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Scripture For Today:Acts 10:30“Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me…”What John Had to Say About Prayer pt 8The last several days, we have been studying what John had to say in 1 John 5:16 about a “sin unto death.” “There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”  Notice that this is something God told us NOT to pray for. Amen! But, John also told what we ARE SUPPOSED TO pray for!  We can read this in 3 John 2: “Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers…” According to my Strong's Concordance, the Greek word “wish” actually implies, “to pray.”  So we could read this verse as, “Beloved, I PRAY above all things, that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” Now, we have already established the fact that the writers of the Bible were inspired by the Holy Spirit in all things they wrote. If it were not so, they would not be included in the Word. Amen! So, if John was motivated by the Holy Spirit to pray for those believers he was writing to (which includes US, amen?), then it was the desire OF the Holy Spirit for every believer to PROSPER! It has to be for every believer – because God is not a respecter of persons (you can read that in Acts 10:34). So it is scriptural for us to pray that believers would prosper and be in health, even as their soul prospers. And notice, John said he prayed this – ABOVE ALL THINGS that he prayed for!  Now, I can hear some of those denominational mis-instructed preachers saying, “There he goes again, misinterpreting the Bible…”  But let me ask you, “old buddy,” is what I just read THE BIBLE?  If it is – then what does the Concordance say?  And if what I just shared is EXACTLY what the Word of God says, who is the one trying to misinterpret the Bible to say something it does not say? In other words – YOU need to repent for NOT praying that other believers, including yourself – PROSPER.  That's financial prosperity included, in-case you're too dense to understand the meaning of the Word of God.  I swear, some people need help to misinterpret the Bible. Amen! This scripture is talking about financial and material prosperity as well as good health and soul prosperity.  God wants us to be healthy physically AND financially! WHY? Because if we use the prosperity HE provides for us – it is to share the Gospel and NOT to kick back and take it easy and eat chocolate bon-bons all day long. He needs us to take the WORD out into the world and share it. Amen!  And that take MONEY. Amen. But notice something else here… God wants us to prosper, not just financially and not just physically. He wants our SOUL's to prosper, too!  In case you did not know, YOU are a spirit. YOU live in a body. YOU have a soul – which is made up of your mind, your will and your emotions.  And God wants your SOUL to prosper. That means you need to have a prosperous mind, a prosperous will and prosperous emotions. This entire scripture verse describes the Will of God for every believer to PROSPER in every area of our life: Financially, Physically, Mentally, Materially, and Emotionally.  WHY? Because that allows us to share the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus with others without worrying about “How are we going to get there?” Because everything encompasses those three things. Amen! So John is making it very, very clear here, that we are SUPPOSED to pray for our PROSPERITY – in every realm of our spirit and physical being. Amen! I want to pray for YOU right now – just as John prayed! Let's Pray!  Beloved, I pray above all else, that YOU would prosper and be in health, even as you mind, your will and your emotions prosper – so YOU can share the Gospel with others and tell them what...

Little Ball Big Sound 1Product name 2Update on creating a list 3A Blast from the Past 4Out of the Blue 5Echo's Wake word 6Lost and Found 7Restarting Windows! 8The bill is what?

Bible Reading: Titus 3:1-8The band trip was coming to an end, and the students from Grace Christian School were getting ready to head home. "Performing in different places around the city was really cool," said Ellie. "Staying in this hotel was great too.""I'm taking a souvenir home to remember all the fun we had," said Monica as she packed a towel with the hotel's name woven into it. "Why don't you take one too?" She tossed a towel to Ellie.Ellie looked doubtful for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Okay. I'm sure they won't miss one little towel." But on the trip home, other students talked about things they had taken--or done. "We had a pillow fight last night!" Shane told Ellie and her friends. "We almost got caught when Mr. Palmer checked on us. We hid the torn sheets and a broken lamp just in time!"The following week, the band director looked very solemn as he stood before the class. "I got to know Mr. Mirza, the manager at our hotel, while we were staying there," Mr. Palmer said. "He came to hear us play at one of our concerts, and afterwards he asked me some questions about Christianity. I talked to him about Jesus, and I've been praying for him." Mr. Palmer paused and took his phone out of his pocket. "I want to share an email I just received from him." As Mr. Palmer read the email from the hotel manager, it grew very quiet in the band room. The email mentioned missing items and trashed hotel rooms."We'll send our apologies and pay for the items and the damage done to the hotel," said Mr. Palmer. "But we can't pay for the damage done to your name, the school's name, or the Lord's name." There was a long silence, then Mr. Palmer added, "Your instruments played beautiful music, but the notes played by some of your actions were very much off-key. They didn't sound anything like Jesus, who saved you by His grace and filled you with His love. Which notes will Mr. Mirza remember? Now, if those of you responsible are truly sorry and want to make amends, stay after class."When the bell rang, Ellie and several other students remained in their seats while everyone else filed out. -Jan L. HansenHow About You?Are you careful to let your actions point to the good things Jesus has done in your life? If you're a Christian, you bear Christ's name. Do your actions honor that name? Can people see Him in the way you talk and behave? You aren't saved by your good deeds, but if you have been saved by Jesus, kind and loving actions should be part of your daily life.Make sure your words and actions reflect the good name of Jesus.Today's Key Verse:Teach these things all the time so those who have put their trust in God will be careful to do good things. (NLV) (Titus 3:8)Today's Key Thought:Reflect Jesus in your actions

1 Corinthians 13:1-8a 1 Corinthians 13:1-8The post The Heart of Christ appeared first on Ascension PCA.

In this episode we talk to Melanie Cross, Speech and Language Therapist and Dr Hannah Hobson, Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of York about the the links between speech, language and communication needs and social, emotional and mental health needs in children and young people. We look at some of the factors involved; difficulties accessing diagnosis and support and discuss ways to improve outcomes for children and young people, including more joined up working, improving communication access for all and further research.Resources: Mind your words: Children and young people's mental health elearning:This online training highlights the links between mental health and communication and outlines how professionals can work together to remove communication barriers and help these children and young people achieve their potential. The course consists of 15 modules, of which the first five apply to all settings.Access the free training here: https://www.rcsltcpd.org.uk/course/view.php?id=16RCSLT factsheet on social, emotional and mental healthhttps://www.rcslt.org/members/clinical-guidance/social-emotional-mental-health/social-emotional-and-mental-health-influencing/#section-3Emerging Minds Special Interest Research Group:The Emerging Minds special interest research group (SIRG) is aiming to find out what research is needed on SEMH and SLCN, more information is here https://emergingminds.org.uk/special-interest-research-groups/.  We'd really like to know what research you think is needed. Please give us your views and send this survey around your professional networks ( and to families who experience DLD ) using this anonymous link: https://york.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cAaEWew9CQ4HD02Communication Access UK: an initiative developed in partnership by charities and organisations that share a vision to improve the lives of people with communication difficulties. There is a Communication Access Symbol, a new disability access symbol, which is underpinned by a training package and standards.Access the free training here: https://communication-access.co.uk/ It's also important to understand how difficult screening for and assessment of SLCN and DLD are. See Professor Courtney Norbury's blog for more information about screening.  http://www.lilac-lab.org/news-post/to-screen-or-not-to-screen-important-factors-to-consider/ and there's more information about assessment in Mind your Words. References:Hollo A, Wehby JH, Oliver RM. (2014) Unidentified Language Deficits in Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Meta-Analysis. Exceptional Children; 80(2): 169-186.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/001440291408000203 Newlove-Delgado, T., McManus, S., Sadler, K., Thandi, S., Vizard, T., Cartwright, C., & Ford, T. (2021). Child mental health in England before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(5), 353–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30570-8The interview is conducted by Jacques Strauss, freelance digital producer.

John 21:125 (ESV) Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples 21After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, I am going fishing. They said to him, We will go with you. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, Children, do you have any fish? They answered him, No. 6He said to them, Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, It is the Lord! When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. 9When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, Bring some of the fish that you have just caught. 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. Now none of the disciples dared ask him, Who are you? They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. Jesus and Peter 15When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. 16He said to him a second time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Tend my sheep. 17He said to him the third time, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? and he said to him, Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. 18Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go. 19(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, Follow me. Jesus and the Beloved Apostle 20Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, Lord, who is it that is going to betray you? 21When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, Lord, what about this man? 22Jesus said to him, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me! 23So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? 24This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

“Finding our Voice”Text: Mark 16:1-8The earliest versions of the Gospel of Mark end with the women bewildered and afraid after their encounter at the tomb where they were told Jesus had risen. Pastor Tim suggests that this seemingly incomplete ending is actually a call to us to finish the story. We are the ones who…

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

IX. The Correction of FearYou believe that being afraid is involuntary. 2But I have told you many times that only constructive acts should be involuntary.105 3I said that Christ-control can take over everything that doesn’t matter, and Christ-guidance can direct everything that does, if you so will.1062 Fear cannot be Christ-controlled, but it can be self-controlled. 2Fear is always associated with what does not matter, and prevents me from controlling it. 3The correction is therefore a matter of your will, because its presence shows that you have raised the unimportant to a higher level than it warrants. 4You have thus brought it under your will, where it does not belong. 5This means you feel responsible for it. 6The level confusion here is perfectly obvious. 7The reason that I cannot control fear for you is that you are attempting to raise to the mind level the proper content of lower-order “reality.”107 8I do not foster level confusion, but you can will to correct it.3 You would not tolerate insane behavior on your part, and would hardly advance the excuse that you could not help it. 2Why should you tolerate insane thinking? 3There is a fallacy here you would do well to look at clearly. 4You believe that you are responsible for what you do but not for what you think. 5The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. 6What you do comes from what you think. 7You cannot separate the two by giving autonomy to your behavior. 8Behavior is controlled by me automatically as soon as you place what you think under my guidance.4 Whenever you are afraid, it is a sure sign that you have allowed your mind to miscreate; that is, you have not allowed me to guide it. 2It is pointless to believe that controlling the outcome of misthought can result in real healing. 3When you are fearful, you have willed wrongly. 4This is why you feel you are responsible for it. 5You must change your mind, not your behavior, and this is a matter of will. 6You do not need guidance except at the mind level. 7Correction belongs only at the level where causation is possible. 8The term does not really mean anything at the symptom level, where it cannot work.5 The correction of fear is your responsibility. 2When you ask for release from fear, you are implying that it isn’t. 3You should ask, instead, for help in the conditions which have brought the fear about. 4This always entails a willingness on the part of your separated mind. 5At this level, you can help it. 6You are much too tolerant of mind wandering, thus tacitly condoning your mind’s miscreations. 7The particular result never matters, but this fundamental error does. 8The fundamental correction is always the same. 9Before you will to do anything, ask me if your will is in accord with mine. 10If you are sure that it is, there will be no fear.6 Fear is always a sign of strain, which arises whenever the will to do conflicts with what you do. 2This situation arises in two major ways:1. 3You can will to do conflicting things, either simultaneously or successively.108 4This produces conflicting behavior, which would be tolerable to the self (though not necessarily to others) except for the fact that the part of the will that wants something else is outraged.2. 5You can behave as you think you should, without entirely willing to do so. 6This produces consistent behavior, but entails great strain within the self.7 If you think about it, you will realize that in both cases the will and the behavior are out of accord, resulting in a situation in which you are doing what you do not will. 2This arouses a sense of coercion, which usually produces rage. 3The anger then invades the mind, and projection in the wrong sense becomes likely.109 4Depression or anxiety is virtually certain.8 Remember that whenever there is fear, it is because you have not made up your mind. 2Your will is split, and your behavior inevitably becomes erratic. 3Correcting at the behavioral level can shift the error from the first type to the second, but will not obliterate the fear. 4It is possible to reach a state in which you bring your will under my guidance without much conscious effort, but this implies the kind of habit pattern which you have not developed dependably as yet.9 Although people say that God will never ask you to do more than you can, they do not understand it themselves. 2God cannot ask more than you will. 3The strength to do comes from your own undivided will to do.110 4There is no strain in doing God’s will as soon as it is also your own.10 The lesson here is quite simple, but particularly apt to be overlooked. 2I will therefore repeat it, urging you to listen. 3Only your mind can produce fear. 4It does so whenever it is conflicted in what it wills, thus producing inevitable strain because willing and doing become discordant.111 5This cannot be corrected by better doing. 6But it can be corrected by higher willing.11 The first corrective step is knowing it is fear. 2After taking this step, you might benefit temporarily by adding another step before going on with the corrective process: Try saying to yourself that you must have willed not to love somehow or somewhere, or the fear which arises from behavior-will conflict could not have happened. 3Then follow the previous instructions.11212 If you consider what the process really means, it is nothing more than a series of pragmatic steps in the larger process of accepting the Atonement as the remedy. 2From this viewpoint, the steps can be reworded as follows:1. 3Know first this is fear.2. 4Fear arises from lack of love.3. 5The only remedy for lack of love is perfect love.4. 6Perfect love is the Atonement.7The final procedural step is inherent in the last statement.113 8We have emphasized that the miracle, or the expression of Atonement, is always a sign of real respect from the worthy to the worthy.114 9This worth is reestablished by the Atonement.13 It is obvious, then, that when you are afraid, you have placed yourself in a position where you need Atonement because you have done something loveless, having willed without love. 2This is precisely the situation for which the Atonement was offered. 3The need for the remedy inspired its establishment. 4As long as you recognize only the need for the remedy, you will remain fearful. 5However, as soon as you use the remedy, you have also abolished the fear. 6This is how true healing occurs.14 It may help if you say this prayer to me:2I would like to pray that my will be united with thine, recognizing that thy perfect love will suffice (or correct) for my imperfect love.3I pray that I may accept the Atonement with conviction, recognizing its inestimable worth, and my own divine worth as part of this identification with thine.4I pray that my fear be replaced by an active sense of thy love, and thy continual willingness to help me overcome the split or divided will which is responsible for my difficulty with this.5I accept the divinity of the messages I have received,115 and affirm my will in both accepting and acting upon the Atonement principle.6Here I am.15 The major problem that you have is the continuing split will, which naturally interferes with your true identification. 2To the extent that you hold onto this split, it will take longer to get through and will markedly interfere with your own integration efforts. 3Reliance has to be placed on me, which is sufficient once you do this without distantiation or division in loyalties. 4This will be strengthened through a continual affirmation of the goal you want to achieve and an awareness of its inevitability. 5In this way, you will perceive and know your true worth, and the importance of maintaining a complete identification.

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

Why NOW is the BEST Time to Sell a HomeSegment 4We talked about the low inventory of homes.Is this the only reason why this is the BEST time to sell a home?456 Homes Available in El Paso, Teller and Elbert CountiesMedian sales price increased by 16.2% from 1 year agoMost homes are getting at least 1.8% OVER askAverage days on market down to 8The biggest challenge for Home Sellers is…Finding a Destination!We have a Solution for That

John 3:121 (ESV) You Must Be Born Again 3Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. 3Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mothers womb and be born? 5Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again. 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. 9Nicodemus said to him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered him, Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God So Loved the World 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

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

Isaiah 40:8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/renew)

“May John the Baptist and so many others prepare the way for Jesus’ coming."Who has pointed you towards Jesus lately?//Mark 1:1-8The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”//This episode was written and recorded by Rev. Callie Swanlund, the Associate Rector at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church outside of Philadelphia, PA. It was produced by Rev. Jim Keat. Background tracks include Button Mushrooms by Podington Bear and The First Person Awake by Will Bangs. • Visit www.trcnyc.org/BeStillAndGo to listen to more episodes from all eight seasons of Be Still and Go. • Visit www.trcnyc.org/Donate to support this podcast and other digital resources from The Riverside Church that integrate spirituality and social justice. • Visit www.trcnyc.org/BeStillAndGo/#sign-up to receive new episode by email. • Visit www.trcnyc.org/app or text TRCNYC to 77977 to download the Riverside app.• Visit www.callieswanlund.com to find out more about tall of Callie’s work and all the ways that you can connect with her.

The Second Sunday of Advent | Homily for Mark 1:1-8The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”If you would like to receive these reflections to your email, sign up: usml.edu/rector-reflections/Support the seminary: usml.edu/giving/Submit prayer intentions: usml.edu/prayers/Audio courtesy of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville, Ill.

Isaiah 40:1-11 Comfort for God's People 40Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,and cry to herthather warfareis ended,that her iniquity is pardoned,that she has received from theLord's handdouble for all her sins. 3A voice cries:In the wilderness prepare the way of theLord;make straight in the desert a highway for our God.4Every valley shall be lifted up,and every mountain and hill be made low;the uneven ground shall become level,and the rough places a plain.5And the glory of theLordshall be revealed,and all flesh shall see it together,for the mouth of theLordhas spoken. The Word of God Stands Forever 6A voice says, Cry!And I said,What shall I cry?All flesh is grass,and all its beautyis like the flower of the field.7The grass withers, the flower fadeswhen the breath of theLordblows on it;surely the people are grass.8The grass withers, the flower fades,but the word of our God will stand forever. The Greatness of God 9Go on up to a high mountain,O Zion,herald of good news;lift up your voice with strength,O Jerusalem, herald of good news;lift it up, fear not;say to the cities of Judah,Behold your God!10Behold, the LordGodcomes with might,and his arm rules for him;behold, his reward is with him,and his recompense before him.11He will tend his flock like a shepherd;he will gather the lambs in his arms;he will carry them in his bosom,and gently lead those that are with young.

Quote (Nov. 16/17, 2020): "Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." (Chinese Proverb) 1 Thess. 5:1-6, 8The day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. 5You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. 6So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. Heb. 12:2Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the JOY set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The promise is real how defeat begin double minded by staying focus on God not losing heart in the battle.Bible Use English Standard Version Key Scripture Book James Chapter 1: 8, James Chapter 4:8The word Double Minded  in The Greek dipsuchos from dis meaning "Twice" and psuche meaning "mind"Describe someone who is divided in his interest or loyalties , wavering, uncertain , two faced, and half hearted.

God In The Lockdown – A Right Time Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 Romans 12:1-8The post A Right Time appeared first on Bedhampton Church.

Practising The Way – Be With Jesus Proverbs 3:1-10 John 15:1-8The post Be With Jesus appeared first on Bedhampton Church.

Ashley Hartwell is a mom of five who has served our nation in the U.S. Army and she is a registered nurse. You can tell when she talks, but Ashley is one of those women who want to set the world on fire for Jesus and it's awesome!In this episode, she is not afraid to share her story. She is bold in talking about her past of rape, infidelity, and her former issues with trust.Ashley's story is a reminder of why this podcast is an honor and a privilege to be involved in.In God's word, David writes in Psalm 66:16  “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.”David wanted to tell everyone what God had done for him, through his testimony and what he had been through. Ashley's story is a reminder that our God is a forgiving God and a loving God."Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8The scripture Ashley shares that she says is helping her through this season is Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV) and it says 3 "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."Also, I wanted to reference one of the scriptures we talk about. It's James 1:23-25 "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."Love y'all and thanks for taking the time to hear my friend Ashley's story!  CHECK OUT HER PODCAST CALLED "MATTERS OF THE HART!" Links to listen to Ashley's podcast and connect with her are below! Please jump over to her Instagram and thank her for sharing her story on "Broadcast His Love!" We are super thankful for Ashely and her bold love for Jesus! Listen to Ashley's podcast, "Matters of the Hart" on:Anchor - https://anchor.fm/ashley-hartwellGoogle Podcasts - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8yOGUzYjQwOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5X6FbVPbw24MVXAaOHtK6p?si=s8fP7yNHQ0KfxXos2h-ECQBreaker - https://www.breaker.audio/straight-from-the-hartOvercast - https://overcast.fm/itunes1521469934/matters-of-the-hartRadio Public - https://radiopublic.com/matters-of-the-hart-WRyvYZ Follow Ashley's podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matter_of_the_hart/ Follow Ashley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ash2dee/

John 21:1- 21After this, Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the sea of Tiberias. This was how he showed himself. 2Simon Peter, Thomas (known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples, were all together. 3Simon Peter spoke up. ‘I'm going fishing,' he said. ‘We'll go with you,' they replied. So they went off and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. 4As dawn was breaking, Jesus stood beside the seashore, but the disciples didn't know that it was Jesus. 5‘Children,' said Jesus to them, ‘haven't you got anything to eat?' ‘No!' they replied. 6‘Cast the net on the right side of the boat,' he said, ‘and you'll find something.' So they cast the net; and now they couldn't draw it in because of the weight of the fish. 7So the disciple that Jesus loved spoke to Peter. ‘It's the master!' he said. When Simon Peter heard that it was the master, he wrapped his cloak around him (he had been naked for work), and threw himself into the sea. 8The other disciples brought the boat in to land, dragging the net full of fish. They weren't far from shore, about a hundred yards away. Breakfast by the shore 9When they came to land, they saw a charcoal fire laid there, with fish and bread on it. 10Jesus spoke to them. ‘Bring some of the fish you've just caught,' he said. 11So Simon Peter went and pulled the net onto the shore. It was full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all. The net wasn't torn, even though there were so many. 12‘Come and have breakfast,' said Jesus to them. None of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?' They knew it was the master. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so also with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus had appeared to the disciples after he had been raised from the dead. The Bible for Everyone: A New Translation . SPCK. Kindle Edition. Open my eyes to your presence Open my ears to your call Open my heart to you love May I open my arms to others May I open my heart to strangers May I open my door to callers That I may be open you you Lord Open this day and for evermore

Love: Our Greatest GiftLove never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end1 Corinthians 13:8The very essence of all that lies in the Gospel and Jesus's mission on earth was to love. It is the one trait and gift from God to which we all can excel. Love is a message that Jesus not only preached but walked. He cured the sick, uplifted the poor in spirit, and gave us a new life. Simply stated, all Jesus asks of us is to “Love our God, Love our neighbor.” We may be gifted orators, have great knowledge, and able to see worldly things, but all of this is momentary and, eventually, all that will be left is our capacity to love.  Money, power, and fame are fleeting, but love is everlasting. During our barest moments, it is love that reconciles our existence. Points of Reflection·     During this week, how did you show love to your neighbor?·     Why is love the most important attribute of our Christian faith?·     List three ways you showed love to God and your neighbor this week?

What would you do if you found a switch that could turn on your brain and enable you to be happier, healthier…Your mind is that switch."You have the freedom to CHOOSE. You are not a victim. Freedom of choice is not an illusion. You can control your reactions. You can choose to switch on your brain. Medical researcher, Dr. Caroline Leaf in her book "Switch on Your Brain" says, “We are co-creators of our destiny, along-side of God.“Here are three FREE resources to help you to reboot your brain.Show Fear the Door in your life!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnPvadG03AAGet Me Out of This! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50zG-0hWvQQMy Hot Spot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhFBsVCEZ4I&t=1sDisappointed with God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97APdhM3xIE&t=2s-------------------------------The COVID-19 outbreak has been a catalyst for creative thought. Meet Pastor Jason Ballard from Victoria, BC in Canada. In 2013, he co-founded the Alpha Youth course, viewed by over 1 million students world wide in over 30 languages.Today he is attempting to plant a church in Vancouver during a pandemic. Learn from Jason's example how changing your thinking can change your life. Medical equipment can actually scan a thought in the human brain.Your thoughts can be seen.Your thoughts are physical substances.Your thoughts grow like trees in the brain.The scripture is true that states, "For as a man thinks within himself, so he is." Proverbs 23:7Science is catching up with the Bible. Humans alone stand objectively outside of themselves and choose a different point of view. Jason Ballard explains his daily practices to help him change his thinking.Learn to use this thinking filter in daily life.Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8THE 21 DAY MIND DETOX is breaking down toxic thoughts and building in healthy replacement memories. Take 5-15 minutes per day to walk through these 5 steps. Repeat them for 21 days.#1 GATHER your toxic thoughts#2 REFLECT on healing thoughts#3 WRITE things down to make them part of you#4 REVISIT these thoughts for 21 days#5 REACH for a good action to overcome evil-------------Subscribe to People Magnet School podcastsYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_rz4ZjKknkiTuneshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/people-magnet-school/id1505275403Spotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/2tHekDtpRRUetgmpmm4rBJFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/peoplemagnetschoolFollow Phil McCallum on Social MediaFacebook https://www.facebook.com/philmccallumInstagram @philipmccallumLinkedin https://www.Linkedin.com/in/PhilMccallumTwitter @PhilipMcCallum-------------------------------Here are the resources mentioned by Jason:Alpha Youth https://www.alpha.org/youthInstagram@JASONBALLARD@BENWOODMANThe Way Church VancouverFacebook https://www.facebook.com/thewaychurchvancouverWebsite https://www.thewaychurch.caSocial Distancing with Ben & Jasonhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ZPu9Az-O8Canadian Pastors Leadership Podcast iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/canadian-church-leaders-podcastSpotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2JkWcdsRNaC4fgpz65bylL?si=EZEEV7hURReWsPywxSdx_gA Diary of Private Prayer by John Bailliehttps://www.amazon.com/Diary-Private-Prayer-John-Baillie-ebook/dp/B00IWTWOOG

In today’s gospel reading, we are invited into a story, a story that simply did not just take place a long time ago, but a story that is truly our story, here and now.  Because of the nature of this gospel passage, I am going to do something different.  Before we hear the reading, I would like to share just a few insights with you.  The community to which the Gospel of John is addressed may very well have been expelled from the synagogue for confessing Jesus as Messiah.  They may well have felt isolated and abandoned.  So, as you experience hearing today’s reading about the isolated blind man, ask yourself how this passage might address the isolated and the abandoned, not only within John’s community, but also the isolated and abandoned among us today.  How does this story address us as we face a whole new form of living in isolation? Not only does this reading address the nature of this early Christian community, it also works to undermine a simplistic understanding of sin.  When the disciples voice a common view of the day that disability or hardship is the result of sin, a view some people today even continue to suggest, Jesus sharply disagrees.  Also, when the Pharisees assume that knowledge of the law automatically grants righteousness, Jesus counters their thinking by saying that precisely because they feel so certain regarding their understanding, because they deny their sin and claim to “see,” they are in fact sinning because they do not recognize and trust God’s very saving presence to them in the person of Jesus. So, are they really the blind ones? With these insights in mind, I invite you to listen or follow along and enter into this story.  John 9:1-41 As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” 13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out. 35Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.   Friends, to follow Jesus is to see differently.  Sometimes, to follow Jesus is to be brought into a messy situation, maybe even a crisis.  But, in the mess, we are called to trust that God is present and at work doing a new thing.  Sometimes, this newness means discovering that we are actually the blind ones when we think we see perfectly.  My friend, Pastor Bill Uetricht, quoted theologian John Petty on Thursday and then added some thoughts of his own. He wrote: “John Petty speaks of Lutheran irony, the notion that ‘it is precisely when we are most spiritually confident that we are in greatest spiritual danger, that it is precisely when we feel strong in faith, precisely when we are feeling the most committed, precisely when we are the most religious, that sin lies closest at hand.’”  My friend Bill then said, “I suspect that in the craziness of these current times, this wisdom is worth clinging to. Who knows for sure what it is all about? The call in the midst of it is not certainty, but trust. That isn't coming easy for me these days.” I agree with my dear friend, Bill.  That trust is not coming easy for me these days.  Yet, I do continue to trust God’s word to us.  That blind man was made new.  Theologian, Nadia Bolz Weber, writes, “New is often messy.  New looks like recovering alcoholics.  New looks like reconciliation between family members who don’t actually deserve it.  New looks like every time I manage to admit I was wrong and every time I manage to not mention when I’m right.  New looks like a very fresh start and every act of forgiveness.  New is the thing we never saw coming – never even hoped for – like our blind guy here.  But new ends up being what I needed all along.”  And, I would add, new is discovering the new ministries and new ways we are able to be together as people of Faith in the midst of the craziness of our present existence. Such newness is also what we call grace, it is what we call love.  Nadia Bolz-Weber continues by saying, “God simply keeps reaching down…reaching down into the dirt of your humanity and resurrecting you from the graves you dig for yourself through your violence, your lies, your selfishness, your arrogance, and your addictions.  And God keeps loving you back to life over and over….There are times when faith feels like a friendship with God.  But there are other times when it feels….I don’t know….more vacant.  Yet none of that matters in the end.  How you feel about Jesus or how close you feel to God is meaningless next to how God acts upon you.  How God indeed enters into your messy life and loves you through it, maybe whether you want God’s help or not.” In today’s story, one of the most remarkable things is the fact that the blind man didn’t seek out Jesus or ask his help.  Yet, he was healed and made whole.  And the powerful, life-giving truth of the gospel is that our suffering, our grief, the challenges we are currently facing, and even our sin will not have the last word. As our souls and bodies desperately cry out for relief, we hear the faint yet clear voice of the Christ calling us; reminding us that, through the cross, death and all its trappings have been swallowed up in victory. The final word rests not with suffering, not with blindness, not with this coronavirus and everything that we are currently facing and experiencing, but with the newness, life and peace that come through Christ. These days, we hear people reminding us to wash our hands over and over and over again, and it is a necessary reminder.  But, this story reminds us that the most sublime words imaginable are, “Go, wash.” And, I don’t mean just go wash your hands yet again.  I mean wash in the waters of your baptism and the water of life in which God daily bathes each one of us, whatever our circumstances.  We may not always sense this, but we trust God’s promise to us.  And, as the cool and refreshing waters of life wash over all of us – those baptismal waters in which we daily live – our eyes and our hearts are opened to behold the living Christ, standing as the chains of death and hell lay broken at his feet.  There is no other response than to simply trust, raise our voices and cry out at last, “Lord! I believe!”  

John 3:1–17 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”     9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.     16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Consider the meeting of the Woman of Samaria with Jesus through the poetry of St John Paul the Great.Readings for the Third Sunday of Lent (Year A) 15th March 2020.Reading 1Ex 17:3-7Strike the rock and water will flow from it.PsalmPs 94:1-2,6-9If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.Reading 2Rom 5:1-2,5-8The love of God has been poured into our hearts.GospelJohn 4:5-42A spring of water welling up to eternal life.

1In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king ofJudah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son ofAzzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of theLORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2Thus saysthe LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of theking of Babylon. 3Within two years I will bring back to this place allthe vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king ofBabylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4I will alsobring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD,for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” 5Then the prophetJeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priestsand all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, 6andthe prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORDmake the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back tothis place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and allthe exiles. 7Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and inthe hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you andme from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence againstmany countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesiespeace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will beknown that the LORD has truly sent the prophet.”Jeremiah 28:1-9 (ESV) Jeremiah 28:1-9 (ESV)

Jeremiah 28:1-9“Who’s Telling the Truth?”Series: “Plans for God’s Good Future” Some time ago, back when TV was beginning to establish its place or prominence in American households, network executives came up with a format that came to be known as the “game show,” in which contestants would compete with one another for prizes and grand excursions and significant sums of money. It would arguably become a format that would turn out to be the staple of television broadcasting even to the present day. Back in those early years it didn’t take those executives long to see how involving celebrity guests into the game show mix could spice up the competition and work to generate more viewers. Many of you will remember in those early years one such game show in which four celebrity panelists would be presented with the task of interrogating three ordinary, everyday contestants, all of whom claimed to be the owner of a similar story, but only one of whom would be actually “telling the truth.” And that’s how the game show got its name, “To Tell the Truth.” Come to think of it, “To Tell the Truth” is one of the few game shows that have managed to stay on the air over the years, bouncing from one network to the next, and from being a syndicated show to one that holds down a weekly spot. Why is that so? How is it that this particular game show has managed to remain viable when so many others over the years have bit the dust? Might one answer be that the search for truth has always been an indispensable one, dating back over time all the way back to the Garden of Eden? I don’t think there’s any question but that our present day is one where we really don’t know what to believe or who is telling the truth? There are all kinds of opinions swirling around us and some who even say that each of them carries equal weight so that it’s no longer the case that there’s just one truth around which we might order our lives. You just find the truth that speaks to you, the truth that “rings true” to your soul, and then go with that one. Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe that there is right in this world and there is wrong, and we need people in our lives who are bold enough to help us see the difference so that we might devote our time and energies to something that is based not just on hopeful optimism or wishful thinking but on a firm foundation that is grounded in reality. The prophet Jeremiah was just that kind of person for people in his day. Though we call Jeremiah “the weeping prophet” because of how God’s calling upon his life required him to speak truths to the people that broke his heart, Jeremiah did not flinch. Even when what he said raised people’s ire, Jeremiah stood firm on his conviction that no one should trust his own heart until he had first heard and heeded the heart of God. Consider this section of his prophecy where Jeremiah finds himself confronted by another preacher, a prophet by the name of Hananiah, who is offering the people a contrary perspective on God’s plans for His people, one diametrically opposed to what Jeremiah is preaching. It’s not in any way the same story the two prophets are telling, and this is not a game show. Their stores are vastly different from one another, and the future of the nation hangs in the balance in terms of which story is the true one. The scene is so etched in Jeremiah’s mind that he remembers the precise date – the fifth month of the fourth year in the reign of Zedekiah, a king the Babylonians had placed upon the throne as their puppet– someone they could manipulate and control in order to make sure that the people they had left behind in Jerusalem might not rise up against them in revolt. The city was in a state of turmoil, given how the first wave of exiles had already been taken to Babylon – the artisan, the craftsmen, and even the king at the time, Jehoiachin. Everyone wanted to know answers to questions like, “Where do we turn? What do we do? Whom should we trust? What does our future hold?” You’ve faced seasons like that in your life; haven’t you? Maybe some of you here this morning are going through such a season today. Needless to say there was no shortage of voices offering answers to these vexing questions. For his part, Jeremiah had counseled the king and his officials to adopt a policy of acceptance with respect to this whole Babylonian nightmare. God had told him that the people would be subject to the Babylonians for a period of seventy years, which as you can imagine landed on their hearts like a lead balloon. Jeremiah even resorted to a special “wardrobe.” He donned a wooden yoke, an instrument farmers used to constrain their oxen for the purposes of plowing fields. It was for Jeremiah a symbol of the galling bondage to which God would subject the nation until they could learn their lesson and turn back in faith to Him, and it did not make Jeremiah popular with the people. On the other hand, there was Hananiah, who was trumpeting a very different message. “Two years!” Hananiah thundered. “That’s all it will take!” “Two years, God says, and I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon and bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD’s house that Nebuchadnezzar had removed, along with all of the exiles!” I find it interesting that Hananiah would have mentioned the money before the people. Perhaps that is a clue as to when there are competing messages and opposing visions we would do well to listen more carefully to those who elevate people over possessions. Be that as it may, I find Jeremiah’s response impressive. Rather than get into a spitting match immediately with his counterpart, Jeremiah instead offers a hearty “Amen!” In other words, “I hope you’re right, Hananiah, and that your words turn out to be the truth.” And yet Jeremiah’s would not allow himself to trust his heart until he had first heard and heeded the heart of God. “You know, Hananiah, the more I think about it, all the prophets who preceded both you and me have preached war and disaster and plague against so many countries and great kingdoms. But the prophet who preaches peace will only be recognized as one sent by God when and if his prophecy comes to pass, only when his prediction comes true.” Jeremiah understood and invites us to understand how it is better to align our life with God’s plan than to seek to co-opt God into aligning His plan with ours. God works in His own way and in His own time and by His own schedule, so that rather than try to bend God’s will to ours, it is always better for us to do the bending. Isn’t that the same message Jesus taught? Didn’t Jesus commit himself to impressing upon others the blessing of being in tandem with God so that we focus our time and energies on seeing not our will but on seeing His will to be done? I think in particular of that one time where Jesus has finished instructing his disciples and has ventured on to teach and preach in the villages surrounding the Sea of Galilee – Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum – all of whom he denounced as unrepentant cities. But instead of condemning those places as irredeemable and hopeless, he extends to them an invitation to know God’s love and be transformed by God’s mercy. “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Mt. 11:28-30). When we link ourselves and our wills to God, as did Jeremiah and as did Jesus, then and only then can we trust our hearts because our hearts will finally be one with the heart of God. Can you do that this morning? Can you come to a place in your relationship with God that you take His yoke upon you and align your heart with his truth, which will always cause you to flinch before it finally sets you free? Can you find the faith to trust in God’s will in God’s time regardless of how bleak things may seem to be in the near term? You read on in the story of the two prophets Jeremiah and Hananiah and you see how Hananiah could not abide Jeremiah’s message, even to the point of ripping off the yoke from around Jeremiah’s neck and casting it down to the ground where it broke into a thousand pieces, insisting that God would break the yoke of the Babylonians in the same way and in only two years’ time. It didn’t faze Jeremiah one bit. He just showed up soon thereafter with a new yoke, one fashioned out of iron, a yoke that no one but God could ever remove. And in a sense, the same thing happened to Jesus. The people who could not abide his message attempted to break him in a similar way by nailing him to a cross, only to discover that while you can seek to put truth in a borrowed tomb, you can’t keep it there. The truth that belongs to God always manages to rise to the surface. Remember that the next time you encounter a story that seeks to take you in a direction that while at first blush seems most pleasing to your heart is in the end contrary to the one in which God would have you go. After all, it is Satan whom the Bible describes as the “father of lies” (Jn. 8:44) and all who go with him do so to their peril. It is Jesus, who alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and those who follow him will most assuredly find their way to the Father. Don’t for a moment trust your own heart until you have first heard and heeded the heart of God, because this decision is not a game; it is one that instead will determine your eternity. 1In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, 2Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.” 5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the LORD, 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the LORD, and all the exiles. 7Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the LORD has truly sent the prophet.” Jeremiah 28:1-9 (ESV)

Scandinavian design:  https://youtu.be/X6RZkm-IcMUMinimalist podcasts: https://www.healthline.com/health/minimalist-living-best-blogs-of-the-year#8The effect of screens: iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us  by Jean M. Twenge  

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

For the director of music. A psalm of David. 1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. 4Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. 7The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Message: The gospel according to LukeText: Luke 18:1-8The comparison in this parable is in the contrast. God is nothing like the unjust judge, they are opposites.Always: It’s always something!Lose Heart: There will always be something to tempt you to give up.There are only 2 choices: Always pray or lose heart (give up)…pray or give up. If you keep praying you won’t give up. If you give up, you have quit praying.“Speedily” is an understatement.We struggle with Jesus saying that God answers prayers fast…It doesn’t seem so. We’re wondering when God will start answering our prayer, when He has never stopped. Before you started praying God was already at work.

It is Not a Silent Night(Advent Series: Because of Bethlehem; Message Two) Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to herthat her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.3A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low;the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.5And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.6A voice says, “Cry out.” And I said, “What shall I cry?” “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.7The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass.8The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”9You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain.You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout,lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.11He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his armsand carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:1-11) A. Israel was longing for a word of peace-centered encouragement 1. They had been through a major battle and lost “Assyrians came down like the wolf on the fold, and his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; and the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, when the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee” (Lord Byron) 2. There had been no comfort among the Israelites; no peace in their lives 3. A new king promised the Israelites they could “go home” to Jerusalem B. They had been waiting for the “consolation” of Israel 1. The hope was that God would come and set everything right in the world 2. As word spread, hope was renewed - even though the reality was yet to come THE MESSAGE A. This text is God’s instruction to the prophet Isaiah1. It affirms that God’s ultimate purpose is not destruction but redemption 2. Those who speak God’s word to God’s people are to say, “Comfort!” “Your rod and your staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4) “As one whom his mother comforts, so I,” said God, “will comfort you.”(Isaiah 66:13) a. “Comfort” isn’t about “peace and quiet”; it’s not about being comfortable “He will come to build and destroy; he will destroy the heavens and the earth - subverting everything and everyone to judgment...” (Peter 3:10,13) “He will come to separate and to gather. As a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff, Christ will winnow his harvest - burning the chaff with fire and gathering his wheat into barns” (Matthew 3:12) b. “Comfort” (lit. “with strength”) is a word of strength and encouragement; an intimate word; a reminder that whatever grievous punishments they’ve endured, they’re in the past B. No matter how severely the Lord has dealt with you, be comforted: his grace, forgiveness, and restoration will bring you home THE MEANING A. Few people realized the event that took place in Bethlehem B. Now we can clearly see Jesus’ completed work 1. Our world is out of joint 2. The warfare the prophet talks about, is it ever really finished? C. That’s precisely the kind of world Jesus entered, to set everything right 1. He came to be one of us so that he could take up residence in us 2. He represents a peace - comfort - that reminds us, God has not forgotten us! a. Now he stands with us in this messy world as our crucified and risen Lord b. Nothing has changed. Everything has changed. All because of this child. c. There are no silent nights; but if we acknowledge Jesus, we can have a peaceful one 3. “Comfort to you!” because in Jesus your forgiveness is assured, your victory guaranteed, and your peace eternal D. Don't wait: open your heart and receive what God promised. Make sure this is for you!

Managing Madrid’s Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) joins Jeremy for this wide-ranging international break edition of Colchonero Chat, which features banter about: The possibility of a Villarreal-Atlético Madrid match in Miami on Dec. 8The latest on the protests in Catalonia and their potential impact on the upcoming ClásicoSpain securing a berth at Euro 2020 and the ceiling for Roberto Moreno’s menReal Madrid’s midfield shuffleLaLiga’s most surprising players and teams thus farA look ahead to Atlético-Valencia and Mallorca-Real Madrid

In this episode, we talk about optimizing for your KPIs and dig deep down into Facebook ads manager to reveal places within your campaigns where you can pull levers to optimize and make things happen!What do we mean by "optimize"? Anything action we can do to eliminate underperformance and wasted ad spend, basically!Best places to optimize within Facebook ads managerCampaign Level:campaign goalAd Set Level: audience targeting placementsbehavior - purchase vs. add to cartAd Level:different types of creativead copycall to actionQuick Tips:Maximum amount of ads per ad set: 6 - 8The number 1 thing you can change in your ads to make the biggest difference: The creative!Do you feel frustrated trying to scale your business online?Do you wish there was an easier way?Get the Profitable Ecommerce Marketing Blueprint: https://www.mindfulmarketing.co/blueprintHave an ecommerce business of your own? Join the Secrets To Scaling Online Facebook group!https://www.facebook.com/groups/secretstoscalingonline

Episode Summary:Dr. Dan discusses what is actually known in the scientific literature regarding the keto diet.Episode References:The keto diet in the treatment of drug resistant epilepsy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31204451See here for a good review on the science of the ketones diet: https://www.nature.com/articles/ejcn2013116Keto diet can change composition of the microbiome: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)30520-8The keto diet changes levels of microRNA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30474543There could be health issues with eating pattern too low in carbohydrates: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(18)30135-X/fulltext

Can you believe it? After 13 years, there’s finally new music from Tool. So in this lesson you’ll learn a music theory hack from TOOL “Fear Inoculum”, and how to use it to write your own odd time signature riffs and polymeters! Subtitles/CC available. WELCOMEHello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new video. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. But first… tea! THEORYIn Tool’s epic ten-minute title track “Fear Inoculum”, there’s a standout section that starts at 5:49. Its foundation is a super tasty 11|8 drum groove (which we’ll hack next time, so stay tuned). The bass line in this section is also in 11|8 and locks in with the drums, creating a tight and energetic rhythm section. Above that, Adam Jones plays some classic Tool-style guitar, centred around the open A string. But the coolest thing about his riff, is that it’s not in 11|8, it alternates between 12|8 and 5|4. This makes the riff feel like it’s speeding up and slowing down, because 12|8 has a pulse of dotted 1/4 notes, while 5|4 has a faster pulse of 1/4 notes. And all this is happening in that polymeter of the guitar playing 12|8 and 5|4 against the rhythm section playing 11/8, which creates crazy syncopation! PRACTICALAlright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version. And for the example in this lesson, we’ll be using our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars that alternate between 12|8 and 5|4, with your grid set to 1|8 notes, and your tempo set to 150 BPM. Tool uses A Phrygian for this section, so we’ll use it too. STEP 1. THE 12|8The magic of this riff is as much in the rhythm as it is in the pitches, so you’ll write the rhythm first, then add the pitches afterwards. We’ll start with the bar of 12|8, which consists of four dotted 1/4 notes. And if you’re new to dotted notes, a dotted 1/4 note equals three 1/8 notes. Now that you’ve got the rhythm for your 12|8, it’s time to assign pitches. Adam used the Phrygian mode here, cos it has a dark vibe. And if you’re new to modes, A Phrygian is: A B♭ C D E F G. So choose any of those notes, but be sure to start on the open A string, and include the ♭2. MOREBy the way, if you wanna learn everything you need to know about modes in three simple hacks, then check out our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down). It also contains hacks on how to write guitar riffs, bass lines, chord progressions, melodies, counterpoint and more, and it comes with MIDI examples too! STEP 2. THE 5|4Now, here’s the bit where your riff is gonna sound like it’s speeding up, cos the pulse changes to 1/4 notes in this bar. So, for your rhythm, you can play a combination of 1/4 notes and 1/8 notes. And the more 1/8 notes you play, the more energy you’ll inject. Then after you’ve written your rhythm, it’s time to assign pitches, and once again, you can play any notes from A Phrygian, but be sure to include A and B♭. And here’s a couple bonus hacks. To get that classic Tool sound, you can create some harmonic dissonance by lengthening the low A in your 12|8 bars, so the other notes are played over the top of it. When you hit that high B♭ over that low A, it’s so Tool! But if you want even more Tool, then bend into that high B♭ from the high A. NEXTRight, so now you’ve got a Tool-inspired riff. Congratulations! But, if you wanna make a proper epic like “Fear Inoculum”, then you’ll need many more minutes of music! So, if you wanna learn how to write other sections (like a bridge) for an existing section, how to transition between sections (especially when they’re in different keys), and how to structure and arrange your song, then join our online apprenticeship course. Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada   Take Your Music to the Next Level LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes! LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll)This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting and producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more! LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKSAfter learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples. LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIPGo from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 700+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering. ABOUTHack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!). COPYRIGHT© 2019 Revolution HarmonyRevolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate HarmonyAll content (script & music) in video by Revolution HarmonyThumbnail photo by Mick Hutson     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. 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Can you believe it? After 13 years, there’s finally new music from Tool. So in this lesson you’ll learn a music theory hack from TOOL “Fear Inoculum”, and how to use it to write your own odd time signature riffs and polymeters! Subtitles/CC available. WELCOMEHello revolutionary music makers, we are Kate Harmony and Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony), and welcome to Hack Music Theory. We help you make great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! If that sounds useful to you, then subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit that bell to get notified every Friday, when we publish our new video. Also, if you’re new to our channel, be sure to download our free book “12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords” below. Alright, it’s time to open your DAW to hack music theory. But first… tea! THEORYIn Tool’s epic ten-minute title track “Fear Inoculum”, there’s a standout section that starts at 5:49. Its foundation is a super tasty 11|8 drum groove (which we’ll hack next time, so stay tuned). The bass line in this section is also in 11|8 and locks in with the drums, creating a tight and energetic rhythm section. Above that, Adam Jones plays some classic Tool-style guitar, centred around the open A string. But the coolest thing about his riff, is that it’s not in 11|8, it alternates between 12|8 and 5|4. This makes the riff feel like it’s speeding up and slowing down, because 12|8 has a pulse of dotted 1/4 notes, while 5|4 has a faster pulse of 1/4 notes. And all this is happening in that polymeter of the guitar playing 12|8 and 5|4 against the rhythm section playing 11/8, which creates crazy syncopation! PRACTICALAlright, now you’re gonna learn how to use this theory to make your own version. And for the example in this lesson, we’ll be using our version that we made earlier. So, start by setting up four bars that alternate between 12|8 and 5|4, with your grid set to 1|8 notes, and your tempo set to 150 BPM. Tool uses A Phrygian for this section, so we’ll use it too. STEP 1. THE 12|8The magic of this riff is as much in the rhythm as it is in the pitches, so you’ll write the rhythm first, then add the pitches afterwards. We’ll start with the bar of 12|8, which consists of four dotted 1/4 notes. And if you’re new to dotted notes, a dotted 1/4 note equals three 1/8 notes. Now that you’ve got the rhythm for your 12|8, it’s time to assign pitches. Adam used the Phrygian mode here, cos it has a dark vibe. And if you’re new to modes, A Phrygian is: A B♭ C D E F G. So choose any of those notes, but be sure to start on the open A string, and include the ♭2. MOREBy the way, if you wanna learn everything you need to know about modes in three simple hacks, then check out our Songwriting & Producing PDF (click & scroll down). It also contains hacks on how to write guitar riffs, bass lines, chord progressions, melodies, counterpoint and more, and it comes with MIDI examples too! STEP 2. THE 5|4Now, here’s the bit where your riff is gonna sound like it’s speeding up, cos the pulse changes to 1/4 notes in this bar. So, for your rhythm, you can play a combination of 1/4 notes and 1/8 notes. And the more 1/8 notes you play, the more energy you’ll inject. Then after you’ve written your rhythm, it’s time to assign pitches, and once again, you can play any notes from A Phrygian, but be sure to include A and B♭. And here’s a couple bonus hacks. To get that classic Tool sound, you can create some harmonic dissonance by lengthening the low A in your 12|8 bars, so the other notes are played over the top of it. When you hit that high B♭ over that low A, it’s so Tool! But if you want even more Tool, then bend into that high B♭ from the high A. NEXTRight, so now you’ve got a Tool-inspired riff. Congratulations! But, if you wanna make a proper epic like “Fear Inoculum”, then you’ll need many more minutes of music! So, if you wanna learn how to write other sections (like a bridge) for an existing section, how to transition between sections (especially when they’re in different keys), and how to structure and arrange your song, then join our online apprenticeship course. Kate & Ray Harmony (AKA Revolution Harmony)Music Teachers & Producers in Vancouver BC, Canada   Take Your Music to the Next Level LEVEL 1 – FREE BOOK"12 Music Theory Hacks to Learn Scales & Chords" will give you a super solid music theory foundation in 30 minutes! LEVEL 2 – SONGWRITING & PRODUCING PDF (click & scroll)This is our best-selling PDF, which includes MIDI file examples. Learn the essential hacks for songwriting and producing, like our Melody Checklist (the ultimate list of do's and don'ts for writing great melodies). You'll also learn how to write chord progressions, bass lines, riffs, counterpoint harmonies, and more! LEVEL 3 – LESSON PACKSAfter learning our essential hacks, it's time to put them to practical use and start writing some new songs. Lesson packs include step-by-step PDF guides to making music for different instruments and in different genres (electronic, metal, soundtrack, etc.), as well as multitrack MIDI files of the examples. LEVEL 4 – ONLINE APPRENTICESHIPGo from a blank screen to a finished song, in this online video course. Learn how to write new sections for an existing section, how to transition between sections in different keys, how to structure and arrange, and much more! This course has been called "life-changing" many times, so join 700+ music makers now (from all genres), who are learning Ray's secret hack: Song Whispering. ABOUTHack Music Theory is a pioneering DAW method for making great music that stands out, so you can move and grow your audience! Taught by multi-award-winning music lecturer Ray Harmony, and his protégé wife Kate Harmony, from their studio in Vancouver BC, Canada. Ray is the author of critically-acclaimed book series "Hack Music Theory", and has made music with Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree), Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Ihsahn (Emperor), Kool Keith (Ultramagnetic MCs), Madchild (Swollen Members), and many more! Kate has the highest grade distinction in Popular Music Theory from the London College of Music, and is the only person on the planet who's been trained by Ray to teach his method. On that note, the "Hack Music Theory" YouTube channel teaches relevant and instantly-usable music theory for producers, DAW users, and all other music makers (songwriters, singers, guitarists, bassists, drummers, etc.) in all genres, from EDM to R&B, pop to hip-hop, reggae to rock, electronic to metal (and yes, we djefinitely djent!). COPYRIGHT© 2019 Revolution HarmonyRevolution Harmony is Ray Harmony & Kate HarmonyAll content (script & music) in video by Revolution HarmonyThumbnail photo by Mick Hutson     Wooohooo!!! You’re a mere 30 minutes away from being even smarter than you already are. Just head on over to your inbox now for your free download. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.   “The most brilliant, fast, easy & fun music theory book I’ve ever seen!” DEREK SIVERS, CD Baby founder We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. 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The Encouragement: Isaiah 59:6-8 - Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. 7Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. 8The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace. Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -- Stacy's Stash! -- For links to the articles and material referenced in this week's episode check out this week's page from our podcast dashboard! -- Get More Stacy -- Stacy's Blog (http://www.stacyontheright.com) Watch the show live, download previous episodes, and more Stacy! Contact Stacy stacy [at] stacyontheright.com -- Connect with Stacy -- Follow Stacy on Twitter (https://twitter.com/stacyontheright) Follow Stacy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/stacyontheright971/)

The Encouragement: Isaiah 59:6-8 - Their cobwebs cannot be made into clothing, and they cannot cover themselves with their works. Their deeds are sinful deeds, and acts of violence are in their hands. 7Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake. 8The way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their tracks. They have turned them into crooked paths; no one who treads on them will know peace. Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. -- Stacy's Stash! -- For links to the articles and material referenced in this week's episode check out this week's page from our podcast dashboard! -- Get More Stacy -- Stacy's Blog (http://www.stacyontheright.com) Watch the show live, download previous episodes, and more Stacy! Contact Stacy stacy [at] stacyontheright.com -- Connect with Stacy -- Follow Stacy on Twitter (https://twitter.com/stacyontheright) Follow Stacy on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/stacyontheright971/)

Giving in completely to God --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/alfredo-noble/support

Matthew 5:8The pure in heart are marked by transparency & an uncompromising desire to please God in all things. It is more than an external purity of behavior; it is an internal purity of soul. Imagine having a heart that is totally focused on God. FOUR THINGS YOU CAN DO TO ENHANCE THE FOCUS OF YOUR HEART (1) Be honest (2) Acknowledge that only God can make your heart pure (3) Fill yourself with God’s Word and (4) Think about what you will be in eternity.

Day 17Haggai 2:8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.40daysofsts.com

John 21:1–14     1After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.     4Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.     9When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Isaiah 56:1-8The third in our REST series with Dave Dickinson walking us through the third movement in Sabbath rest - Embracing - from the prophet Isaiah's direction for Intentionality, Values and Self.

Replacement TheologyDoes the assembly (or church) replace Israel?Deut 10:12-13Deut 6:4-6Numbers 15:37-38Who is Israel?Who is the law ascribed to?Messiah is our linkEph 2:12-13Has the New Testament Church replaced Israel?Acts 7:37-38Acts 19:24-41Gentile converts were to be accepted even before the time of Messiah.Deut 10:17-19Isaiah 56:3-8The sons of the foreigners can join themseles to Yahweh.A home for all nations.Acts 15:13Yahweh is faithful.Romans 11:1-2Yahweh will not cast his people away.Psalm 94:14Jeremiah 31:35-40Romans 3:1-2Romans 9:4-51st Chron 17:20-22You are a holy peopleDeut 7:6-8He didn't choose them becuse they were mighty.Deut 9:4-6Israel to be a good witness to other nations.Deut 4:5-8How Isreal was to witnes to others.Isaiah 4:10With whom are the covenants made?Jeremiah 31:31-33Hebrews 8:8Do these things apply personally to us?Isaiah 51:7If you don't believe the words of Moses how are you going to believe the words of Messiah?John 5:47Israel has a marvelous futurePsalm 102:15-16Isaiah 2:1-4Micah 4:1-3Revelations 21:10-13The assmebly doesn't replace Israel... the assembly is Israel.Support the show (http://www.halleluyah.org)

Isaiah 9: 2, 6 - 8The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.The Lord has sent a message against Jacob; it will fall on Israel.

SUNDAY22Philippians 2:5-8The gospel’s effectiveness is greatly hindered by Christians who act differently at church than they do elsewhere. The way we live for God should permeate all areas of life. The workplace is no exception.

The ladies sat down and recapped their thanksgiving holiday . Our host Nika recently started a show on Dash radio airing every Tuesday , Cidnee details her experiences at the Art of Black Atlanta dinner (gathering that shows the native black artist in Miami) and Hali wraps up her first semester at CAU . Candy Raine gave a shout out to all the carefreefreeblackgirls she met since moving to Atlanta and the group names Michelle Obama , Issa Rae , Cardi B , Tiffany Haddish & more as the CareFreeBlackGirls of the year . The main topic of the day cancel culture - the group talks homophobia in hip hop , abuse and mental illness. Do you think celebrities should be more cautious of what they say? Hali breaks down the difference between cancelling vs deleting someone and the ways one could redeem themselves . We are not canceling the City Girls yet but some people have got to go. Get Free Candy Raine reveals she’s a personal trainer and gives the ladies tips on how to keep up with an exercise routine. We talk Kim Porters death and the unexpected deaths of black women. It’s time to listen to black women more than ever because when we do complain we are past the point of retaining pain. The ladies encourage more black people to go into the medical field and get knowledgeable about options for their health . The group talks cuffing season . Find out who’s in the game and who’s on the bench this year. Do you date by horoscopes? Cidnee talks about how being a sign person saves you time and effort when dating . Find out more about yourself by downloading co star app - Co–Star Personalized Astrology by Co-Star Astrology Society https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/co-star-personalized-astrology/id1264782561?mt=8The episode closes with the host detailing what they’re leaving in 2018. Check out our girls to watch this month QueenDom Reign - https://linktr.ee/queendomreignBrooklyn - The Good Girl Movement https://instagram.com/thegoodgirlmovement?utmsource=igprofile_share&igshid=38qt0i6xyn9iEnroll for healthcare by Dec 15th ! https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/getting-medicaid-chip/Got a comment or concern , email us CareFreeBlackGirlPodcast@gmail.com Use our hashtags #carefreeblackgirl #cfbgpod to keep up with the conversation Music curated by DJ CANDY RAINETune in each month & hashtag CareFreeBlackGirl to stay engaged with the conversation. Follow us:twitter - https://twitter.com/cfbgpodhttps://www.instagram.com/carefreeblackgirl_inc/HELP US KEEP THE LIGHTS ON -https://www.patreon.com/carefreeblackgirlFollow the hosts on Twitter;Cidnee - @cidneerich -https://twitter.com/thejam_Nika -@carpenika -https://twitter.com/carpenikaHali -@halismith_ - https://twitter.com/halismith_DJ Candy Raine @dj_candyraine -https://twitter.com/DJCandyRaineProduced by Quanna (@QuannaMC) Executively Produced by Wize Grazette (@TheRealWize) and Rez (@CallMeRez)This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-1aea92 for 40% off for 4 months, and support #CareFreeBlackGirl.

Find us online at: AdventNYC.orgEmail us at: Podcast@AdventNYC.orgTalk with us at: Advent Sermons & Conversations on FacebookReadings for this Week:First Reading: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14To the community for whom this passage was written, it seemed as though the oppression they were experiencing would never end. Daniel’s message is: It shall end. The Ancient One who is judge will call all nations to account and will give dominion to “one like a human being,” the Messiah.9As I watched, thrones were set in place,  and an Ancient One took his throne, his clothing was white as snow,  and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames,  and its wheels were burning fire. 10A stream of fire issued  and flowed out from his presence. A thousand thousands served him,  and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment,  and the books were opened.13As I watched in the night visions,  I saw one like a human being  coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One  and was presented before him. 14To him was given dominion  and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages  should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion  that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one  that shall never be destroyed.Psalm: Psalm 93Ever since the world began, your throne has been established. (Ps. 93:2)1The Lord is king, robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and | armed with strength.  The Lord has made the world so sure that it can- | not be moved. 2Ever since the world began, your throne has | been established;  you are from | everlasting. R 3The waters have lifted up, O Lord, the waters have lifted | up their voice;  the waters have lifted up their | pounding waves. 4Mightier than the sound of many waters, mightier than the breakers | of the sea,  mightier is the Lord who | dwells on high. 5Your testimonies are | very sure,  and holiness befits your house, O Lord, forever and for- | evermore. RSecond Reading: Revelation 1:4b-8The book of Revelation begins by celebrating the Almighty God, who spans all of time. Similarly, Jesus is celebrated as the firstborn from the dead who rules over the world’s rulers. He is the one whose return we eagerly await.4bGrace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.   To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Look! He is coming with the clouds;  every eye will see him, even those who pierced him;  and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.So it is to be. Amen.  8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.Gospel: John 18:33-37In John’s gospel, the story of Jesus and Pilate presents two different ways of exercising power: through force or with love.33Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” 35Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” 37Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”

Phoebe asks the question "Is it aligned with your intention?" and shares why the power of intention releases the expectations that are holding you captive.

Highlights in Hebrews (with Roger Kirby) Part 16 - Hebrews 6:4-8The perils of falling away.   It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. This is a tricky passage. It seems not to agree with what is said elsewhere in scripture. But here it is in front of us and we must heed what it says. To highlight the problem here is one famous type of theology, followed by Reformed churches, which indicates the alternative very forcefully. T.U.L.I.P. is the mnemonic used by some of the more extreme advocates of a Calvinistic theology. These stand for: T - Total depravity. This does not mean everyone is just as bad as they could possibly be but that everyone is naturally so sinful the initiative for their salvation must come from God, even when they think it is their own choice to follow him U - Unconditional election. God chooses us; we do not choose him. L - Limited atonement. Jesus did not die for all men and women, being only made effective for those who he chooses. Rather he only died for those who God knew he would call. I - Irresistible grace. If God decides to call us we are called. There is nothing we can do about it; we cannot refuse his offer. P - Perseverance of the saints. Once chosen, called and saved we cannot turn away from that. We are believers for ever. There is much to commend in this view of faith. All these points can, and are, easily supported by scripture quotations. Reading through all these things is a useful reminder that becoming a follower of Jesus is not like joining the Boy Scouts or the local golf club. There we, or our parents, pay the joining fee and we are in. It is all our doing. But when we become followers of Jesus we are not the sole partakers in what happens. God has a part to play. In fact he has the major part to play. In particular we receive from him the gift of the Holy Spirit. Once we have received that gift can we back out of the arrangement? No, of course not says TULIP. But the verses in front of us in Hebrews say something different. There is no easy way to reconcile the two. The easy, but rather unsatisfactory, way out is to say the one who is falling away was never really a Christian believer in the first place, but was just imitating the activities of those who are. But that doesn’t really fit. Our writer talks about a person being enlightened, tasting the heavenly gift (presumably meaning experiencing the power and joy of heavenly love), sharing in the Holy Spirit, becoming excited by reading the Bible and looking forward to the eventual life in the kingdom. These two things simply do not fit. How you resolve this tension will depend almost entirely on your background and the sort of church you are in. I will say just this:the TULIP type approach gives us great confidence in the Lord and encouragement on our way; what our writer says is a strong warning against the perils of turning away from faith once embarked on the great journey it offers. Both points of view are found in scripture and we must heed both. Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file ~ You can now purchase our Partakers books including Roger's latest - The Puzzle of Living - A fresh look at the story of Job! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

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 Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16This chapter begins the story of Elijah. God sends a drought on Israel because of the sins of King Ahab. This passage depicts God’s saving acts not only on behalf of Elijah, but also on behalf of those who are associated with the prophet, even a foreigner, the widow of Zarephath.8The word of the Lord came to [Elijah,] saying, 9“Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the Lord sends rain on the earth.” 15She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.Psalm: Psalm 146The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. (Ps. 146:8)1Hal- | lelujah!Praise the Lord, | O my soul!2I will praise the Lord as long | as I live;I will sing praises to my God while I | have my being.3Put not your | trust in rulers,in mortals in whom there | is no help.4When they breathe their last, they re- | turn to earth,and in that day | their thoughts perish. R5Happy are they who have the God of Jacob | for their help,whose hope is in the | Lord their God;6who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that | is in them;who keeps promis- | es forever;7who gives justice to those who are oppressed, and food to | those who hunger.The Lord sets the | captive free.8The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord lifts up those who | are bowed down;the Lord| loves the righteous. R9The Lord cares | for the stranger;the Lord sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way | of the wicked.10The Lord shall | reign forever,your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. | Hallelujah! RSecond Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28The letter to the Hebrews describes Christ as a high priest who offers himself as a sacrifice for our sin. Christ does not die again and again each year. He died once, is alive with God, and will reveal himself on the last day.24Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.Gospel: Mark 12:38-44After engaging in a series of public arguments with religious leaders in the temple, Jesus contrasts the proud and oppressive ways of those leaders with the sacrificial humility and poverty of the widow.38As [Jesus] taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”41He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

Astrologer Dawn Champine (Goddesstrology on Twitter) joins us today for a more in-depth conversation about manifesting with the moon. In Podcast 113, I talked about this for the first time, then we followed some lunar cycles into the 2017 total eclipse. I crossed paths with Dawn via Twitter, and she helps us take a much deeper dive on all things lunar – new moons, full moons, the path of the moon, and lunar nodes.If you want to take your manifesting game up a notch, this will be a great podcast to help your awareness of how much the moon affects us…much more than we think if we are unconscious to it.This is an especially important conversation with the upcoming full moon on September 24, 2018 being “heavily aspected.” What that means is the energy has, once again in 2018, been excessive. We talk about how that can affect us as we approach full moons. Even though you many not hear this around that full moon, when things in the sky are “wonky,” it's worth being aware!Dawn does private sessions and can be contacted both from her website and Twitter:https://www.manifestingwiththemoon.com/Tweets by Goddesstrology Astrology Apps Mentioned: Time Nomad – https://timenomad.app/Time Passages – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timepassages-pro/id483241160?mt=8The post Podcast 160 – Moon Astrology and MORE with Dawn Champine! appeared first on Subconscious Mind Mastery. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Easter 2018Mark 16:1-8The ending of The Gospel of Mark does not fit the new life, new hope feeling we enjoy each year as we use Easter to signal the return of new life in spring. On a  day when we expect to feel the overwhelming presence of the risen Christ, the ending of Mark’s gospel is entirely underwhelming.

Easter 2018Mark 16:1-8The ending of The Gospel of Mark does not fit the new life, new hope feeling we enjoy each year as we use Easter to signal the return of new life in spring. On a  day when we expect to feel the overwhelming presence of the risen Christ, the ending of Mark’s gospel is entirely underwhelming.

8The most famous scientist of our time and hero to both Byrne and Wade, Stephen Hawking, has passed away. Sci-gasm delves into the big discoveries that made him a truly great scientists as well as the unfortunate disease that made him so recognisable the world over. Thank you Professor Hawking for your contributions, may you rest in peace. If you would like to help organisations dedicated to finding the cause and treating Lou Gehrigs disease, most countries have their own affiliated body, here is the Australian one: https://www.mndaust.asn.au/How-your-donation-helps/Make-a-Donation.aspx See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are not heroes, nor are we villains. But we can tell you their stories.We are the Lorekeepers.Welcome newcomer! If you’re reading this, congratulations on finding the podcast description! Each episode we place references to past (or in this case, future) episodes. Not sure where to go from here? Pick one and see where it takes you!———Curious about something you heard in this episode? Chances are you can find out more about it in the Record of the Lorekeeper!———Highlighted Aevums (eras) of HalûmeThe Drakenfall, storm of dragons (Aevum Secunda): S1.2The Ratcatchers, monster hunters for hire (Aevum Tertius): S1.23The Shattered Years, an eon of war (Aevum Quartus): S1.24Bremann, the festival of lights (Aevum Quintus): S1.33Gods and DevilsExaban the battle-lord: S1.7Najani, lifter of the Aspects: S1.11Ysengrin, touchless heir of fortune: S1.18Gade, regent of joys unending: S1.28Tiirs the marrow-king: S1.36Other classicsHedge-schools and library tattoos: S1.6Roarark the apex-city: S1.8The shadows of Orconis, the light of Illuvium: S1.13 & S1.14Fate of the deceased: S1.29Spans, apocrypha of fieldfolk: S1.34The Nine, defenders of the Nineflow: S1.37Early dwarves, children of alloy: S1.38———Want to learn more about Halûme? Got some ideas of your own? Join the conversation at www.reddit.com/r/thelorekeepers or by visiting our homepage at thelorekeepers.com and clicking on "Visit World"! Note that it may not render properly on your browser. If so, try using Chrome.Questions or ideas? Visit r/thelorekeepers!Website: thelorekeepers.comEmail: lorekeeperspodcast@gmail.comTwitter: @thelorekeepers

               elcome to Shepherd of the Lakes! We’re here to shepherd Christ’s flock and seek the lost sheep by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with all. Come, let us worship!For your convenience, in the back corner of the sanctuary there is a room for any parents with children in need of a quiet place. The restrooms are located on the lower level. Please ask if you have any further questions or concerns. Lord Jesus, you took on our humanity in order to live under the law and redeem us. Grant that I always marvel at your grace, and receive you with joy; AMEN.The Role of the Law in the Life of the Christian:The whole world with all diligence has struggled to figure out what God is, what He has in mind and does. Yet the world has never been able to grasp ‹the knowledge and understanding of› any of these things. But here [in the Apostles’ Creed] we have everything in richest measure. For here in all three articles God has revealed Himself and opened the deepest abyss of His fatherly heart and His pure, inexpressible love [Ephesians 3:18–19]. He has created us for this very reason, that He might redeem and sanctify us. In addition to giving and imparting to us everything in heaven and upon earth, He has even given to us His Son and the Holy Spirit, who brings us to Himself [Romans 8:14, 32]. For we could never grasp the knowledge of the Father’s grace and favor except through the Lord Christ. Jesus is a mirror of the fatherly heart [John 14:9; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3], outside of whom we see nothing but an angry and terrible Judge. But we couldn’t know anything about Christ either, unless it had been revealed by the Holy Spirit [1 Corinthians 2:12]. Large Catechism, Apostles’ Creed (Concordia p. 406)Born to Save Us:There is nothing trite or trivial in what has happened at Christmas: The deepest lowliness is but the mask for the greatest glory, the glory of him who came to be our Savior!How does the birth of Christ comfort & encourage us?OPENING HYMN: 56 – Gentle Mary Laid Her ChildLITURGY: Service of Word & Sacrament, CW p. 26Please rise.PRAYER OF THE DAY:M: Almighty God, grant that the birth of your one and only Son in the flesh may set us free from our old bondage under the yoke of sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. C: Amen.The WordFIRST READING: Isaiah 52:7-10God has kept his word: Hidden in the lowliness of the manger is the glory of God for our salvation. 7How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of a herald, who proclaims peace and preaches good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God is king!” 8The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voices. Together they shout for joy, because with both eyes they will see it when the LORD returns to Zion. 9Break out, shout for joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, because the LORD is comforting his people. He is redeeming Jerusalem. 10The LORD lays bare his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation from our God. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!PSALM: 98, p. 103SECOND READING: Hebrews 1:1-9In the manger, we see Eternal God in the form of a baby:In the past, God spoke to our forefathers by the prophets at many times and in many ways. 2In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of the divine nature. He sustains all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 4The Son became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5For to which of the angels did God ever say: You are my Son. Today I have begotten you? And again: I will be his Father, and he will be my Son. 6And again, when he brought his firstborn into the world, he said: Let all God’s angels worship him. 7About the angels he says: He makes his messengers winds and his ministers flaming fire. 8But about the Son he says: God, your throne is forever and ever, and the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. 9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy beyond your companions. THEME VERSE: Galatians 4:4-5Alleluia. When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law. Alleluia. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! These words are written that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! GOSPEL READING: John 1:1-14As the manger and the Virgin’s arms held him whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, so we too recognize and receive him who has come in human flesh and blood to dwell in us through the Word and sacrament:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him. 8He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus.Praise be to you, O Christ!HYMN OF THE DAY: 35 – Of the Father’s Love BegottenSERMON based on Hebrews 2: Radiance in HumilityCONFESSION OF FAITH: Nicene Creed, p. 31OFFERINGADULT CONFIRMATIONSPRAYER & LORD’S PRAYERThe sacramentFor our Holy Communion practice, please see the purple sheet in the pew racks.COMMUNION LITURGY: p. 33DISTRIBUTION HYMN: 40 – O Jesus Christ, Your Manger IsSONG OF THANKS: CW p. 36CLOSING HYMN: 58 – See in Yonder Manger LowNOTESNo 7 PM Worship tonight. Stay warm!February 4, Annual Voters’ Mtg.THIS WEEKToday Joshua 19 9:30 - Christmas 1 Worship with Holy CommunionMonday Joshua 20Tuesday Joshua 21Wednesday Joshua 22Thursday Joshua 23Friday Joshua 24Saturday Judges 1 8 AM - Men’s Bible Breakfast @The RanchSunday Judges 2 9:30 - Epiphany 1 Worship with Holy Communion; 40 Years of SOTL 10:58 - Bible Class: Genesis 3 & Godly Discipline                                                  

He Is LordScripture:Mark 1:1-8The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"—3 "a voice of one calling in the wilderness,'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: "After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."Sermon Notes:1. Christ has not __________________ you.2. Christ does not ________ in your box3. Christ will require you to ____________. Scripture taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture: James 1:17, Eph.2:8The miracle of Christmas is that God gave us the most perfect gift that we could ever dream of. We can never understand what the gift we were given cost and how we will benefit from it for eternity.God's gift was personal. It was crafted with every single individual ever born as the intended recipient, An eternity of planning and preparation went into it's timing and packaging. God's gift was practical. Without it I am lost for eternity. There is absolutely nothing I can do to escape my fate without accepting His gift. I am floating in the middle of an ocean storm with no raft, floatie or ability to swim. He gave me the only way for me not to drown. Very practical.Presents are not about paper - but purpose. Presents are not about ribbons but the reason for giving.

In today's message, Pastor Scott preaches about knowing "where" we are based on what is in our hearts. Follow along using Pastor Scott's outline below. Please help us spread the good news by sharing it with others! You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when Iím far away. ~Psalms 139:2 But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ~John 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name ~John 1:12 7The instructions of the LORD are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The commandments of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are clear, giving insight for living. 9Reverence for the LORD is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the LORD are true; each one is fair. 10They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. 11They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them. 12How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. 13Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Donít let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. 14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. ~Psalms 19:7-14 I meditate on your age-old regulations; O LORD, they comfort me. ~Psalms 119:52 O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. ~Psalms 48:9

He also said to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. 2And he called him and said to him, 'What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' 3And the manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. 4I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.' 5So, summoning his master's debtors one by one, he said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' 6He said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' He said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. 9And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. 10"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful in that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own? 13No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

Matthew 8:8The centurion replied, â??Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. In Context | Full Chapter

I can have sweet tea again! Sugar is evil but sweet tea is heavenly. Artificial sweeteners cause health problems. Natural sweeteners can be bitter. I have found the perfect sugar replacement!I have used two that I love. My favorite is really expensive. You can find it at holdthecarbs.com. Just search for their sweeteners. It comes in a 8ml bottle for about $8The other is nearly identical and I get it on amazon. It's called EZ-Sweetz stevia and monk fruit. It's much more affordable with 300 servings for about $12.

F$*k Sake! Not Another Podcast? Ep 8The panel discuss the Netflix documentary Making a Murderer and offer their opinions on the guilt of Steven Avery.Download Here 

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

John 15:1-8The secret to a fruitful life of following Christ is ...Support the show (https://www.vccburlington.org/give)

JOHN 3:1-17 1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. 17“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”