming mindset will get you through. All overcoming stems from the joy and peace in believing that better things lie ahead of you. Your first obstacle you have to overcome and conquer is your own negativity it will destroy an overcoming mindset. Negativity about the world around you (Garbage in - garbage out) Negativity about the Lord and His promises Negativity that involves unbelief and doubt You need to wage this war first before overcoming any other battle. LIKE: Negativity, procrastination, doubt, fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, bitterness, and unbelief give the enemy so many tools and weapons to create havoc Isaiah 26:3 (NIV) – You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. The person whose thoughts are consumed with God will have perfect peace – Instead of anxiety and worry. What are the benefits of God centered thinking? Philippians 4:1-7 talks about an overcoming mind. Philippians 4:8 (MSG) – 8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies. Noble – Good, Reputable: Respectable Compelling – Thrilling. Paul gives us the Keys to an Overcoming Mindset. Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV) – 1Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.   #1 An Overcoming Mindset is developed by focusing on our      resurrected position. Ephesians 1:19-20 (Amp) – 19and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of His mighty strength. 20which He produced in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Galatians 2:20 (Amp) – I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. You live the resurrected life that proves the cross was real and completed. #2 An Overcoming Mindset is developed by a life of continual       discipline. Colossians 3:2 (NIV) – 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Note: Set = It will take discipline. Paul says 1 Corinthians 9:27 (Amp) – 27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]. Self-control – Alert – Takes discipline #3 An Overcoming Mindset is developed by focusing on our       Hidden life in Christ. Colossians 3:3 (NIV) – 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. To be hidden in Christ means protection Psalm 32:7 (NIV) – You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. #4 An Overcoming Mindset is developed by focusing on our future       in Christ. Colossians 3:4 (NIV) – 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. They way you think about your future will affect how you live today. Philippians 3:20-21 (LB) – 20But our homeland is in heaven, where our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ is; and we are looking forward to his return from there. 21When he comes back, he will take these dying bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer all else everywhere.  1 John 3:2-3 (LB) – 2Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, right now, and we can’t even imagine what it is going to be like later on. But we do know this, that when he comes, we will be like him, as a result of seeing him as he really is. 3And everyone who really believes this will try to stay pure because Christ is pure. Let us trust God to help us have an Overcoming Mindset. *********************************

Sane PerceptionI. The Need to StudyAll learning involves attention and study at some level. 2This course is a mind-training course. 3Good students assign study periods for themselves. 4However, since this obvious step may not have occurred to you and since we are cooperating in this, I urge you to make the obvious assignment now.1 5You may understand the need to study this course yet still not realize that many of the problems you keep being faced with may already have been solved here. 6Perhaps you do not think of the course in this way at all. 7Or perhaps you do from time to time, but then think the answer is probably in here and do not look it up. 8You vaguely know that the course is intended for some sort of preparation. 9But are you prepared?2 Mental retardation is a defense which, like the others (with the exception of the Atonement), can be used on behalf of error or truth, as elected.2 2When it occurs in the literal sense, it is a temporary device, agreed on beforehand, to check the miscreative activities of a strong but misdirected will. 3The lesson involves not only the individual himself but also his parents, siblings, and all of those who come in close relations with him. 4The person himself is a poor learner by definition, but only as a step toward changing from a bad to a good one.3 Mental retardation can also be used, however, as a maladaptive defense, if the wrong (or attack) side is employed. 2This produces the “pseudo-retardation syndrome,” which is justly classified as a psychiatric (or disturbed-level) symptom.3 3You may well be using this defense as you read this course. 4This represents a joint attack on both yourself and me, because it renders your mind weak and mine incompetent.4 5Remember, this puts you in a truly fearful position. 6If you cannot understand either your own mind or mine, you do not know what is really willed. 7It is thus impossible to avoid behavior-will conflict (as defined before), because even if you acted according to will, you wouldn’t know it.54 The next part of this course rests too heavily on the earlier part not to require its study.6 2Without this, you will become much too fearful when the unexpected does occur to make constructive use of it.7 3However, as you study the earlier part, you will see some of the obvious implications, unless you still persist in misusing the defense of mental retardation. 4Please remember that its constructive use, described above, is hardly a real part of your own real equipment. 5It is a particularly inappropriate defense as you use it, and I can only urge you to avoid it.5 The reason why a solid foundation is necessary at this point is because of the highly likely confusion of “fearful” and “awesome,” which most people do make. 2You will remember that we said once before that awe is inappropriate in connection with the Sons of God, because you should not experience awe in the presence of your own equals.8 3But it was emphasized that awe is a proper reaction of the Son in the presence of his Creator.96 So far, this course has had only indirect recourse to God and rarely even refers to Him directly. 2I have emphasized that awe is not appropriate in connection with me, because of our inherent equality.10 3I have been careful to clarify my own role in the Atonement, without either over- or understating it.11 4I have tried to do exactly the same thing in connection with yours.12 5The next step, however, does involve the direct approach to God Himself. 6It would be most unwise to start on this step at all without very careful preparation, or awe will surely be confused with fear, and the experience will be more traumatic than beatific.7 Healing is of God in the end. 2The means are carefully explained in this course. 3Revelation may occasionally show you the end, but to reach it the means are needed.13

                           Strangers in a Strange Land:                                 “Leadership Vacuum”                                            1 Pet 5:1-4The people of the world are lost: Isaiah 53:6If sheep stray into unfamiliar territory, they become disoriented and become lost: Luke 15:3-7Sheep cannot clean themselves; thus Jesus likened the crowds to disoriented, confused, unclean and spiritually lost flocks of sheep without shepherds: Mt. 9:36The Apostle Peter needs guidance as well: Gal 2:11-13The sheep belong to God: John 21:16This is a serious matter: Acts 20:28-29Four Facts about the Call to Shepherd:1.            Shepherding is a Calling not a CareerLeadership is difficult at best, but it should be desired: 1 Tim 3:1Hey, sheep give your leaders a break:Heb 13:17 2.            Shepherding is a Calling not an EnterpriseMoney can be a trap: 1 Tim 6:9-10Here is the secret to successful ministry: Phil 4:12-13 There is a place for proper compensation: 1Tim 5:17-18 3.             Shepherding is a Calling not a Power-trip The Lord's shepherds are to be servants, not bosses; ministers, not executives: Mt. 20:25-28The shepherd did not drive the sheep but walk in front of them, calling on them to follow:  1 Cor. 11:1 4.            Shepherding is a Calling that results in Eternal Reward Peter promises no earthly reward but directs the elders to look beyond this present world: 1 Cor 9:25 Support the show (https://paypal.me/pwp398?locale.x=en_US)

XIII. The Real Meaning of the Last JudgmentWe have said that whatever you make or create is real in your own eyes, but not necessarily in the sight of God.166 2This basic distinction leads us directly into the real meaning of the Last Judgment.2 The Final Judgment is one of the greatest threat concepts in humanity’s perception. 2This is only because you do not understand it. 3Judgment is not an essential attribute of God. 4You brought judgment into being only because of the separation. 5God Himself is still the God of mercy. 6After the separation, however, there was a place for justice in the schema, because it was one of the many learning devices which had to be built into the overall plan.3 Just as the separation occurred over many millions of years, the Last Judgment will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps even longer. 2Its length depends, however, on the effectiveness of the present speed-up.167 3We have frequently noted that the miracle is a device for shortening but not abolishing time.168 4If a sufficient number of people become truly miracle-minded quickly, the shortening process can be almost immeasurable. 5But it is essential that these individuals free themselves from fear sooner than would ordinarily be the case, because they must emerge from the basic conflict if they are to bring peace to the minds of others.4 The Last Judgment is generally thought of as a procedure undertaken by God. 2Actually, it will be undertaken solely by the Sonship with my help. 3It is a final healing rather than a meting out of punishment, however much you may think punishment is deserved. 4Punishment as a concept is in total opposition to right-mindedness. 5The aim of the Final Judgment is to restore right-mindedness to you.5 The Final Judgment might be called a process of right evaluation. 2It simply means that finally all minds must come to understand what is worthy and what is not. 3After this, their ability to choose can be reasonably directed. 4Unless this distinction has been made, the vacillations between free and imprisoned will cannot but continue.6 The first step toward freedom, then, must entail a sorting out of the false from the true. 2This is a process of division only in the constructive sense, and reflects the true meaning of the Apocalypse.169 3Everyone will ultimately look upon what he has made and will to preserve only what is good, just as God Himself once looked upon what He had created and knew that it was good.170 4At this point, the mind will begin to look with love on what it has made, because of its great worthiness. 5The mind will inevitably disown its miscreations, and having withdrawn belief from them, they will no longer exist.7 The term “Last Judgment” is frightening, not only because it has been falsely projected onto God, but also because of the association of “Last” with death. 2This is an outstanding example of upside-down perception. 3Actually, if the Last Judgment is examined objectively, it is quite apparent that it is really the doorway to life. 4No one who lives in fear is really alive.8 Your own final judgment cannot be directed toward yourself, because you are not your own creation. 2You can apply it meaningfully and at any time, however, to everything you have ever made, and retain in your real memory only what is good. 3This is what your own right-mindedness cannot but dictate. 4The purpose of time is solely to “give you time” to achieve this judgment. 5It is your own perfect judgment of what you have made. 6When everything that you retain is lovable, there is no reason for any fear to remain in you. 7This is your part in the Atonement.

                        Strangers in a Strange Land:                                       “Fiery Ordeal”                                        1 Pet 4:12-19Four Instructions about Suffering:1.         Expect SufferingDon't be surprised: 1John. 3:13 Persecution is keeping in step with Christ: 1Pet 2:20-21Persecution is inevitable: 2 Tim 3:12Jesus stressed persecutions inevitability: Jn. 15:20The purpose of testing is purified Faith: 1Pet 1:6-7 2.         Exult in Suffering  Suffering is proof that we are his possession: Rom 8:17 He has already mentioned the abuse: 1 Pet 4:4The culture is repelled by our message: Acts 4:12Our present may be tenuous, but our future looks bright:Mt. 5:10-12 3.                  Evaluate Suffering God has ordained the practice of law:  1 Pet 2:13-14The shame of being seen as a fool: 1Cor 1:18We are the very stones of the temple: 1 Pet 2:5This brings us back to the concept of the “fiery ordeal” of verse 12; the testing of our faith: Mal 3:1-3Judgment starts in the house of God and moves out to the rest of the world, for us it is about salvation not condemnation: 1 Cor 11:32The fire that purifies the house of God will consume the wicked: Mal 4:1-2It is hard (difficult) to find salvation: Mt. 7:13-14The refining fire will separate those who are truly committed to Christ from those whose commitment is shallow or partial:  Heb 10:26-27 Peter is saying that the unbelievers eternal suffering compared to the believers temporal suffering, is far greater: Mt. 10:28 4.            Entrust Your Soul to God Follow in his steps: 1Pet 2:21-23; Lk 23:46We react with the best interest of our persecutors in mind; we bless not curse: Lk. 23:34 Support the show (https://paypal.me/pwp398?locale.x=en_US)

THE WEEK OF EASTER - TUESDAYLESSON: ROMANS 8:14-17[Let your adorning] … be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. 1 Peter 3:4The title that we are Christ's brethren is so exalted that no human heart can really comprehend it. Unless the Holy Spirit confers this grace, no one can say, “Christ is my brother.” No man's reason would be bold enough to make such a claim, even though it may occasionally be made with the tongue, as in the case of our modern charismatics. Nor is it enough just to make such claims—this must be a matter of the heart—otherwise it is pure hypocrisy.If you really know this in your heart, it will become something so great and important for you, that you will keep quiet about it rather than chatter about it to all and sundry. To be sure, face to face with the magnitude of this blessing, you may even have your doubts and uncertainties whether it is really true or not. Those who are always crying, “Christ is my brother, Christ is my brother!” are not necessarily Christ's true brethren.With a true Christian it is very different. For a true Christian it is a wonderful thing to hear that he is Christ's brother. The flesh is dismayed at this, and not so very much will be said and openly acknowledged about it all.SL 11:605 (7)PRAYER: Give us at all times a quiet, confident faith, O Lord, not given to empty and foolish boasting, but fully trusting in your assurance that we are Your brethren in and through Your glorious resurrection from the dead. Amen.Editor's note: No American Edition (AE) equivalent for today's sermon excerpt exists at the time of this publication. For an alternate English translation of this sermon, see Lenker, Church Postil—Gospels, 2:215-221.

In today’s episode we are discussing what to consider when choosing a preschool for your child. Joining me today for the conversation is Zahra Kazem. She is a certified Montessori teacher and ran a Montessori school pre-Covid. She then became a certified parenting coach through the International Coaching Federation and began helping working moms navigate the challenges of balancing a full time job with motherhood. Because Zahra’s background includes both Montessori and parent coaching, we are going to touch on the Montessori philosophy, but we are going to also discuss different types of preschools, what might work best for your family and what the preschool registration process might look like. In this episode we discuss: The Montessori philosophy:It’s a multi-aged grouping so kids are in the same classroom (3-6) and they learn to help each other and be nurturing from a young age.They come into a “prepared environment”. The classroom is set up in the areas of: Practical Life, Sensorial, Math/Language, Geography and Science.The materials are all Montessori Materials. They are mainly made of wood and are self-correcting. Teachers are facilitators to learning. The child gets to choose what he/she wants to “work” with. They do this after the teacher has introduced the child to the material and given a lesson on it. They also learn at their own pace. Once the child has mastered one material and shows readiness for the next the teacher will invite the child to a more complex lesson.Children learn to self regulate in a Montessori classroom at a very young age. They learn to concentrate on their own tasks and not be distracted about what others in the classroom are doing. This is a great skill to have when entering a public kindergarten program or transitioning into a non Montessori traditional school.What to consider when choosing a preschool A curriculum based structure or more of a daycare structure?Requirements for children at particular ages (do they need to be potty trained)Take a tour of the classrooms, would you want to spend time there?The child’s age that parents should start thinking about registering their child for preschoolDepends on your area and availability of preschoolsThere is no mandate on when kids need to start preschool, could be ages 1-4The registration window typically starts at least 6 months before the upcoming school yearHow to get in touch with Zahra: Website: https://www.coachzahra.com/Email: coachzahrakazem@gmail.com How to get in touch with me: Follow me on InstagramFind other episodes at: www.findingyourvillagepod.comEmail me at amanda@findingyourvillagepod.com Monthly Newsletter Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/findingyourvillagepod?fan_landing=true)

Listen to Rev Bryony's Easter Message based on this reading: John 20.1–18 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.' 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went towards the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes. 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?' She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.' 14When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.' 16Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!' She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!' (which means Teacher). 17Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ' 18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord'; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Witnesses to Jesus – John 5:30-47 – FCBCINTRODUCTIONAnd the older you get, the more you realize how silly it is when you’re younger to think you’ve got everything figured out. The older we get, and the more we experience and learn, it can either make us more humble and wise or more prideful and stubborn. I think spiritual maturity is similar. We can become more humble and wise related to spiritual things, or more prideful and stubborn, thinking we’ve got it all figured out.We’re going to see in this passage that the very people who should have known better because they by now should have been the most spiritually mature, were actually blinded by their stubborn spiritual pride. They thought they knew it all. Because they actually did know the Bible more than the rest. But that’s what makes it so scary – we could fall into the same traps they did. Thinking we know it all, thinking we see things clearly, but we actually don’t. We’ll see in the passage today that: Spiritual Pride conceals the way to life. Humble Learning reveals it. Spiritual pride blinds us from seeing the path to life. Humbly getting to know God & his word reveals the way to life in Jesus.BACKGROUND From John 5Jesus healed a guy who hadn’t been able to walk in 38 years.The Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus for it because he did it on the Sabbath, AND he wasclaiming to be equal with God.WHO’S ON TRIAL?They charged Jesus (breaking Sabbath, blasphemy, death penalty), but HE said HE is the judge.30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 27And he (the Father) has given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man.Jesus, at the direction of God the Father, will judge humanity based on their belief/unbelief in Jesus.Have you ever seen the show Undercover Boss? CEO’s, etc. go undercover to work with their employees (get trained, etc.). Imagine the shock when the employees realize it! They probably replay every word and action – how they treated their BOSS. What if they were impatient and rude? What if they talked bad about the company, or worse yet, the boss?!This is sort of like that. They think they’re judging Jesus. And they’re pridefully confident of their assessment. But they don’t realize he is GOD! And it’s HIM that will judge THEM! But Jesus isn’t trying to hide. Quite the opposite! Jesus brought witnesses as evidence so that they WOULD believe.34... I say these things so that you may be saved.He is a patient, loving, gracious judge! Keep that in mind before we look at how Jesus handled these guys – God WANTS you to be in close, intimate, fulfilling relationship with Him. That’s the whole point, and that’s why he provided so many witnesses.1THE WITNESSES31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.This doesn’t mean Jesus’ testimony is false if he’s the only one saying it. It’s still true. He’s just referring to Jewish law about legal witnesses.John 8:17-18 “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true. I am the one who bears witness about myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness about me.”Deuteronomy 19:15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.”Sort of like a hole-in-one in golf – you must have a witness for it to be official. Jesus is appealing to the Law they know well, and he gives not just one more additional witness, but 5 more.32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true.This is actually a reference to the Father, which he gets to again in vs 37. Just like in chapter 8, he’s emphasizing that he and the Father are the primary witnesses that people should believe. – It’s obvious why. Who knows truth best? God.In golf, for the hole in one to count, it can’t just be your 4-year-old who was with you to count as a witness. The qualifications of your witnesses matter.Jesus is saying, before I get to these other witnesses, just know that the one that matters most, the Father – he says I’m the real deal.LET’S LOOK AT THE 5 WITNESSES: 1. John the Baptist33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.When he says “not that the testimony that I receive is from man” – he’s saying God isn’t dependent on humans to reveal truth about himself. But he often uses them anyway. Just like he wants to use us – even though he doesn’t need to.Jesus is reminding them that John the Baptist had given compelling testimony about Jesus. We studied that in previous weeks.2. Jesus’ works236 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.Not only were the miracles amazing, they also were the very things the O.T. Prophets said the Messiah would do.They didn’t just hear about the miracles. These undeniably supernatural miracles happened right in front of their eyes.I hear people say today – If I could see a miracle, THEN I’d believe. If I saw that guy healed, then I’d believe. Maybe not – these guys saw crazy stuff and it hardened them – some called it the work of the devil. I don’t think it would have mattered if Jesus had taken requests for miracles, because these guys were blinded by pride.3. The Father37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.Jesus doesn’t specify what he means here regarding how the Father bore witness to Jesus. Some think he’s referencing the Father’s testimony at Jesus’ baptism – a voice from heaven: “This is my Son in whom I’m well pleased.” I’m less convinced of that because that passage specifically refers to hearing God’s voice from heaven, but Jesus here says, “His voice you have never heard.”Who has heard the Father’s voice? Jesus. Where was Jesus before he took on human flesh? Heaven. Who has seen his form? Jesus. And who did the Father send with his message? Jesus. Who then should they believe? The Father and Jesus. But they don’t believe.4. The Scriptures39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.Was it good that they searched the Scriptures? YES!! The whole O.T. points to Jesus. TaNaKh – Torah [Law], Nevi’im [Prophets], Ketuvim [Writings]Luke 24:44 - Jesus, after resurrection: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”Just in case you think the OT is boring – there’s more amazing stuff in there than we can even fathom! We’ll look at why they missed the point in a minute5. Moses345 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”Jesus doesn’t specify what exactly he’s referring to here in Moses’ writings. Some think it’s Deuteronomy 18:15-19...[Moses speaking...]: 15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen... [God speaking]: 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.That seems to clearly point to Messiah, but Jesus could also have been referring to ALL of the books of Moses (Torah/Pentateuch – 1st 5 Books) because when you study them, you will see that the whole thing points forward to Jesus. These guys didn’t see it or believe it. WHY? Let’s look at what was getting in the way.Spiritual Pride Conceals the Way to Life; Humble Learning reveals it.I don’t want to fall into the traps the Jewish leaders did. I hope these things will help me and us.1. Humble Learning, not Pride in Bible KnowledgeThey were RIGHT to search the Scriptures – but their heart was wrong.39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life 45There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope.46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe meThey thought life was found in the TEXT not God himself. And it led to pride. Jesus didn’t fit their interpretation of Scripture. They were so stuck on their particular interpretation of things, likely including their view of the Messiah as a military & political deliverer, that it blinded them to who was right in front of them.(William Barclay - Commentary) “They read Scripture not to search for God but to find arguments to support their own positions. They did not really love God; they loved their own ideas about him.”Some churches have a reputation of spiritual pride because of their strong Bible knowledge. A great strength can become a great weakness and blind spot. We should be careful – those who are guilty of this will still nod in agreement. That’s the thing about blindness... you can’t see it in yourself. People who are guilty of this are thinking of others right now (that reminds me of so-and-so), rather than humbly self-reflecting and asking God to reveal pride in their own heart...To those who know lots of Bible, and have many strong convictions:It’s healthy to realize that, unless you’re God, you’re wrong about something you believe that you’re right about. We need to be humble learners. These guys Jesus was talking to were not humble.4The truth is always BETTER than the wrong way I see things – so why would I cling to my view on occasions when the evidence shows something else? Pride.I don’t like being wrong on something. But winning a debate on that thing doesn’t make me less wrong. It actually just solidifies my blindness. Only humility can reveal that to ME, and only humility will help me say those dreaded words: “I was wrong.”There’s an equal & opposite problem today: No felt need for reading and studying the Bible.It’s pride in the other direction – “I don’t need God’s word to transform me; I’m good to go as I am.”We should be serious about Scripture! How can you learn and grow if you don’t read & study it? You can’t. Sunday morning isn’t enough. How long before we get through the whole Bible on Sunday morning? God wants intimate relationship. What if you only spoke to your spouse or best friend for an hour once/week? Would the relationship be very deep?The goal is deepening relationship, not just knowledge. Lots of people who can win Bible trivia are actually very far from God2. Humble Love, not Pride in Judging Others42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him.Hospitality (receiving someone) was a big deal in Jewish culture. Even a receiving a stranger. How about receiving a representative of the King? HUGE! Talk about a bigger deal than Undercover Boss! Jesus came to their front door in the name of YHWH; He IS the King! But it’s like they pointed a gun in his face and told him to get off their property.What does it mean to “receive Jesus”? To believe and accept his words as truth, and submit to him. At a heart level. Not just intellectual.John 1:11: He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.Receiving Jesus is believing and accepting his words as truth and submitting to him. If you’ve never done that, it’s as simple as sincerely confessing to God the wrong things you’ve done, telling him you believe all these things John wrote about Jesus, and in your heart acknowledging God is on the throne as King.These guys would more readily receive a false messiah coming in his own name than Jesus – because they had their own ideas of what they were looking for. AND a false messiah would more likely tell them what they wanted to hear.Jesus says it’s because they don’t actually love God. They would say they do, but Jesus knows their hearts. Proof: they’re rejecting him!3. Humble before an Audience of One, not Pride in Approval from Others544 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?They wanted approval (glory) from others more than God.Charles Spurgeon [preacher 1800’s] – “But, oh, how many live on the [words] of their fellow men; to be approved — to be applauded — that is their heaven; but to be despised, to be sneered at, to be called fool, to have some nickname applied to them; oh no, they would sooner go to hell than bear that.”It’s easy to think we’re not like that. But I think we’re all tempted by this. I do not want to feed my pride by living for the approval of others.For me, one of the hardest ways I battle this is doing this – giving sermons. I want to not care what you think about me. But imagine yourself standing in front of hundreds of people trying not to care about their approval. That’s hard. I want to say whatever God wants me to say – regardless of what your response is. That’s hard. I can get self-conscious about preaching in a church with such a high standard for good preaching.For you it may not be preaching, but I wrestle with this in many other ways too – what is it for you? Where do you look for approval from others more than from God?What you look like – your appearance? Intelligence / Education / Knowledge? How people view your parenting? Leadership? Do you look for approval at work or in what you do for work? Athletics? Social media? Busyness?I like the tagline for the ministry Athletes In Action – “Audience of One”. Athletes are constantly tempted to focus on the approval of others (coaches, teammates, fans, sponsors), but it’s freeing to play for an audience of one. That’s how we should live our lives. We see in this passage what happens when you don’t.Palm SundayThis tension between those who received Jesus and those who rejected him continued until his death on the cross. Today is Palm Sunday, marking Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem one week before his resurrection. In John 12, people who had seen Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead gathered with others who had heard about it...John 12:13 “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”Yet only days later another crowd gathered and shouted “Crucify him!” The fact that you’re here this morning shows me which crowd you’re in, BUT...CONCLUSION6Let me encourage you to Humbly Pursue God, not just knowledge about God.Life isn’t found in the words of Scripture. Life is found in the Word that all of Scripture points to.1,000 lifetimes wouldn’t be enough to fully comprehend all that God has revealed about himself in the Bible. That should make us excited! There’s always more of his goodness to discover at deeper levels!If that overwhelms you, don’t worry – the entrance exam you’ll be judged on (so to speak) isn’t how much Bible you know, it’s who you know and put your trust in.The more you know him, the more humble you should become...the more you’ll love him... the more you’ll love others.... The more you’ll want others to experience the same – which highlights the amazing privilege WE have to be a new witness on the list...The Church. Individually & corporately.Ask God for opportunities & boldness to be a HUMBLE witness for Jesus. He’s been patient with us. We should patiently point others to him.I want to end with a video example of what it’s like to think we’re seeing clearly, only to have the wonderful realization that there are more layers of depth to Jesus than we realized before.This Man Named Jesushttps://vimeo.com/91943925©2014 Media That Matters

XII. The Mastery of LoveWe have already said that the basic conflict is one between love and fear, and that the proper organization of the psyche rests on a lack of level confusion.154 2The section on psychic energy should be reread very carefully, because it is particularly likely to be misinterpreted until this section has been completed.1552 It has already been said that you cannot control fear, because you yourself made it.156 2Your belief in it renders it out of your control by definition. 3For this reason, any attempt to resolve the basic conflict through the concept of mastery of fear is meaningless. 4In fact, it asserts the power of fear by the simple assumption that it need be mastered at all. 5The essential resolution rests entirely on the mastery of love.1573 In the interim, conflict is inevitable. 2The reason for this is the strangely illogical position in which you have placed yourself. 3Since we have frequently emphasized that correction must be applied within the level that error occurs, it should be clear that the miracle must be illogical because its purpose is to correct the illogical and restore order.1584 Two concepts which cannot coexist are nothing and everything. 2To whatever extent one is believed in, the other has been abolished. 3In the conflict, fear is really nothing, and love is really everything. 4The unwillingness to let one’s darkness be seen, or to submit error to light, is a way of denying that the separation ever occurred. 5Like all pseudo-solutions, this kind of distorted thinking is very creative but false.5 The separation has occurred.159 2To deny this is merely to misuse denial. 3However, to concentrate on error is merely a further misuse of legitimate psychic mechanisms. 4The true corrective procedure, which has already been described as the proper use of the spiritual eye (or true vision), is to accept the error temporarily, but only as an indication that immediate correction is mandatory.160 5This establishes a state of mind in which the Atonement can be accepted without delay.6 It is worth repeating that ultimately there is no compromise possible between everything and nothing. 2The purpose of time is essentially to serve as a device by which all compromise in this respect can be abolished. 3It seems to be abolished by degrees precisely because time itself involves a concept of intervals which does not really exist. 4The faulty use of creation has made this necessary as a corrective device. 5“And God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have eternal life” needs only one slight correction to be entirely meaningful in this context. 6It should read, “And God so loved the world that He gave it to His only begotten Son.”1617 It should be noted that God has begotten only one Son. 2If you believe that all of the minds that God created are His Sons, and if you also believe that the Sonship is one, then every mind must be a Son of God, or an integral part of the Sonship. 3You do not find the concept that the whole is greater than its parts difficult to understand. 4You should therefore not have too great of a difficulty with this. 5The Sonship in its oneness does transcend the sum of its parts. 6However, it loses this special state as long as any of its parts are missing. 7This is why the conflict cannot ultimately be resolved until all of the individual parts of the Sonship have returned. 8Only then can the meaning of wholeness in the true sense be understood.8 The concept of minus numbers has always been regarded as a mathematical rather than an actual expedient. 2Yet it represents a major limitation on mathematics as presently understood.162 3Any statement which implies degrees of difference in negation is essentially meaningless. 4What can replace this negative approach is a recognition of the fact that as long as one part (which is the same as a million or ten or eight thousand parts) of the Sonship is missing, it is not complete.163 5In the divine psyche, the Father and the Holy Spirit are not incomplete at all. 6The Sonship has the unique faculty of believing in error, or incompleteness, if it so elects. 7However, it is quite apparent that so to elect is to believe in the existence of nothingness. 8The correction of this error is the Atonement.9 We have already briefly spoken about readiness.164 2But there are some additional awarenesses which might be helpful. 3Readiness is nothing more than the prerequisite for accomplishment. 4The two should not be confused. 5As soon as a state of readiness occurs, there is always some will to accomplish, but this is by no means undivided. 6The state does not imply more than the potential for a shift of will. 7Confidence cannot develop fully until mastery has been accomplished.10 We began this section with an attempt to correct the fundamental human error that fear can be mastered. 2The correction was that only love can be mastered. 3Even if you are ready for revelation, though, that does not mean that you have in any way mastered that form of communication. 4Mastery of love necessarily involves a much more complete confidence in the ability than you have as yet attained. 5Readiness, however, is at least an indication that you believe this is possible. 6This is only the beginning of confidence. 7In case this be misunderstood as a statement that an enormous amount of time will be necessary between readiness and mastery, I would again remind you that time and space are under my control.165

XI. The Basic ConflictYou are willing to accept primarily what does not change your mind too much, and leaves you free to leave it quite unguarded most of the time. 2You persist in believing that when you do not consciously watch your mind, it is unmindful. 3It is time to consider the whole world of the unconscious, or unwatched mind. 4This will frighten you because it is the source of fright. 5You may look at it as a new theory of basic conflict if you wish, which will not be entirely an intellectual approach, because I doubt if the truth will escape you entirely.1282 The unwatched mind is responsible for the whole content of the unconscious which lies above the miracle level.129 2All psychoanalytic theorists have made some contribution to the truth in this connection, but none of them has seen it in its true entirety.3 Jung’s best contribution was an awareness of individual versus collective unconscious levels. 2He also recognized the major place of the religious spirit in his schema. 3His archetypes were also meaningful concepts. 4But his major error lay in regarding the deepest level of the unconscious as shared in terms of content.1304 The deepest level of the unconscious is shared as an ability.131 2As miracle-mindedness, the content—or the particular miracles which an individual happens to perform—does not matter at all. 3They will, in fact, be entirely different, since I direct them, because I make a point of avoiding redundancy. 4Unless a miracle actually heals, it is not a miracle at all.132 5The content of the miracle level is not recorded in the individual’s unconscious because if it were, the miracle would not be automatic or involuntary, which we have said repeatedly that it should be.133 6However, the content is a matter for the record, which is not within the individual himself.5 All psychoanalysts made one common error, in that they attempted to uncover unconscious content. 2You cannot understand unconscious activity in these terms, because “content” is applicable only to the more superficial unconscious levels to which the individual himself contributes. 3This is the level at which he can readily introduce fear, and usually does.6 Freud was right in calling this level “preconscious,” and emphasizing that there is a fairly easy interchange between preconscious and conscious material.134 2He was also right in regarding the censor as an agent for the protection of consciousness from fear.135 3His major error lay in his insistence that the preconscious is necessary at all in the psychic structure. 4If the psyche contains fearful levels from which it cannot escape without splitting, its integration is permanently threatened. 5It is essential not to control the fearful but to eliminate it.7 Here, Rank’s concept of the will was particularly good, except that he preferred to ally it only with humanity’s own truly creative ability, but did not extend it to its proper union with God’s.136 2His “birth trauma,” another valid idea, was also too limited, in that it did not refer to the separation, which was really a false idea of birth.137 3Physical birth is not a trauma in itself. 4It can, however, remind the individual of the separation, which was a very real cause of fear.8 The idea of “will therapy” was potentially a very powerful one,138 but Rank did not see its real potential because he himself used his mind partly to create a theory of the mind, but also partly to attack Freud. 2His reactions to Freud stemmed from his own unfortunate acceptance of the deprivation fallacy, which itself arose from the separation. 3This led him to believe that his own mind’s creation could stand only if the creation of another’s fell. 4In consequence, his theory emphasized rather than minimized the two-edged nature of defenses. 5This is an outstanding characteristic of his concepts, because it was outstandingly true of him. 6He also misinterpreted the birth trauma in a way that made it inevitable for him to attempt a therapy whose goal was to abolish fear.139 7This is characteristic of all later theorists, who do not attempt, as Freud did in his own form of therapy, to split off the fear.9 No one as yet has fully recognized either the therapeutic value of fear or the only way in which it can truly be ended. 2When you miscreate, you are in pain. 3The cause and effect principle here is temporarily a real expeditor. 4Actually, Cause is a term properly belonging to God, and Effect, which should also be capitalized, is His Sonship. 5This entails a set of cause and effect relationships which are totally different from those which humanity introduced into the miscreation.10 The fundamental opponents in the real basic conflict are creation and miscreation. 2All fear is implicit in the second, just as all love is inherent in the first. 3Because of this difference, the basic conflict is one between love and fear.11 So much, then, for the true nature of the major opponents in the basic conflict. 2Since all such theories lead to a form of therapy in which redistribution of psychic energy results, it is necessary to consider our concept of psychic energy next.140 3In this respect, Freud was more accurate than his followers, who were essentially more wishful. 4Energy can emanate from both creation and miscreation, and the particular ratio between them which prevails at a given point in time does determine the behavior at that time. 5If miscreation did not engender energy in its own right, it would be unable to produce destructive behavior, which it very patently does.12 Everything that you make has energy because, like the creations of God, it comes from energy and is endowed by its maker with the power to make. 2Miscreation is still a genuine creative act in terms of the underlying impulse, but not in terms of the content of what is made. 3This does not deprive what is made of its own creative power. 4It does, however, guarantee that the power will be misused, or used fearfully.13 To deny this is merely the previously mentioned fallacy of depreciation.141 2Although Freud made a number of fallacies of his own, he did avoid this one in connection with psychic energy. 3The later theorists denied the split-energy concept, not by attempting to heal it, but by reinterpreting it instead of redistributing it.142 4This placed them in the illogical position of assuming that the split which their therapies were intended to heal had not occurred. 5The result of this approach is essentially a form of hypnosis.143 6This is quite different from Freud’s approach, which merely ended in a deadlock.14414 A similar deadlock occurs when both the power of creation and of miscreation coexist. 2This is experienced as conflict only because the individual feels as if both were occurring at the same level. 3He believes in what he has miscreated in his own unconscious, and he naturally believes it is real because he has made it. 4He thus places himself in a position where the fearful becomes real. 5Nothing but level confusion can result as long as this belief is held in any form.15 Inappropriate denial and equally inappropriate identification of the real factors in the basic conflict will not solve the problem itself. 2The conflict cannot disappear until it is fully recognized that miscreation is not real, and therefore there is no conflict. 3This entails a full realization of the basic fact that, although you have miscreated in a very genuine sense, you need neither continue to do so nor to suffer from your past errors in this respect.16 A redistribution of psychic energy, then, is not the solution. 2Both the idea that both kinds must exist and the belief that one kind is amenable for use or misuse are real distortions. 3The only way out is to stop miscreating now, and accept the Atonement for miscreations of the past. 4Only this can reestablish true single-mindedness.14517 The structure of the psyche follows along the lines of the particular libido concept the theorist employs.146 2Freud’s psyche was essentially a good and evil picture, with very heavy weight given to the evil. 3This is because every time I mentioned the Atonement to him, which was quite often, he responded by defending his theory more and more against it. 4This resulted in his increasingly strong attempts to make the illogical sound more and more logical. 5I was very sorry about this, because his was a singularly good mind, and it was a shame to waste it.18 However, the major purpose of his incarnation was not neglected. 2He did succeed in forcing recognition of the unconscious into humanity’s calculations about itself, a step in the right direction which should not be minimized. 3Freud was one of the most religious men I have known recently. 4Unfortunately, he was so afraid of religion that the only way he could deal with it was to regard it (not himself) as sick.147 5This naturally prevented healing.19 Freud’s superego is a particularly interesting example of the real power of miscreation. 2It is noteworthy throughout the whole development of his theories that the superego never allied itself with freedom. 3The most it could do in this direction was to work out a painful truce in which both opponents lost.148 4This perception could not fail to force him to emphasize discontent in his view of civilization.14920 The Freudian id is really only the more superficial level of the unconscious and not the deepest level at all.150 2This, too, was inevitable, because Freud could not divorce miracles from magic. 3It was therefore his constant endeavor (even preoccupation) to keep on thrusting more and more material between consciousness and the real deeper level of the unconscious, so that the latter became increasingly obscured. 4The result was a kind of bedlam, in which there was no order, no control, and no sense. 5This was exactly how he felt about it.

X. The Real Power of the MindEveryone experiences fear, and nobody enjoys it. 2Yet it would take very little right thinking to know why it occurs. 3Very few people appreciate the real power of the mind, and nobody remains fully aware of it all the time. 4This is inevitable in this world, because the human being has many things he must do and cannot engage in constant thought-watching. 5However, if he hopes to spare himself from fear, there are some things he must realize, and realize fully, at least some of the time.2 The mind is a very powerful agent, and it never loses its creative force. 2It never sleeps. 3Every instant it is making or creating, and always as you will. 4Many of your ordinary expressions reflect this. 5For example, when you say, “Don’t give it a thought,” you are implying that if you do not think about something, it will have no effect on you. 6This is true enough.3 On the other hand, many other expressions are clear expressions of the prevailing lack of awareness of thought power. 2For example, you say, “just an idle thought,” and mean that the thought has no effect. 3You also speak of some actions as “thoughtless,” implying that if the person had thought, he would not have behaved as he did. 4You also use phrases like “thought provoking,” which is bland enough, but the term “a provoking thought” means something quite different.4 While expressions like “think big” give some recognition to the power of thought, they still come nowhere near the truth. 2You do not expect to grow when you say it, because you really don’t believe it. 3It is hard to recognize that thought and belief combine into a power surge which can literally move mountains.117 4It appears at first glance that to believe such power about yourself is merely arrogant. 5But that is not the real reason why you don’t believe it. 6People prefer to believe that their thoughts cannot exert real control because they are literally afraid of them.5 Therapists try to help people who are afraid of their own death wishes by depreciating the power of the wish. 2They even attempt to “free” the patient by persuading him that he can think whatever he wants without any real effect at all. 3There is a real dilemma here, which only the truly right-minded can escape. 4Death wishes do not kill in the physical sense, but they do kill spiritually.118 5All destructive thinking is dangerous. 6Given a death wish, a person has no choice except to act upon his thought or behave contrary to it. 7He can thus choose only between homicide and fear (see previous notes on will conflicts).1196 The other possibility is that he depreciates the power of his thought. 2This is the usual psychoanalytic approach.120 3This does allay guilt, but at the cost of rendering thinking impotent. 4If you believe that what you think is ineffectual, you may cease to be overly afraid of it, but you are hardly likely to respect it either. 5The world is full of endless examples of how people have depreciated themselves because they are afraid of their own thoughts. 6In some forms of insanity, thoughts are glorified, but this is only because the underlying depreciation was too effective for tolerance.1217 The truth is that there are no “idle thoughts.” 2All thinking produces form at some level. 3The reason why people are afraid of ESP, and so often react against it, is because they know that thoughts can hurt them. 4Their own thoughts have made them vulnerable.1228 You who complain about fear still persist in producing it most of the time. 2I told you in the last section that you cannot ask me to release you from it, because I know it does not exist.123 3You don’t. 4If I merely intervened between your thoughts and their results, I would be tampering with a basic law of cause and effect, in fact the most fundamental one there is in this world. 5I would hardly help you if I depreciated the power of your own thinking. 6This would be in direct opposition to the purpose of this course.9 It is certainly much more useful for me to remind you that you do not guard your thoughts at all carefully, except for a relatively small part of the day, and somewhat inconsistently even then. 2You may feel at this point that it would take a miracle to enable you to do this, which is perfectly true. 3Human beings are not used to miraculous thinking, but they can be trained to think that way.10 All miracle workers have to be trained that way. 2I have to be able to count on them. 3This means that I cannot allow them to leave their minds unguarded, or they will not be able to help me. 4Miracle working entails a full realization of the power of thought and real avoidance of miscreation. 5Otherwise, the miracle would be necessary merely to set the mind itself straight, a circular process which would hardly foster the time-collapse for which the miracle was intended. 6Nor would it induce the healthy respect which every miracle worker must have for true cause and effect.12411 Miracles cannot free the miracle worker from fear.125 2Both miracles and fear come from his thoughts, and if he were not free to choose one, he would also not be free to choose the other. 3Remember, we said before that when electing one person, you reject another.126 4It is much the same in electing the miracle. 5By so doing, you have rejected fear. 6Fear cannot assail unless it has been elected.12 You have been afraid of God, of me, of yourself, and of practically everyone you know at one time or another. 2This can only be because you have miscreated all of us and believe in what you made. 3You would never have done this, if you had not been afraid of your own thoughts.127 4The vulnerable are essentially miscreators, because they misperceive creation.

VIII. The Sole Responsibility of the Miracle WorkerWe said in a previous section that the miracle is an expression of miracle-mindedness.97 2Miracle-mindedness merely means right-mindedness in the sense that we are now using it. 3Right-mindedness neither exalts nor depreciates the mind of the miracle worker or of the miracle receiver. 4However, as a creative act, the miracle need not await the right-mindedness of the receiver. 5In fact, its purpose is to restore him to his right mind. 6But it is essential that the miracle worker be in his right mind, or he will be unable to reestablish right-mindedness in someone else.2 The healer who relies on his own readiness is endangering his understanding. 2He is perfectly safe as long as he is completely unconcerned about his readiness, but maintains a consistent trust in mine. 3Errors of this kind produce some very erratic behavior, which usually points up an underlying unwillingness to cooperate. 4These errors inevitably introduce inefficiency into the miracle worker’s behavior and temporarily disrupt his miracle-mindedness. 3 We have established that for all corrective processes, the first step is know that this is fear.99 2Unless fear had entered, the corrective procedure would never have become necessary. 3If your miracle-working propensities are not working, it is always because fear has intruded on your right-mindedness and has literally upset it (i.e., turned it upside down).4 All forms of not-right-mindedness are the result of refusal to accept the Atonement for yourself. 2If the miracle worker does accept it, he places himself in the position to recognize that those who need to be healed are simply those who have not done so. 3When you feel the vast radiation range of your own inner illumination, it will be because you are aware that your right-mindedness is healing.1005 The sole responsibility of the miracle worker is to accept Atonement himself. 2This means that he knows that mind is the only creative level, and that its errors are healed by the Atonement. 3Once he accepts this, his mind can only heal. 4By denying his mind any destructive potential and reinstating its purely constructive powers, he has placed himself in a position where he can undo the level confusion of others. 5The message which he then gives to others is the truth that their minds are really similarly constructive, and that their own miscreations cannot hurt them.6 By affirming this, the miracle worker releases the mind from overevaluating its own learning device (the body), and restores the mind to its true position as the learner. 2It should be re-emphasized that the body does not learn, any more than it creates.101 3As a learning device, it merely follows the learner, but if it is falsely endowed with self-initiative, it becomes a serious obstruction to the learning it should facilitate.7 Only the mind is capable of illumination. 2Spirit is already illuminated, and the body in itself is too dense. 3The mind, however, can bring its own illumination to the body by recognizing that density is the opposite of intelligence, and therefore unamenable to independent learning. 4It is, however, easily brought into alignment with a mind which has learned to look beyond density toward light.8 Corrective learning always begins with awakening the spiritual eye, and turning away from belief in physical sight. 2The reason this entails fear is because you are afraid of what your spiritual eye will see, which was why you closed it in the first place. 3We said before that the spiritual eye cannot see error, and is capable only of looking beyond it to the defense of Atonement.102 4There is no doubt that the spiritual eye does produce extreme discomfort by what it sees. 5The thing that you forget is that the discomfort is not the final outcome of its perception. 6When the spiritual eye is permitted to look upon the defilement of the altar, it also looks immediately toward Atonement. 7Nothing which the spiritual eye perceives can induce fear. 8Everything that results from accurate spiritual awareness merely is channelized toward correction. 9Discomfort is aroused only to bring the need to correct forcibly into awareness.9 What the physical eye sees is not corrective, nor can it be properly corrected by any device which can be physically seen. 2As long as you believe in what your physical sight tells you, all your corrective behavior will be misdirected. 3The reason why the real vision is obscured is because you cannot endure to see your own defiled altar. 4But since the altar has been defiled, this fact becomes doubly dangerous unless it is perceived. 5This perception is totally nonthreatening because of the Atonement. 6The fear of healing arises in the end from an unwillingness to accept the unequivocal fact that healing is necessary. 7The fear arises because of the necessary willingness to look at what you have done to yourself.10 Healing was an ability which was lent to human beings after the separation, before which it was completely unnecessary. 2Like all aspects of the space-time belief, healing ability is temporary. 3However, as long as time persists, healing remains among the stronger human protections. 4This is because healing always rests on charity, and charity is a way of perceiving the true perfection of another, even if he cannot perceive it himself. 5Most of the loftier concepts of which humanity is capable now are time-dependent. 6Charity is really a weaker reflection of a much more powerful love-encompassment which is far beyond any form of charity that humanity can conceive of as yet. 7Charity is essential to right-mindedness, in the limited sense in which right-mindedness can now be attained.11 Charity is a way of looking at another as if he had already gone far beyond his actual accomplishment in time. 2Since his own thinking is faulty, he cannot see the Atonement himself, or he would have no need for charity at all. 3The charity which is accorded him is both an acknowledgment that he is weak and a recognition that he could be stronger. 4The way in which both of these beliefs are stated clearly implies their dependence on time, making it quite apparent that charity lies within the framework of human limitations, though toward the higher levels.12 We said before that only revelation transcends time.103 2The miracle, as an expression of true human charity, can only shorten it at best. 3It must be understood, however, that whenever you offer a miracle to another, you are shortening the suffering of both. 4This introduces a correction into the record, which corrects retroactively as well as progressively.

VII. The Miracle as the Means of HealingThe new emphasis will now be on healing. 2The miracle is the means, the Atonement the principle, and the healing is the result. 3Those who speak of “the miracle of healing” are combining two orders of reality inappropriately. 4Healing is not a miracle. 5The Atonement, or the final miracle, is purely a means, while any type of healing is a result.2 Atonement is the remedy. 2The degree of error to which it is applied is irrelevant. 3Essentially, all healing is the release from fear. 4But to undertake this you cannot be fearful yourself. 5You do not understand healing because of your own fear. 6I have been hinting throughout that you must heal others.89 7The reason is that their healing merely witnesses to yours.3 A major step in the Atonement plan is to undo error at all levels. 2Illness, which is really “not-right-mindedness,” is the result of level confusion in the sense that it always entails the belief that what is amiss in one level can adversely affect another. 3We have constantly referred to miracles as the means of correcting level confusion.90 4In reality, all mistakes must be corrected at the level at which they occur.4 Only the mind is capable of error. 2The body can act erroneously, but this is only because it has responded to misthought. 3The body cannot create, and to believe that it can, a fundamental error responsible for most of the fallacies already referred to, produces all physical symptoms.5 All physical illness represents a belief in magic. 2The whole distortion which made magic rested on the belief that there is a creative ability in matter, which can control the mind. 3This fallacy can work either way; that is, it can be believed either that the mind can miscreate in the body or that the body can miscreate in the mind. 4If it can be made clear that the mind, which is the only level of causation, cannot generate effects beyond itself, then neither confusion need occur.6 The reason why only the mind can make or create is more obvious than may be immediately apparent. 2Spirit has been created. 3The body is a learning device for the mind. 4Learning devices are not lessons in themselves. 5Their purpose is merely to facilitate the thinking of the learner. 6The most that a faulty use of a learning device can do is to fail to facilitate learning. 7It does not have the power in itself to introduce actual learning errors.91 8The body, if properly understood, shares the invulnerability of the Atonement to two-edged application. 9This is not because the body is a miracle, but because it is not inherently open to misinterpretation.7 The body is merely a fact in this world. 2Its abilities can be, and frequently are, overevaluated. 3However, it is almost impossible to deny its existence in this world. 4Those who do are engaging in a particularly unworthy form of denial. 5The use of the word “unworthy” here implies simply that it is not necessary to protect the mind by denying the unmindful. 6There is little doubt that the mind can miscreate. 7If one denies this unfortunate aspect of its power, one is also denying the power itself.928 All material means which you accept as remedies for bodily ills are simply restatements of magic principles. 2It was the first level of the error to believe that the body created its own illness. 3Thereafter, it is a second misstep to attempt to heal it through noncreative agents. 4It does not follow, however, that the application of these very weak corrective devices is evil. 5Sometimes the illness has sufficiently great a hold over an individual’s mind to render him inaccessible to Atonement. 6In this case, one may be wise to utilize a compromise approach to mind and body, in which something from the outside is temporarily given healing belief.9 This is because the last thing that can help the non-right-minded (or the sick) is an increase in fear. 2They are already in a fear-weakened state. 3If they are inappropriately exposed to a straight and undiluted miracle, they may be precipitated into panic. 4This is particularly likely to occur when upside-down perception has induced the belief that miracles are frightening.10 The value of the Atonement does not lie in the manner in which it is expressed. 2In fact, if it is truly used it will inevitably be expressed in whatever way is most helpful to the receiver, not the giver. 3This means that a miracle, to attain its full efficacy, must be expressed in a language which the recipient can understand without fear. 4It does not follow by any means that this is the highest level of communication of which he is capable. 5But it does mean that it is the highest level of communication of which he is capable now. 6The whole aim of the miracle is to raise the level of communication, not to impose regression (in the improper sense) upon it.11 Before it is safe to let miracle workers loose in this world, it is essential that they understand fully the fear of release. 2Otherwise, they may unwittingly foster the belief that release is imprisonment, which is very prevalent. 3This misperception arose from the attempted protection device (or misused defense) that harm can be limited to the body. 4This was because of the much greater fear (which this one counteracts) that the mind can hurt itself.93 5Neither error is really meaningful, because the miscreations of the mind do not really exist. 6That recognition is a far better protection device than any form of level confusion, because of the advantages of introducing correction at the level of the error.12 It is essential that the remembrance remain with you that only mind can make or create. 2Implicit in this is the corollary that correction belongs at the thought level and not at either level to which correction is inapplicable. 3To repeat an earlier statement, and also to extend it somewhat, spirit is already perfect and therefore does not require correction. 4The body does not really exist, except as a learning device for the mind. 5This learning device is not subject to errors of its own, because it was made but does not make.94 6It should be obvious, then, that correcting the maker (or inducing it to give up miscreation) is the only application of creative power which is inherently meaningful at all.13 We said before that magic is essentially mindless, or the destructive (miscreative) use of mind.95 2Physical medicines are a form of “spells.” 3In one way, they are a more benign form, in that they do not entail the possession fallacy, which does enter when a mind believes that it can possess another. 4Since this is considerably less dangerous, though still incorrect, it has its advantages.96 5It is particularly helpful to the therapist who really wants to heal, but is still fearful himself. 6By using physical means to do so, he is not engaging in any form of enslavement, even though he is not applying the Atonement. 7This means that his mind is dulled by fear, but is not actively engaged in distortion.14 Those who are afraid of using the mind to heal are right in avoiding it, because the very fact that they are afraid has made them vulnerable to miscreation. 2They are therefore likely to misunderstand any healing they might induce and, because egocentricity and fear usually occur together, may be unable to accept the real Source of the healing. 3Under these conditions, it is safer for them to rely temporarily on physical healing devices, because they cannot misperceive them as their own creations. 4As long as their own vulnerability persists, it is essential to preserve them from even attempting miracles.

V. The Atonement as DefenseThe Atonement is the only defense which cannot be used destructively. 2That is because, while everyone must eventually join it, it was not a device which was generated by humanity. 3The Atonement principle was in effect long before the Atonement itself was begun. 4The principle was love, and the Atonement itself was an act of love.75 5Acts were not necessary before the separation, because the time-space belief did not exist.2 It was only after the separation that the defense of Atonement and the necessary conditions for its fulfillment were planned. 2It became increasingly apparent that all of the defenses which humanity can choose to use constructively or destructively were not enough to save it. 3It was therefore decided that you needed a defense which was so splendid that you could not misuse it, although you could refuse it. 4Your will could not turn it into a weapon of attack, which is the inherent characteristic of all other defenses. 5The Atonement thus became the only defense which was not a two-edged sword.3 The Atonement actually began long before the resurrection. 2Many souls offered their efforts on behalf of the separated ones. 3But they could not withstand the strength of the attack and had to be brought back. 4Angels came, too, but their protection was not enough, because the separated ones were not interested in peace. 5They had already split themselves and were bent on dividing rather than reintegrating. 6The levels they introduced into themselves turned against each other, and they, in turn, turned against one another. 7They established differences, divisions, cleavages, dispersion, and all the other concepts related to the increasing splits they produced. 8Not being in their right minds, they turned their defenses from protection to assault, and acted literally insanely. 9It was essential to introduce a split-proof device which could be used only to heal, if it was used at all.4 The Atonement was built into the space-time belief in order to set a limit on the need for the belief, and ultimately to make learning complete. 2The Atonement is the final lesson. 3Learning itself, like the classrooms in which it occurs, is temporary. 4(Let all those who overestimate human intelligence remember this.) 5The ability to learn has no value when change of understanding is no longer necessary. 6The eternally creative have nothing to learn. 7Only after the separation was it necessary to direct the creative force to learning, because changed behavior had become mandatory.5 Human beings can learn to improve their behavior, and can also learn to become better and better learners. 2This increase serves to bring them into closer and closer accord with the Sonship. 3But the Sonship itself is a perfect creation, and perfection is not a matter of degree. 4Only while there are different degrees is learning meaningful.6 The evolution of humankind is merely a process by which you proceed from one degree to the next. 2You correct your previous missteps by stepping forward. 3This represents a process which is actually incomprehensible in temporal terms, because you return as you go forward. 4The Atonement is the device by which you can free yourself from the past as you go ahead. 5It undoes your past errors, thus making it unnecessary for you to keep retracing your steps without advancing toward your return.7 In this sense, the Atonement saves time, but like the miracle which serves it, does not abolish it.76 2As long as there is need for Atonement, there is need for time. 3But the Atonement as a completed plan does have a unique relationship to time. 4Until the Atonement is finished, its various phases will proceed in time, but the whole Atonement stands at its end. 5At this point, the bridge of the return has been built.8 If you find discussion of the Atonement upsetting, it is because the Atonement is a total commitment. 2You still think this is associated with loss. 3This is the same mistake all the separated ones make in one way or another. 4They cannot believe that a defense which cannot attack is the best defense. 5Except for this misperception, the angels could have helped them. 6What do you think “the meek shall inherit the earth” means?77 7They will literally take it over, because of their strength.78 8A two-way defense is inherently weak; precisely because it has two edges it can turn against the self very unexpectedly.9 This tendency cannot be controlled except by miracles. 2The miracle turns the defense of Atonement to the protection of the inner self, which, as it becomes more and more secure, assumes its natural talent of protecting others. 3The inner self knows itself as both a brother and a Son.

IV. The Reinterpretation of DefensesFreud’s identification of defense mechanisms was quite correct, as was his recognition of their creative ability. 2They can indeed produce your perception, both of yourself and your surroundings. 3But Freud’s limitations induced inevitable limits on his own perception. 4He made two kinds of errors. 5The first was that he saw only how the mechanisms worked in the mentally ill. 6The second was his own denial of the mechanism of the Atonement. 7Let us take up the first, because a clear understanding of the second depends on it.612 Denial should be directed only to error, and projection should be limited to truth. 2You should truly give as you have truly received.62 3The Golden Rule can work effectively only on this basis.3 Intellectualization is a poor word, which stems from the brain-mind confusion.63 2“Right-mindedness” is better. 3This device defends the right mind and gives it control over the body. 4“Intellectualization” implies a split, whereas “right-mindedness” involves healing.644 Withdrawal is properly employed in the service of withdrawing from the desert. 2It is not a device for escape, but for consolidation. 3There is only one Mind.655 Dissociation is quite similar.66 2You should split yourself off from error, but only in defense of integration.676 Detachment is essentially a weaker form of dissociation. 2This is one of the major areas of withholding that many engage in.7 Flight can be undertaken in whatever direction you choose, but note that the concept itself implies flight from something.68 2Flight from error is perfectly appropriate.8 Distantiation is a way of putting distance between yourself and what you should fly from.699 Regression is a real effort to return to your own original state.70 2In this sense, it is utilized to restore, not to go back to the less mature.10 Sublimation should be associated with the sublime.7111 There are many other so-called “dynamic” concepts which are profound errors, due essentially to the misuse of defenses.72 2Among them is the concept of different levels of aspiration, which results from real level confusion.73 3However, the main point to be understood from these notes is that you can defend truth as well as error, and in fact much better.12 So far we have concentrated on ends rather than means, because unless you regard an end as worth achieving, you will not devote yourself to the means by which it can be achieved. 2Your question (“How can I incorporate this material?”) enables me to shift the emphasis from end to means. 3It means you are accepting the end as valuable, thus signifying your willingness to use defenses to ensure it.13 The means are easier to clarify after the true worth of the goal itself is firmly established. 2Everyone defends his own treasure. 3You do not have to tell him to do this, because he will do so automatically. 4The real question still remains, What do you treasure and how much do you treasure it? 5Once you learn to consider these two points and bring them into all your actions as the true criteria for behavior, I will have little difficulty in clarifying the means. 6You have not learned to be consistent about this as yet. 7I have therefore concentrated on showing you that the means are available whenever you do ask. 8We can save a lot of time, however, if you do not need to extend this step unduly.74 9The correct focus will shorten it immeasurably.

III. The Proper Use of Denial48When you are afraid of anything, you are acknowledging its power to hurt you. 2Remember that where your heart is, there is your treasure also.49 3This means that you believe in what you value. 4If you are afraid, you are valuing wrongly. 5Human understanding will inevitably value wrongly, and by endowing all human thoughts with equal power will inevitably destroy peace. 6That is why the Bible speaks of the peace of God which passeth (human) understanding.50 7This peace is totally incapable of being shaken by human errors of any kind. 8It denies the ability of anything which is not of God to affect you in any way.2 This is the proper use of denial. 2It is not used to hide anything, but it is used to correct error. 3It brings all error into the light, and since error and darkness are the same, it abolishes error automatically. 4True denial is a very powerful protective device. 5You can and should deny any belief that error can hurt you. 6This kind of denial is not a concealment device but a correction device. 7The right mind of the mentally healthy depends on it.3 You can do anything I ask. 2I have asked you to perform miracles, and have made it very clear that these are natural, corrective, healing, and universal.51 3There is nothing good they cannot do. 4But they cannot be performed in the spirit of doubt. 5You have asked yourself why you cannot really incorporate my words. 6But remember my own question before you ask yours: “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”524 The idea of cannibalism in connection with the Sacrament is a reflection of a distorted view of sharing.53 2I told you before that the word “thirst” in connection with the Spirit was used because of the limited understanding of those to whom I spoke. 3I also told you not to use it.54 4The same holds for expressions like “feeding on.” 5Symbiosis is misunderstood by the mentally ill, who do use it in that way.555 But I also told you that you must recognize your total dependence on God, a statement which you may not have liked.56 2God and the Sons He created are symbiotically related. 3They are completely dependent on each other. 4The creation of the Son himself has already been perfectly accomplished, but the creation by Sons has not. 5God created Sons so He could depend on them because He created them perfectly. 6He gave them His peace so they would not be shaken and would be unable to be deceived.6 Whenever you are afraid, you are deceived. 2Your mind is not serving your soul. 3This literally starves the soul by denying its daily bread.57 4In this connection, there is a poem about the Holy Family that says:5Where tricks of words are never said,And Mercy is as plain as bread.587 God offers only mercy. 2Your own words should always reflect only mercy, because that is what you have received and that is what you should give. 3Justice is a temporary expedient, or an attempt to teach you the meaning of mercy. 4Its judgmental side arises only because you are capable of injustice if that is what your mind makes.8 You are afraid of God’s will because you have used your own will, which He created in the likeness of His Own, to miscreate.59 2What you do not realize is that the mind can miscreate only when it is not free. 3An imprisoned mind is not free by definition. 4It is possessed, or held back, by itself. 5Its will is therefore limited, and not free to assert itself.9 It is all right to remember the past, provided you also remember that anything you suffer is because of your own errors. 2As an analogy, imagine a very young child who falls down the stairs when an adult has her arms open in welcome at the bottom of the stairs, and who then develops a totally unwarranted fear of that adult. 3The misstep which causes the child’s fall has nothing at all to do with the adult, just as your own missteps have nothing at all to do with me.10 Denial of error is a very powerful defense of truth. 2We have slowly been shifting the emphasis from the negative to the positive use of denial. 3Remember, we have already stated that denial is not a purely negative device; it results in positive miscreation.60 4That is the way the mentally ill do employ it. 5But remember this thought: Never underestimate the power of denial. 6In the service of the right mind, the denial of error frees the mind and reestablishes the freedom of the will. 7When the will is really free it cannot miscreate because it recognizes only truth.11 False projection arises out of false denial, not out of its proper use. 2My own role in the Atonement is one of true projection; that is, I can “project” (or extend) to you the affirmation of truth. 3If you project error to me (or to yourself) you are interfering with the process. 4My use of projection, which can also be yours, is not based on faulty denial. 5But it does involve the very powerful use of the denial of error.12 The miracle worker is one who accepts my kind of denial and projection, unites his own inherent abilities to deny and project with mine, and imposes them back on himself and others. 2This establishes the total lack of threat anywhere. 3Together we can then work for the real time of peace, which is eternal.

II. The Cause of the SeparationThis section deals with a more fundamental misuse of knowledge, referred to in the Bible as the cause of the fall (or separation).27 2There are several introductory remarks which are intended to make these explanations less fear provoking. 3First, I draw your attention to a couplet from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream:4Be as thou wast wont to be;See as thou wast wont to see.285These words were said by Oberon in releasing Titania from her own errors, both of being and perceiving. 6These were the words which reestablished her true identity as well as her true abilities and judgment.29 7The similarity to your release is obvious.2 There are also some dictionary definitions which will be helpful. 2Their somewhat unusual nature is due to the fact that they are not usually the first definitions listed. 3Nevertheless, the fact that each of them does appear in the dictionary should be reassuring.4project (verb): to extend forward or out305project (noun): a plan in the mind316world: a natural grand division323 We will refer later to projection as related to both mental illness and mental health.33 2It has also been commented on that Lucifer literally projected himself from Heaven.34 3We also have observed that you can make an empty shell, but cannot make nothing at all.35 4This emptiness provides the screen for the misuse of projection.4 The Garden of Eden, which is described as a literal garden in the Bible, was not originally an actual garden at all. 2It was merely a mental state of complete need-lack. 3Even in the literal account, it is noteworthy that the pre-separation state was essentially one in which man needed nothing. 4The tree of knowledge, again an overly literal concept (as is clearly shown by the subsequent reference to “eating of the fruit of the tree”), is a symbolic reference to some of the misuses of knowledge referred to in the section immediately preceding this one.36 5There is, however, considerable clarification of this concept which must be understood before the real meaning of the “detour into fear” can be fully comprehended.5 Projection, as defined above (this refers to the verb), is a fundamental attribute of God, which He also gave to His Son. 2In the creation, God projected his creative ability out of Himself toward the Sons whom He created, and also imbued them with the same loving will to create. 3We have commented before on the fundamental error involved in confusing what has been created with what is being made.37 4We have also emphasized that you have not only been fully created, but also been created perfect.38 5There is no emptiness in you. 6The next point, too, has already been made, but bears repetition here: The Son, because of his own likeness to his Creator, is creative.39 7No child of God is capable of losing this ability, because it is inherent in what he is.6 Whenever projection in its inappropriate sense is utilized, it always implies that some emptiness (or lack of everything) must exist, and that it is within your ability to put your own ideas there instead of the truth. 2If you will consider carefully what this entails, the following will become quite apparent:7 First, the assumption is implicit that what God has created can be changed by your own mind.8 Second, the concept has intruded that what is perfect can be rendered imperfect or wanting.9 Third, the belief has arisen, and is tolerated, that you can distort the creations of God, including yourself.10 Fourth, the idea has entered that since you can create yourself, the direction of your own creation is up to you.11 These related distortions represent a picture of what actually occurred in the separation. 2None of this existed before, nor does it actually exist now. 3The Sonship was created as a natural grand division, or projecting outward of God. 4That is why everything which He created is like Him. 5Projection as undertaken by God was very similar to the kind of inner radiance which the children of the Father inherit from Him. 6It is important to note that the term “project outward” necessarily implies that the real source of projection is internal. 7This is as true of the Son as of the Father.12 The Kingdom of God, in its original connotation, included both the proper creation of the Son by God and the proper creation by the Son in his right mind. 2The latter required the endowment of the Son by God with free will, because all loving creation is freely given. 3Nothing in either of these statements implies any sort of levels, or, in fact, anything except one continuous line of creation, in which all aspects are of the same order.13 When the “lies of the serpent” were introduced, they were called lies because they are not true.40 2When man listened, all he heard was untruth. 3You do not have to continue to believe what is not true, unless you choose to do so. 4All of your miscreations can disappear in the well-known “twinkling of an eye,” because they are a visual misperception.41 5Your spiritual eye can sleep, but remember, a sleeping eye can still see.4214 One translation of the fall, a view emphasized by Mary Baker Eddy and worthy of note, is that “a deep sleep fell upon Adam.”43 2While the Bible seems to regard this sleep as a kind of anesthetic utilized for the protection of Adam during the creation of Eve, Mrs. Eddy was correct in emphasizing that nowhere is there any reference made to his waking up. 3While Christian Science is clearly incomplete, this point is much in its favor.15 The history of humanity in the world as you see it has not been characterized by any genuine or comprehensive reawakening or rebirth. 2This is impossible as long as humanity projects in the spirit of miscreation. 3It still remains within you to project as God projected His Own Spirit to you. 4In reality, this is your only choice, because your free will was made for your own joy in creating the perfect.16 All fear is ultimately reducible to the basic misperception that you have the ability to usurp the power of God. 2It is again emphasized that you neither can nor have been able to do this.44 3In this statement lies the real justification for your escape from fear. 4This is brought about by your acceptance of the Atonement, which places you in a position to realize that your own errors never really occurred.17 When the deep sleep fell upon Adam, he was then in a condition to experience nightmares, precisely because he was sleeping. 2If a light is suddenly turned on while someone is dreaming and the content of his dream is fearful, he is initially likely to interpret the light itself as part of the content of his own dream. 3However, as soon as he awakens, the light is correctly perceived as the release from the dream, which is no longer accorded reality. 4I would like to conclude this with the biblical injunction “Go, and do thou likewise.”4518 It is quite apparent that this depends on the kind of knowledge which was not referred to by the “tree of knowledge,” which bore lies as fruit.46 2The knowledge that illuminates rather than obscures is the knowledge which not only makes you free, but also shows you clearly that you are free.47

The real meaning of possession should be clarified. 2Fear of possession is a perverted expression of the fear of the irresistible attraction of God. 3The truth is still that the attraction of God is irresistible at all levels, and the acceptance of this totally unavoidable truth is only a matter of time. 4But you should consider whether you want to wait, because you can return now, if you choose.2 Possession is a concept which has been subject to numerous distortions, some of which we will list below:3 Type 1: Possession can be associated with the body only. 2If this occurs, sex is particularly likely to be contaminated. 3Possession versus being possessed is apt to be seen as the male versus the female role. 4Since neither will be conceived of as satisfying alone, and both will be associated with fear, this interpretation is particularly vulnerable to psychosexual confusion.24 Type 2: From a rather similar reference point, possession can also be associated with things. 2This is essentially a shift from type 1 and is usually due to an underlying fear of associating possession with people. 3In this sense, it is an attempt to protect people from one’s possessiveness, like the superstition about “protecting the name” we mentioned before.35 Both type 1 and type 2 are likely to become compulsive for several reasons, including:a) 2They represent an attempt to escape from the real possession drive, which cannot be satisfied this way.b) 3They set up substitute goals, which are usually reasonably easy to attain.4c) 4They appear to be relatively harmless, and thus seem to allay fear. 5The fact that they usually interfere with good interpersonal relationships can be interpreted, in this culture, as a lack of sophistication on the part of the other (not the self), and this induces a false feeling of confidence in the solution. 6It is also fairly easy to find a partner who shares the illusion. 7Thus, we have any number of relationships which are actually established on the basis of type 1, and others which hold together primarily because of a joint interest in type 2.d) 8The manifestly external emphasis which both entail seems to be a safety device, and thus permits a false escape from much more basic inhibitions.5 9As a compromise solution, the illusion of interpersonal relating is preserved, along with the retention of lack of love. 10This kind of psychic juggling leaves the juggler with a feeling of emptiness, which in fact is perfectly justified, because he is acting from scarcity. 11He then becomes more and more driven in his behavior, to fill the emptiness.6 When these solutions have been invested with extreme belief, type 1 leads to sex crimes and type 2 to stealing. 2The kleptomaniac is a good example of the latter.7 Generally, three types of emotional disturbance result:a) 2The tendency to maintain the illusion that only the physical is real. 3This produces depression.b) 4The tendency to invest the physical with nonphysical properties. 5This is essentially magic and tends more toward anxiety-proneness.c) 6The tendency to vacillate from one to the other, which produces a corresponding vacillation between depression and anxiety.7All three result in self-imposed starvation.8 Type 3: Another type of distortion is seen in the fear of or desire for “spirit” possession. 2The term “spirit” is profoundly debased in this context, but it does entail a recognition that the body is not enough and investing it with magic will not work. 3This recognition accepts the fact that neither type 1 nor type 2 is sufficient, but precisely because it does not limit fear so narrowly, it is more likely to produce greater fear in its own right.9 Endowing the Spirit with human possessiveness is a more inclusive error than type 1 or type 2, and a step somewhat further away from the right mind. 2Projection is also more likely to occur, with vacillations between grandiosity and fear.6 3“Religion,” in a distorted sense, is also more likely to occur in this kind of error, because the idea of a “spirit” is introduced, though fallaciously, while it is excluded from type 1 and type 2. 4Witchcraft is thus particularly apt to be associated with type 3, because of the much greater investment in magic.10 It should be noted that type 1 involves only the body, and type 2 involves an attempt to associate things with human attributes. 2Type 3, on the other hand, is a more serious level confusion, because it endows the Spirit with evil attributes. 3This accounts both for the religious zeal of its proponents and the aversion (or fear) of its opponents. 4Both attitudes stem from the same false belief.11 This is not what the Bible means by “filled with the Holy Spirit.”7 2The concept of “speaking in many tongues” was originally an injunction to communicate to everyone in his own language, or at his own level. 3It hardly meant to speak in a way that nobody could understand.12 This strange error occurs when people do understand the need for universal communication, but have contaminated it with the possession fallacy. 2The fear engendered by this misperception leads to a conflicted state in which communication is attempted, but the fear is allayed by making the communication incomprehensible.8 3It could also be said that the fear induces selfishness or regression, because incomprehensible communication is hardly a worthy offering from one Son of God to another.13 Type 4: Knowledge can also be misinterpreted as a means of possession. 2Here, the content is not physical, and the underlying fallacy is more likely to be the confusion of mind and brain.9 3The attempt to unite nonphysical content with physical attributes is illustrated by statements like “the thirst for knowledge.” 4This is not what “thirst” in the Bible means.10 5The term was used only because of humanity’s limited comprehension and is probably better dropped.14 The fallacious use of knowledge can result in several errors, including:a) 2The idea that knowledge will make the individual more attractive to others. 3This is a possession fallacy.11b) 4The idea that knowledge will make the individual invulnerable. 5This is a reaction formation against the underlying fear of vulnerability.c) 6The idea that knowledge will make the individual worthy. 7This is largely pathetic.15 Like all of these fallacies, type 4 contains a denial mechanism, which swings into operation as the fear increases, thus canceling out the error temporarily but seriously impairing efficiency. 2For example, one person might claim she cannot read, while another might claim he cannot speak.1216 Note that depression is a real risk here, for a child of God should never reduce his efficiency in any way. 2The depression comes from a peculiar pseudo-solution which reads:3A child of God is efficient.4I am not efficient.5Therefore, I am not a child of God.136This leads to neurotic resignation, and this is a state which merely increases the depression.17 The corresponding denial mechanism for type 1 is physical inability, or impotence. 2The denial mechanism for type 2 is often bankruptcy. 3Collectors of things often drive themselves well beyond their financial means, in an attempt to force discontinuance. 4If this idea of cessation cannot be tolerated, a strange compromise involving both insatiable possessiveness and insatiable throwing away may result.18 An example is the inveterate or compulsive gambler, particularly the horse-racing addict. 2Here, the conflicted drive is displaced both from people and things, and is invested in animals. 3The implied derogation of people is the cause of the underlying extreme superstition of the horse-racing addict.14 4The alcoholic is in a similar position, except that his hostility is more inward than outward directed.15 5Defenses aimed at protecting (or retaining) error are particularly hard to undo, because they introduce second-order misperceptions which obscure the underlying errors still further.1619 The pseudo-corrective mechanism for type 3 is apt to be more varied because of the more inclusive nature of the error, which has already been mentioned. 2Some of the possibilities are listed below:a) 3One aspect of the possession/possessed conflict can be raised to predominance. 4If this is attempted in connection with possessing, it leads to the paranoid solution.17 5The underlying component of “being possessed” is retained in the “persecution” fantasies which generally accompany the paranoia.

For we walk by faith and not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 Principle:Our thoughts should be a reflection of our creator!!!! For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverb 23:7 2 Corinthians 10:4The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divinepower to demolish strongholds. (NIV) 2 Corinthians 10:5We ... Read More

THE SIXTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS - CHRISTMAS VILESSON: JOHN 12:35,36The life was the light of men. John 1:4The thinking of human philosophy draws us away from Christ into ourselves. The evangelist wants to draw us away from ourselves to Christ. He refuses to deal with the divine, almighty, eternal Word of God and to speak about Him, except in the flesh and blood in which He walked here on earth.He does not want to disperse us among the creatures created by Him, so that we should follow after Him, search for Him, and speculate about Him, as the Platonist do; he wants to gather us from the same wide-ranging and fleeting thoughts to Christ.It is as though he said: Why do you step forth and search so widely? In Christ, the man, there is everything. He has accomplished all. In Him is life. He is the Word through which all things were made. Remain in Him and you will find everything. He is life and the light of all men. Anyone who tells you to look elsewhere for Him is misleading you. For He has given Himself to us in this flesh and blood, and He wants us to search for Him and find Him in this flesh and blood. Follow the witness of John the Baptist who points you to no other life or light than this man who is God Himself.This light must, therefore, be understood as being the true light of grace – Christ – and not the natural light which sinners, Jews, heathen, and the worst enemies of light, also have.SL.XI.171,44AE 75,290PRAYER: Thou only art true life;To know Thee is to liveThe more abundant lifeThat earth can never give.O risen Lord, we live in TheeAnd Thou in us eternally. Amen.

THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS -CHRISTMAS VLESSON: ROMANS 5:6-11In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4The evangelist says, “In him was life,” as though he were speaking of something in the past, and not, “In him is life.” But this must not be understood as a reference to the time before the world or the beginning. For the evangelist does not say here, “In the beginning there was life in him,” as he says just prior to this, “He was in the beginning with God.”One must refer this to the time of Christ's life or sojourn on earth, when the Word of God manifested Himself to men and among men. It is the evangelist's intention to write about Christ and His life, during which He accomplished all that was needed for us to have life: “In him was life.” Jesus Himself said: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5We should understand the evangelist's statements to refer simply to the time of Christ here on earth. This Gospel is not as difficult as is sometimes supposed. Men have made it difficult with their lofty, deep, and powerful researches. The evangelist wrote it for all Christians, however simple they may be, and he set forth his word in a manner that is quite comprehensible.If someone simply disregarded Christ's life and sojourn here on earth and tried to find by his own resources that He is now sitting in heaven, he would be sadly mistaken. We must seek Him as He was and sojourned here on earth. Then we will find life, for He came to bring us life, light, and salvation. During this life on earth, all was accomplished that we should believe concerning Him, so that John declares most emphatically, “In him was life,” not the He is not now our life and that He does not now do what He did then.SL.XI.169-170,40-41AE 75,286PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, shine into our hearts with the light of your truth and be the true light of our life, for your truth's sake. Amen.

Bible Reading: Leviticus 19:32; Proverbs 16:31; 20:29; Isaiah 46:4The floor squeaked beneath Mia's feet as she and her mom walked into the antique store. The air had a heavy smell to it, and the shelves around Mia held all sorts of interesting things--old bottles and jars, antique oil lamps, dishes, and cooking utensils. While her mother looked at knickknacks, Mia walked over to get a closer look at some dolls.Several of the dolls looked really old. One had tin eyes that were scratched, the paint on its wooden body was peeling, part of its hair was gone, and it wore tattered clothes. Mia looked at the card tied to the doll's arm and gasped when she saw the price. "I can't believe anyone would pay so much for this beat-up doll," she said quietly to herself.A woman standing nearby heard her comment. "That doll doesn't look like the dolls you probably have at home," she said, "but it's very old, and that makes it valuable to a doll collector." Mia nodded and moved on.On the way home, Mia told her mother about the dolls. "They were really, really old!" she said."Maybe they once belonged to some of the ladies we see when we visit the nursing home," said Mom."I think they were even older than that," Mia replied. "They looked worn out, but the woman there said the dolls are valuable because they're so old.""That's interesting," said Mom. "It's important to remember that elderly people have great value too. Many of the people we know at the nursing home are feeling worn out, but they're still special and precious."Mia smiled. "Like Mrs. Murphy? She tells the best stories.""And I especially value her prayers for our family," said Mom. "Those people are very valuable to God too. Jesus cares deeply about people who feel forgotten or no longer useful. He promises to be with His children their whole lives and to take care of them in their old age. His Word reminds us that we need to honor our elders by showing them kindness and respect." Mia nodded. "I better take good care of my dolls too," she said. "Then maybe they'll be really valuable someday--but not as valuable as people, of course." Wanda E. BrunstetterHow About You?Do you see value and worth in elderly people? They are more valuable than any prized antique. Jesus loves them just as much as He loves you, and He wants you to honor and respect them. Listen to them and learn from the experiences and wisdom God has given them. Remember that He cares for them in their old age, and He'll do the same for you. Today's Key Verse:I will be your God throughout your lifetime--until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (NLT) (Isaiah 46:4)Today's Key Thought:Honor the elderly

ADVENT WEEK ONENovember 30, 2020Hope in Joy and PeaceMicah 4:1-5… but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. Micah 4:4The portion of today’s scripture that gives me the most hope is the result of the peace that verse four describes. All will have their place of shade and safety (vines) and food (fig tree). It doesn’t say that people won’t have fear—but won’t be made to fear by others.In early August, I had a day when everything weighed heavy on me. My ability to keep moving forward and deal with life ceased to exist… my coping capabilities took a vacation.I was worried about: people with the virus, people treating the virus, black people, trans people, people unable to pay their rent, people losing jobs, people being hungry, compassionless people, family safety, and a family mental health crisis. Concern, too much information that breeds fear… and then… the postal service? I think the effort to destroy the postal service may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. It was too much.I hit my limit of overwhelming concern for others and had to off-load. I sat with a friend and melted into a puddle of tears. I felt better, however I realized I needed to disconnect and take care of myself. So, I went camping which gives me strength and restoration. I restricted my social media and tried to be in the moment. To just be. I needed hope that the world would make it through this difficult period and that I could make it through with care and compassion… without breaking. I sat under the vine and ate the figs and let go of the fear.Hope seems impossible these days, and not everyone is allowed time to take off work, go camping, or take a mental break, but I must believe there is hope for peace and joy for all.May we rest under the vine and have plenty of figs to eat and not made to be afraid.Malisa PierceSenior Director of Advancement and Alumnae/i Relations See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

4The fields of nutrition and anti-aging are rife with misinformation and hucksters. Professor Stuart Phillips, on other hand, is the one in the background finding the real answers and doing the research. He joins this week's GAINcast to lay out what the research tells us on a variety of topics like proteins, aging, vitamins, hormonal response, and more. For more information on this topic, read the complete show notes at: http://www.hmmrmedia.com/2020/12/gaincast-episode-205-nutrition-science-with-stuart-phillips/ The following links were referenced in the podcast or provide some additional reading material on the topic: Our monthly GAIN Master Class Series features speakers from all aspects of performance. The series continues in January. Sign up now to get access to all past and future events in the series. The GAINcast is also sponsored by HMMR Media. Join HMMR Media to get access to a vast library of online training resources, video, articles, podcasts, and more. You can learn more about Phillips background on his McMaster University faculty profile. You can also follow him on Twitter (@mackinprof) and read his research on ResearchGate. On this episode we also referenced the work of Keith Baar, who was a guest on the November GAIN Master Class as well GAINcast 177.

I want to share a few totally unrelated pieces of thinking that caught my eye. This will be a shorty but I think you’ll find it interesting. 1I am taken with this concept of exnovation, which is the counterbalance of innovation. To constantly make something new, you have to dismantle the old; to organize your team around iterating and innovating you need to systematize the dismantling. This is from a post on Medium by the Politics for Tomorrow, who - in the same spirit of championing failure with slogans like “fail cheaply” or “move fast and break things” - demonstrate the necessity of embracing the phasing-out of stuff by showing it as part of a larger system of innovation. They discovered that stabilizing the new is not enough to achieve systemic change. In order to embed innovation in an existing “regime” or status quo, non-sustainable technologies and the related systems, infrastructures and livelihoods around these technologies had to be phased out in a deliberate and socially responsible way. Super cool.2Subject matter expertise in product design is over-valued. In his advice in hiring a head of product, Rich Mironov describes some of the biases subject-matter experts have in design decision making - usually having to do with lack of respect for the need for constant discovery. “I know about advertising, so I know ….” etc. This should probably resonate with you all who value the process and rituals of user experience design, where good design is the result of disciplined practice. This then emphasizes the value of solid practitioners, an de-emphasizes the value of experts.3Perhaps the best way to sum-up my gripes with personas is that personas are easier to get wrong than right, and wrong personas are more likely to inspire resistance rather than empathy. This insight originated with a post from Christin Roman. In their conclusion they suggest alternatives - but honestly in my conclusion the value of any kind of user archetype is a red herring.4The near future of remote work is going to be very, very messy. It starts with the illusion that a remote worker moving somewhere with a cheaper cost of living will get to keep their salary, and then it will be encumbered by a struggle for privacy. I mostly just want to share this snippet from an article by the Economist (paywall):Already the gig economy has shown that it is out of date. Now new prickly questions about workers’ rights and responsibilities loom: can firms monitor remote workers to assess their productivity? Who is liable if employees injure themselves at home? Any sense that white-collar workers are getting perks will create simmering resentment in the rest of the workforce. 5What underlies patterns in user behavior? Structure. Specific touchpoints in an existing process, organizational pressures, policies and rules of thumb, or even rituals. I don’t know how best to credit this post without an author, but the folks at Eco Challenge (?) added levels of thinking to the familiar Iceberg model. This is interesting to me because I suppose I never really said aloud what this makes obvious: patterns are supported by the things we, or our predecessors, made. That means we can improve or unmake them. This is a powerful observation.EndConsider liking (❤) this issue of Metric if this made you think. Metric is a podcast, too. Subscribe to Metric on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, and all the usual places. I write about design and philosophy in another newsletter called Stoic Designer. Read “Letter 76: Shirking Routine,” then subscribe. Get full access to Metric by Michael Schofield at metric.substack.com/subscribe

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.IntroductionJames, in its various forms (Jacob, Jacques, Diego, Jaime, Jack), is a common name.He was the brother of John. Jesus thus called at least two sets of brothers. With only one exception in the NT, he is always named before his brother John. This suggests he was older, or else preeminent. Perhaps his preeminence and outspokenness (Mark 10) led to his being martyred first?He was a fisherman, along with his brother and their father, Zebedee. The family of Zebedee was in partnership with the family of Andrew and Peter.His mother may be Salome (Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40). If so, this makes James and John maternal cousins of Jesus.Jesus called James and John Boanerges, Aramaic for "Son of thunder." Why this nickname? Personality? Booming voices? Fiery personality (Luke 9:54)?Mentioned in Matthew 4:21, 10:2, 17:21, 20:20, 26:37; Mark 1:19,29, 3:17, 5:37, 9:2, 10:35,41, 13:3, 14:33; Luke 5:10, 6:14, 8:51, 9:28,54; John 21:2. Never explicitly named in John.He was not the first Christian martyr. His death falls between those of Stephen (30s) and Peter and Paul (60s).Scripture studyJames was in "the inner circle" (Mark 5:37, 9:2, 13:3, 14:33).At that time he sought position (Mark 10:32-45 ).If he wanted to "drink the cup," he certainly got his wish. Acts 1:13, 12:1-3 are the fulfillment of Mark 10.Bible trivia: 7 decapitations Goliath (1 Samuel 17:46,51)Saul (1 Samuel 31:9)Ishbosheth (2 Samuel 4:7)Sheba (2 Samuel 20:22)John the Baptist (Matthew 14:10; Mark 6:16,27; Luke 9:9)The martyrs of Revelation 20:4The statue of the Philistine god Dagon (1 Samuel 5:4).Lessons:It's not about being in the inner circle, but about service.High profile leaders are more subject to attack.Sometimes the Lord takes us away early.

为你读英语美文 · 第383期 吉檀迦利主播：熊叔地点：上海1913年，泰戈尔凭借《吉檀迦利》获得诺贝尔文学奖。这部宗教抒情诗集，是一份“奉献给神的祭品”。（不少人以为“吉檀迦利”是奉献之意，其实是献诗之意）泰戈尔向神敬献的歌是“生命之歌”，他以轻快、欢畅的笔调歌唱生命的枯荣、现实生活的欢乐和悲哀。诺贝尔文学奖颁奖词这么评价《吉檀迦利》：“其特点为思想的极大深度”，是呈现“灵魂对永恒的渴望”而又“充满诗意的思想”的清新、优美的诗歌。《吉檀迦利》共103首，单看均可独立成篇。1I have had my invitation to this world's festival, and thus my life has been blessed.我接到这世界节日的请柬，我的生命受了祝福。2Early in the day it was whispered that we should sail in a boat, only thou and I, and never a soul in the world would know of this our pilgrimage to no country and to no end.在清晨的密语中，我们约定了同去泛舟，世界上没有一个人知道我们这无目的无终止的遨游。3In the meanwhile I smile and I sing all alone. In the meanwhile the air is filling with the perfume of promise.这时我自歌自笑。这时空气里也充满着应许的芬芳。4The time that my journey takes is long and the way of it long.我旅行的时间很长，旅途也是很长的。5I came out on the chariot of the first gleam of light, and pursued my voyage through the wildernesses of worlds leaving my track on many a star and planet.天刚破晓，我就驱车起行，穿遍广漠的世界，在许多星球之上，留下辙痕。6Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.请赐给我力量使我能轻闲地承受欢乐与忧伤。Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.请赐给我力量使我的爱在服务中得到果实。Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.请赐给我力量使我永不抛弃穷人也永不向淫威屈膝。Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.请赐给我力量使我的心灵超越于日常琐事之上。And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.再赐给我力量使我满怀爱意地把我的力量服从你意志的指挥。▎主播介绍熊叔：畅销书《像美国人一样地道发音》作者，高铁播报员，上海外国语大学特聘讲师后期，编辑：永清▎节目首发，背景音乐，图文资料，更多推送敬请关注微信公众号：为你读英语美文，ID：readenglishforyo

NFL picks for week 4The kids' playing habits / imaginationsPeople who think upstate NY is expensive and how they have no ideaHow trump has been pretending to be a businessman and how people still believe he's anything but a giant racist fraudHow great it was to see dozens of Biden / Harris signs in Trump country this weekendCreating a businessman character of my own so as to be able to buy beer when I was underage Classic Klif call / Kliffinator

August 4, 2020Colossians Deep Dive (#6 in series)Are You Reconciled?I remember when I was in seminary one of the professors stated the Bible explains the gospel in different ways. What he meant was, the concept is always the same, but it is explained in different ways at different times. Same plan, but different illustrations to help people understand it. The Bible also uses five key words to describe the richness of God's salvation. JustificationRedemptionForgivenessAdoptionReconciliation - in reconciliation, the sinner stands before God as an enemy, but becomes a friend. The word that Paul uses in this part of Colossians (1:19-22) is reconciliation.Why we need reconciliation - the "fall" of Adam and Eve created a rift between man and God. Paul uses the word "alienated" in the 21st verse. Because of this, in and of ourselves it is no longer possible to have a relationship with God. There needs to be a reconciling.Reconciliation - to make friendly againto settle a quarrel to make accounts match (like you balance your bank statement with your check book)How can there be reconciliation between man and God? Dr. John MacArthur finds three aspects of reconciliation in these verses.The plan of reconciliation - Genesis 3:15 and Ephesians 1:4The means of reconciliation - Colossians 1:20, 22The purpose of reconciliation - Colossians 1:22

Readings from the Dubuque Telegraph Herald for Thursday, June  4The volunteer Voices of IRIS read newspapers aloud to keep over 11,000 blind and print disabled listeners informed and connected to their communities. Learn more at IowaRadioReading.org

“Judas of Nambia”He’s the son of the mafiaThe Judas of NambiaFrom the vile ghost of Fred aboveShouting at his son with love“You’re such a f*cking idiot”“What the hell was with Trump steaks and vodka?”“You’re the dumbest mobster”“Are you trying to go to prison?” And everything’s wrong with himJust ask Vladimir or KimA crime for a complimentSo easy to blackmail him Getting his daily Twitter fixObstructing justice due to itCrimes abound both here and thereWhile citizens work all dayTo screw things up and fall behindTo Vice President BidenA perfect callTo the head of UkraineA quid pro quo is the game And everything’s wrong with himJust ask Vladimir or KimA crime for a complimentSo easy to blackmail him At the center of his throneIn his bathroom stallHe thinks of ways he can betray us allIn any which way he canHe says “America First”But that’s not trueHe cares for himselfAnd of no one elseHe really is a slime Conscience of the DonInvisible to eagles and pilots tooNo trace of it anywhereConscience of the mobStinky sh*t covered with stinkier sh*tNo one ever wants to smell He is committing crimesIn the broad daylightLike Andre the Giant cutting right in lineEven bank robbers objectGOPers said nilOnly confirming theyDon’t give a sh*t aboutYou, you, you, you, or youAnd only about themselves Conscience of the DonInvisible to eagles and pilots tooNo trace of it anywhereConscience of the mobStinky sh*t covered with stinkier sh*tNo one ever wants to smell He can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we all vote He can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we all vote He can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we all vote He can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we voteHe can’t win if we all vote He can’t win Donald Trump is so full of sh*tEvery time he moves his lipsPulling numbers from his a$$Citing “this one guy” as his sourceRetweeting Liar45Saying Pavarotti is still aliveHe is the traitor of AmericaHe is the Judas of Nambia We stand to redeemSo we can be free againWe stand to redeemAnd we must redeem And he can’t win!He can’t win!He can’t win!He can’t win!He can’t win! Undecideds, are you listening?Do you really think this man is worth electing?Are you better off than 4 years ago?Unless gold comes from your a$$, your answer should be no Voting machines, can you please not suck?Even atheists ask God for this muchSuppression laws will try to keep you outShow them your marijuana card and flip them off To lie and not to leadIs to place us in jeopardyTo turn the US inTo idiocracy Believing his liesEven about Kim Jong’s tight-a$$ thighs 1 + 1 + 1 is 4The virgin is a whorePollution doesn’t existBaby hamsters always roar Believing his liesEven about Kim Jong’s tight-a$$ thighsDenial, deflectionContinual distractionRepetition The circus ends now, the clown’s show is overBankruptcy for a seventh timeThe make-up’s worn, pants are small, nose should be longerKids clapped, are now frightened He’s going…He’s going…He’s going…Ah, he’s going down… Bookshttps://www.amazon.com/Craig-Rozniecki/e/B00JBQ95LO Bloghttps://thekind-heartedsmartaleck.blogspot.com/ Twitterhttps://twitter.com/CraigRozniecki

Digital #10Do you remember Black Mirror’s Nosedive episode? We’re a step closer to it. After a £2.5M listing has been rented to organize a rave party, Airbnb has developed software that can analyze guests’ online personas to calculate the chances of them trashing apartments. The software scans for traits such as “neuroticism,” involvement in crimes,” “narcissism,” “psychopathy,” and -poetically enough, “Machiavellianism…”Digital.#9MakeMyTrip, added destination videos (covering 130 destinations) to its mobile app to inspire travelers. The new service is called Trip Ideas and, according to the Indian OTA, 10% of its users are already accessing video contents. Currently, Trip.com owns a 49% share in MakeMyTrip.Digital.#8Great (or terrible, depending on who’s reading) news for Facebook: WhatsApp is about to launch its advertising platform. The ad feature will be launched somewhere in 2020.Digital.#7AI-fueled RMS, Beonprice, received €2.5M in funding, bringing the company’s total funding to €5M. Check out my interview with Cristina Hernández Santonja, Business Development & Strategic at BeonPrice, here.Digital.#6Remember Joe Dante’s classic, Innerspace? Now it’s a reality! Xenobots are “entirely new life-forms,” created from frogs’ stem cells. They’re so small that they can be injected in the human body. Researcher Joshua Bongard stated that xenobots are “neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal. It’s a new class of artifact: a living, programmable organism.” Xenobots can be used to clean up radioactive waste, get plastic out of the oceans, and — of course- transport medication inside human bodies. Xenobots can live over a week without external nutrients, but their lifespan can increase to several weeks in the right environment.Digital.#5Hyatt Hotels partnered with meditation app Headspace, offering mindfulness exercises to both guests, employees, and corporate customers. Hyatt staff will be offered a complimentary subscription to Headspace, and guests will receive access via in-room content.Digital.#4The metasearch industry is not in great shape: after SkyScanner tried to remove “the pain of meta,” and Trivago showed disappointing Q3, now Hipmunk gets shut down. Who’ll be next?Digital.#3According to a LinkedIn survey, “blockchain will be the most in-demand hard skill in 2020.” Blockchain overtook skills such as cloud computing, AI, and UX design, and, interestingly enough, the 2019 LinkedIn list did not include blockchain at all…Digital.#2Yahoo Finance published an interesting piece on how Google is hurting OTAs, metasearch engines, and hotel review sites. Here are a few takeaways: “Google Travel (…) was launched last year. It remains a breakthrough move for the company in this market. (…) Google Travel allows the company to deliver personalized travel experience to users, (…) the search giant is banking on integration of AI into its travel tools. (…) All the above mentioned strong endeavors by Google are likely to hurt the sentiments of the online travel agencies (OTA) further.” You can read the full article here.Digital.#1Born as a personal project, Bespoke became a product that is now used by millions of travelers. Today, Bespoke’s chatbot assistant, Bebot, allows foreign tourists to discover hidden gems in the area quickly and encourages in-market spent by visitors. The chatbot also helps cities and transport authorities to promote sustainable tourism by making recommendations that spread the visitor-flow across multiple sites and attractions. Today, during the live broadcast of Digital. I will have the privilege to be joined by its Founder and CEO, Akemi Tsunagawa. Make sure to tune in on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or directly on the website at 3:00 PM CET.

Light can be used to create the right mood. But these lights go out.Readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) 9th February 2020.Reading 1Isa 58:7-10Then will your light shine like the dawn.PsalmPs 111:4-9 r. 4The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright. Or Alleluia!Reading 21 Cor 2:1-5During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus as the crucified Christ.GospelMatt 5:13-16You are the light of the world.

Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;10 then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.Proverbs 3:9-10Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.Proverbs 11:28A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his imagination.Proverbs 18:11Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist.5 When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven.Proverbs 23:4-5One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.Proverbs 11:24Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.Proverbs 14:31Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.Proverbs 19:17Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler,8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.Proverbs 6:6-8The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.26 All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.Proverbs 21:25-26A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.Proverbs 10:4The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice.Proverbs 13:23Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household, but he who hates bribes will live.Proverbs 15:27A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.Proverbs 11:1“Bad, bad,” says the buyer, but when he goes away, then he boasts.Proverbs 20:14The people curse him who holds back grain, but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.Proverbs 11:26Whoever multiplies his wealth by interest and profit [a] gathers it for him who is generous to the poor.Proverbs 28:8A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.18 One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor.Proverbs 17:17-18Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.Proverbs 11:4

为你读英语美文·第346期 《安娜贝尔·李》之诗与歌 主播：娇娇坐标：美国 · 芝加哥Annabel Lee《安娜贝尔·李》作者：Edgar Allan Poe1It was many and many a year ago很久很久以前In a kingdom by the sea在一个滨海的国度里That a maiden there lived whom you may know住着一位少女你或许认得By the name of Annabel Lee她的芳名叫安娜贝尔·李And this maiden she lived with no other thought这少女活着没有别的愿望Than to love and be loved by me只为和我两情相许 2I was a child and she was a child那会儿我还是个孩子，她也未脱稚气In this kingdom by the sea在这个滨海的国度里But we loved with a love that was more than love可我们的爱超越一切，无人能及I and my Annabel Lee我和我的安娜贝尔·李With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven我们爱得那样深，连天上的六翼天使Coveted her and me也把我和她妒忌3And this was the reason that, long ago这就是那不幸的根源，很久以前In this kingdom by the sea在这个滨海的国度里A wind blew out of a cloud一阵寒风从云端吹起Chilling my beautiful Annabel Lee冻僵了我美丽的安娜贝尔·李So that her highborn kinsman came于是她那些高贵的亲戚来到凡间And bore her away from me把她从我的身边夺去To shut her up in a sepulcher将她关进一座坟墓In this kingdom by the sea在这个滨海的国度里 4The angels, not half so happy in heaven这些天使们在天上，不及我们一半快活Went envying her and me于是他们把我和她妒忌Yes! that was the reason对！就是这个缘故(as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea)（谁不晓得呢，在这个滨海的国度里）That the wind came out of the cloud by night夜里一阵寒风从白云端吹起Chilling and killing my beautiful Annabel Lee冻僵并带走了我美丽的安娜贝尔·李5But our love was stronger by far than the love但我们的爱情远远地胜过Of those who were older than we那些年纪长于我们的人Of many far wiser than we那些智慧胜于我们的人And neither the angels in heaven above无论是天上的天使Nor the demons down under the sea还是海底的恶魔Can ever dissever my soul from the soul都不能将我们的灵魂分离Of the beautiful Annabel Lee我和我美丽的安娜贝尔·李 6For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams因为月亮的每一丝清辉都勾起我的回忆Of the beautiful Annabel Lee梦里那美丽的安娜贝尔·李And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes群星的每一次升空都令我觉得秋波在闪动Of the beautiful Annabel Lee那是我美丽的安娜贝尔·李And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side就这样，伴着潮水，我整夜躺在她身旁Of my darling, my darling, my life and my bride我亲爱的——我亲爱的——我的生命，我的新娘In the sepulcher there by the sea在海边那座坟茔里In her tomb by the sounding sea在大海边她的墓穴里▎主播介绍娇娇 Nina Zhan ，11 岁, 儿童书籍音频录制人,微信公众号：娇点英语主播：娇娇，制作：Jingjing ▎节目首发，背景音乐，图文资料，更多推送敬请关注微信公众号：为你读英语美文，ID：readenglishforyou

Matthew 6: 3-4The gift giving season is upon us! More over, many people will spend time doing good works for others: volunteering at food banks, homeless shelters, buying presents for those less fortunate. The Bible offers some guidance I thought I would share this morning on how we should go about helping others in a public way. 

1 Corinthians 7 1Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 3Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. 4The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 5Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. 6But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. 7For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. 8I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. 9But if they cannot contain, let them marry: --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A survey of Ezra Have you ever built, or made something? Sometimes, for a whole host of reasons our hard work, and effort ends up ruined, broken, or completely destroyed.My boys love playing with legos. When my oldest son, Eli was first introduced to them I had to help him a lot. Ben who is 2 years younger was not ready to build things with legos yet. As a result, if Eli, and I left out any of our creations, Ben would play with them, utterly destroying them. As a result, we would rebuild even better creations, and eventually Ben did as well. How - Respond to stirringIt’s about direction, not destination Ezra 1:5Unless God builds the house Ps. 127Why - The Holy Spirit directs in waves Ezra Ch. 2Waves with various skillsI Thes. 5:19 don't quench the spirit How - By bringing restoration/Fresh start Ezra 3:11-13Sometimes the original foundation is wrong, or weakWe can’t move forward without dealing with the past Eph. 4:22-24 Why - Grace requires forgivenessResentment stifles growth How - In spite of our enemies, for a just cause. Ezra Ch. 4The world wants to dilute the absolute truth of God. Making us just like them.We may seem to have setbacks, that’s why it’s about direction, not a destination. Why - As a testimony of the one true God!! Heb. 12:1 So, what are we building?? Please join is for our Fall Festival of Thanksgiving on Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 for Country and Gospel Concert benefitting the renovation of the 1896 Sanctuary. You can purchase your tickets here for only $10.  If you can't make the concert, but have the means to contribute to the 1896 Building Restoration Project. You can read about the Beautification Project in conjunction with the City of Independence and donate here.  Want to contribute to our Ministry? Click here We would love to have you worship with us in person! We meet Sunday mornings at 9AM for Sunday School and then at 10:30 for Worship service. We are at 500 West Truman Road in the heart of the Historic Independence Square just one block from the Harry S. Truman home.   

For Octdoughberfest 2019: The Ate-TL, the ‘boys are joined by Mary Lynn Rajskub (24, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Checking In with Mary Lynn) to review Moe’s Southwest Grill, an Atlanta-founded chain serving Mexican cuisine. Plus, another edition of Snack or Wack.Sources for this week’s intro include: History of the Grateful Dead by Greta Kaul, Jillian Sullivan, and Aidin Vazirihttps://www.sfgate.com/music/article/History-of-the-Grateful-Dead-6330348.phpHow Grateful Dead Fans Became Deadheads by Amy Lennard Goehner and Arpita Anejahttps://time.com/3919040/history-deadheads/The Deadhead Subculturehttps://haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/subcultures-and-scenes/the-deadhead-subculture/Raving Brands, Inc. History from Funding Universehttp://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/raving-brands-inc-history/This Mexican chain requires every worker to do one thing when they apply for a job — and it goes all the way up to the president by Kate Taylorhttps://www.businessinsider.com/moes-hiring-tests-welcome-to-moes-2018-4The untold truth of Moe's Southwest Grill by Maria Cristina LaLondehttps://www.mashed.com/139817/the-untold-truth-of-moes-southwest-grill/12 Things You Don't Know About Moe's Southwest Grill by Candace Braun Davisonhttps://www.delish.com/food-news/a48250/things-you-dont-know-about-moes/Jerry Garcia estate sues burrito franchise by Rachel Tobin Ramoshttp://www.nbcnews.com/id/6812406/ns/business-local_business/t/jerry-garcia-estate-sues-burrito-franchise/#.XZ0egS-ZO88Moe’s corporate websitehttps://www.moes.com/about/values

Veronica Sordi was the first Italian we had on the show. So that gets a bonus point for starters.​What are the FUNKQUEST rules?Funkquest is a fun interactive online game that features five rounds. Each round consists of ONE FUNKY question.The player​ selects the icon which most tweaks their interest. Each Funky visual has a Funky question.The Funky insight is that the question may or may not be related to the icon.SO potential Funksters have to think on their feet to score points. Points are awarded by me for FUNKY answers...What's so good about FUNKQUEST ​?​Funky Thinkers know that IDEAS only come from free-flowing CONVERSATION.Listening (without prejudice) to new ideas and speakers from outside your usual network truly qualifies as FUNKY.Each question has a strict time limit. So no multi-headed long and complicated self indulgent stories to endure. Just short punchy bite-sized truly Funky ideas, as we GET THE FUNK OUT!Question 1 - Veronica chose the cassette tape. The question is "Tell us about your record and tape collection when you were younger."Madonna cropped up (again). Robert Smith from The Cure (for the first time). Robert was Veronica's first crush.This was in about 1989. So Veronica scored 89 points. Veronica knew the Soviet Union short was a football/soccer shirt. So that scored 1/2. Remember future FUNKQUEST guests - to score two easy points - know the Soviet Union football shirt and who George Harrison is.Question 2 - Veronica chose the telephone. The question is "Tell us about your most recent lie"Hopefully, Veronica's husband isn't listening because she recently bought some clothes (note the plural) and told him they were in the sale.But they weren't... Discussion about Imelda Marcos.Question 3 - Veronica chose the London Bus. The question is "How ambitious are you ? Really"We discussed the niche of handmaking throwback and clothes from previous era. Some of which are bought by men.Question 4 - Veronica picked the girl playing the guitar. The question is "Who do you go out of your way to be nice to?"Veronica recounted the story when a young homeless man wanted £2 for a burger from McDonalds. To make sure that he didn't spend the money on drink or drugs, Veronica marched him down to the restaurant and made him eat the burger.For the picture of George Harrison - Veronica suggested it might be somebody from the Rolling Stones. (On account of the hair). That scored 1/2 point.Total after 4 questions - 198 3/4Question 5 - Veronica picked the picture of George Harrison. The question is "When was the last time you had a new lease of life?"We discussed mums and dads going on bouncy castles and water slides and why lego was invented with the sole aim of harming parents' feet.Total FUNKQUEST score for Veronica Sordi 238 3/4The updated FUNKQUEST leader board is below.People we need on the show after Veronica Sordi - Funky Thinker 135Someone who speaks more than three languages.Someone with any kind of addiction - preferrably shopping.

Veronica Sordi was the first Italian we had on the show. So that gets a bonus point for starters.​What are the FUNKQUEST rules?Funkquest is a fun interactive online game that features five rounds. Each round consists of ONE FUNKY question.The player​ selects the icon which most tweaks their interest. Each Funky visual has a Funky question.The Funky insight is that the question may or may not be related to the icon.SO potential Funksters have to think on their feet to score points. Points are awarded by me for FUNKY answers...What's so good about FUNKQUEST ​?​Funky Thinkers know that IDEAS only come from free-flowing CONVERSATION.Listening (without prejudice) to new ideas and speakers from outside your usual network truly qualifies as FUNKY.Each question has a strict time limit. So no multi-headed long and complicated self indulgent stories to endure. Just short punchy bite-sized truly Funky ideas, as we GET THE FUNK OUT!Question 1 - Veronica chose the cassette tape. The question is "Tell us about your record and tape collection when you were younger."Madonna cropped up (again). Robert Smith from The Cure (for the first time). Robert was Veronica's first crush.This was in about 1989. So Veronica scored 89 points. Veronica knew the Soviet Union short was a football/soccer shirt. So that scored 1/2. Remember future FUNKQUEST guests - to score two easy points - know the Soviet Union football shirt and who George Harrison is.Question 2 - Veronica chose the telephone. The question is "Tell us about your most recent lie"Hopefully, Veronica's husband isn't listening because she recently bought some clothes (note the plural) and told him they were in the sale.But they weren't... Discussion about Imelda Marcos.Question 3 - Veronica chose the London Bus. The question is "How ambitious are you ? Really"We discussed the niche of handmaking throwback and clothes from previous era. Some of which are bought by men.Question 4 - Veronica picked the girl playing the guitar. The question is "Who do you go out of your way to be nice to?"Veronica recounted the story when a young homeless man wanted £2 for a burger from McDonalds. To make sure that he didn't spend the money on drink or drugs, Veronica marched him down to the restaurant and made him eat the burger.For the picture of George Harrison - Veronica suggested it might be somebody from the Rolling Stones. (On account of the hair). That scored 1/2 point.Total after 4 questions - 198 3/4Question 5 - Veronica picked the picture of George Harrison. The question is "When was the last time you had a new lease of life?"We discussed mums and dads going on bouncy castles and water slides and why lego was invented with the sole aim of harming parents' feet.Total FUNKQUEST score for Veronica Sordi 238 3/4The updated FUNKQUEST leader board is below.People we need on the show after Veronica Sordi - Funky Thinker 135Someone who speaks more than three languages.Someone with any kind of addiction - preferrably shopping.

Doctrine: True love for Christ surpasses all other loves    1Sa 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 And Jonathan took off the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. Q: What does an all-surpassing love for Christ look like?I. Your life is bound up in the life of Christ 1II. You enter into a Covenant of love with Christ as your Savior-King 3-4III. You yield all you are and all you have to Christ's service 4The sermon will conclude with 3 practical ways David behaved himself wisely in the midst of conflict

Daniel 4As an overarching theme for this sermon series we will consider Peter's conclusion regarding eschatology and daily life: 2 Peter 3:11-18. Eschatology is not intended to be informational, but transformational as it gives the believer incredible hope and trust in God.Nebuchadnezzar has a second dream. This time, however, the text is recorded by the king himself and included in Daniel's prophetic book.The Jewish Talmud says: “Of every proud person God says: He and I cannot live together in the world.”Pride is a major theme in this chapter and yet I would contend that this is not the central lesson. God's sovereign rule over all things - even the king's heart - is the central theme. As we consider these things this morning we will move through the following outline:The proclamation of the King 4:1-4The king's dream 4:5-18The explanation for the King 4:19-27The king's pride 4:28-33The conversion of the King 4:34-37Along the way I explain the reference to “seven times” (4:16, 23 and 32) as a possible “bridge term” to account for the different calendars of the day.The Assyrian empire used a lunisolar calendar that started in the Spring, counted 12 months of 30 days, and a ten-day week.The Babylonean lunisolar calendar consisted of 12 months of 30 days, a 7-day week, and three seasons (beginning, middle, and end of the year). The Jewish calendar followed the Babyloneans with the exception that they recognized four seasons. These calendars employed a thirteenth "intercalation" month to readjust according to the seasons.The Egyptian calendar was a solar calendar with 365 days and the year consisted of three seasons of 120 days each, divided into weeks that had 7 or 8 days.The Babylonean empire was the first empire to span so much territory and swallow up so many conquered people groups. Perhaps this use of "times" was a universal way of referring to a full cycle of the seasons (regardless of how many seasons or days you count in a year). Therefore seven times refers to seven cycles of the seasons, meaning seven years.It is noteworthy that Nebuchadnezzar is given a (very specific) twelve month grace period before he boasts on his rooftop and is stricken with madness (4:29). Here the text is specific, which is why I lean toward this (also specific) understanding of "times".My conclusion is to point out God's work in the characters in Daniel.Daniel and his friends learn: God is God and I am not. Even in the most difficult of circumstances.Daniel teaches us: Be faithful where God places you, give Him all the glory, love people and leave the rest up to Him.Nebuchadnezzar learns: who the most high God is, that the most high God saves spectacularly, and the most high God demands humble repentance.Do you acknowledge that the most High God reigns?

What time is it? The Experts say we need at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. But why when I can function on 5 or 6? This is a very good question and one I've asked many times. Although you can and have functioned on less sleep than the experts say it is not always wise. Allow me to explain by telling you my personal story. I 'm one of these people that when motivated, can accomplish a lot on very little sleep and adrenaline. I've functioned this way for many years and in large blocks of time. Because this was my norm, I hardly noticed the signs that the lack of sleep was causing. My schedule consisted of: Waking up at 5 am to do my miracle morning, breakfast, teach school, write my book (or books),lunch,coaching calls or calls with my SEO,outside chores,dinner, homework, blog, and newspaper writing, work out at midnight until 1 or 1:30 amand then bed.Repeat the next day. My weekend schedule was different because I didn't teach, and I caught up on household chores, outside chores, and anything else I couldn't get finished during the week. Dream + Action = Success I was motivated, and I had a plan. To say I didn't enjoy my schedule would be a lie. There were times when I felt overwhelmed, but for the most part, I really enjoyed what I was doing. After a while, however, I would go into these streaks where I would work for a few days and then crash. My body and mind were tired. Did I listen to the signs and change? No, that would be smart. Instead, I kept pushing myself because I had big goals and I was bound and determined to make them happen. At least you couldn't say I was lazy. Fast forward a little to when I started developing symptoms that weren't normal for my body. This was when I started paying attention. Symptoms included, tired to the point where I was functioning like a zombie, I would get the chills, and I was losing weight. Note: There were other symptoms, but for privacy sake, I will leave those out. Now I've never had a problem with weight gain, (thank you genetics), but I've also never had a problem where I've dropped weight without trying. What was going on? Don't worry, be happy. I credited it to stress as things happened in my life around this time that could have significantly affected my body. Well, I was partially right. You know when they say, "stress kills?" Well, they're right. Stress affects everyone at some point in their lives. Here is one survey in one area that was done indicating how people suffer from stress: 63%The percentage of Americans who say the future of the nation is a significant source of stress. That's higher than the percentage who are stressed about money (62 percent), work (61 percent), or violence and crime (51 percent).43%The percentage of Americans who say health care is a national issue that causes them stress. Other commonly cited stressors include the economy (35 percent), trust in government (32 percent), hate crimes (31 percent), crime (31 percent), wars/conflict with other countries (30 percent), terrorist attacks in the United States (30 percent), high taxes (28 percent), Social Security (26 percent), government controversies/scandals (25 percent), and unemployment and low wages (22 percent).51%The percentage of Americans who say the state of the nation has prompted them to volunteer or otherwise support causes they value.3 out of 4The share of Americans who report experiencing at least one stress symptom in the last month. 45 percent report lying awake at night, 36 percent report feeling nervous or anxious, 35 percent report irritability or anger, and 34 percent report fatigue due to stress.apa.org Effects of Stress Our bodies can handle stress but in small doses. When stress becomes long-term or chronic, it messes up our body and produces serious side effects such as: Problems with your respiratory system,cardiovascular system,nervous system,male and female reproductive system,

1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. 4The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? 4The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. a Psalm 24:3-4 Podcast powered by Spreaker. Go to www.spreaker.com/create

In Christ We Are Spiritual People – Sunday, May 5, 2019 – Steve MillerOur cat Leo is very carnal. He is a “foodie,” motivated by his appetites, especially for food, but also physical affection, his toys, and … more food. God did not design or intend for us to think and act like Leo.As we learn about who we are in Christ, it's important to be mindful that we are spiritual beings. We are not just physical beings, as some believe. Likewise, we are not just spirits living in the physical container of a body, as has been taught. As human beings, we are a complexly woven together combination of body, soul, mind, and spirit. Our rationalistic culture tends to believe only in that which is visible or measurable, chases constantly after physical and emotional pleasure and material possessions, and values physical skills and cognitive knowledge. We need to be careful not to neglect the fact that we are spiritual beings.John 4:23-25 – 23But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.We need to be aware and discerning of the spiritual, both in us and around us.Proverbs 20:27 – The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.Ephesians 6:12 – For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.When sin came into the world, it started working death in our spirits, just as it did in our bodies. It took the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit working through grace to restore the life of God to our spirits. The Holy Spirit is the source of renewed life in our spirits.Titus 3:4-7John 3:3-8Paul describes the difference between a person born of the Spirit and someone who hasn't been reborn spiritually. Notice the close connection and importance of fellowship between the believer's spirit and the Holy Spirit:1 Corinthians 2:10-17The born-again spirit of the believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit, wants to do the will of God.Romans 7:21-23The Holy Spirit affirms in our spirits our understanding of our position as beloved children of God and facilitates our relationship with Him.Romans 8:15-16The Spirit does not just enable us to be reborn, but also guides us to live for Him, bearing his fruit.Galatians 5:25 – If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.We need to develop and exercise our spirits, just as much if not more than we do our bodies, minds, and souls. Arthur Burke points out that our spirits come into the world at a developmental advantage over our minds, emotions, and bodies, but we quickly lose that spiritual developmental advantage because of the emphasis modern society places on developing those other areas, while often ignoring spiritual things. But as we have seen in Scripture, the spirit man, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, should be directing our bodies, minds, and souls in serving God. It is through our spirit that the Lord feeds and renews our other members.How can we develop our spirits? Walk with and listen to the Holy Spirit. Spend time in fellowship with Him.2 Corinthians 13:14 – The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.Proverbs 13:20 – Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. Ephesians 3:16 – I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being 2 Corinthians 4:16 – So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.The description here is of the Holy Spirit strengthening our spirit from within, which in turn strengthens, heals, and encourages our minds, souls, and bodies. Renewal, health, and refreshment comes from God through the inside, working it's way out via our spirits. Likewise, our beauty and pleasantness to God come from within. 1 Peter 3:3-4Psalm 51:6, 10-12, 17In order to develop our spirits, we need to do those things which involve fellowship with the Holy Spirit, including being aware of His presence, talking with Him, worship, reading His Word, sharing daily adventures with Him, listening to His voice, and praying in tongues.1 Corinthians 14:4-5a – 4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. This is what I felt the Holy Spirit saying:“Blessed are you, for you watch daily at My doors and incline your ear to Me. Do so more and more, for there is no limit to the riches of wisdom and grace in My words, and they come infused with power, love, and encouragement. Listen to My Spirit, and your spirit will grow, for the company you keep influences you for good or bad, but My Spirit strengthens you, sharpens you, and makes you holy. I regenerate you and renew you in your inner man. Your inner man is your source for life and righteousness and health and love, for it is that part of you that connects and fellowships with My Holy Spirit. Through your spirit I feed and direct the rest of you: your body, soul, and mind. You can't see your spirit, just as you cannot see your internal organs, but you can learn to recognize how your spirit works in relation to the other parts of your being. You are of great value and wonderfully made. I want every facet of you to fully function as I designed you to. Don't let your spirit grow flabby or dormant. Don't be ignorant of how to feed your spirit, like a person who ignorantly and impulsively feeds his body junk food without paying attention to how his eating habits affect his health and well-being.”Since we live by the Spirit, let us fellowship with Him and keep in step with Him!

The White Planetary Wizard known as Heather Elizabeth joins InnerVerse just in time for the Return of The Year in the 13 Moon DreamSpell (aka the Galactic Mayan Calendar). This enthusiastic energizer uplifts the world with ACTivations for the souls she PLUR-ks with (play + PLUR + work). Tune in for a look in the mirror to the depths of your own infinite potential, and learn more about this incredible system of self-knowing she teaches.Download the 2 Hour Extended Episode by joining InnerVerse Plus+ on Patreon! Support your favorite show and enjoy bonus convo-content!Access The Plus+ ExtensionFind Heather Onlinehttps://www.shineheatherelizabeth.one/ Facebook & InstagramSHINE Wizard Academy We Talked AboutWhy and How Heather is actually a White WizardHow Heather went from social worker to Light PLUR-kerGetting a past life regression with a psychic as a 13 year oldWitnessing spirit while serving as a hospice care giverDeath as a transit into the infinite and the meaning of the Matrix of 4The harmonic convergence of 1987, and the new species of humans Jose Arguelles, The Law of Time and the 13 Moon Dream Spell Calendar of the Galactic MayaReveling in the sacredness of all creation, the work of art known as eARTh How Heather used the dreamspell to accurately transmit my soul’s galactic blueprint before we spokeThe power of living in natural cyclical time instead of slavery to modern linear timeSoul blueprints and your face from before you had a faceHow in 2019 we are revisiting the energetic frequency of 1967The veil between worlds is coming down and basically goneDecode your galactic signature with The 13:20 Sync App and lawoftime.org/decode The power of the Codespells to remind ourselves who we areAlign with spiritual maturity in Heather’s Shine Wizard Academy launching on 4/12Only In Plus+ (Tune In!)Awakening to your inner knowledge and wisdom by following your passion pathwayRethinking the learning process and why it’s all about experience more than educationFinding galactic kinship with important people in your life corresponding in your DreamSpell blueprintsDestiny castles and the 52 year cycle of earth family archetypes2018 as the Red Cosmic Moon year and how it’s about purification, cleansing and aligning with the divine feminineLearning the art of allowing changes and healing to take place naturally in your lifeDiscovering the Sacred Mysteries by investigating conspiraciesThe collective consciousness shift towards abundance right nowWhy the Nipsey Hussle death is a faked ritualThe magic at Mt Shasta and galactic synchronizationGetting the beam out of our own eye before seeking to remove the speck from our neighbor’s eyeHeather’s High Vibe SHINE Tribe – Supporting Humanity In Navigating Evolution Wise Words From Heather In This Podcast“Whoever owns your time, owns your mind”“At this point the waking up isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.”“The Shine Wizard Academy is a platform and a sacred space to really step into spiritual maturity, who you truly are, and how you are here to serve the planet.” “Evolutionary times call for an evolutionary education.” Music In This EpisodeIntro - Foggy Dreams by Wisdom Traders Outro - I Had My Eyes Closed by Norbz See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Get in touch with the show!Visit the website athttps://www.rollthehard20podcast.com/Email us atRollthehard20podcast@gmail.comFollow oursocial media footprints athttps://m.facebook.com/groups/202767550592121https://Twitter.com/RollTheHard20P1And on Instagram @ Roll The Hard 20Want to represent the podcast? Check out our awesome shirts athttps://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B07HMMRMMN?keywords=roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1537974976&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1ROLL THE HARD 20 PODCASThttps://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I6hmrdymr2wovuwdhe6oxwcll2aroll-the-hard-20-podcasthttps://podcasters.spotify.com/podcast/1kJ6KnJsQFsN4z86N6UjZoMusic and Sound by Syrinscape.https://store.syrinscape.com/what-is-syrinscape/?att 4The app putting sound into the hands of gamers.

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Get in touch with the show!Visit the website athttps://www.rollthehard20podcast.com/Email us atRollthehard20podcast@gmail.comFollow oursocial media footprints athttps://m.facebook.com/groups/202767550592121https://Twitter.com/RollTheHard20P1And on Instagram @ Roll The Hard 20Want to represent the podcast? Check out our awesome shirts athttps://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B07HMMRMMN?keywords=roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1537974976&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1ROLL THE HARD 20 PODCASThttps://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I6hmrdymr2wovuwdhe6oxwcll2aroll-the-hard-20-podcasthttps://podcasters.spotify.com/podcast/1kJ6KnJsQFsN4z86N6UjZoMusic and Sound by Syrinscape.https://store.syrinscape.com/what-is-syrinscape/?att 4The app putting sound into the hands of gamers.

Get in touch with the show!Visit the website athttps://www.rollthehard20podcast.com/Email us atRollthehard20podcast@gmail.comFollow oursocial media footprints athttps://m.facebook.com/groups/202767550592121https://Twitter.com/RollTheHard20P1And on Instagram @ Roll The Hard 20Want to represent the podcast? Check out our awesome shirts athttps://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B07HMMRMMN?keywords=roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1537974976&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1ROLL THE HARD 20 PODCASThttps://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I6hmrdymr2wovuwdhe6oxwcll2aroll-the-hard-20-podcasthttps://podcasters.spotify.com/podcast/1kJ6KnJsQFsN4z86N6UjZoMusic and Sound by Syrinscape.https://store.syrinscape.com/what-is-syrinscape/?att 4The app putting sound into the hands of gamers.

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Get in touch with the show!Visit the website athttps://www.rollthehard20podcast.com/Email us atRollthehard20podcast@gmail.comFollow oursocial media footprints athttps://m.facebook.com/groups/202767550592121https://Twitter.com/RollTheHard20P1And on Instagram @ Roll The Hard 20Want to represent the podcast? Check out our awesome shirts athttps://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B07HMMRMMN?keywords=roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1537974976&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1ROLL THE HARD 20 PODCASThttps://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I6hmrdymr2wovuwdhe6oxwcll2aroll-the-hard-20-podcasthttps://podcasters.spotify.com/podcast/1kJ6KnJsQFsN4z86N6UjZoMusic and Sound by Syrinscape.https://store.syrinscape.com/what-is-syrinscape/?att 4The app putting sound into the hands of gamers.

Nehemiah 1:1-4The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.Matthew 3:16-4:216 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.Matthew 6:16-1816 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.Nehemiah 8:8-128 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lordyour God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Get in touch with the show!Visit the website athttps://www.rollthehard20podcast.com/Email us atRollthehard20podcast@gmail.comFollow oursocial media footprints athttps://m.facebook.com/groups/202767550592121https://Twitter.com/RollTheHard20P1And on Instagram @ Roll The Hard 20Want to represent the podcast? Check out our awesome shirts athttps://www.amazon.com/ROLL-THE-HARD-20-PODCAST/dp/B07HMMRMMN?keywords=roll+the+hard+20+podcast&qid=1537974976&sr=8-1-fkmrnull&ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmrnull_1ROLL THE HARD 20 PODCASThttps://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/I6hmrdymr2wovuwdhe6oxwcll2aroll-the-hard-20-podcasthttps://podcasters.spotify.com/podcast/1kJ6KnJsQFsN4z86N6UjZoMusic and Sound by Syrinscape.https://store.syrinscape.com/what-is-syrinscape/?att 4The app putting sound into the hands of gamers.

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In John 1, we see that Jesus is referred to as the Word. He was with God, in the beginning, and became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus left and sent the Spirit, and it is by that Spirit that we now give word, the expressing of the thoughts of God to the world. Listen in!Support The Source Wichita: http://thesourcewichita.com/giveSupport the Source Network: https://amzn.to/2MI780mJohn 1:1-5In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.LOGOS3056 lógos (from 3004 /légō, "speaking to a conclusion") – a word, being the expression of a thought; a saying. 3056 /lógos ("word") is preeminently used of Christ (Jn 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit.[3056 (lógos) is a common term (used 330 times in the NT) with regards to a person sharing a message (discourse, "communication-speech"). 3056 (lógos) is a broad term meaning "reasoning expressed by words."]John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭ESV‬‬“And the Word (LOGOS) became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.1.14.esvPaul talks about desiring the spiritual gift of prophecy.... ( PROPHECY HAS A SIMILAR DESCRIPTION )1 Corinthians 14:1-5Pursue 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. 3On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.PROPHECYCognate: 4395 prophēteúō (from 4253 /pró, "before" and 5346 /phēmí, "assert by elevatingone statement over another") – properly, "speak forth" in divinely-empowered forthtelling or foretelling; prophesy. In the NT, prophesy (4395 /prophēteúō) occurs 28 times, usually of forthtelling which reveals the mind (message) of God in a particular situation. 4395 /prophēteúō ("prophesy") can also refer to foretelling, i.e. predicting the future as the Lord reveals it.Colossians‬ ‭3:16‬ ‭ESV‬‬“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” https://www.bible.com/59/col.3.16.esv See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Faith without works is dead. Many people confess to believe in Jesus but their works are evil. They are sinners. We read in 1 John 2:3 “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.” Christians that sin and live in immorality do not know Jesus because they do not keep His commandments, they do not live according to His words, as also recorded in the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. A Christian that refuses to repent and be baptized, as Jesus commanded, does not know nor love Jesus. Jesus said:”If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.“John 14:15. “By this we know that we are in Him:6the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” Many Christians believers do not know Jesus and do not abide in Him, because they do not live as Jesus lived and taught His disciples to do. Their faith is in vain because their works prove that they do not know Jesus, nor stay in obedience to Him. They are like the world, the unbelievers that are perishing, they are heading for destruction, they are on their way to hell. We read in 1John 2:15 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” Those who love the world and the things of the world do not have any love for Jesus and therefor they do not obey Him, they practice sin, lawlessness, unrighteousness, their deeds are evil. Many are preachers, evangelists, street preachers, clergy, missionaries, church leaders, but they love the world and their works are evil. Jesus said “ 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ “Matthew 7:21,22. If we know Jesus, our works will prove it, because we will obey Him and abide in Him.. The apostle John wrote in I John 2:28 ”Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. 29If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.” Do we abide in Him? Will we have confidence when Jesus appears, or will we hang our head in shame and shrink away from Him in fear because we did not obey Him. May Jesus bless you. Jesus Christ is alive and hell is real. I am here to introduce you to Jesus Christ so that you can know Him, follow Him and have eternal life. Subscribe to my channel to learn more about Jesus. May Jesus bless you

Mount Olivet UMC - September 23, 2018Genesis 411 Corinthians 16:1-4The culture of now tells us that we earned this and thus we deserve it, but when we read stories like Joseph we see that the plenty we enjoy is a gift from God, a generous gift placed in our lives by our Creator. Stewardship means caring for something that ultimately is not ours, which is why talking about stewardship of creation is so easy while talking about stewardship of money is so difficult.Stewardship means caring for something that ultimately is not ours, which is why talking about stewardship of creation is so easy while talking about stewardship of money is so difficult.

Mount Olivet UMC - September 23, 2018Genesis 411 Corinthians 16:1-4The culture of now tells us that we earned this and thus we deserve it, but when we read stories like Joseph we see that the plenty we enjoy is a gift from God, a generous gift placed in our lives by our Creator. Stewardship means caring for something that ultimately is not ours, which is why talking about stewardship of creation is so easy while talking about stewardship of money is so difficult.Stewardship means caring for something that ultimately is not ours, which is why talking about stewardship of creation is so easy while talking about stewardship of money is so difficult.

Jesus is fighting to take the world back to himself. At the time of the birth of Jesus there was an invasion of Heaven to Earth. The devil si committed to fight against the Lord, always. When we testify about the Lord, when we pray we are fighting the battle against the devil. We need to go and lift up our prayer in the place where we want the results of prayer to happen.Light is stronger than darkness. Light will always overcome the darkness. Then a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and with the moon under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was screaming in labor pains, struggling to give birth. v 1-2Where in the Bible do we read about twelve stars, the sun and the moon. Joseph’s dream! The woman represents the people of God, Israel/Then another sign appeared in heaven: a huge red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadem crowns. Now the dragon's tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. v 3-4The woman is the people of God. The dragon is the devil. The seven heads of the dragon represent the seven kingdoms on earth. The dragon works through the kingdoms on the earth. The dragon is the anti-Christ and the kingdoms represent the heart of Satan. This vison occurs in the Old Testament as well. In the book of Daniel. The ten horns are the power of ten kings and they are all concentrated in a single anti-Cristian power coming against the people of God.So the woman gave birth to a son, a male child, who is going to rule over all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was suddenly caught up to God and to his throne, and she fled into the wilderness where a place had been prepared for her by God, so she could be taken care of for 1,260 days.So that huge dragon - the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world - was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. v 9There are times when we have to say no to the devil. But the strongest power we have is to say yes to God. To pray and worship brings down the power of God and changes reality. It can be hard to praise God when you are angry, but it can change the world.Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. v7 “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down. But they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. Therefore, you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them! But woe to the earth and the sea because the devil has come down to you! He is filled with terrible anger, for he knows that he only has a little time!” (10 - 12)We have to recognize we are in a war. And we have to decide which side we are on!!! When we lie, steal, commit adultery, we do the work on the side of the enemy - the dragon!!

Two Approaches to the Christian Life:1. Trapped in a performanceThe giver who blows his own trumpet v2-4The pious prayer v5-8The Lent-time moaner v16-182. Trusting in a FatherWe care about Him v9-10We trust Him to care about us v11-13

"DAILY DEVOTIONS Num 28:3 And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. 4The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, ………………………………………………………….. 8And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD." Join sister Juliet Manyemba of House of Israel London as she opens up the scriptures and expounds to you the biblical details of prayer.

Habakkuk 1:1-4The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. O Lord , how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.SERMON NOTES

The fallen world starts tearing us down at a very early age. Jude 1:20 commands us to build ourselves back up. PROVERBS 18:4The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

This is the 15th class on the book of Hebrews. This Bible class was taught at the Pilot Point Church in Pilot Point Texas. The following is the outline of the class. The Work of the Ascended Christ Major points from last week As a system Old Testament Aaronic was inadequate because a new priesthood was prophesied. 2. It was inadequate because it was made up of dying men, where this new priesthood of Jesus isn’t. 3. The Old Testament Aaronic priesthood was appointed by God but there was never an oath given to them. 4. The Old Testament priesthood was tied to the law. 5. With the new priesthood of Jesus we can draw near to God. Hebrews 7 22Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. 23Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them 26Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever. Hebrews 9 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!  26Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Ephesians 5 1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. The work of the ascended Christ Chapter 8 Hebrews 8 1 Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being. 3Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. Peter’s references to Christians as a “holy priesthood” or a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5, 9; cf. Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). Paul viewed his evangelistic work among the Gentiles, in a manner of speaking, as a priestly work (see “ministering” [Romans 15:16]). His converts were thought of as an “offering” to God. 2. The Philippian Christians were a joy to Paul. Their faith was like a sacrifice that had been given up to God; if necessary, he was willing for his own life to be “poured out as a drink offering” to complement that sacrifice (Philippians 2:17, 2 Timothy 4:6). 3. As the apostle wrote from his incarceration in Rome, he reflected upon the recent support conveyed by Epaphroditus from the church in Philippi. It was an “odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18). 4. Note the similar imagery set forth in Hebrews 13:15-16.15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 5. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Revelation 8 3 6. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (12:1-2). Hebrews 8 4If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. 6But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. 7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. 8But God found fault with the people and said[b]: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 9 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord John 1 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 8 10This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest 12For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” 13By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear. Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}

YOU HAD ME AT HELLO! Hot Date Marriage Series - Part 3 OPEN THE DOOR FOR ACCEPTANCE. "ACCEPT one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God." Romans 15:7 OPEN THE DOOR FOR ATTENTION. "likewise dwelling with them according to KNOWLEDGE, giving HONOR...” 1 Peter 3:7 “...regard one another as more IMPORTANT than yourselves;” Philippians 2:3 OPEN THE DOOR FOR ADJUSTMENT. "SUBMIT to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21, Galatians 5:13-15 OPEN THE DOOR FOR AMNESTY. "Bear with each other and FORGIVE whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13 “Look after each other so that none of you FAILS to RECEIVE the GRACE of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of BITTERNESS grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.” Hebrews 12:15 OPEN THE DOOR FOR APPRECIATION. "ENCOURAGE one another and build each other up." 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “But encourage one another DAILY, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13 OPEN THE DOOR FOR AFFECTION. “The husband must fulfill his [marital] duty to his wife [with goodwill and kindness], and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife does not have [exclusive] authority over her own body, but the husband shares with her; and likewise the husband does not have [exclusive] authority over his body, but the wife shares with him. 5Do not deprive each other [of marital rights], except perhaps by mutual consent for a time, so that you may devote yourselves [unhindered] to prayer, but come together again so that Satan will not tempt you [to sin] because of your lack of self-control.” 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 1) A Legitimate Need 2) A Mutual Benefit 3) A Spiritual Responsibility CONCLUSION: WHAT MAKES A MARRIAGE "CHRISTIAN"? “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” James 5:16 Renewing your covenant vows to each other: I, _________, take you __________ to be my wife/husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer, In sickness and in health. To love and cherish as long as we both shall live.

Most of you probably know that 1Cor 13 is called the love chapter. It’s one of the most popular chapters in the Bible. But we’re not going to talk about that today. I want to look at chapter 14:1-25, where Paul said that all the spiritual gifts are great, and that we should desire them all, but that the gift of prophesy is the one to desire the most. And remember, there is much more than telling of future events with this gift. The gift of prophecy is the telling of God’s message. Paul said that “the person who prophesies speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation. 4The person who speaks in another language builds himself up, but he who prophesies builds up the church. 5I wish all of you spoke in other languages, but even more that you prophesied. The person who prophesies is greater than the person who speaks in languages, unless he interprets so that the church may be built up.” One of the common themes in scripture is “other centeredness”, the opposite of self centeredness. Paul said in this chapter that speaking is tongues is great and all, but it really just builds up the person doing the speaking. Prophecy builds up the church. The Christian life is not, and it has never been about doing for one’s self. It’s about serving others and helping the lost to find a relationship with the God of the universe. It troubles me deeply when I see preachers become wildly wealthy from their congregation. I don’t have a problem with them if they earn a living that is comparable with the people they minister to, but a few of them become far wealthier than that. Seems very self serving to me. Your job and mine is to serve others. And to have the gift of prophecy, the ability to accurately and effectively communicate God’s message is at once an honorable and humbling calling.

Hebrews 1:1-2:4The opening of Hebrews presents us with a contrast between angels who bring God's word the world, and Jesus who IS the word. Believers of old have been dealing with the servants: we have met the Son. How should we, the saints, respond?

E. the god of this age 1. 2 Corinthians 4:4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations

Works for voice and piano by Marc Blitzstein and Ned Rorem performed by New York Festival of Song on November 3, 2013. Work for string orchestra by Schoenberg performed by A Far Cry on March 6, 2011.Blitzstein: Emily, from The Airborne SymphonyRorem: A specimen case, from War ScenesSchoenberg: Verklarte Nacht, Op. 4The 20th century was an eclectic one for classical music. Today’s podcast traces just a few of the many strands.The piece written first is actually the final one we’ll hear: Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklaerte Nacht. Many of us closely associate Schoenberg with serialism, the formalized system of atonal music composition that he developed with his protégés Berg and Webern. But Verklaerte Nacht embraces dissonance and extended harmonies, and it is luscious and rich music, overtly late-Romantic in language, inspired by a poem about the profound depths of love.The podcast begins with a piece that comes several decades later, by the American composer Marc Blitzstein. A Philadelphia native, Blitzstein studied locally at the Curtis Institute of Music and then set off for Europe, where he worked briefly with Schoenberg himself. The brief and touching song depicts a young soldier’s note home to his sweetheart, Emily.After the Blitzstein, we have a piece from the next generation of 20th century American composers: Ned Rorem, who just celebrated his 90th birthday in 2013. Rorem also takes up war as his subject in this, a movement from his cycle War Scenes, based on Whitman poems.

Philippians 2:4The exhortation goes forth in this sermon, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others".  Short, concise, to the point; in one sentence the challenge is brought to centre court!  The great scourge of any society is selfishness; that is when a people become wholly consumed with themselves, to the neglect of everyone else around them!!  As Christians, we must guard against this wickedness!  A Christians duty most certainly is to provide for his own household, but after that he must turn his eyes upon the needs of others!!

Minister Favor Mitchell May 25, 2014 Bend Don't Break 2 Chronicles 20:1-6 1After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. 2Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). 3Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. 4The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. 5Then Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem at the temple of the Lord in the front of the new courtyard 6and said: “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

"... having escaped the corruption that is in the worl..." 2 pet 1:4The salvation you find in Jesus Christ is not a 'journey of self-improvement'. It is not a program of 'moral reform'. It is a :rescue' pure and simple! You will 'escape' the corruption that is in the world! And when you do, wonderful things will come your way! This morning, let's see what they are...

Minister Favor Mitchell February 9, 2014 I Chronicles 13:1-14 1David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” 4The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. 5So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name. 7They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. 9When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 11Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 12David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.

Saturday, May 25, 2013 A few things you may have missed about Abraham Genesis 25:1-18 ESV 1Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. 5Abraham gave all he had to Isaac. 6But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. 7These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 175 years. 8Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. 9Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, 10the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. 11After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi. 12These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son,whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa,15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their tribes. 17(These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled over against all his kinsmen. _________________ Did you know that Abraham had at least two wives and concubines and the liaison with Hagar? Did you know Abraham sent all his concubines and sons away to the East with gifts? Did you know Ishmael and Isaac together buried thier Father Abraham? __ God is not endorsing Abraham's choices. Have we forgot already that this is a story about God? A Sheffield Working Man's Hero But let's learn some things through a little review. God spent a lot of time on the Abraham project. (How long has God been on your radar?) Abraham lived 175 years. God didn't even ask Abram to start the journey of the covenant till he was 75 years old! So all the story we know spans the last 100 years of God's life. Of that bit, Isaac is the centre piece of the promise and he doesn't show up for 25 years! Lots of stuff happens but until Isaac is born were all wondering if God might have forgot. Well not really forgot but not sure what's going on. Then there is the sacrifice incident about 37 years after the call and initial promise. And although Genesis 25 puts a pretty good light on Abraham's life, the facts and a bit of reality sure look like a different story. Abram is a foreigner with designs on other people's land. This would not make you immediately popular. Delayed by his dad's plans in Haran. Then he's moved out by famine to Egypt (this becomes a theme right through to Jesus). He had a run in with Egyptian authority's over a woman and convenient truth. Then he has a full scale war and had to rescue Lot. They have more encounters with God along the way, a city destroyed by fire from heaven , a pillar of salt for a niece-in-law, and the Hagar situation which becomes a major domestic scene. Things look like they might be turning around, over the years business had been good, Sarah had Isaac, God provided a lamb in the faith test. And then Sarah dies. So although once a foreigner always a foreigner, when faced with funeral negotiations for his wife Sarah's resting place the locals appear to be cordial enough. Then we read about more wives, concubines and family schisms. And after all this time, waiting, trusting, and often doing the wrong thing Abraham's two sons Isaac and Ishmael who represent the biggest family feud many times worse and longer than the Hatfields and the McCoys, come together and bury their Father. Abraham is not the star, nor the villain. We are not to read the bible story making our own saints of men who have exemplary faith or moral character. We are to marvel at what God is doing through and in spite of mankind. What God is doing is on their behalf to glorify himself through his promise. A promise always pointing to Jesus. Whether we look back or forward with an expectation of his return or we were Abraham wondering why I'm sending away Ishmael or binding Isaac we are trusting God to write the story for his glory. and that is the way it should be. This should help you get past yourself, your timetables, your judgemental attitudes and ask yourself, "What does God want me to believe about himself?" What promise fulfilled in Jesus am I trusting in? How can I quit trying to get my name on the marquee of my life's story. Most Christians these days would be too embarrassed to have the things written about Abraham written in their biography. Abraham could never have been a church leader in the contemporary Christian church. We think we are better than Abraham. And come to think of it we'd not have done ministry like Jesus did either. We know better. Don't we?

John 5:1-9The Social Structure he lived in. v1-2The System he bought into v3-4The struggle he got into v5-6

1 John 4:7-14 7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. V 7 –love comes from God. People who exhibit Christian love have been born of God and know God. Love comes from the new life that we receive at salvation and from fellowship with God. 1 John 2:3-6 3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. V 8 – if you don’t love, you don’t know God. People who carry out violence and whose speech is full of hate and say they do it in the name of God – do they know God? No. Love is intrinsic to the character and nature of God. If you know Him and follow Him, you will walk in His love. V 9 – God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. We forget, but we were destined for justice. Our sin would bring us death. There was no escaping, nothing we could do. We were born in sin and committed sin ourselves. The wages of sin is death. But God showed his love among us. He sent His one and only Son that we might live. V 10 – this is love: God loved us when we didn’t love Him. Jesus did not come in response to our love for God. God went first. He initiated. He took a risk. He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. Christ’s death satisfied God and His demands for justice and righteousness. Christ’s death so satisfied Gods’ demand for righteousness that now grace and mercy are abundantly available to us. V 11 – Since God loved us, we should love each other. V 12 – Among believers, this invisible God lives (abides) in us and His love is complete in us. V 13 – There is a mutual abiding – we abide with Him and He with us – for believers. The phrase “He has given us of His Spirit” is literally, “He has given us out of His Spirit.” When you and I love, we are drawing love from God’s Spirit. Love is the product of the Spirit’s work in you and me. V 14 – “We have seen” – The indwelling God, whose presence is manifested in the midst of a loving Christians, becomes in a sense truly visible. Though no one has seen God, believers who abide in Him have seen the Son as He is manifested among loving Christians. Christians who have seen this manifestation can testify to this truth: “the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.” Our love for people comes from abiding with Christ. There is no other way. You cannot work hard enough to love people. It only comes from living and walking with Christ for a long time. Our love for people is to be like God’s love for us. His love is courageous. He loved us first, took a risk, did not wait for our response. We were not seeking him, loving him, looking for him, trying to make things right – Then he broke through the silence. This is the kind of love we’re supposed to have for others – love that breaks through the silence. Is there silence in your marriage? Christ’s love in you breaks through the silence, courageously and selflessly and demonstrates love. Is there silence between you and someone else because of hurt feelings or unforgiveness? Christ’s love in you breaks through the silence to bring reconciliation. Is there silence between you and friends – about things that matter? You talk about EVERYTHING else but God? Christ’s love in you breaks through the silence and causes you to spur each other on in faith.

Bruhns: Mein Herz ist bereit Bruhns: De Profundis clamaviSchoenberg: Verklärte Nacht for String Sextet, Op. 4The two composers that we’ll hear today draw on very different textual materials for their work. Nicolaus Bruhns, a seventeenth century German composer, set Biblical Psalms in his two sacred concerti. Arnold Schoenberg’s string sextet Verklärte Nacht, or “Transfigured Night,” is based on a poem which describes a man and woman talking in moonlit woods. Containing daring erotic and social themes, it was considered risqué even to the modernist circles in turn-of-the century Vienna. Yet despite the historical and textual gap, both composers used their music to link the human and the divine. While the text of Bruhn’s concerti is directed towards the divine, the expressive quality of the gestures and melodies are very human. And although the emotional journey of Verklärte Nacht seems to be entirely of this world, the sustained pure chords in the last measures of the piece indicate that the human element can finally be transcended for the clarity of the night.