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Life As It Was Meant to Be Part 10: Living Out the Gospel Louie Marsh, 9-15-2021   The slave driver of the Roman trireme leered down at his galley slaves and bellowed, "I've got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you'll be getting double rations tonight!" The murmuring of the surprised slaves as they struggled with their oars was interrupted by the slave driver. "The bad news is that this afternoon the commander's son wants to water-ski."   1) REST in God's Peace.   “1Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” (2 Thessalonians 2:1–3, ESV)   AS believers we don't have to get all upset over things, yet we so often do! The return of Christ is GOOD news!!  If all the silly rumors, etc. upset you and throw you into a tizzy – that's a sign you don't understand and live in God's peace.   2) RECOGNIZE you must confront evil.   “16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, ESV)   As believers we cannot just ignore the evil around and within us! WE must confront it, fight it, and overcome it through the power of God!   Saying what is good IS confronting evil – and takes lots of courage!   Basic Truths About Evil:   Satan is REAL.   “9The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders,” (2 Thessalonians 2:9, ESV)   “14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14, ESV)   Pictures of Jim Jones, Himmler and Pol Pot.   The battlefield is my SOUL.   “31“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”” (Luke 22:31–32, ESV)   You've got to understand that this is one thing that sets the Bible apart – it teaches us that God is a personal being – and so is the devil!!  No impersonal force here!   You've also got to understand THIS IS PERSONAL!!  Evil is alive, lead by a person – and is after YOU!   Jesus will PROTECT me from Satan.   “18We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.” (1 John 5:18, ESV)   Satan can hassle us, tempt us, put us through all kinds of trouble, but he can't posses us, enter us, or control us!   Jesus Name is my  WEAPON!   “30while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”” (Acts 4:30, ESV)   Basic Things to Do:   Act COURAGEOUSLY Hang on to my HOPE IN CHRIST Find my encouragement in Receive His STRENGTH DO AND SAY what is good.   3) REJOICE in Christ's Victory!   “8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.”…“13But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. 14To this he called you through our gospel, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8,13–14, ESV)   Things to Be Thankful For: In the end – GOD WINS! God loves ME! Christ died to save ME. I share in Christ's GLORY.        

1 Peter 2:4-10 NLT4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God's temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 7Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” 8And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God's word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. 9But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God's mercy.”Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

Spend a few minutes with your family thinking about how God speaks peace to His people. Big God on His throne is speaking to us, and out of His mouth comes peace. It's like He's telling you, “trust me, it's going to be ok. I'm here with you.”God is peace, and He speaks peace to His people.Sometimes God whispers to us just like He whispered to Elijah, but we need to be still and listen so we can hear God.Verses:Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,For he will speak peace to his people,To his saints, but let them not turn back to folly.Psalm 85:8And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.  And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”I Kings 19:11-13 NIVAsk Your Kids:How could God speak peace to you?How can you be still and listen to God?Activity idea:Practice being still and quiet and listening to God.Resources:Visit my website for lots more prayer resources for your family. Visit Blue Letter Bible for more about Peace.

The Gospel of John 1-7, Pt. 3 The Sign of the Son By Louie Marsh, 5-2-2021 Intro: Signs The 5 Man Electrical Band lyrics as recorded by The Five Man Electrical Band in 1971   And the sign said, "Everybody welcome. Come in, kneel down and pray" But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all, I didn't have a penny to pay So I got me a pen and a paper and I made up my own little sign I said, "Thank you, Lord, for thinkin' 'bout me. I'm alive and doin' fine." Wooo!   Sign, sign, everywhere a sign Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?   5 picture Slides, last one the gas pump!   The story of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana is found only in the Gospel of John.   1) I need to PAY ATTENTION to the Sign!   “11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11, ESV)   John said that it was through this “sign” that Jesus revealed his glory for the first time. John saw glory in Jesus. Glory is a big word meaning honor, dignity, and splendor. These words point to the deity of Jesus. It’s interesting how quietly this miracle took place but how many divine attributes of Jesus can be seen.   Focusing on whether there was alcohol in the wine is an ABUSE the text.   2) Jesus shows me I must live HONORING others.   “1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”” (John 2:1–5, ESV)   Some say Jesus did this miracle simply to appease his mother. Or, as some have put it, he obeyed her. But Jesus was an adult and was no longer subject to her authority. To this, they may respond that he was honoring her. Or could it be that she exhibited faith with her words, “do whatever he tells you,” and he honored her faith? Either way, we see honor.   3) Jesus shows me His way is always COUNTERCULTURAL.   “6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.” (John 2:6–7, ESV)   Jesus had the servants fill the ceremonial washing jars, which were used for washing the outside of the body according to the law, and refilled them with something inside the body. This demonstration is just the beginning of his counterculture teaching. Over and over he would come to challenge the ways of the religious leaders, and the thinking of the people.   “8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8, ESV)   4) Jesus shows me His unmatched AUTHORITY.   8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.” (John 2:8, ESV)   In changing the water into wine, Jesus demonstrated his authority over all things down to the molecular level. Some argue he didn’t turn water into wine but into grape juice. This is simply ridiculous, but just to humor such criticism, it takes a miracle for either transformation to occur. Water doesn’t change its molecular makeup without the authority of the Creator.   Dr. Cliff Lewis explains:   At a molecular level, the water, basically hydrogen and oxygen, was changed into wine that contains sugars, yeast, and water, which contain carbon and nitrogen along with oxygen and hydrogen. Thus, by changing water into wine Jesus demonstrated his authority over even the atomic structure of atoms by commanding oxygen and hydrogen atoms to disassemble and reform into other atoms of different configurations.    The amount of energy it would take to perform this atomic deconstruction and reconstruction is staggering. This intermolecular energy being released is the source of the explosive energy from an atomic bomb. However, since Jesus caused the wine atoms to come back together, he would have to put this astronomical amount of energy into the atoms in order to have them reconstruct. To do so without any visible energy transformation of the liquid (John does not say anything about people noticing the transformation) indicates a mastery of natural law far beyond our current comprehension. And he accomplished it with no physical exertion.   5) Jesus shows me His unmatched POWER.   “9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”” (John 2:9–10, ESV)   Changing water into wine requires demonstrating power over time and space. Wine requires many processes that cover a long period of time. The growth of the plant. The maturation of the grape. Harvesting the grape. Treading the grapes into juice. The aging time required for fermentation. Great wine takes a long time to ferment. Jesus bypassed the entire timeframe in moments, which only God can do.   6) Jesus teaches me to trust God not PEOPLE.   “23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” (John 2:23–25, ESV)   “26Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” (Proverbs 28:26, ESV)   “8It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. 9It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8–9, ESV)  

John 2:111 (ESV) The Wedding at Cana 2On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. 4And Jesus said to her, Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. 5His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. 6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast. So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now. 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

#BattlingDeception Ken Thornberg Founder of Freedom Encounters shares how to pray against the spirit of deception. 2 Thessalonians 2:3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 5Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7For the [d]mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only [e]He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. #Texit #2A Matt of the Matt Long show is live in Austin TX for the Texas Legislative session. Today Kyle Biederman HD-73 is filing the Texit Bill today. We will discuss the bill and what it means. Also today there is advocacy for the 2A is happening today as well. Texas is lingering behind a number of states in not having constitutional carry in place, #RealRaceTalk Money B joins me to talk about the issues that are of great concern to the black community. Is the targeting of black women by planned parenthood a problem? Does the agenda lead to a continued breakdown of the black family? The Black Community has expressed issues with the Police. However surveys have shown the community by and large does not want to defund the police. Self policing. How will that work amongst the gangs? New open border policies and no deportation means MS 13 coming back and coming into black and minority neighbors in some case they were run out of. #HealthCareFreedom Matt Bellis Liberty Healthshare will save you money, meet your families needs, get you out of the insurance bureaucratic game, address your issues of conscious, give you healthcare choices that you are in direct control of and introduce you to a faith minded community that cares about you

Spend a few minutes with your family thinking about how God speaks peace to His people. Big God on His throne is speaking to us, and out of His mouth comes peace. It’s like He’s telling you, “trust me, it’s going to be ok. I’m here with you.”God is peace, and He speaks peace to His people.Sometimes God whispers to us just like He whispered to Elijah, but we need to be still and listen so we can hear God.Verses:Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,For he will speak peace to his people,To his saints, but let them not turn back to folly.Psalm 85:8And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”I Kings 19:11-13 NIVAsk Your Kids:How could God speak peace to you?How can you be still and listen to God?Activity idea:Practice being still and quiet and listening to God.Resources:Visit my website for lots more prayer resources for your family. Visit Blue Letter Bible for more about Peace.

Bible References:Deuteronomy 1:38But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.1 Samuel 30:1-8And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 2 And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 3 So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 4 Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 5 And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lordhis God. 7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.Hebrews 10:19-25Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; 21 And having an high priest over the house of God; 22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.2 Corinthians 4:6-10For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

We invite you to join us in sharing in the true celebration of Christmas, Jesus’ birth. #JesusIsTheReasonForTheSeason Listen in as we read from the book of Luke. From our home to yours, Merry Christmas. We pray you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas!! Luke 1:26-38 - The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.” 38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 2 - The Birth of Jesus 1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register. 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ****** To learn more about our ministry visit www.fearlessfeatures.org

Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/493572620YouTube Link for video with in the message: https://youtu.be/bZFPtpZcs0QLuke 1:39-45 (Mary went to visit Elizabeth) 39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! John, even as a baby…not a fetus…a baby…knew who to get excited about Rosie (rescued, separation anxiety from her rescuers and pure joy in being reunited) John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In 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[a]it. John 1:14 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 1. The Creator of the World humbled Himself and became a man, just to live for us, die for us (by our own hands) and raise from the dead…all for our forgiveness and redemption. Best summed up by: John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.There are over 400 prophesies about the Messiah in the Old Testament – Jesus fulfilled them all. The odds of Jesus fulfilling just 8 of those prophesies is 1 in 1 quintillion (18 zeroes) Lee Strobel figured out a visual for that: tiles 1 1/2” square, one with red on the bottom – covering the every bit of dry land on the earth - 1 person walking the earth for a lifetime can only pick up 1. Genesis 49:10 (about 1500 years before Christ) The Messiah would come from the tribe of Judah The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,[a] until he to whom it belongs[b]shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his. Isaiah 7:14 (about 700 years before Jesus was born) The Messiah would be born of a virgin 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you[c] a sign: The virgin[d] will conceive and give birth to a son, and[e] will call him Immanuel. Fulfilled: (Luke 1:26-33) 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” Jeremiah 23:5 (about 646 years before Jesus) “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up for David[a] a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.Back to Luke: Luke 2:1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register. Micah 5:2 (400 years before the birth of Christ) The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, from the tribe of Judah “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans[a] of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (In the beginning was the word) Luke 2 4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 0. Jesus is born when Israel is under Roman Rule. 1. There is an invisible power behind and OVER the human rulers. They didn't know it at the time, but God used Caesar and Quirinius to fulfill what He had promised long before that. 2. If you're tempted to worry or celebrate over who is in charge of this great nation, your town or you HOA, DON'T. The same God is behind and over all OUR rulers too. 3. The birth of Christ…God became a Man. 4. Nothing about this particular scene says “GLORY”, but everything about this scene INSTRUCTS us about Glory. 5. In the Kingdom of God, HUMILITY always precedes GLORY - The first will be last, and the last will be first (Mark 10:31) - God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6) …also 1 Peter -Humble yourself before the Lord, and in good time, He will exalt you (James 4:10) + We see this modeled right from the beginning of Jesus' life + True greatness is not always visible greatnessOne of our favorite Christmas songs is “Christmas Snow” by Audrey Assad (on Chris Tomlin's Christmas) Could've come like a mighty storm With all the strength of a hurricane You could've come like a forest fire With the power of Heaven in Your flame (But) You came like a winter snow Quiet and soft and slow Falling from the sky in the night To the earth below 6. Truth is, most of us have glory-craving hearts, and the incarnation of the Son of God in an animals feeding trough should put our hearts in check. In fact, Jesus spent a lifetime showing us how to live like Him. Philippians 2:3-11 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Luke 2:8-20 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 1. The angels appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flock. - Not glorious work / bad reputation / they were considered unreliable and despised. - God chose THEM to get the good new first…the first to hear of the great joy for all people - These despised individuals were the first to hear that God became a man… - These guys were the first to hear all of the titles of Jesus brought together – Savior, Messiah, Lord WHY? The Bible doesn't necessarily say why them…but It appears that God chose the humbled of society to reveal the humble beginnings of the life of His glorious Son. Jesus was consistent throughout His ministry in is love for the humble Jesus' very beginning didn't demonstrate the riches of His existence, but Jesus Himself was born into poverty. SIDE NOTE – What do you think that implies? 1. Poverty is not a sin. 2. Poverty is not God's disapproval 3. Poverty does not prevent a person from worshipping God 4. Poverty does not necessarily doom a person to poverty forever 5. Poverty does not excuse unrighteousness 6. Poverty is not shameful in and of itself 7. Poverty is a cross that God entrusts to some people for a time If some prosperity gospel preacher tries to tell you that poverty is a sin, of that it is God condemning you, and that you just have to give a certain amount of money to be released, they are lying to you.Some poverty is our own responsibility. Point to Jesus. 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 1. That does not mean…”huh?”. - An angel had visited her (and her fiancée), she became pregnant as a virgin and just gave birth to the Savior of the world in barn. A bunch of stinky shepherds came to visit her baby, the Good Shephard telling them of heavenly hosts of angels…she didn't go “huh”…”what do ya know…” 2. She treasured the moment as a mother and pondered the events leading up to it in her heart. 3. People who ponder the fact that God Became a Man, don't just go “huh”. God became a man – THAT is what we're excited about And if you really want to get excited, knowing that Jesus fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah, give this a pondering: He's Coming Back as a conquering King 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Revelation 22:12-13 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” The one who fulfilled all of the prophesies about the Messiah, Jesus himself, said He is coming back… We better believe it We better be ready

Revelation part 5: The Seven Trumpets Revelation 8:1 1And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. · There is a silence in Heaven – this is the first and only time this will happen. · Why is there a silence? Remember, there was an interlude, 144,000 Jews were saved and a “great multitude” of Gentiles were saved. Remember, God is Righteous and He takes no pleasure in destroying the wicked. · Ezekiel 33:11 11Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? · We are about to begin the Great Tribulation. 30 minutes, Heaven is silent. The number 30 is often associated with mourning o Numbers 20:29 29And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel. o Deuteronomy 34:8 8And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. · There is a contrast between death of God's children · Judgment is coming there is a silence before the storm if you will. There is a connection to these trumpets and Israel, not the Church Join the QA podcast as we explore the Seventh Seal known as the Seven Trumpets

Romans 1:16For I am not ashamed of the gospel [c]of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Hebrews 10 1 to 18 16“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18Now where there is [e]remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Hebrews 11: 13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off [e]were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. Galatians 3:1-18 Galatians 3: 5Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 7Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” 9So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. Habakuk 2: 1I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. 2Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4“Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. Matthew 16Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. 17But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; 18And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3.But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Daniel 10:13For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesian 6:12The 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. 2 Corinthians 4:4So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Job 2:7Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. Zechariah 3:1Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Ephesian 6:18“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. Luke 11:21-22Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Revelation 12:10-11

If you were in the forest and were looking for evidence that a particular kind of animal lived in the area, you would look for the unique signs and tracks that would tell you the animal had been there. The devil also leaves tracks—and they’re not very hard to find. The prophet Daniel had been fasting for 21 days. Why he was fasting is not entirely clear except that he wanted to understand some earlier prophecies. He was in Babylon - more specifically, in the old region of Persia, along the banks of a river called Hiddekel. As he stood there, staring into the water, he sensed a presence. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be a man. It was, however, a most singular man. Daniel describes him as dressed in white linen, with a solid gold belt. His body, according to Daniel, was like beryl, his arms and legs like polished brass. But what turned Daniel’s knees to jelly and left him trembling was the face of the man. The best Daniel could do was to describe his face as the color of lightning and his eyes like lamps of fire. When Daniel saw this “man,” he collapsed in a heap, face down upon the ground. He was sure enough that what he saw was a spirit, but he did not know how to respond. The “man” (by now we suspect he is an angel) put out his hand and took Daniel and pulled him up on to his hands and knees. This is what Daniel heard him say: Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. Daniel 10:12–14 KJV Now the vision Daniel received in answer to his prolonged prayer is fascinating enough, but in the process of revealing the vision, the messenger of God dropped a small piece of tantalizing information. Most of us believe that God is all powerful, that all He has to do is say the word and all powers, human and demonic, fall down before Him. Yet here is an emissary of God who is held up for three weeks by someone called the “Prince of Persia.” Who is this “Prince of Persia” and how was he able to thwart an angel of the Almighty? Consider the picture. Daniel fasts and prays to God. God hears him and immediately dispatches an answer. The problem is that Daniel is inside the Kingdom of Persia, and God’s messenger has to fight his way in! It is no small battle - it takes three weeks to make it. Think what this means. There was a spirit being, called the Prince of Persia, who was strong enough to stand off an angel of God for three weeks. In the end, it takes two to one odds to win, and the battle is still not over. Michael, another Prince of God, keeps the Prince of Persia busy while the angel comes to Daniel to deliver the message. One would have thought that God could have whispered in Daniel’s ear, or that the angel could simply have materialized in Daniel’s room. Apparently not. What this story reveals to us, almost as an aside, is that there is a spiritual world alongside our world, invisible to us, but real, vibrant, alive and dangerous. We use the word infrastructure to describe the physical structure underlying our society - water pipes, sewers, utilities - things underground and invisible, but real and necessary nonetheless. What comes as a shock is the fact that there is also a spiritual infrastructure - unseen, not sensed, invisible, but nonetheless real and powerful. Not only is there a spirit world co-existing with our own, but there are spiritual battles routinely fought around us, and the outcome is by no means automatic. The angel revealed to Daniel, not only that he had to fight his way in, he was going to have to fight his way out. “Now you understand why I have come to you,” he said, “and now I must return to fight with the Prince of Persia” (verse 20). Then, he introduced a newplayer: “. . . and when I am gone forth, lo, the Prince of Grecia shall come.” If you know your history, you might suppose the Prince of Grecia was Alexander the Great, but the context seems to be running at a different level. This seems to be yet another spirit being, identified with yet another country, for he proceeds to say, “There is none that holds with me in these things except Michael your prince” (verse 21). So this angelic messenger, alongside Michael, will be in full combat with two other spirit beings, the Prince of Grecia and the Prince of Persia. One can almost imagine the clashing of great spiritual swords. There is no one place in the Bible where you can read all about the spirit world. We find a hint here, an idea there, a glimpse over there. We are left to put it altogether and draw inferences about the nature of this spirit world. Presumably, God wants us to know it is there, but He does not want us to know too much about it. He certainly doesn’t want us to dabble in spiritism. The more attention you give to the devil, the more likely he is to show up. Nevertheless, it is in our interest to understand what God does reveal to us about this spirit world. Take a moment to read Isaiah 13 and 14. The prophet calls it “the burden of Babylon.” It is a prophecy dealing with Babylon in history, and Babylon at the end time. Late in this prophecy the prophet takes up a proverb against the King of Babylon. In an initial reading, you find yourself assuming that he is talking about a human being who ruled over the Kingdom of Babylon. Then, the prophet names the King of Babylon and describes him: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Isaiah 14:12–14 KJV This is not a description of a human being. Lucifer had been in heaven. He had been cast out of heaven. He had actually engaged in a revolt against the Most High God. Lucifer is universally understood to be the devil. We commonly think of a great archdemon when we speak of the devil. What we often don’t consider is the possibility that there is more than one demon prince. Ezekiel describes yet another. He calls him the King of Tyre and says of him: […] Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. Ezekiel 28:12–15 KJV As we read this passage, the realization grows that we are dealing with a great spirit being who was once at the very throne of God, who is called “the anointed cherub,” and who apparently turned against God. Now we either have Satan in two separate situations - one is the King of Babylon, and the other is the King of Tyre - or we have a king of Babylon and a king of Tyre, both of whom are powerful spirit beings. Our knowledge of spiritual things is somewhat limited and we have to be careful about the inferences we draw. Nevertheless, we can be absolutely certain that there is a spirit world out there and that major events take place in that world - some of these things affect our world. Spirit Warriors Joshua had an encounter with one of these great warriors just before the Battle of Jericho. Shortly after the Passover, Joshua was standing not far from Jericho. He turned and saw a man standing opposite him with a sword drawn in his hand. This was not just any man. Joshua challenged him: “Are you for us or are you for our enemies.” The man looked at him and said, “No, but as captain of the Lord’s host am I come” (Joshua 5:13-14). If you have one of those Bibles with marginal notes, you will see that the word captain comes from the Hebrew word for prince. This “man” identified himself as the prince of the Lord’s host. He isn’t named in this passage, but “The great prince which stands for the children of thy people” is none other than Michael (Daniel 12:1). Michael seems to be a major player. Jude calls him an archangel and shows him in conflict with the devil (Jude 1:9). John, in the Book of Revelation, saw him as a leader of a band of angels fighting against the dragon who is also identified as the devil (Revelation 12:7). So at the moment when Israel is about to do battle under God’s direction for the very first time, Michael the prince is there as captain of the Lord’s host. We can’t know for certain, but it seems likely that there was a spiritual prince of the Canaanites. Joshua needed to understand that not only would he fight a physical battle, but a spiritual battle as well. We would love to know more about these things. For example, why did the devil want the body of Moses and why did Michael have to go to battle with him over it? But Jude didn’t bring it up to explain all that. His point was that even when Michael the archangel was disputing with the devil he dared not bring a railing accusation against him (verse 9). Whatever else Michael may have felt about the devil, the devil was a prince with great power. That power had to be respected. I sometimes think of this when I see some holiness preacher dancing across the stage claiming he’s going to “twist the old devil’s tail tonight.” If Michael, the archangel, dared not bring a railing accusation against the devil, who are these preachers to say “I’m going to handle the old devil; we’re going to get a hold of the devil tonight; we’re going to root him out of here.” They aren’t going to run the devil anywhere. They don’t even know where he is, and they have little idea of what he is doing. Jude gave us one other passing clue about the devil. The devil wanted the body of Moses. One can only presume it had something to do with the confirmed necrophilia that exists in so much of the occult. You see it everywhere in occult objects and occult books. Perhaps Satan was going to turn Moses’ body into a cult object. Seven Churches, Seven Angels John is introduced to seven angels in the first part of the Book of Revelation. Once again, they are not the point of the story. We learn about them almost as an aside. John fell into a vision and in the vision he saw a man standing in the middle of seven golden candlesticks holding seven stars in his right hand. An angel told John that the seven candlesticks were the seven churches and the seven stars were the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). We would love to know more about that, but that is all we get. Then he proceeds to address a letter to each of the angels. This is one of the puzzling things about Revelation 2 and 3. The letters in this passage are not addressed to the brethren of these churches, their elders or their deacons. Each letter is addressed to the angel of each church. One would gather from this that all angels are not alike, because each of these churches develops a totally different character, a different spirit, a different attitude. And when God says, “I have somewhat against you,” He is criticizing the angel, not the church. Not everything in this spirit world is sweetness and light. These are intelligent, active, creative spirit beings who are thinking, working, fighting, arguing, and bickering. They are there. We don’t see them - thank God. We are largely unaware of them. It’s only on very rare occasions that a little tear between our world and theirs allows us somehow, momentarily, to interact with someone in that other world. But the other world is there, it is active, and it is powerful. Guardian Angels You may have heard of guardian angels. You may even have wondered if they are biblical. Well, they are. Jesus let drop this nugget of information while He was talking to His disciples about little children. He warned them severely against offending or harming little children, saying: Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 18:10 KJV Now you may wonder where your child’s guardian angel was when the child fell out of a tree and broke his arm. What we forget is that there are many things in this world more dangerous to children than climbing trees. There are worse things that could happen to a child than falling out of a tree and breaking an arm. The charge given to guardian angels is not to prevent your children from getting hurt while they are having a good time. Children get hurt as a part of living. They take chances, they have successes, they have failures. It’s all a part of growing up and a part of developing character. It teaches us how to handle pain, how to learn from disaster, how to live with broken arms and even broken heads. As bad as physical danger is, that is not where the most serious danger lies with children. There is danger to children from a spirit world and from the wars that rage unseen around us. Seeing to it that your child doesn’t get hurt physically is your job. Your guardian angel is there to see to it that the child is protected from that spiritual war. The Dominant Spirit Among all the spirits that ebb and flow in this world, there is one that is dominant. There is a familiar passage in the fourth chapter of Matthew that describes one of those rare occasions where a human being finds himself in direct confrontation with the devil. It is the temptation of Christ. It is not what one might have expected. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days and 40 nights and had become very hungry. The devil came to Him and said, “Here are some stones. If you are the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.” His first challenge to Jesus was a challenge of His relationship with God. Jesus’ response was simple. He said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds our of the mouth of God.” Defeated on this issue, the devil took Him up to the pinnacle of the Temple. He said, “If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning thee: in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Once again Jesus answered, “It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” As an aside, notice that Jesus’ defense against temptation every time is the written Word of God. Also notice that each time Satan’s challenge is to His relationship with God: “If you be the Son of God.” Finally there is the third temptation. The devil took Jesus up to an exceedingly high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and promised, “All these things will I give thee, if thou will fall down and worship me” (Matthew 4:8). Satan was the dominant spirit of this world. He was able to give the power of the Prince of Persia, the Prince of Grecia, the Prince of Tyre, all to Jesus Christ - if only Jesus would worship him and accept his dominance. Once again Jesus appealed to the written Word of God, saying, “It is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” This was the strongest response Jesus gave to Satan, because this is the commandment Satan had broken. Jesus did not rail at the devil. He did not call him names. But He faced and defeated him precisely on the point where Satan had failed. The question of obedience to God and the maintenance of the relationship with God was a major difference between Jesus and the Son of God, and Lucifer as the prince of this world. Later, when Jesus was giving His last instructions to His disciples, He said, “I’m not going to be able to talk with you much longer because the prince of this world comes and has nothing to do with me” (John 14:30). Now all that was coming toward Jesus at that time was Judas, some priests, and some soldiers. They were merely flesh and blood human beings. But by this time, Satan had entered Judas. The prince of this world was instrumental in the murder of the Son of God. It was a part of his plan. It was a part of his efforts to defeat the Father in whatever effort the Father might make. Spirits That Work And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience[.] Ephesians 2:1–2 There are three important things to understand from this Scripture. First, the prince of the power of the air is a spirit. The wording suggests a discrete spiritual being. Second, this is a spirit that works. “Work” is a simple word, and a word we easily understand. In this passage it’s in the present tense, which means he is working - that there is a constant, deliberate working of the prince of the power of the air. The third point to note is that the prince of the power of the air works in a certain category of people - the “children of disobedience.” These are people who simply do not obey God. Paul says that in time past we walked “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.” Walking according to the course of this world is nothing but “going with the flow.” What happens when you decide not to go with the flow? There is another short passage dealing with Michael the prince that sheds some light: And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. Daniel 12:1 KJV Where is the connection between Michael standing up and the beginning of the Great Tribulation? Surely Michael isn’t the one who carries out the Great Tribulation. The tribulation is a time of trouble upon Israel. Michael is the prince who is the “guardian angel” of all Israel. Why should he be the one who causes all the trouble? Think about it for a moment. When you “go with the flow” in this world, when you don’t disagree and merely drift along with what people want to do, do you get much “tribulation?” If there is a temptation that comes your way and you merely give in to it, where is the struggle? When you go with the flow, when you walk according to the course of this world, you have relatively less conflict in your life. You probably have no spiritual conflict at all. All you’re doing is making yourself comfortable. But when you stand up for what is right, when you start resisting the flow, when you start trying to do the right thing, that is when the opposition starts. Satan will not resist you when you’re going with the flow - after all, it’s his flow. It’s when you start resisting the flow that you get enemies - human and spiritual. This is a point that bothers many people. When they make a decision to obey God, it is then that their lives seem to fall apart. They are naturally disturbed by this because they believe that obeying God ought to bring blessings, peace, happiness - everything ought to work. Why, people wonder, are all these things happening to me? The answer is simple. God is not the one doing these things to you. You have stood up for God and now you have made enemies and those enemies are the enemies of God. Jesus said plainly, “If they hate me they will hate you.” Then if we stand up for Him, will we not be hated by somebody? If it works this way at the individual level, you can expect the same thing when it applies to the nation of Israel as a whole. As long as our nation is going with the flow, as long as the spiritual world around us is not doing anything in particular, then there is no war to be fought. But when Michael, the prince that stands for Israel, stands up to resist the devil, all hell breaks loose - quite literally. When this all begins to break, the prophet lets us know that it is going to spill over into our world in ways that we cannot even imagine. There will follow a time of destruction and death in the world that your Bible describes as the Great Tribulation. A Time of Trouble And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:7–9 KJV Michael is obviously a major player in this drama. The devil apparently mounts assaults against the throne of God, and Michael and his angels fight against him. Also interesting in this passage is that the devil has angels. Apparently, one-third of the original cast of angels joined Satan in his rebellion and were cast out of heaven with him. The bad news for us is that they were cast out into the earth (verse 9) - and they’re still here. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12 KJV Satan is your enemy. He is called “the accuser of the brethren,” and he is busy accusing us before God day and night (verse 10). The Book of Job is the story of what can happen to a man when God allows Satan to have access to him. What exactly is our protection? How is it that the devil is not able to wipe us out? Having said that he is our accuser, the prophecy goes on to say, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (verse 11). It is the blood of the Lamb that stands between us and the evil infrastructure of this world. They cannot touch us unless God allows it. The saints also overcame the devil by “the word of their testimony,” by what they stood for, by what they confessed in their life, what they did, what they said. They also overcame him because they didn’t love their lives unto the death. They knew what was at stake in this great combat for God, and that it was God’s duty to see that they survived. When the prophet says “woe unto the world” because the devil has come to us - along with the host of his fellows - what is it that the world has to fear? From the Bible we learn that there are many kinds of spirits in the world. There is an ebb and flow of them in, through, and around all society. On occasion, what the Bible describes as a “spirit” may sound like a mere human attitude. But the implication as you read about them in the Bible is not that they are merely attitudes. These attitudes have come from somewhere. The Bible describes many “spirits.” On the one hand, there is the Holy Spirit. Then there is a ministering spirit, a spirit of judgment, and “the spirit of Elijah” which seems to be distinct in and of itself. There is a spirit of truth, a spirit of glory, a spirit of knowledge, a spirit of prophecy, a spirit of understanding, a spirit of wisdom. On the other hand there is a hardened spirit, a dumb spirit, a foul spirit, a perverse spirit, an unclean spirit. There is a spirit of antichrist, a spirit of bondage that will bind people where they cannot move. There is a spirit of divination that has to do with calling up messages from the dead. There is a spirit of error where some people can’t seem to ever get their feet in the right way. There is a spirit of fear that keeps us from being able to be confident, going ahead in our lives. There is a spirit of jealousy that comes upon people so that they are unreasonable. There is a spirit of slumber which keeps us from being spiritually awake when we need to be. There is a spirit of whoredoms that probably accounts for those people who are obsessed with sex and carried away with it. There is a spirit of infirmity that leaves people too weak to do the things they need to do. These are all given to us in the Bible as though they were discrete spirits that work and do things in this world. How do they work? A demon spirit can possess a person, but demon possession is rare. What is much more common in this world - and is very familiar to us all - is simple temptation. But the Bible tells us very little about the mechanics of temptation. I presume God doesn’t tell us because we don’t need to know that - in fact, it might be better for us if we didn’t. The truth is that you and I are rarely tempted by demons. It may happen that we find ourselves thinking thoughts that are not our own - thoughts that we believe came from a source other than ourselves. These are not difficult to deal with. It is simply a matter of prayer, of turning to God, of asking for God’s help, and then putting your mind on things that are good. It’s not a complicated problem to solve as long as you overcome it by “the blood of the Lamb” and by your testimony. There is however, a much more grave type of temptation in the world. It is more serious, because we usually don’t recognize it as temptation - at least we don’t recognize it as coming from the devil. Tracks Imagine yourself standing in a forest with a friend. Your friend turns to you and asks, “What kind of wildlife do you suppose there is in this forest? Have you seen any?” Standing where you are, you will see birds, perhaps a squirrel. You’re not likely to see much else, but you know that is not all the wildlife there is in this forest. But even as a total amateur, if you’ll take the time to slow down, study the ground, look at the trees, look at the bark, you’ll become aware that there is more here than meets the eye. For example, you may see branches of a bush that are broken and you might suspect that there has been something there to break those branches. You may see trees with bark knocked off. If you look carefully at the ground, you may see little brown pellets on the ground. As you study the ground a little more carefully, you see the distinctive tracks of deer. You may be lucky enough to find where the deer have bedded down. Their beds are very distinctive and it’s obvious what they are. You don’t have to be a professional tracker to see these things. You can kneel down and look at the dung and see if it’s shiny. If it is, it’s very recent. The deer may have passed this way a moment before you. If it’s obviously dried out, then it may have been some period of time. If it rained last night, and you see a clearly formed deer track, you’ll know that the deer passed this way since the rain. There has been no weathering of the tracks. If you’re walking down a snowy mountain trail, following the boot tracks of one of your friends, and you see a deer track in his boot track, you can conclude that the deer had passed between you. You don’t have to know a lot if you’re in the forest or the field. You just have to look. Now the world is like a forest in this regard. All you have to do is slow down, take a look around you and tell me what you see. If you realize there is a spiritual infrastructure in the world and that there are spirits that work in the children of disobedience, there ought to be something that gives you hints. For example, if you attend a PTA meeting at your children’s school, you may learn that some of the teachers and parents are concerned about children dabbling in the occult. Some parents are concerned because their children have been bringing home games that have to do with wizards, witches, trolls, and dragons. It isn’t as though some demon came along and gave these to the children. They get these things, these ideas, from other kids who get them from other kids. If you look at some of the games children are playing - especially some of the computer games that are out - you don’t have to be a specialist to see the tracks of the devil going right through the middle of your local school. The tracks are there. You just have to look. Drop by your local video rental store and take a look at the different kinds of movies that children can rent. Talk to the clerks at the video store. Who rents these splatter movies, horror movies, demon movies? The largest number of viewers of them are children and teenagers. The video stores aren’t supposed to rent adult movies to children, but they get them anyway. Take a look at the titles, the jackets. Can you see the tracks of the devil through your local video rental store? If there is a horror movie on in the local movie, make your way down there about the time the movie starts and see who is going in. Read the movie reviews. You’ll find the tracks of the devil walking right through the movie industry. But don’t make the mistake of looking for traditional demons and hobgoblins when you look for the tracks of the devil. It’s much more subtle than that. How many movies have you seen in your lifetime that make religion look good? One observer made a strong case that Hollywood hates religion. Movie after movie makes ministers, Christian people, or devout people look like fools, idiots, and worse. Why do they do that? One would naturally suppose that they do it to make money. But the truth is that movie after movie of this type has consistently lost money. When you’ve lost money on film after film making fun of religion, why would a movie studio come along and make a turkey like The Last Temptation of Christ? Perhaps they made it for its artistic value. But the critics panned the movie as art. It was, they said, one of the worst movies of that type to come along. The truth is it would have lost even more money if religious people had not given it so much publication by picketing the movie houses. Oddly enough, the movies that make religion look good make money. The movies that make religion look bad don’t make money. Then why do they do it? Do you see the tracks of the devil in the movie industry? It has been well publicized recently that some of the greatest talent in the movie industry has been lost to AIDS. The reason is that so many people in the arts are homosexuals. Now does it take much imagination to understand why a class of people, whose conduct is condemned in both the Old and the New Testament, might hate God or hate religion? Can we understand why they might want to make religious people look like fools or idiots? The tracks of the devil are all over the movie industry. Higher Education I stumbled across the tracks of the devil where I should have expected them but didn’t. I found them in academia. I read an excerpt from a speech by Christina Hoff Sommers, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Clark University. In the speech, she expressed her concern over the inroads the feminist movement was making in university curricula. However, she drew a very sharp distinction between what she called equity feminists and gender feminists. Equity feminists, she said, are those women who are simply concerned about equality - equal opportunity and equal rights. They are the women who have fought for the right to be able to go into a bank and borrow money on the same basis as a man. In years gone by, banks were reluctant to lend to women to start a business or build a home. It didn’t matter if she had the same income as a man, they just didn’t do it. Equity feminists fought for a change in this area and they were right. On the other hand, there are what Ms. Sommers calls the gender feminists. According to her, the gender feminists are those who are out to abolish gender altogether. In doing her research, she looked at dozens of textbooks in use in colleges across the country. She found evidence of a clear anti-family agenda coming from gender feminists. One, for example, claimed that the family “is a cornerstone of oppression that enforces heterosexuality and imposes the prevailing masculine/feminine character structures on the next generation.” According to gender feminists, the family is the problem. The family, they say, is the root of oppression that imposes heterosexuality on our society. Some feminists look forward to the day when the miracle of science will allow us to alter basic human functions like insemination and lactation and gestation. Perhaps one woman could inseminate another, even men could lactate and nurse a baby. Fertilized ova could be transferred into women’s or even men’s bodies. There probably is a little revenge written into that last one. Gender feminist literature is replete with proposals for abolishing marriage and the family in favor of various forms of androgyny or bisexuality. Yet another authority, Richard Wasserstrom, former president of the American Philosophical Association, argues that all the differences between the sexes are arbitrary and irrelevant. He concluded that in a truly just society we would no more notice the sex of a person with whom we were romantically involved than we would notice the color of their eyes. He recommended bisexuality as the ideal romantic relationship because heterosexuality, even homosexuality, is a reflection of bigotry. Ms. Sommers concludes that war has been declared, not on inequality, but on gender. She saw that the hidden agenda of the gender feminists could not be achieved without reeducation. They are pursuing their goals vigorously through colleges and universities. The gender feminist’s highest priority today is getting rid of the traditional curriculum in colleges and ensuring that feminists and their views occupy a prominent place in every college and every university. They have had a lot of success. For example, you can send your daughter to the University of Nebraska where she can take a course in Twentieth Century Lesbian Novels. The University of New Mexico would offer her a course in Heterosexism and the Oppression of Women. Perhaps she could go to Queen’s College City University of New York, and take a course called The Lesbian in Literature and Honors Tutorial. As I read all this, I slowly became aware that there are two hidden agendas. The front line agenda of the feminists movement is equality. The hidden agenda below that is the elimination or abolition of the family. But there is still another agenda even more hidden and even more serious. I saw it because I was standing still and looking for tracks. There were tracks enough in the mere idea of the elimination of the family. But because I was looking, I found yet another hidden agenda: The Abolition of the Father. Men and women are prone to blame one another for the destruction of the father’s role. They are both right. The men went a long way down that road before women ever started. The fathers have failed, and the mothers have failed, so there is no reason to point fingers at one another because of our gender. What we need to understand is that the devil has been among us. He has come and he has gone, but his tracks are still here. The attack on the family has very nearly succeeded. We’ve gotten to the place where we have one divorce for every marriage in our society. That is not a practical maximum for divorces. We’ll need to have two divorces for every marriage for a while until we get rid of all the marriages. The goal, you see, is the elimination of marriage and the family altogether. Babies are being killed off before they can be born. In the name of reproductive freedom, women and their doctors are destroying the results of fatherhood. The very idea of the father is fading away. This is not merely a war on men who father children. It is a war on the very idea of father. But even the most radical gender feminists don’t understand the depths of what they are doing. They are not the author of the anti-father agenda. It is buried deeper than that. Think about it. Who is there in this world who has more reason than anyone else to hate the Father, despise the Father, destroy everything the Father stands for? It is the devil, of course. And the destruction of everything the Father stands for is the hidden agenda behind the abortion movement. It is the hidden agenda in the hard core feminist movement. Who suffers, who gets hurt? The children, of course. What most people don’t realize is that most of the poor people in this country are children. Not only that, but most of the poor children are poor because of the destruction of the family - they have no father. It is so simple. Ninety-four percent of the married couples in the United States are not poor. The poverty problem in this country is a direct result of the systematic destruction of the family. Poverty is a spiritual problem. Child abuse is a spiritual problem. The sexual abuse of children is a spiritual problem. The solution of these problems will have to be spiritual. Not only does Satan have to be bound, this entire rotten spiritual infrastructure in the world has to be taken away. Satan Bound It seems that it is ultimately God’s plan to gather all this corruption together in one place. John saw it in vision: And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Revelation 18:1–2 The truth is that the Kingdom of God cannot be established on this earth until God deals with this corrupt spiritual infrastructure. For Christ to return and to attempt to impose His government on this earth while all that is still here would be an exercise in futility. In fact, it would be destructive because of the continuing war. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this one event in the plan of God. All the foul spirits must be gathered together and dealt with, and Satan himself must be bound. What do we do until then? We are stuck here, and the spirit world ebbs and flows and backs and fills all around us constantly. The tracks are everywhere to be seen. There is a short passage in the book of James that is helpful: But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:6-7). That will take care of one side of the issue, but there is more here. In verse 11, James admonishes us, “Speak not evil of one another, brethren.” Bear in mind that Satan is the accuser of the brethren, and that there is no better way to conjure up the devil than to start accusing one another. When we’re doing that, we can’t have the protection we need from the accuser of the brethren. You’re helping him make his tracks. And this brings us directly to another point. Stay involved with a church. When there is a war on, the last thing you want is to be alone. One person by himself might fall, while two can stand. You need support, you need encouragement from people who care about you. There are many times when you know what to do - you just need someone else to say, “Yes, you’re right - do it!” You need to have a place to go for knowledge so you can be taught, so you can learn, so you can grow. You need to have a place to go so there will be someone to pray for you, someone who knows about you, someone who is aware of you, someone who cares about you. If you are alone, you don’t have that. You need a place to go for correction, where there will be someone to tell you when you’re wrong. You need a preacher every once in a while to admonish you from God’s Word and to warn you against doing stupid things with your life. Above all, you need a place to go for love - where there are people who care. If there is no place at all to go, write a letter. Keep in touch. Use the telephone. Use the cassette recorder. Do what you can to reach out and stay in touch with God’s people. It’s a jungle out there, and the jungle is full of wild animals. You have no business going out in the dark alone. You should reach out to one another. You should support one another and care about one another. But remember, when all is said and done, you don’t need to be afraid of these spirits running around in the jungle. Those who are with us are greater than all the powers of all of them. Michael Medved - Hollywood vs. Religion Christina Hoff Sommers - Feminism and the College Curriculum

PROPHECY HOUR: IT’S ALMOST MIDNIGHT WE NEED TO FAST AND PRAY! Stan Johnson Web site http://www.prophecyclub.com/ email Stan askstan@prophecyclub.com www.Watchmanstrumpet.com The election is coming, it is to late to pray it out of here? Shouydl we be weeping and crying for what is to come? Ezekiel Chapter 9 1He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. 2And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. 3And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his side; 4And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. 5And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: 6Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. 7And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain: go ye forth. And they went forth, and slew in the city. 8And it came to pass, while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? 9Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not. 10And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head. 11And, behold, the man clothed with linen, which had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me. Another do not Miss End-Time Radio program as “We are Warning the World as it HAPPENS!” Please visit www.prophecyhour.com Also http://wichitahomeless.com/ Also https://www.facebook.com/WichitaMissionChurch/ “Remember we do not 100% agree with everything our guests, say, do, or believe. It’s up to you to pray and sort it out!”

Renewal – Life Lessons From Nehemiah Courage– Neh. 4-6 By Louie Marsh, 5-11-2008   SHOW CARTOONS ON CUE   I Need Courage when I …   1) Face my OUTWARD opposition.   VERBAL ABUSE:   When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall he exploded in anger, vilifying the Jews. In the company of his Samaritan cronies and military he let loose: "What are these miserable Jews doing? Do they think they can get everything back to normal overnight? Make building stones out of make-believe?" At his side, Tobiah the Ammonite jumped in and said, "That's right! What do they think they're building? Why, if a fox climbed that wall, it would fall to pieces under his weight."  Nehemiah 4:1-3 (MSG)   How I Should Respond:   PUBLIC PRAYER   “4Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.” (Nehemiah 4:4–5, ESV)   Continuing the work with all MY HEART.   “6So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” (Nehemiah 4:6, ESV)   PLANNING TO ATTACK & CONFUSE:   “7But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.” (Nehemiah 4:7–8, ESV)   How I Should Respond:   Response: PRAYER & ACTION   “9And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” (Nehemiah 4:9, ESV)   2) Deal with my INTERNAL opposition.   GREED:   “4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”” (Nehemiah 5:4–5, ESV)   How I Should Respond:   ANGER & REFLECTION   “6I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them” (Nehemiah 5:6–7, ESV)   CONFRONTATION   “7…and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. 9So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?” (Nehemiah 5:7a–9, ESV)   3) Fighting to STAY FOCUSED on the mission.   “2Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm.” (Nehemiah 6:2, ESV)   If you get distracted you’ll say OH NO!   “3And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.” (Nehemiah 6:3–4, ESV)   Refuse to get focused on SELF – stay on mission!   “5In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:5–9, ESV)              

1 Samuel 6:7Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them: 8And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

Matthew 18:7-9 Temptations to Sin 7Woe to the world fortemptations to sin!For it is necessary that temptations come,but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!8And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown intothe eternal fire.9And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into thehellof fire.

1 Peter 2:4-10 NLT4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” 7Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him, “The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.” 8And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. 9But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 10“Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/yourdailybible)

Acts 19:120 (ESV) Paul in Ephesus 19And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 2And he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. 3And he said, Into what then were you baptized? They said, Into Johns baptism. 4And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus. 5On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7There were about twelve men in all. 8And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. 9But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. 10This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. The Sons of Sceva 11And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims. 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you? 16And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled. 18Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

From the 4/30/2017 Worship Service. Philippians 2:5-11 (read the full text of Philippians 2 HERE.) 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,a 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,b 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,c being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

From the 4/23/2017 Worship Service. Philippians 2:5-11 (the full text of Philippians 2 can be read HERE) 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,a 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,b 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,c being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Visit of the Wise Men 1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise mena from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it roseb and have come to worship him.” 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: 6“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.'” 7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

Acts 17:115 (ESV) Paul and Silas in Thessalonica 17Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ. 4And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus. 8And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Paul and Silas in Berea 10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men. 13But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. 14Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 15Those who conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they departed.

No matter where we are at the moment, we enjoy the prophetic and historical event of the arrival of King Jesus in Jerusalem. I mean prophetically, because 500 years before, the prophet Zechariah announced it: Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” I say historically because 20 centuries ago it happened: Matthew 21:6-11 “ 6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. 8And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” 10And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” 11 So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” I hope that as we share this topic: • your faith is further edified • you learn a little or a lot. • there’s a confrontation to the soul • above all you have a reflection of life. 2 Example • The Donkey and the colt A tale says of a colt who, coming home in the afternoon, wagging his tail in sync with his ears, jumped with joy His mother asked him why so much energy To which he replied: “Didn’t you see how people applauded me? And how their cloaks and branches were spread at my feet Their shouts of joy was tender to my ears How then would I not jump for joy because of so much hubbub? His mother the Donkey replied Are you sure son they meant you? “Go one more time to the city,” he said, “and then they would talk With great sadness, his tail between his legs and drooping ears He came home sad because nobody in the city recognized him. CARRIERS OF GLORY Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=TU4ST3G79LFDE&source=url)

INTRODUCTION: CONFIDENT PRAYER 1 John 5:14-15And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.1. PRAYING OUR PRAYERS IN JESUS’ NAME John 14:13-14Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.2. PRAYING OUR PRAYERS WITH THANKSGIVING Philippians 4:4-5Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;3. PRAYING OUR PRAYERS WITH PETITIONS Philippians 4:6-7Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.4. PRAYING OUR PRAYERS WITH FREQUENCY Luke 18:1-8And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward, he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Matthew 17:1–9 1After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.     9And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

Job 1-8--8And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil--9 Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought--10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side- thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.-11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.-12 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power- only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

WHEN GOD BRINGS YOU INActs 121Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. 2And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.5So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.6And on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and roused him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” 9And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. 10And when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street; and immediately the angel departed from him.11And when Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.13And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14And when she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15And they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. And they kept saying, “It is his angel.” 16But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. 17But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

Philippians 2:5-11 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human Read more about The Mind of Christ in the Life of Christ[…]

7Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.b 8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, where He placed the man He had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God […]

2If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

I have the answer to every question. All of them. Your personal agonizing questions about life and health and anxiety and depression and fear and pain and faith. Our national freak out questions over politics and tribalism. Our universal troubling questions about injustice, isolation, poverty, care of creation, and racism. The answer is Jesus. 1Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. 2And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?" 3But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it. 4Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it. 5But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, "Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David's throne, has won the victory. He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals." 6Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. 7He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. 8And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 9And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth." 11Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. 12And they sang in a mighty chorus: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered mdash; to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing." 3And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: "Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever."14And the four living beings said, "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. -Revelation 5 And with that, Jesus, the resurrected one, the lion of Judah, the heir of King David, the Messiah, and the lamb of God, let loose the full wonder of the Kingdom of God and the judgment of God. And every answer to every question was made available to every human being. And so it is today. Jesus is the answer. Jesus is everything, but is he everything to you?

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King (NIV) Intro: https://youtu.be/NxgWccCgnoY Luke 19:28-4028After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30“Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’ ” 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”40“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”Philippians 2:3-11 (NASB)3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Welcome to the Sunday morning teachings at Casper Alliance Church. This week Jason is continuing the series "The Kingdom of God." Casper Alliance Church will be exploring the Luke parables on the Kingdom of God. Luke 18:1-18 is the passage we looked at this week. Teaching OutlineWeekly Devotional & StudyLuke 18:1-8And 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?"You can join our church gathering Sundays at 11:00am.2000 Casper St.Casper, WYThanks for listening

Scripture Reading: Luke 8:5-15: 5A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 13They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

John 2:1–11    1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”    6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

http://www.victoriousgc.org/podcastituen_en/dec15christmas1e.mp3 Luk 2: 6-20 “6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, […]

Since the fall of humankind, people have been careful to hide their faults. Genesis 3:7-8 7Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. [covered] 8And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. One of the consequences of sin: covering and hiding from each other and God We screen what we tell people in conversation, what we post on social media. We do not let ourselves be fully known. Why? 1. We want to hide what embarrassed by, ashamed of. 2. In order to control how people relate to us, how they see us. Every one of us has a thousand hurts, sins, thoughts, that no one else knows. But if we were to be honest, we want someone to know us – the good and bad. We want someone to know our goodness and our junk – and love us anyway. One of the great longings of the human soul is to understand ourselves. But we are so convoluted, so layered that we cannot fully know ourselves. Jer 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” We cannot understand our own desires or motives. Our own hearts deceive us. Psalm 19:12 – “Declare me innocent from hidden faults” He is praying for God to forgive the faults in himself that he cannot see. No matter how he claws with introspection at himself, he never knows himself completely. We cannot know ourselves completely. Psalm 8:4-6 God knows absolutely everything about you. You have no secrets from him. You are totally, completely known by God. King David told his son Solomon – 1 Chronicles 28:9 the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts The person whose judgment is all-important, knows all. You are totally known by him— totally. If you relate to him at all, you relate to him as utterly laid bare, utterly known. There is one, and only one, who actually and totally knows you — only one. God knows us, good and bad, and He loves us. v. 4b – “you care for him” – David marvels: God knows us AND cares for us. We are Fully Known and Truly Loved by God. He knows you; good, bad & ugly. And loves you. David starts and ends the psalm with: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” God is rich in love and mercy. He gives us even more his own love. He gives us the love of other people. Husbands and wives are called to love each other like God loves us. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. - Ephesians 5:25 Older women are to… train the young women to love their husbands and children. – Titus 2:3-4 You are an avenue of God’s grace to your spouse. You and your spouse know each other better than anyone & are called to love each other patiently, kindly, bearing with each other, and forgiving each other. This is true within the church as well, we are avenues of God’s grace to each other Within our homes, may God’s grace flow. May husbands and wives be so changed by the patience of God that we are patient with each other by the kindness of God that we are kind to each other by the forgiveness of God that we forgive each other by the grace of God that we show grace to each other That Christ, through whom God’s grace flows, may be exalted in our homes.

Find us online at: AdventNYC.orgEmail us at: Podcast@AdventNYC.orgTalk with us at: Advent Sermons & Conversations on FacebookCome to a service and hear the sermons live and in person Sunday morning 9am and 11am in English and 12:30pm in Spanish at 93rd and Broadway.Readings for this WeekFirst ReadingAmos 7:7-157This is what [the Lord God] showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said,  “See, I am setting a plumb line  in the midst of my people Israel;  I will never again pass them by; 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,  and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,  and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”  10Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11For thus Amos has said,  ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,  and Israel must go into exile  away from his land.’ ”12And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; 13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”  14Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ”PsalmPsalm 85:8-138I will listen to what the Lord| God is saying;  for you speak peace to your faithful people and to those who turn their | hearts to you. 9Truly, your salvation is very near to | those who fear you,  that your glory may dwell | in our land. R 10Steadfast love and faithfulness have | met together;  righteousness and peace have | kissed each other. 11Faithfulness shall spring up | from the earth,  and righteousness shall look | down from heaven. 12The Lord will indeed | grant prosperity,  and our land will | yield its increase. 13Righteousness shall go be- | fore the Lord  and shall prepare for | God a pathway. RSecond ReadingEphesians 1:3-143Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.GospelMark 6:14-2914King Herod heard of [the disciples’ preaching,] for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”  17For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

"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.

Luke 21:4-24: "And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6"As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." 7And they asked him, "Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?" 8And he said, "See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is at hand!' Do not go after them. 9And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once." 10Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. 13This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17You will be hated by all for my name's sake. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your lives. 20"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. 21Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, 22for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. 23Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. 24They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

This series of the names and titles of Jesus will give us a more in-depth understanding of Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the second in the series. The following is an outline. Philippians 2 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. THE GREAT I AM The name of GOD YHVH Exodus 3;15 “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM”: and he said, “Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” YHVH YHVH LORD = YHVH (Adonai) Lord = Master (Adonai) GOD= YHVH God= (Elohim) EL = short Jehovah = YHVH Yahweh = YHVH YAH = YHVH Exd 20:7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold [him] guiltless who takes His name in vain. Yahushua ַ הוֹשׁוּﬠ ְ•1 The first element is YAH, which is the commonly accepted abbreviated form of YHVH 2 The interesting word group that starts with YAH then the Hebrew verb (shua), meaning to be saved or delivered. Yahshua is the name Joshua is a compilation of two elements. Isa 12:2 Behold, God [is] my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, [is] my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ “ Yahushua ַ הוֹשׁוּﬠ ְ =י I AM the I AM that saves Numbers 13:7 These are the names of the men Moses sent to explore the land. (Moses gave Hoshea son of Nun the name Joshua.) Yahushua יְהוֹשׁוּעַ = I AM the I AM that saves Zech 6:11 Matthew 22:31-32 The name that you give to your child may not determine his or her destiny, but the name that was given to our Lord was a part of his destiny. Jesus. That name reveals us why He came to this earth. It sums up His mission, His purpose, His destiny. Jehovah saves. Jehovah is salvation We cannot save ourselves. We need a Rescuer. We need a Deliverer. We need a Savior. That’s why the angel said, “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Jehovah saves. Jehovah is salvation. How did Jesus save us from our sin? “Jesus,” that common name from the Hebrew “Joshua”—“Jehovah saves.” But now, here is Jesus hanging on cross, dying as a common criminal. This is why people said, “If He truly saves, let Him save Himself.” Joshua, Yahushua Jesus 1. Jesus is God revealing God in our humanity 2. Jesus is is our covenant God 3. Jesus is God revealing our destiny Luke 24:26 remission of sins is preached in his name John 20:31 that you might have life in his name Romans 10: 9 whosoever called upon his name Acts 4 by what power you heal this man by the name of Jesus Acts 9:27 we preach boldly in his name Matthew 28 :18 by his authority make disciples – We are baptized into the name It all comes back to the name the final revelation of God in Jesus Christ our Joshua – Yahshua Philippians 2 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Subscribe to the podcast: {Apple Podcasts}{Stitcher}{Google Play}{IHeartRadio}{YouTube}

GENESIS - Exclusively God’s. 05.23.17, The Good Book Series TEMPTED AWAY… TESTED TO STAY. Genesis 3:2-5, 8-13. 2And the woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die.’” 4And the serpent said to the woman, “You surely shall not die! 5“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 8And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10And he said, “I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12And the man said, “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” 13Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Temptation Is Satan’s Way Of Reducing Us To Our Worst. Pedal To The Metal…Or Pull The Emergency Brake Testing Is God’s Way Of Bringing Out Our Best. Why? Christlikeness Has No Cruise Control. RISKING FOR RELATIONSHIP Genesis 12:1-9. 1Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” 4So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan. 6And Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. 7And the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. 8Then he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD. 9And Abram journeyed on, continuing toward the Negev. Genesis 13:14-18. 14And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. 16“And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 17“Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.” 18Then Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. The Only Way To Discover The End Of The Story Is To Take The First Step.

New Hope For Old Habits At Christmas 12.11.16. “Not This Year!” Series Luke 2:1-8 1And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2(And this taxing was first made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were much afraid. Hope Delivered Directly From God. 10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2:10 Answers Today For My Real Needs. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 Breakthrough Birth From An Unknown, Unexpected, And Unrecognized Source. 12And this shall be a sign unto you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:12-14 Initiate Action Now. 15And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us. 16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. Luke 2:15,16 Transformation Takes Off And Takes Time. 17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. Luke 2:17, 20

Matt Cochran – Sun, Jul 06, 2014 at Christ Fellowship of Tampa Philippians 2:1-16 (ESV) 1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the nam --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mjcpodcast/support

MATTHEW 17:1-9 1Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Love God. Love People. The Life of the Cross We have misunderstood the message of the cross if we think that the only thing that is asked of us is to say yes to God’s love. The longer you hang around the complete message of the cross, the more you find that it compels you to act. The cross compels us to respond in obedience and service that is rooted in love. Jesus didn’t just teach us to have a new private spiritual life. He showed us a new way of life altogether. He showed us how we are to live and interact with each other. You know about His death, but do you know how He lived? Does your life reflect how he lived? He taught us not to hate, worry, lust, be consumed with the things of this world. He taught us: Luke 9:23-25 23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Our lives should reflect the way Jesus lived. More than simply contemplating the work of Christ on the cross, we must also be students of Christ’s life and teaching. We can only mirror what we see. If we are not looking at Jesus, we’re not going to be able to act like Him. John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. Philippians 2:1-8 1If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Move from the work of the cross to embracing the life of the cross, the life of loving God and loving people. As we do, we move from being people who don’t even look at Jesus, past being people who try to model Jesus, and become people through whom Jesus lives. John 14:23-24 23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. Love for Jesus leads to obedience. Are you living the life of the Cross? Does your Christian walk reflect knowing only the death of Christ and nothing of His life? We are not only saved by Christ, but are to follow Him.

 1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,    "That you may be justified in your words,   and prevail when you are judged." 5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? ( I speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

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

click hereVisit the Recover In Christ web site. Genesis 3 1Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. 16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. 21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. 22And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: 23Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

click hereVisit the Recover In Christ web site. Romans 3 1What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God. 3For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. 5But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 6God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17And the way of peace have they not known: 18There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: 30Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. 31Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Visit the Recover In Christ web site. leviticus 4 1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: 3If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. 4And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. 5And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: 6And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary. 7And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, 9And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away, 10As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. 11And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, 12Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt. 13And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; 14When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. 15And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. 16And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: 17And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail. 18And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 19And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar. 20And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. 21And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation. 22When a ruler hath sinned, and done somewhat through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty; 23Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish: 24And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering. 25And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering. 26And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall make an atonement for him as concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him. 27And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, while he doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty; 28Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned